Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/23—Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
  • H04N21/234—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
  • H04N21/2343—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements
  • H04N21/23439—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements for generating different versions
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/25—Management operations performed by the server for facilitating the content distribution or administrating data related to end-users or client devices, e.g. end-user or client device authentication, learning user preferences for recommending movies
  • H04N21/266—Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
  • H04N21/2668—Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/43—Processing of content or additional data, e.g. demultiplexing additional data from a digital video stream; Elementary client operations, e.g. monitoring of home network or synchronising decoder's clock; Client middleware
  • H04N21/434—Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream
  • H04N21/4345—Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/45—Management operations performed by the client for facilitating the reception of or the interaction with the content or administrating data related to the end-user or to the client device itself, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies, resolving scheduling conflicts
  • H04N21/4508—Management of client data or end-user data
  • H04N21/4516—Management of client data or end-user data involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/47—End-user applications
  • H04N21/482—End-user interface for program selection
  • H04N21/4823—End-user interface for program selection using a channel name
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
  • H04N21/83—Generation or processing of protective or descriptive data associated with content; Content structuring
  • H04N21/835—Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates
  • H04N21/8352—Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method for selecting television programs and their related services and for displaying them on or through a television receiver, as well as to the related apparatus.
• a television receiver apparatus is meant to be a television set with a screen, or a satellite or cable or terrestrial set-top box capable of receiving and displaying television programs, in the latter cases by using an external screen of a monitor or a television set.
• a television broadcast is meant to be any broadcasting of television signals via air or cable, for instance in accordance with one of the following standards: DVB-T ("Digital Video Broadcasting-Terrestrial"), DVB-T2, DVB-C ("Digital Video Broadcasting-Cable”), DVB-C2, DVB-S ("Digital Video Broadcasting-Satellite”) and DVB-S2.
• a television service means a determined television transmission identified by a commercial name (like DasLibe or Das Zweite in Germany) operated by a television network (like ARD or ZDF in Germany) and composed by programs that are transmitted during the day.
• the same television service and consequently the same television programs can be found in different locations of the television frequency band.
• service identifier a set of data that are able to determine a specific television service (like Das Ware or Das Zweite in Germany) on the basis of information contained in the television signal and/or on the physical characteristics of the television signal. More in detail this type of information can comprise the LCN data (Logical Channel Numbering), the Service ID derived from the Service Information (SI) tables and a pair of data about the carrier frequency and Program IDentifier (PID), the latter also derived from the said Service Information tables.
• LCN data Logical Channel Numbering
• SI Service Information
• PID Program IDentifier
• a set top box when connected to a display, this one can be either a television receiver or a simple monitor. In the last case monitors are equivalent to television receivers, because they display together with set top boxes television signals received by air or cable.
• television receivers can decode television programs, transmitted in accordance with one or more of the above referred standards, that can be encoded with different systems like MPEG2 ("Moving Picture Experts Group”) (for Standard Definition - SD), MPEG 4-AVC ("Advanced Video Coding”) (for High Definition - HD) or HEVC ("High Efficiency Video Coding”) (for Ultra High definition Television - UHDTV).
• MPEG2 Motion Picture Experts Group
• MPEG 4-AVC Advanced Video Coding
• High Definition - HD High Definition - HD
• HEVC High Efficiency Video Coding
• the television networks have to face with the market situation of television receivers, where there are present old television receivers, that don't have capabilities of decoding television signals broadcast with new standards, and new television receivers that instead have capabilities of decoding new standardized television signals. For this reasons when television networks start to transmit program according with new TV standards, they broadcast simultaneously programs encoded with previous standards for allowing the television receivers equipped only with old capabilities to receive and display those programs.
• LCN Logical Channel Numbers
• a method and an apparatus are described for searching a television service, i.e. television programs transmitted by a television network on another service identifier, in order to view, automatically or manually, the same television service, i.e. the same television program selected by the user, but with the best video quality available on the reception side.
