WO2009029403A1

WO2009029403A1 - Method and device for playing digital media broadcast data

Info

Publication number: WO2009029403A1
Application number: PCT/US2008/072741
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lei Shi; Hai Long
Original assignee: Motorola, Inc.
Priority date: 2007-08-24
Filing date: 2008-08-11
Publication date: 2009-03-05
Also published as: CN101374211A

Abstract

A method and device for playing buffered digital media broadcast data is useful for reducing the time required to retrieve and play a selected program. The method includes processing tuning data pushed to a portable electronic device over an air interface, where the tuning data comprise provider frequency data and program identification data concerning the digital media broadcast data (405). A selected program is then identified using the tuning data (410). The digital media broadcast data associated with the selected program are then retrieved from a digital media provider to provide the buffered digital media broadcast data (415). Finally, the buffered digital media broadcast data are played on the portable electronic device (420).

Description

METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PLAYING DIGITAL MEDIA BROADCAST DATA

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to portable electronic devices and, in particular, to playing buffered digital media broadcast data on a portable electronic device using tuning data that are pushed to the device.

Background

DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting - Handheld) is a physical layer technical specification for delivering multimedia digital broadcast services to portable electronic devices such as mobile telephones and personal digital assistants (PDAs). Adopted by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, DVB-H employs time slicing technology to transmit efficient bursts of Internet Protocol (IP) datagrams during short time slots, which enables portable electronic devices to conserve battery power. Major applications of DVB-H include mobile television, video streaming and file downloading for mobile devices. Various other technologies and standards are also available that employ transport stream (TS) communication protocols to deliver multiplexed digital video data and audio data to portable electronic devices. These include MediaFLO™, Digital Multimedia Broadcasting, and Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting technologies.

In order to tune a portable electronic device to a particular multimedia digital broadcast program, a series of setup and initialization processes generally must be completed first. For example, communication channel frequencies that are available for delivering digital content must be located during a search, and a content provider must be discovered. An electronic service guide or equivalent then must be downloaded from the content provider. Finally, the portable electronic device must be tuned to a particular program selected by a user to enable the program to be received and played at the device.

Such setup and initialization processes can be particularly time consuming, sometimes requiring up to several minutes to complete before a user can begin playing a digital broadcast program. Thus for short programs, or for users who are in a hurry, the setup and initialization processes can significantly degrade user experiences concerning digital broadcast programs.

Brief Description of the Figures In order that the invention may be readily understood and put into practical effect, reference will now be made to exemplary embodiments as illustrated with reference to the accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer to identical or functionally similar elements throughout the separate views. The figures together with a detailed description below, are incorporated in and form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrate the embodiments and explain various principles and advantages, in accordance with the present invention where:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a portable electronic device in the form of a mobile telephone, according to some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a series of initialization steps used to retrieve and play digital media broadcast data on a mobile telephone, according to some embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating functional entities of a digital video broadcast-handheld (DVB-H) architecture, according to some embodiments of the present invention; and FIG. 4 is a general flow diagram illustrating a method for playing buffered digital media broadcast data on a portable electronic device, according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.

Detailed Description

Before describing in detail embodiments that are in accordance with the present invention, it should be observed that the embodiments reside primarily in combinations of method steps and device components related to playing buffered digital media broadcast data on a portable electronic device. Accordingly, the device components and method steps have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. In this document, relational terms such as first and second, top and bottom, front and back, and the like may be used solely to distinguish one entity or action from another entity or action without necessarily requiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between such entities or actions. The terms "comprises," "comprising," or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or device that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or device. An element preceded by "comprises a..." does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

Referring to FIG. 1, a schematic diagram illustrates a portable electronic device in the form of a mobile telephone 100, according to some embodiments of the present invention. The mobile telephone 100 comprises a radio frequency communications unit 102 coupled to be in communication with a common data and address bus 117 of a processor 103. The mobile telephone 100 also has user interfaces comprising a keypad 106 and a display screen 105, such as a touch screen coupled to be in communication with the processor 103.

The processor 103 also includes an encoder/decoder 111 with an associated code Read Only Memory (ROM) 112 for storing data for encoding and decoding voice or other signals that may be transmitted or received by the mobile telephone 100. The processor 103 further includes a microprocessor 113 operatively connected, by the common data and address bus 117, to the encoder/decoder 111, a character Read Only Memory (ROM) 114, a Random Access Memory (RAM) 104, programmable memory 116 and a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) interface 118. The programmable memory 116 and a SIM operatively coupled to the SIM interface 118 each can store, among other things, an electronic address book and various other data concerning, for example, playing digital multimedia broadcasts.

