US 7,032,235 B2 · Recasting DVB video system to recast digital broadcasts

Abstract

A central controller remotely controls and configures sets of receivers to receive programs in a broadcast signal and recast selected sets of programs to selected sets of media devices over a computer network. Each receiver has an input module that receives programs from the broadcast signal, a control module that receives a control stream from the central controller, and a recasting module that reformats and transmits selects programs over the computer network. The receivers use the control stream to configure the selected sets of programs and the selected sets of media devices. The recasting module is uncoupled from the control module so that the receiver's recasting of selected program content can be different for different sets of receivers, thereby allowing any combination of broadcast programs to be recast by any set of receivers to any set of media devices. The receiver also has a storage module and interrupts the live recasting of the broadcast signal to spool out a locally stored file.

Claims27

Dependent claims

A method for selectively recasting a program over a computer network, comprising the steps of:

storing a digital media package on a local storage device;
receiving and de-multiplexing a media transport stream from a broadcast signal, said media transport stream containing a source program in a plurality of digital media program packets;
recasting said digital media program packets as a plurality of computer network data packets over the computer network while continuing to receive said source program from said broadcast signal;
monitoring a control signal for a local insert command;
interrupting said recasting step and transmitting said stored digital media package over the computer network in response to said local insert command while continuing to receive said source program from said broadcast signal;
and
returning to said recasting step;
wherein said receiving and de-multiplexing step is further comprised of;
reading from said local storage device a stored specification for said source program;
receiving a broadcast signal of a transport stream, said transport stream containing packetized stream data with a plurality of packet identifiers respectively corresponding to a plurality of programs;
de-multiplexing said packetized stream data for said plurality of programs;
selecting and extracting said source program packets from said plurality of programs according to each of said packet identifiers that correspond with said stored specification.

9 more elements

A method for selectively recasting a program over a computer network, comprising the steps of:

storing a digital media package on a local storage device;
receiving and de-multiplexing a media transport stream from a broadcast signal;
said media transport stream containing a source program in a plurality of digital media program packets;
recasting said digital media program packets as a plurality of computer network data packets over the computer network while continuing to receive said source program from said broadcast signal;
monitoring a control signal for a local insert command;
interrupting said recasting step and transmitting said stored digital media package over the computer network in response to said local insert command;
returning to said recasting step;
defining address information corresponding with at least one satellite receiver, said satellite receiver comprising a storage module, a broadcast input module, a recasting module and a remote control module for respectively performing said storing, receiving, recasting and monitoring steps;
receiving a control stream containing receiver address information, broadcast service information and recasting information;
and
configuring said satellite receiver according to said broadcast service information and said recasting information when said satellite receiver is identified by said receiver address information, wherein said broadcast service information defines said source program and said recasting information defines at least one media player accessible through the computer network.

8 more elements

A method for selectively recasting a program over a computer network according to a central controller, comprising the steps of:

defining a receiver address corresponding with at least one broadcast receiver, said broadcast receiver comprising an input module in communication with a broadcast device, a remote control module in communication with the central controller, and a recasting module in communication with the computer network;
receiving a control stream identifying said receiver address and containing broadcast service information and recasting information, wherein said remote control module determines whether said control stream identifies its broadcast receiver and wherein said broadcast service information corresponds with a source program of interest and said recasting information corresponds with at least one media player accessible through the computer network;
configuring said identified broadcast receiver according to said broadcast service information and said recasting information;
receiving and de-multiplexing a media transport stream from a broadcast signal;
said media transport stream containing said source program in a plurality of digital media program packets and being received by said identified broadcast receiver through said input module;
and
recasting said digital media program packets as a plurality of computer network data packets over the computer network, said recasting module performing said recasting step while said input module continues to receive said source program from said broadcast signal.

4 more elements

A method for receiving a program broadcast over a satellite and selectively recasting the program over a computer network according to a central controller, comprising the steps of:

defining a receiver address corresponding with at least one satellite receiver, said satellite receiver comprising an input module in communication with the satellite, a remote control module in communication with the central controller, a recasting module in communication with the computer network and in operative relationship with said remote control module, and a storage module in communication with said recasting module and in operative relationship with said remote control module;
receiving a broadcast signal of a DVB transport stream from the satellite through said input module, said DVB transport stream comprising packetized stream data with a plurality of packet identifiers respectively corresponding to a plurality of media programs and a control steam, wherein a predefined control packet identifier corresponds with said control stream and each one of said media programs is broadcast in a plurality of digital media program packets;
de-multiplexing said packetized stream data for said plurality of programs and said control stream and selecting said control stream according to said predefined control packet identifier, wherein said control stream comprises receiver address information, broadcast service information and recasting information, and wherein said receiver address information corresponds with said satellite receiver and said broadcast service information corresponds with a source program of interest and said recasting information corresponds with at least one media player accessible through the computer network;
forwarding said control stream to said remote control module and extracting a program identifier from said broadcast service information, wherein said program identifier corresponds with said source program;
storing a specification for said source program in a non-volatile memory according to said program identifier;
storing a digital media package on said storage module;
selecting said digital media program packets for said source program from said plurality of programs according to each of said packet identifiers that correspond with said program identifier and said stored specification;
recasting said digital media program packets for said source program as a plurality of computer network data packets over the computer network, said recasting module performing said recasting step while said input module continues to receive said source program from said broadcast signal;
monitoring a control signal for a local insert command;
interrupting said recasting step and transmitting said stored digital media package over the computer network in response to said local insert command;
and
returning to said recasting step.

9 more elements

A remote controlled system for receiving a broadcast from a satellite and selectively recasting the broadcast over a computer network, comprising:

a central controller producing a control stream with receiver address information, broadcast service information and recasting information;
and
a satellite receiver comprising an input module, a remote control module and a recasting module, wherein said input module receives the broadcast from the satellite, said remote control module receives said control stream from said central controller, and said recasting module recasts a selected source program from the broadcast to at least one media device connected to the computer network, and wherein said satellite receiver further comprises control logic for processing said control stream and correlating said satellite receiver, said selected source program and said media device with said receiver address information, said broadcast service information and said recasting information, respectively.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Recasting DVB video system to recast digital broadcasts

Life of this patent

Recasting DVB video system to recast digital broadcasts

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims27