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]
  • H04N21/40—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
  • H04N21/438—Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. retrieving encoded video stream packets from an IP network
  • H04N21/4383—Accessing a communication channel
  • H04N21/4384—Accessing a communication channel involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
  • H04H60/00—Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
  • H04H60/27—Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• • 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
  • H04N21/262—Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists
  • H04N21/26291—Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client
• • 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
  • H04N21/433—Content storage operation, e.g. storage operation in response to a pause request, caching operations
  • H04N21/4331—Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• • 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]
  • H04N21/80—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
  • H04N21/84—Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04H—BROADCAST COMMUNICATION
  • H04H60/00—Arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linking to broadcast information or broadcast space-time; Broadcast-related systems
  • H04H60/68—Systems specially adapted for using specific information, e.g. geographical or meteorological information
  • H04H60/73—Systems specially adapted for using specific information, e.g. geographical or meteorological information using meta-information
• • 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
  • H04N21/436—Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a service change method of a digital television decoder; it also relates to an electronic device capable of implementing such a service change method.
• service we mean conventionally what users call a television channel, for example a channel broadcasting during the day successive programs to each other. Nevertheless, the services may be audio only services or data or other services.
• the aim of the invention is to improve a zapping time when a user of a digital television decoder makes a change of service.
• zapping time or change of service time, the time elapsed between the transmission of a change of service command by a user of a digital television decoder, for example by means of a appropriate remote control, and the actual display of the desired service on the screen connected to the decoder considered.
• the field of the invention is, in general, that of digital television decoders.
• the term "decoder” denotes a digital television decoder.
• digital television decoders are used, in particular to access a set of television channels that are transmitted encrypted and decrypted within the decoder.
• the transmission means that transmit the television programs to these decoders are either conventional air transmission means or coaxial or even optical cables, or retransmission satellites that serve a region or the Internet.
• the invention is of interest for all types of decoders, whether they are decoders receiving a signal stream to be decoded by satellite, or else by the TNT, or even for the IP decoders which receive the signal flow at decode via the internet network.
• the decoder comprises receiving means for receiving the transmitted signals and formatting means for transforming the received signals into applicable signals directly on the control elements of a display device.
• the formatting is carried out respecting for each of the images to represent tables of parameters.
• tables There are different types of tables: the SI (System Information) tables, the PSI (Program Specific Information) tables, the NIT (Network Information Tables) tables, the EIT tables (Tables of Events), the PAT tables (Associated Programs Table), CAT (Access Control Table) table or PMT (Program Component Table) table ...
• the parameter signals are transmitted in the stream (i.e. with the video signal itself) in data packets.
• the different packets are assigned to the appropriate tables.
• Packages of the same table are not necessarily grouped in the same section. They can be divided into successive sections, interleaved with information packets relating to other tables or the video, audio, data or other signal.
• identifiers are used to assign the data packets to particular tables among others.
• a decoder does not know at first glance how the data packets are distributed but it can recognize a division of the sections. The decoder must read the identifier in each section and rearrange the data to assign them to the right tables. All the parameter signals relating to the different tables are edited by the television operators, are incorporated in the flow of this operator, and are routed to the users by the different media.
• a whole table architecture is distributed and the purpose of the decoder is to rebuild all the tables to have adjustment information as well as information to show in visualization for users.
• PAT Program Association Table
• the CAT access control table makes it possible to collect this information and has the transmission of this information transmitted to a microprocessor of the decoder, the latter then being able to determine whether the user of the decoder has the rights to this service. If this is the case, the microprocessor returns appropriate information which makes it possible to obtain a decryption digital key of the service in question. The latter can then be rendered in clear on a display screen.
• a simplified operation (not involving, for example, a FEC error correction system) of zapping on a decoder follows the various steps shown on the timing diagram of FIG.
• we identify the initial time (t 0) as being the moment when a user performs an action 100 to perform a change of service. Such an action is most often constituted by pressing one or more appropriate keys of a remote control associated with the decoder.
• the flow of the zapping time is identified with respect to this time reference.
• a first step 101 then resides in the taking into account, by the operating software of the decoder, the action of the user.
• the duration of this step is typically 150 ms (milliseconds).
• a second step 102 during which the decoder executes a command, for example a command called "IGMP join command" in the case of an IP decoder.
• the duration of this step is close to 400 ms; it corresponds to a connection time of the decoder, necessary time, from the execution of the "IGMP join” command, to receive first appropriate data packets extracted from a multicast signal stream.
• the connection time of the decoder corresponds to the time which elapses between an action on the decoder tuner, and the actual reception of the first data packets.