The radio frequency communications unit 102 is a combined receiver and transmitter having an antenna 107. The radio frequency communications unit 102 has a transceiver 108 coupled to the antenna 107 via a radio frequency amplifier 109. The transceiver 108 is also coupled to a combined modulator/demodulator 110 that is coupled to the encoder/decoder 111.

The microprocessor 113 has ports for coupling to the keypad 106 and to the display screen 105. The microprocessor 113 further has ports for coupling to an alert module 115 that typically contains an alert speaker, vibrator motor and associated drivers; to a microphone 120; and to a communications speaker 122. The character ROM 114 stores code for decoding or encoding data such as short messaging service (SMS) messages that may be transmitted or received by the radio frequency communications unit 102. In some embodiments of the present invention, the character ROM 114, the programmable memory 116, or a SIM also can store operating code (OC) for the microprocessor 113 and code for performing functions associated with the mobile telephone 100. For example, the programmable memory 116 can comprise digital media broadcast computer readable program code components 125 configured to cause execution of a method for playing digital media broadcast data over the communications speaker 122 and the display screen 105.

According to one aspect, embodiments of the present invention therefore include a method for playing digital media broadcast data on a portable electronic device such as the mobile telephone 100. The method includes processing tuning data pushed to the portable electronic device over an air interface, where the tuning data comprise provider frequency data and program identification data concerning the digital media broadcast data. A selected program is then identified by using the tuning data. The digital media broadcast data associated with the selected program are then retrieved from a digital media provider to provide the buffered digital media broadcast data. Finally, the buffered digital media broadcast data are played on the portable electronic device.

Users of a portable electronic device, such as the mobile telephone 100, are thus able to conveniently obtain tuning data concerning a particular digital media broadcast program, such as a digital television program, by having the tuning data pushed directly to the device. Time consuming setup and initialization processes, such as searching available communication channel frequencies, discovering a content provider, downloading a program guide, and selecting a program, can be eliminated. Thus, for example, a user who is watching a digital television program on a first device can send a simple short messaging service (SMS) message to a friend, where the SMS message includes tuning data concerning the program. The friend can then use the SMS message to automatically and directly retrieve and play the program on a second device. The friend can thus avoid having to complete some setup and initialization processes on the second device because the processes were already completed on the first device. Referring to FIG. 2, a diagram illustrates a series of setup and initialization steps used to retrieve and play digital media broadcast data on the mobile telephone 100, according to some embodiments of the present invention. Consider that a second mobile telephone 200 used by a User A first employs a digital media broadcasting application to select and play a digitally broadcast television program, according to methods well known in the prior art. For example, such methods can include the methods described in the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Technical Report ETSI TR 102 469 "Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB); IP Datacast over DVB-H: Architecture" and in ETSI European Standard ETSI EN 302 304 "Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB); Transmission System for Handheld Terminals (DVB-H)", both of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.

At step 205, the mobile telephone 200 searches designated frequency bands (such as VHF-III between 170-230 MHz, or UHF-IV/V between 470-862 MHz) using a content frequency searching algorithm to identify available broadcast services. At step 210, the mobile telephone 200 tunes to a particular frequency. The steps 205, 210 can be time consuming and may require, for example, from 3 to 60 seconds to complete. Next, at step 215, an internet protocol/medium access control (IP/MAC) notification table (INT) is constructed. That requires about 2 to 3 seconds to complete, as each transport stream available at the frequency to which the mobile telephone 200 is tuned will include at least one INT for each service delivery platform providing digital media content. At step 220, a particular content provider is discovered using a provider discovery process, requiring about another 2 seconds. At step 225, an electronic service guide (ESG) application is downloaded, requiring about a further 15 seconds. As is well known in the prior art, an ESG includes information about available digital media programs. Using an ESG application, the User A of the mobile telephone 200 can select broadcast programs in which he or she is interested, or find digital media stored on the mobile telephone 200. As a component of a DVB-H architecture, an ESG generally requires that the mobile telephone 200 first be synchronized to a particular transport stream that carries IP datacast (IPDC) services. An ESG can also include information that enables the mobile telephone 200 to connect to a related IP stream in a DVB-H transport stream. The User A of the mobile telephone 200 thus can use ESG information to select a particular DVB-H service.

At step 230, the User A uses the mobile telephone 200 to select a particular digital media broadcast program, requiring about another 40 seconds. Finally, at step 235, the mobile telephone 200 retrieves audio/visual (A/V) content in the form of buffered digital media broadcast data and begins playing the data on the mobile telephone 200. Thus a total of about two minutes may be required for the User A to launch a DVB-H application on the mobile telephone 200 and begin playing a particular broadcast program.

However, according to some embodiments of the present invention, if the User A identifies a specific program that would be of interest to a User B of the mobile telephone 100, the User A can assist the User B to efficiently retrieve and begin playing the specific program in much less time than was required for the User A to retrieve and begin playing the specific program.