• a television service i.e. television programs transmitted by a television network on another service identifier
• FIG. 1 shows a scenario divided into blocks related to a television receiver apparatus according to the present invention
• FIG. 2 shows one example of data stored in a memory of the television receiver apparatus according to the present invention
• FIG. 3 shows one example of an EPG ("Electronic Program Guide") used in the present invention
• FIG. 4 shows further example of data stored in a memory of the television receiver apparatus according to the present invention
• FIG. 6 shows one example of data stored in a memory of the television receiver apparatus according to a variation of the present invention.
• the method and apparatus according to the present invention allow a user to watch a content of a television service with the best video quality available, i.e. with a video coding system having higher performance. It is important to specify that a content of a television service is a content of a television program contained into said television service.
• a television service can transmit a plurality of programs.
• the method and the apparatus according to the present invention provide to select or switch automatically the television service in SD, and its related current program a user wants to see, to that one having the media stream in HD, namely the one with the best video quality between SD and HD.
• HECV High Efficiency Video Coding
• UHD Ultra High Definition
• a first embodiment of the present invention provides to associate with the same television service the various LCN numbers on which one can find the desired service.
• a user through the menu of the television receiver apparatus 1 associates, manually or automatically, the LCN numbers of the same television service, i.e. providing the same program.
• the automatic association is possible because inside the transport stream of every television service there are metadata, in particular the PSI ("Program Specific Information") tables, bringing the information about the name of the television service and the elementary streams of the program. Therefore, the television receiver apparatus 1 can automatically make a table including various LCNs that transmit the same television service, just scanning the television band and identifying the same television services, but bringing a different LCN.
• this embodiments provides an association between a LCN, or, for example in the case of satellite broadcasting, a carrier frequency and a PID ("Packet IDentifier”) code, with a television service name.
• a LCN or, for example in the case of satellite broadcasting, a carrier frequency and a PID ("Packet IDentifier") code, with a television service name.
• PID Packet IDentifier
• the television receiver apparatus 1 in particular a television set, but it may also be a set-top box, comprises a tuning and demodulating unit 2 that receives a television signal through an input 3, which may be a terrestrial or satellite antenna (but may also be the coaxial input connector of a cable television service).
• the tuning and demodulating unit 2 is connected to a video circuit 4 that decodes a television video signal, e.g. with MPEG2 or MPEG4 coding system, which, under the control of a central processor 5, in particular containing one or more microprocessors, supplies the television video signal to a screen 7 for reproduction; the latter being external to the television signal receiver apparatus 1 if the apparatus 1 is a set-top box.
• a central processor 5 in particular containing one or more microprocessors
• the apparatus 1 comprises a memory 8, in particular containing a nonvolatile read/write memory device, and a control receiver 9, also connected to the tuning and demodulating unit 2, which receives the control signals from a remote control device 10 operated by a user and supplies them to the central processor 5 (via a connection not shown in the drawing for simplicity) for the execution of functions of the apparatus 1 , including program tuning.
• the memory 8 under the control of the central processor 5, stores the association of the various LCNs of all the available services with a unique identification code (having a relationship with the number of the keyboard of the remote control device 10), for example listing them with the LCN that has the lowest value among those of the same television service.
• a logical table 11 which is created in the memory 8 in which for each television service and ID Code 13 (keyboard number) may exist different LCNs corresponding to the same contents, i.e. television program, but with a different video quality/standardization system, for example SD, HD or UHD. Said ID Code 13 is unique for each television service, hence for each current television program.
• the apparatus 1 is ready for displaying television services, and its relating current television program, with the best video quality available, which is a mode that from now on we will call "best mode view".
• a user can also disable such "best mode view” through the menu of the apparatus 1 ; in this case the apparatus 1 operates as a normal television receiver known in the art.
• the apparatus 1 operates as a normal television receiver known in the art.
• central processor 5 reads from memory 8 the data stored, for example those relating to the logical table 11 and acts consequently.
• the central processor 5 reads the memory 8 and derives the other LCNs present for the same service television A.
• the central processor 5 identifies which LCN corresponds to the best video quality and tunes into this one.
• the central processor 5 identifies the LCN with number 701 which corresponds to UHD video quality. Consequently, the central processor 5 controls the tuning and demodulating unit 2 and commands to tune into the LCN with number 701.