• a next step 103 which typically lasts 75 ms, is a step of acquiring the PAT table.
• a step 104 follows, with an average duration of 75 ms, in which the PMT table is acquired.
• the acquisition of the PMT table and the PAT table can thus last up to 250 ms.
• access control is performed; it lasts approximately 300 ms and makes it possible to verify that the decoder considered has the rights to access the requested service.
• the audio and video decoding operation for the desired service is carried out in a next step 106.
• the time taken between the communication of the audio and video data to the decoder audio and video decoder and the actual display on the display screen is of the order of 1500 ms.
• the method according to the invention proposes a solution to the problems and disadvantages which have just been exposed.
• a solution is proposed for reducing the zapping time by intervening at the level of the recovery of the tables necessary to access a given service.
• it is proposed to anticipate the storage of these tables by storing them in a memory module before a change of service command has been received by the decoder.
• the memory module considered can be integrated in a decoder, and advantageously communicate the stored data to other decoders; the memory module can also constitute an independent electronic device, placed at the user of the digital decoder, or at the service broadcaster.
• the invention therefore essentially relates to a method of service change of a digital television decoder, said digital television decoder receiving data in the form of a signal stream composed of a plurality of services and comprising audio and / or video data and management data thereof services, in which access to a service in response to a change of service command requires acquisition by the digital television decoder of the management data of said service, said method being characterized in that it comprises the various steps of :
• a management list before the service access request comprising at least a first management data group associated with a first service and a second data group; management associated with a second service;
• the management list is thus stored automatically, that is to say in particular without a user of the decoder intervenes on said decoder, for example by means of its remote control.
• the method according to the invention is advantageously implemented as soon as the storage module is operational, that is to say as soon as the electronic device integrating it, whether it is a television decoder or of another device, is turned on and receives the signal flow to the decoder.
• the method according to the invention may comprise, in addition to the main steps which have just been mentioned in the preceding paragraph, one or more additional characteristics among the following:
• the method comprises the additional step of storing, in the management list, all the data management data of the signal flow;
• the method comprises a step of automatically updating the management list, each group of management data stored being replaced by an updated management data group when program broadcast by the service associated with the group of management data considered, changes;
• the step of automatically updating the management list comprises the operation of memorizing, for each service whose management data is stored, end-of-program information corresponding to a schedule marking the end of the program broadcast by the service considered when storing the management data associated with it;
• the management data storage module comprises at least a first reception channel and a second reception channel receiving the signal flow, the reception chain used for the replacement of a management data group stored by a group of updated management data being the reception string that has been used for such a replacement operation for the longest duration;
• the management data storage module is previously arranged at a service broadcaster
• the method comprises the additional step of establishing an IP link, or Internet link, between the management data storage module and the digital television decoder to communicate the second group of management data from the data storage module. management to the digital television decoder;
• the management data storage module is previously integrated in a digital television decoder
• the method comprises the additional step of establishing an IP link between the digital television decoder integrating the management data storage module and at least one secondary digital television decoder for communicating the second group of management data from the decoder digital television incorporating said storage module to each secondary digital television decoder.
• the present invention also relates to an electronic device adapted to be used as a storage module for management data in the method according to the invention, said device comprising:
• automatic storage means in a memory module for automatically storing a management list, said list comprising at least a first group of management data associated with a first service and a second group of management data associated with a second service;
• the present invention finally relates to a digital television decoder characterized in that it is equipped with the electronic device according to the invention.
• management data associated with a service, in particular a television service, will be used to denote all the data necessary for the decoder to access the service in question so as to restore it to a particular service.
• these data thus comprise different tables dedicated to said service, in particular PAT and PMT, which are advantageously supplemented by information of the EIT and / or PID type. with certain data, including data relating to a program end time being broadcast for the service in question.
• an electronic device also designated as a storage module, 200 according to the invention used to implement the method according to the invention for performing a service change operation of a decoder.
• the electronic device 200 can be considered as a storage module, and advantageously organization, management data as defined above.
• the electronic device 200 comprises at least a first reception channel 201.
• the electronic device comprises three reception chains, with a second reception channel 202 and a third reception channel 203.
• Each reception chain 201, 202 and 203 comprises an input, referenced respectively E1, E2 and E3.
• a signal flow F1 composed of a plurality of services (S1 ... Sn) is received.
• the signal flow is transmitted by an operator broadcasting services, for example television services.
• the signal stream F1 thus comprises, multiplexed, audio and / or video data DAV and management data DGEST, as defined above, audio and / or video data DAV.
