Content proxy method and apparatus for digital television environment

A system for decoupling the interpretation of real-time broadcast information from the presentation of said broadcast information within a Digital TV Application Software Environment framework, said system comprising:

• (a) a transmitter for transmitting a transport stream comprising a plurality of Digital TV Application Software Environment broadcast streams containing Digital TV Application Software Environment software components and content information in the form of Digital Storage Media Command and Control data;
• (b) a Digital TV Application Software Environment rendering device capable of receiving said Digital TV Application Software Environment broadcast streams and executing said Digital TV Application Software Environment software components, said Digital TV Application Software Environment rendering device also capable of collecting said Digital Storage Media Command and Control data;
• (c) a Program and System Information Protocol data structure wherein said content information in the form of Digital Storage Media Command and Control data collected by said Digital TV Application Software Environment rendering device is stored;
• (d) a microprocessor electrically coupled to said Digital TV Application Software Environment rendering device for processing said content information;
• (e) a memory module contained within said Digital TV Application Software Environment rendering device and electrically coupled to said microprocessor;
• (f) a plurality of information components coupled to said Digital TV Application Software Environment rendering device, each of said information components containing respective content information;
• (g) a parsing module capable of parsing said content information stored in said Program and System Information Protocol data structure;
• (h) a content proxy assembly existing as part of a Hardware Abstraction Layer and embedded within said Digital TV Application Software Environment rendering device, said content proxy capable of providing synchronized loading, decoding, and presentation of said content information, wherein said content proxy controls all content communication, said content proxy controlling said parsing module, said content proxy comprising:
• i) a single reference data structure created from and based upon said parsed content information and stored on said memory module, said content information processed by said microprocessor such that said content proxy assembly decouples and encapsulates said content information within said single reference data structure;
• ii) content proxy application program interface capable of providing access to said single reference data structure;
• (i) a data manipulating device for generating user input to said Digital TV Application Software Environment framework;
• and
• (j) a visual display unit displaying, wherein said content information may be displayed in a synchronized manner, said content information accessed via said content proxy;
• said Digital TV Application Software Environment rendering device processes said content information contained within said single reference data structure to produce at least one layout and graphical user interface component used to make up the visible television display, said Digital TV Application Software Environment rendering device and said graphical user interface components directly linking to said single reference data structure, wherein said graphical user interface component is mapped to said content information contained within said single reference data structure.

A method for decoupling the interpretation of real-time broadcast information from the presentation of said broadcast information within a Digital TV environment, comprising the steps of:

• (a) turning on the power to a broadcast receiving device;
• (b) selecting a Digital TV Application Software Environment broadcast stream received from a transmitter and into said broadcast receiving device, said broadcast stream comprising Digital TV Application Software Environment software components and content information in the form of and Digital Storage Media Command and Control data;
• (c) implementing a Digital TV Application Software Environment rendering device within said broadcast receiving device to receive said Digital TV Application Software Environment broadcast stream and execute said Digital TV Application Software Environment software components, said Digital TV Application Software Environment rendering device also capable of collecting said Digital Storage Media Command and Control data;
• (d) storing said content information in a Program and System Information Protocol data structure;
• (e) obtaining a microprocessor electrically coupled to said Digital TV Application Software Environment rendering device to process said content information;
• (f) obtaining a memory module contained within said Digital TV Application Software Environment rendering device and electrically coupling said memory module to said microprocessor;
• (g) a parsing module capable of parsing said content information stored in said Program and System Information Protocol data structure, said parsing module converting said content information into an eXtendable Markup Language format;
• (h) embedding a content proxy assembly, existing as part of a Hardware Abstraction Layer, within said Digital TV Application Software Environment rendering device, said content proxy encapsulating said content information such that said content proxy is capable of providing synchronized loading, decoding, and presentation of said content information, wherein said content proxy controls all of said content information communication, said content proxy controls said parsing module, said content proxy assembly comprising:
• i) a single reference data structure created from and based upon said parsed content information and stored on said memory module, said content information processed by said microprocessor such that said content proxy assembly decouples and encapsulates said content information within said single reference data structure;
• ii) a content proxy application program interface capable of providing access to said single reference data structure, said content proxy application program interface facilitating access to said single reference data structure;
• (i) processing said content information contained within said single reference data structure using said Digital TV Application Software Environment rendering device to produce layout and graphical user interface components used to make up the visible television display, said Digital TV Application Software Environment rendering device and said graphical user interface components directly linking to said single reference data structure, wherein said graphical user interface components are mapped to said content information contained within said single reference data structure;
• (j) generating user input through a data manipulating device, said data manipulation device providing a user control of and interaction with said Digital TV environment;
• and
• (k) displaying said content information, in a synchronized manner, on a visual display unit, said content information accessed via said content proxy.

A method for providing synchronized presentation of streaming and non-streaming data, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) obtaining content information from a broadcast stream, said content information comprising streaming and non-streaming data, said broadcast stream having a broadcast life cycle;
• (b) implementing a content proxy within said broadcast life cycle, said content proxy comprising a single reference data structure capable of storing, encapsulating and synchronizing the presentation of said streaming and non-streaming data;
• (c) accessing said content information stored withing said content proxy through a content proxy application interface;
• and
• (d) presenting said content information to a graphical user interface.

A method in a computer system for displaying synchronized real-time broadcast information, said method comprising the steps of:

• (a) storing content information received from a broadcast stream in a content proxy, said content proxy comprising a single reference data structure, said content information comprising streaming and non-streaming data and being decoupled from said broadcast stream and encapsulated within said content proxy;
• (b) accessing said content proxy through an application interface;
• (c) creating a graphical user interface based on said content information;
• (d) displaying said streaming data on said graphical user interface, said streaming data being processed by said content proxy and accessed through said application program interface;
• and
• (e) displaying said non-streaming data with said streaming data in a synchronized manner, said non-streaming data being processed by said content proxy and accessed through said application interface via said application program interface.