• the apparatus 1 operates an automatic commutation of LCN of the television service A to the LCN one that offers the same content, but with better quality.
• the central processor 5 before tuning in a permanent manner the service A associated with the LCN 701, controls that on the LCN 701 there is a broadcast service coded with UHD video quality.
• the tuning of this service A associated with the LCN 701 becomes permanent until the user decides to change service/program.
• the central processor 5 tunes into the LCN 301. Again it controls that on the LCN 301 there is a broadcast service coded with HD video quality.
• the tuning on this service A associated with the LCN 301 becomes permanent until the user decides to change service/program.
• the central processor 5 tunes into the LCN 1 associated with a service broadcast with SD.
• the user will see on the screen 7 of the apparatus 1 the UHD contents of the television service A, i.e. those with the best video quality available for that television service A.
• the apparatus 1 would be automatically tuned into the LCN with number 302, i.e. one with HD video quality, because there is no others LCNs corresponding to better video quality for the television service B.
• the central processor 5 controls in advance that on the LCN 302 there is actually a service broadcast with HD definition.
• the central processor 5 checks which decoding algorithm (MPEG2, MPEG4/ H.264, H.265) must be used for obtaining a video image from the transport stream received by the video circuit 4.
• decoding algorithm MPEG2, MPEG4/ H.264, H.265
• a second embodiment of the present invention provides for exploiting the data of an EPG 15 ("Electronic Program Guide”) to implement the "best view mode".
• EPG 15 Electronic Program Guide
• the apparatus 1 When a user selects a television service, he/she watches on the screen 7 of the apparatus 1 a current television program that is broadcast at that time. If the television program/service chosen by the user is associate to an LCN where is broadcast, the program/service with a low video quality, for example SD, the apparatus 1 reads the data from the EPG 15 stored in the memory 8, namely controls if the same current television program broadcast is available on another television service, or the same but having a different LCN or different carrier frequency and PID ("Packet Identifier"), which is transmitted with a better video quality/standard than the current one.
• PID Packet Identifier
• This control is performed by comparing within the EPG 15 text strings of the names of television programs, that is, if there is the same text string of a television program name corresponding to television services with a different LCN or carrier frequency and PID; then the apparatus 1 identifies and tunes into the television service with the best video quality/standard available. For doing this, the apparatus 1 therefore tunes into the various LCN found or carrier frequency and PID, i.e. the various television services, and derives the video coding system of their television signals, in order to estimate which television service has the best video quality/standard.
• the apparatus 1 will tune into the LCN having UHD video quality.
• This functional example no longer provides to create a table of LCNs associated to the various television services with various video qualities/standards, but provides a totally automatic functioning, where, this time, the apparatus 1 estimates the video quality/standard of a television service that broadcasts the same television program substantially at the same time. In this case the apparatus 1 is able to check also between different television services, but transmitting the same program, which one has the best video quality.
• the remote control device 10 if the user selects the program E on a television service A, by means of the remote control device 10, he/she wants to watch on the screen 7 of the apparatus 1 the television program E that is broadcast at that moment.
• the central processor 5 reads data of the EPG 15 previously stored in the memory 8, namely controls whether the same television program E, currently being broadcast, is available on another television network, or the same, but nevertheless having a different LCN or carrier frequency and PID and which is transmitted with a better video quality than the current value. If this program is transmitted with better quality on a different LCN or carrier frequency and PID, then the central processor 5 provides for tuning the LCN offering the same program, but with better quality/standard.
• Such control over the EPG 15 is performed by the central processor 5 which reads text strings of the names of television programs by comparing the name of the television program E with the others in the memory 8. In other words, if there is the same text string of the name of the television program E, but corresponding to the television services with a different LCN or carrier frequency and PID, then the apparatus 1 detects, i.e. reads, the television service D having the best video quality available and tunes into this last one.
• the central processor 5 controls the tuning and demodulating unit 2 to tune into the LCN with number 54, i.e. the television service D offering the same program E, but with better quality, obtaining, by the type of decoding algorithm to be used by the video circuit 4, the video coding system of the television signal, in order to estimate its video quality.