At line 240, consider that the User A transmits tuning data concerning the specific program directly to the User B. The tuning data can comprise provider frequency data and program identification data concerning digital media broadcast data for the specific program. For example, the tuning data can be sent using a short messaging service (SMS) message transmitted from the mobile telephone 200 to the mobile telephone 100, where the SMS message includes a DVB-H content identification header, a field identifying a provider frequency (such as 586 MHz), and a field identifying an IP address of the specific program (such as 10.0.0.1). Alternatively, the tuning data can be sent using a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message that includes a DVB-H content identification header, a provider frequency, an IP address of the specific program, and also a short file including a digital media clip of a previously broadcast portion of the specific program.

At step 245, the mobile telephone 100 is thus able to skip over a frequency searching step and immediately tune to the provider frequency identified in the tuning data received from the mobile telephone 200, a step requiring only about one second to perform. At step 250, the mobile telephone 100 constructs an INT table, requiring another 2-3 seconds. Next, at step 255, the mobile telephone 100 can skip over provider discovering steps and ESG downloading steps to select the specific program. The specific program can be selected immediately because the IP address of the program was also included in the tuning data received from the mobile telephone 200. Finally, at step 260, the mobile telephone 100 retrieves from a digital media provider digital media broadcast data associated with the specific program and buffers the data. The buffered digital media broadcast data then can be played, for example, over the display screen 105 and over the communications speaker 122 of the mobile telephone 100. Alternatively, the tuning data can be pushed to the mobile telephone 100 from a server 265 managed, for example, by a network operator. Thus, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the mobile telephone 100 can request that tuning data for particular types of programs be pushed to the mobile telephone 100 whenever such programs are broadcast. The server 265 also can be programmed to multicast tuning data concerning particular programs to a plurality of users based on various user demographic data, which data indicates that such users might be interested in programs associated with the tuning data.

Referring to FIG. 3, a block diagram illustrates functional entities of a DVB-H architecture, according to some embodiments of the present invention. The lower half of the diagram comprises the ETSI architectural model of functional entities concerning IP datacasts over DVB-H, as known by those having ordinary skill in the art, and as published in the ETSI Technical Report ETSI TR 102 469. A content creation entity 305 comprises a primary source of content for distribution over an IP datacast, and provides support for delivery paradigms such as streaming. A service application entity 310 aggregates content from multiple sources, including related metadata, to provide a particular service application. A service management entity 315 provides service configuration and resource allocation, service guide provisioning, security/service protection, and location services. A broadcast bearer entity 320 performs multiplexing of service applications at the IP level and assignment of IP flows on DVB-H time slices. An interactive bearer entity 325 enables a terminal such as the mobile telephone 200 to interact with service management and/or service applications. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, the convergence of broadcast and mobile services (CBMS) labels CMBS-n (where n = 1-7) comprise reference points within the scope of IP datacasts over DVB-H specifications. The labels X-n (where n = 1-5) comprise reference points that are outside of the scope of IP datacast over DVB-H specifications.

The upper half of the diagram in FIG. 3 illustrates how buffered digital media broadcast data can be played on the mobile telephone 100, according to some embodiments of the present invention. The line 240 illustrates the User A transmitting tuning data concerning a specific program directly to the User B (per FIG. 2). As shown, interactions between the mobile telephone 100 and the service management entity 315 are not necessary, as the mobile telephone does not require information from an electronic service guide. At line 330, the mobile telephone 100 can thus retrieve the digital media broadcast data associated with a selected program, such as an audio/video (A/V) stream, from the service application entity 310. Line 335 indicates that the mobile telephone 100 can also conduct point-to-point transport services with another services application entity 340. Referring to FIG. 4, a general flow diagram illustrates a method 400 for playing buffered digital media broadcast data on a portable electronic device, such as the mobile telephone 100, according to some embodiments of the present invention. At step 405, tuning data pushed to the portable electronic device over an air interface are processed. For example, an SMS or MMS message transmitted wirelessly from the mobile telephone 200 is received through the transceiver 108 of the mobile telephone 100 and processed by the microprocessor 113. The tuning data can comprise provider frequency data and program identification data concerning digital media broadcast data. For example, the provider frequency data may specify a simple radio frequency in Hertz, and the program identification data may comprise an internet protocol address associated with digital media broadcast data for a digital television program that is currently being played on the mobile telephone 200.

At step 410, a selected program is identified using the tuning data. For example, the mobile telephone 100 uses the provider frequency data and the program identification data to construct a DVB-H INT table and identify a selected program by receiving program information from a DVB-H service application entity. Alternatively, a selected program can be identified using information included in the tuning data that are pushed to the mobile telephone 100 by the mobile telephone 200. For example, an MMS message can be transmitted to the mobile telephone 100 and can include a short file comprising a digital media clip of a previously broadcast portion of a selected program currently being played by the mobile telephone 200.