• Each reception chain comprises the means necessary to receive and process the signal flow F1 to extract the DGEST management data.
• the reception channels may comprise in particular a tuner-type element and / or a demultiplexer-type element.
• the groups of management data Gn are intended to be stored in a memory 204, for example in the form of a management list L1.
• a service change operation to switch from a first service S1 to a second service S2
• the corresponding data group G2 is used to extract at least the PMT and PAT tables associated with the service S2.
• a transmission 210 of these data for example after passing through a buffer, or buffer, 207, to the appropriate decoder.
• the transmission is advantageously performed by means of an Internet connection.
• Other transmission means are possible, for example wireless transmission means of BlueTooth type.
• end of program information IFPn typically contained in the EIT type tables.
• the end-of-program information IFPn gives an indication, for the service Sn considered, of the end-of-program schedule currently being broadcast on the service in question.
• a list of program end information IFPn used by a software application 208 called end-of-program data organization application.
• the software application 208 organizes the list of program end information IFPn so as to extract from the stream F1 a new group of management data Gn corresponding to the service Sn which has been identified by the software application 208 as the first service to present a program change.
• a new group of management data Gn corresponding to the service Sn which has been identified by the software application 208 as the first service to present a program change.
• there is an updated group of data management Gn including updated end of IFPn program information.
• a software application 209 which selects one of the reception chains available at the input of the electronic device.
• the software application 209 uses the reception chain carrying out the data associated with a service for the longest duration, in comparison with the extraction times of the other reception channels.
• a service in the management data it conveys, end-of-program information, a retrieving the management data of this service on a regular basis, allocating one of the reception channels in a predefined manner, for example every ten minutes.
• the various software applications involved in the method according to the invention are managed within a program memory that is not represented by the device. electronic 200.
• the electronic device 200 is disposed in the premises of an operator, for example a television service broadcaster.
• the device 200 can either operate as described above, by extracting the flow management data F1, or acquire the management data by any other means.
• the operator at whom the electronic device is located has directly management data, and it can communicate them in any other way to the decoder without using the stream F1.
• the transmission 210 is then made to at least the first decoder 205 advantageously by means of an internet link.
• the electronic device 200 is represented in the same configuration as in FIG. 2: It consists of an independent box which sends, by the transmission 210, the management data necessary for the change of service to at least one decoder (in the example shown, the first decoder 205 and the second decoder 206).
• the transmission 210 can be done either by an internet connection, or by any other means, including wireless transmission means of BlueTooth or wifi type.
• the electronic device 200 is integrated in a television decoder 301, said master decoder.
• the master decoder is able, by the transmission 210, to send the management data necessary for the change of service to at least one decoder (in the example shown, the first decoder 205 and the second decoder 206).
• the transmission time of the management data between the device 200 and according to the invention and a decoder where the operation of change of service must occur is typically one millisecond (where the electronic device 200 is installed in the user of the decoder) to ten milliseconds (case where the electronic device is installed at the operator), which is a clear improvement to the situation of the state of the art where on average 250 milliseconds are necessary to recover the management data necessary for the operation of change of service.
• the method according to the invention is advantageously implemented as soon as the electronic device 200 is turned on, and as soon as it receives the signal stream F1.
• the electronic device 200 takes on average about ten minutes to retrieve all the service management data available in stream F1. Once all the management data have been acquired, their updating, by its progressive realization taking into account the end times of the programs, makes it possible to guarantee an immediate availability of the management data for the change of service to pass from one first service to any other F1 stream service.
• the method according to the invention is implemented automatically, that is to say without the intervention of the user on his control means to perform a change of service, the storage of management data s' performing automatically, advantageously as soon as the electronic device according to the invention is placed under tension.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
• Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)
• Circuits Of Receivers In General (AREA)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=54937218

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (6)

Family Cites Families (16)

• 2015
  • 2015-07-29 FR FR1557265A patent/FR3039735A1/fr active Pending
• 2016
  • 2016-06-30 WO PCT/FR2016/051647 patent/WO2017017326A1/fr active Application Filing
  • 2016-06-30 US US15/748,041 patent/US20180220186A1/en not_active Abandoned
  • 2016-06-30 CN CN201680048628.6A patent/CN107925793A/zh active Pending
  • 2016-06-30 EP EP16742355.7A patent/EP3329683A1/de not_active Withdrawn
  • 2016-06-30 BR BR112018001712A patent/BR112018001712A2/pt not_active Application Discontinuation

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