• the central processor 5 understands that the video quality is SD. If the video decoding system to be used by the video circuit 4 is H.264/MPEG4-AVC, then the central processor 5 understands that the video quality is HD. If the video decoding system to be used by the video circuit 4 is H.265, then the central processor 5 understands that the video quality is UHD.
• this association between the programs (taken from the EPG 15) and the LCNs or carrier frequency and PID (transmitting the same program) can be done in background when the television receiver is on stand-by situation. Therefore the entire band is scanned and every time the video circuit 4 sends the information about the used coding system 19 (obtained from the system type used for being able to decode successfully a certain service) to central processor 5, the latter stores it in the memory 8 and, when the scanning of the television services is finished, the central processor 5 has a complete list of all the available services and their video quality (deducted from the decoding system to be used for correctly receiving these services).
• the central processor 5 When the apparatus 1 receives the instruction, through the remote control device 10, to select a program, the central processor 5 reads from the memory 8 the field where is stored the information about the used coding system 19 for each television service providing said program. In the case of the television service A, the central processor 5 reads MPEG2 as coding system, and instead H.264/MPEG4-AVC for the television service D.
• the central processor 5 is able to determine that the television service D is that one having the best video quality available and commands the tuning and demodulating unit 2 of tune into the LCN with number 54 relative to the television service D.
• This second embodiment also allows to identify new television services, and therefore new LCNs, which are added on the air by the broadcasters. In this case every predetermined time period, the apparatus 1 performs a scanning of available television services broadcast and controls whether there are new LCNs with respect to those that had stored in a previous scan, always starting from the television program name.
• the television receiver apparatus 1 In case that were not available LCN numbers in the television signal, because the television receiver apparatus 1 is tuned on satellite signals, operates simply by not storing the LCN but instead it searches the television services according to their carrier frequency and video and audio PID.
• the table 17 could contain the carrier frequency values and related video and audio PID of the television service instead of the LCN numbers.
• the method according to the present invention provides at step 20 to select, through a control device 10, a certain available television program, and its related television service identified through a LCN, or a carrier frequency and a PID. Such selection is expected also in the process of "zapping" using the keys "+” and "-" of the control device 10.
• the method provides to verify if said a certain television program selected by an user and its related television service, is broadcast on a different LCN (Logical Channel Numbering), or on a different carrier frequency and a PID, (Packet IDentifier) with respect to the one selected by the user. More in detail, such verification is performed through the central processor 5 and the tuning and demodulating unit 2.
• LCN Logical Channel Numbering
• PID Packet IDentifier
• step 23 if the television service selected, and its relating current television program, is not available on different LCN, or carrier frequency and PID, then the apparatus 1 stays tuned to said television service selected.
• step 25 the apparatus 1 performs a comparison based on video signal coding system among the original television service selected and those found to determine which has the best video quality.
• the operation of comparison is performed through the central processor 5 and the video circuit 4.
• the apparatus 1 is automatically tuned to the LCN, or carrier frequency and PID, of the television service with the best video quality available. Then, this television service is displayed on the screen 7 of the apparatus 1.
• the method according to the present invention can be implemented through a computer product which can be loaded into the memory 8 of the apparatus 1 and which comprises portions of software code adapted to implement the method by using existing hardware.
• a first advantage of the method and the apparatus according to the present invention is that a user has the possibility of watching television programs with the best quality available in a "user-friendly" manner, also in presence of a mix of programs transmitted with different standards.
• a second advantage of the method and the apparatus according to the invention is to allow the user to enjoy automatically the better quality of a television program when they are transmitted with enhanced television standards.
• a third advantage of the method and the apparatus according to the invention is that a user can watch automatically the best quality of a television program, even if he/she doesn't know how to find it.
• the method and the apparatus for selecting programs and their related television services and for displaying them on or through a television receiver may be subject to many possible variations without departing from the novelty spirit of the inventive idea; it is also clear that in the practical implementation of the invention the illustrated details may have different shapes or be replaced with other technically equivalent elements.