At step 415, the digital media broadcast data associated with the selected program are retrieved from a digital media provider to provide the buffered digital media broadcast data. For example, at step 260 shown in FIG. 2, digital media broadcast data associated with a selected program are retrieved from a digital media provider and buffered in a memory, such as the RAM 104 of the mobile telephone 100. Finally, at step 420, the buffered digital media broadcast data are played on the portable electronic device. For example, buffered digital media broadcast data buffered in the RAM 104 are played over the display screen 105 and over the communications speaker 122 of the mobile telephone 100. Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail herein with respect to DVB-H applications employed by the mobile telephone 100, those having ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the present invention also can be implemented on various other types of portable electronic devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs), handheld multimedia players, and laptop computers. Further, digital media broadcast data that are played according to embodiments of the present invention can include other types of data besides DVB-H data, such as MediaFLO™ data, Digital Multimedia Broadcasting data, and Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting data. Embodiments of the present invention thus may conform to various standards, such as to a European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld (DVB-H) standard.

Advantages of some embodiments of the present invention therefore include enabling a portable electronic device to play buffered digital media broadcast data quickly and efficiently. Because tuning data including provider frequency data and program identification data are pushed directly to a device, the device is not required to complete various time- and power-consuming tasks, such as frequency searching and provider discovery tasks, before being able to play a selected program. Rather, a selected program associated with received tuning data can be played almost immediately, thus providing an improved user experience. Further, awareness of popular digital media programs can be quickly disseminated through a communications network to multiple devices in real time during a program broadcast, thus increasing consumption of broadcast data and increasing revenues of network operators. It will be appreciated that embodiments of the invention described herein may be comprised of one or more conventional processors and unique stored program instructions that control the one or more processors to implement, in conjunction with certain non-processor circuits, some, most, or all of the functions of playing buffered digital media broadcast data on a portable electronic device as described herein. The non-processor circuits may include, but are not limited to, a radio receiver, a radio transmitter, signal drivers, clock circuits, power source circuits, and user input devices. As such, these functions may be interpreted as steps of a method for playing buffered digital media broadcast data on a portable electronic device. Alternatively, some or all functions could be implemented by a state machine that has no stored program instructions, or in one or more application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), in which each function or some combinations of certain of the functions are implemented as custom logic. Of course, a combination of the two approaches could be used. Thus, methods and means for these functions have been described herein. Further, it is expected that one of ordinary skill, notwithstanding possibly significant effort and many design choices motivated by, for example, available time, current technology, and economic considerations, when guided by the concepts and principles disclosed herein will be readily capable of generating such software instructions and programs and ICs with minimal experimentation.

In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly, the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention. The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) that may cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become more pronounced are not to be construed as critical, required, or essential features or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is defined solely by the appended claims including any amendments made during the pendency of this application and all equivalents of those claims.

Claims

We claim:

1. A method for playing buffered digital media broadcast data on a portable electronic device, the method comprising: processing tuning data pushed to the portable electronic device over an air interface, wherein the tuning data comprise provider frequency data and program identification data concerning digital media broadcast data; identifying a selected program using the tuning data; retrieving from a digital media provider the digital media broadcast data associated with the selected program to provide the buffered digital media broadcast data; and playing the buffered digital media broadcast data on the portable electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tuning data are pushed to the portable electronic device from a second portable electronic device that is also retrieving from the digital media provider the digital media broadcast data associated with the selected program.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the tuning data are pushed to the portable electronic device from a network operator.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the selected program using the tuning data comprises using an internet protocol/medium access control notification table.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the program identification data comprise an internet protocol address associated with the digital media broadcast data.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the second portable electronic device obtained the tuning data using a provider discovery process.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the second portable electronic device obtained the tuning data using a content frequency searching algorithm.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the second portable electronic device obtained the tuning data using an electronic service guide.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital media broadcast data are selected from: Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld data, MediaFLO™ data, Digital Multimedia Broadcasting data, and Terrestrial Digital Multimedia Broadcasting data.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method conforms to a European Telecommunications Standards Institute Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld standard.

11. A portable electronic device, comprising: a transceiver that receives tuning data pushed to the portable electronic device over an air interface, wherein the tuning data comprise provider frequency data and program identification data concerning digital media broadcast data; a processor, operatively connected to the transceiver, which identifies a selected program using the tuning data; and a memory, operatively connected to the processor, which stores digital media broadcast data associated with the selected program and retrieved from a digital media provider as buffered digital media broadcast data; wherein the processor causes the buffered digital media broadcast data to be played over a user interface of the portable electronic device.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the memory further comprises an internet protocol/medium access control notification table constructed using the tuning data.