摘要:
Techniques to create, generate, and deliver customized interactive program guide (custom-IPG). In one method, selections indicative of a set of channels to be included in the custom-IPG are received. In response, one or more custom-IPG screens having included therein the set of selected channels are rendered at a head end. The custom-IPG screens can be formed as subsets of the regular IPG screens, or as new screens. The rendered custom-IPG screens are provided from the head end to a set top terminal upon receiving a viewer request for the custom-IPG. Command indicative of a particular location at which to overlay the custom-IPG screens may also be received. In this case, the custom-IPG screens are re-rendered at the indicated location. The custom-IPG screens can be overlaid on a video sequence provided on a particular channel, which can be the channel currently being viewed, the channel used to carry regular program guide, or a channel that is independent of the channels used to carry regular programming and program guide. For example, either the custom or regular IPG can be provided on the program guide channel, depending on the viewer's selection.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for compressing a plurality of video sequences, where each sequence has information that is common with other video sequences. The invention ensemble encodes the video sequences into an MPEG compliant transport stream using less predicted frame information than separately encoding each video sequence. One illustrative application of the invention is efficiently encoding and transmitting a user interface such as a program guide, interactive program guide, electronic program guide, navigator and the like. The user interface is illustratively embodied in an interactive program guide (IPG).
摘要:
A data structure for representing program data that includes a number of streams. Each stream comprises a group of pictures (GOP) having a first picture and remaining pictures. The data structure includes a first set of one or more elements for representing data for the first pictures in the GOPs, and a second set of one or more elements for representing data for the remaining pictures in the GOPs. At least one element in the first set represents data for the first picture of at least one respective GOP, with each such first picture having been encoded as a reference I picture. Each remaining element (if any) in the first set represents data for the first picture of a respective remaining GOP, with each such remaining first picture having been encoded as either a difference picture or a P picture. Each element in the second set represents data for a particular remaining picture in one of the GOPs, with each such remaining picture having been encoded as either a P or B picture. Each stream is represented by one or more elements in the first set and one or more elements in the second set.
摘要:
A data structure suited to efficiently representing a plurality of image streams including common and non-common portions. Specifically, a plurality of similar group of picture (GOP) data structures representing the corresponding plurality of image streams including common and non-common portions is adapted to provide a first encoded stream comprising only P-picture and B-picture access units of one of the similar GOP data structures, and a corresponding plurality of encoded streams comprising only respective I-picture access units of the similar GOP data structures. In this manner, the redundant P-picture and B-picture access units within the encoded streams are eliminated, thereby greatly reducing the bandwidth or memory resources needed to transmit or store the plurality of image streams.
摘要:
Methods for slice-based encoding of program guides and user interfaces are disclosed. The program guides include multiple video streams for picture-in-picture and other applications. A method for encoding the program guide includes encoding a first set of slices for each of a plurality of graphics pages; and encoding a second set of slices for each of a plurality of video streams.The user interfaces are multi-functional and may be used for electronic commerce and other applications. A method of generating the user interface includes encoding a set of slices for each of a plurality of objects, each object being characterized by an identity, at least one attribute, and at least one operation. In one embodiment of this method, the plurality of objects include an electronic commerce object, where the electronic commerce object is attributed with a first hyper text markup language (HTML) page.
摘要:
A terminal for decoding and presenting encoded realtime and non-realtime interactive program guide (IPG) content including a realtime video portion and a non-realtime guide graphics portion. The terminal includes a demodulator operative to receive and demodulate a modulated signal to provide a transport stream, and a transport demultiplexer coupled to the demodulator and operative to receive and process the transport stream to provide a sequence of transport packets re-timestamped to synchronize encoded realtime content and encoded non-realtime content included therein. At least one video decoder is coupled to the transport demultiplexer and operative to receive and decode the encoded realtime and non-realtime contents to recover the realtime and non-realtime contents for the user interface.
摘要:
A data structure for representing program data that includes a number of streams. Each stream comprises a group of pictures (GOP) having a first picture and remaining pictures. The data structure includes a first set of one or more elements for representing data for the first pictures in the GOPs, and a second set of one or more elements for representing data for the remaining pictures in the GOPs. At least one element in the first set represents data for the first picture of at least one respective GOP, with each such first picture having been encoded as a reference I picture. Each remaining element (if any) in the first set represents data for the first picture of a respective remaining GOP, with each such remaining first picture having been encoded as either a difference picture or a P picture. Each element in the second set represents data for a particular remaining picture in one of the GOPs, with each such remaining picture having been encoded as either a P or B picture. Each stream is represented by one or more elements in the first set and one or more elements in the second set.
摘要:
Methods for managing delivery of video sequences of an interactive program guide (IPG) over a communications network to a plurality of terminals are provided. In one embodiment, the method pre-allocates a broadcast bandwidth in the communications network for common video sequences to be transmitted by a broadcast technique. The common video sequences are transmitted in the broadcast bandwidth to the plurality of terminals by way of the broadcast technique. A request for a specific video sequence is received from a specific terminal via the communications network. A demandcast bandwidth is allocated in the communications network for the specific video sequence. The specific video sequence is transmitted in the demandcast bandwidth to the specific terminal via the communications network.
摘要:
Techniques presented reduce latencies or delays in the delivery of an interactive program guide. In accordance with a first technique, a method for providing an interactive program guide comprises: providing a plurality of transport streams; providing a group of interactive guide pages within each said transport stream, where the group of interactive guide pages comprise related pages. In accordance with a second technique, a method for providing an interactive program guide comprises: forming a first transport stream including video packets with a first set of packet identifiers; and forming a second transport stream including video packets with a second set of packet identifiers, where the first set of packet identifiers and the second set of packet identifiers include a common packet identifier. In accordance with a third technique, a method for providing an interactive program guide comprises: providing an interactive guide page which may be navigated by a viewer; providing a threshold within the interactive guide page; and if the threshold is crossed during navigation of the page by the viewer, then requesting a next interactive guide page.
摘要:
A method and apparatus for combining video frame sequences with a video display of an interactive program guide (IPG). The apparatus comprises a plurality of compositors that combine background information, video frame sequences and program guide graphics into a single video frame sequence. The sequence is then digitally encoded to form an MPEG-like bitstream. The same background information and informational video is composited with a different program guide graphic to form another video sequence that is also encoded. A plurality of such sequences are produced with each sequence having a different program guide graphic. Each sequence is encoded and then multiplexed into a transport stream such that all the encoded sequences are transmitted to a subscriber's terminal using a single transport stream. As such, the subscriber can transition from one program guide to the next without interruption of the background or video display as the program guide graphic is changed.