• the method and the apparatus for selecting television programs and their related services and for displaying them on or through a television receiver may be expected that the switching to the television service having the best video quality is confirmed by the user.
• Another possible variant would be to provide in the apparatus 1 a second tuning and demodulating unit and a second video circuit that respectively perform a search of a television service, and its relating television program, with different LCN, or different carrier frequency and PID, and an estimate of the video coding system, in parallel to the vision of a current television program.
• This type of search is performed in background, because the user can continue to watch his current content related to the television program, without waiting for the end of the search procedure of the television service with the best video quality. In this way, if the user has selected a service with less video quality, when a better one is found the apparatus 1 switches automatically on this last one.
• Another important embodiment of the present invention is related to the situation of broadcasting television services all around the world. For instance, while in many countries there is an association between the coding systems and the definition of the contents delivered by different services (for instance MPEG2 is associated to the standard definition and MPEG4 is associated to the High Definition), in other countries the above relationship between the coding standard type and the definition of the service's contents (i.e. the video quality) is not so strict. In fact it is possible to find services broadcast with HD quality, but coded with the MPEG2 standard.
• This embodiment is based on the fact that the quality of the broadcast video service (i.e. SD, or HD, or UHD) can be determined in a different way, no more making a fixed relationship between the video coding systems and the definition of the different services.
• the quality of the broadcast video service i.e. SD, or HD, or UHD
• Service Information In fact in the digital streaming of television services, among other data, there are provided the so called Service Information (SI) data in order that the user can be provided with information to assist him/her in selection of services and/or events contained within the bitstream and so that the receiver can automatically configure itself for the selected service. Therefore the Service Information data supply the receiver for instance with the information about the name of the services and their quality (SD, HD, UHD) in this way: BBC HD, SRF1 HD, ORF 2 HD, Arte HD, etc. Normally the television receiver apparatus 1 extracts this information for the purpose of indicating on the screen 7 the name of the service selected by the user or as data for identifying the service in the EPG. This information can be used in accordance to the present invention also for creating in the memory 8 a table like the one displayed in the Fig. 6.
• the table of Fig. 6 can be created and consequently it can be established the relationship with services having the same name, but transmitting contents with SD, or HD, or UHD video quality.
• this embodiment provides to obtain the video quality information from the television service name.
• the central processor 5 locks into the table of figure 6 and, if there is another service (identified by the SI information) corresponding to the service selected by the user, but broadcast with better definition, automatically switches the tuning of the television receiver apparatus 1 into the service transmitting the same content, but with the best video definition/quality available. Of course, if for any reasons the user doesn't like it, this automatic switching can be denied.
• the feature described above can be obtained also starting from the EPG facility, selecting the name of a certain program that the user likes to watch. This is a useful feature especially in those cases when a network has different services in SD, but only one in HD or UHD. In this case this network concentrates on one service only the contents in HD or UHD. Therefore when the user is selecting a service that is providing contents in SD, it is not said that the actual program on this service is broadcast also on a different service in HD or UHD quality. Therefore when the user selects a program, starting from the EPG it is possible to ascertain if on the HD or UHD service of the same network the same program is available.
• the central processor 5 switches the tuning of the television receiver apparatus 1 into the HD or UDH service (which one with the best video quality is available), otherwise remains tuned on the service having SD contents (or HD contents if the UHD is not available), because the program selected from the EPG is not transmitted actually with a better definition HD or UHD.
• the present invention is not limited to a method and an apparatus for selecting television programs and their related services and for displaying them on or through a television receiver, but may be subject to many modifications, improvements or replacements of equivalent parts and elements without departing from the novelty spirit of the inventive idea, as clearly specified in the following claims.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
• Computer Security & Cryptography (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Television Systems (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=47754497

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (3)

Families Citing this family (1)

Family Cites Families (2)

• 2013
  • 2013-02-25 EP EP13706507.4A patent/EP2959690A1/de not_active Ceased
  • 2013-02-25 CN CN201380073792.9A patent/CN105009594B/zh active Active
  • 2013-02-25 WO PCT/EP2013/053719 patent/WO2014127844A1/en active Application Filing

Non-Patent Citations (2)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events