Back to results
US 7,606,255 B2Granted
Selectively receiving broadcast data according to one of multiple data configurations
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorGeoffrey Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A client device selectively receives broadcast data according to any one of multiple data configurations. A broadcast data server enables broadcast of multiple data configurations by maintaining configuration definitions that define how broadcast data may be configured for presentation to a viewer. The broadcast data server also maintains region definitions that identify regions that may be associated with client devices for receiving broadcast data. The configuration definitions are mapped to region definitions, enabling a client device associated with a particular region to selectively receive broadcast data according to any one of multiple data configurations that are associated with the particular region.
Claims30
A method comprising:
- selectively acquiring at a single client device, based on a region identifier, a region configuration file from multiple region configuration files that are broadcast, wherein the region configuration file includes:
- multiple configuration definitions presented for selection by a viewer through a display interface;
- and
- a name based on the region identifier;
- wherein each of the multiple configuration definitions:
- define out-of-band data including electronic program guide data, the out-of-band data being decoded and rendered in parallel with video and audio data;
- define a data grouping according to one of multiple different languages;
- define a layout format for presenting the out-of-band data to the viewer via the display interface, the layout format being associated with a viewer interest and different from other layout formats in the region configuration file;
- and
- include:
- a client type table storing data that identifies different types of client devices capable of supporting one or more configuration definitions;
- a data types table storing a list of data types associated with a configuration definition;
- and
- a tags table recording details associated with each configuration definition, wherein the tags table includes:
- at least one metadata tag specifying a configuration identifier and a configuration name that can be presented to the viewer for selection;
- at least one required data tag specifying a data type for which a client device must acquire data;
- and
- one or more optional tags identifying data downloaded after data specified by the at least one required data tag is downloaded;
- receiving at the client device a viewer selection of one of the multiple configuration definitions, wherein the viewer selects one of the multiple configuration definitions from a list of multiple configuration definitions presented via the display interface;
- selectively acquiring, by the single client device, portions of broadcast data based on the selected one of the multiple configuration definitions;
- and
- displaying via the display interface at the single client device, according to the language and the layout format associated with the selected configuration definition, at least a portion of the broadcast data selectively acquired.
19 more elements
A system comprising:
- one or more tuners configured to receive data and configuration files that are broadcast;
- and
- a data configuration module configured to perform steps comprising:
- selectively acquiring at a client device, based on a region identifier, a region configuration file from multiple region configuration files that are broadcast, wherein the region configuration file includes:
- multiple configuration definitions presented for selection by a viewer through a display interface;
- and
- a name based on the region identifier;
- wherein each of the multiple configuration definitions:
- define out-of-band data including electronic program guide data, the out-of-band data being decoded and rendered in parallel with video and audio data;
- define a data grouping according to one of multiple different languages;
- define a layout format for presenting the out-of-band data to the viewer via the display interface, the layout format being associated with a viewer interest and different from other layout formats in the region configuration file;
- and
- include:
- a client type table storing data that identifies different types of client devices capable of supporting one or more configuration definitions;
- a data types table storing a list of data types associated with a configuration definition;
- and
- a tags table recording details associated with each configuration definition, wherein the tags table includes:
- at least one metadata tag specifying a configuration identifier and a configuration name that can be presented to the viewer for selection;
- at least one required data tag specifying a data type for which a client device must acquire data;
- and
- one or more optional tags identifying data downloaded after data specified by the at least one required data tag is downloaded;
- receiving at the client device a viewer selection of one of the multiple configuration definitions, wherein the viewer selects one of the multiple configuration definitions from a list of multiple configuration definitions presented via the display interface;
- selectively acquiring, by the client device, portions of broadcast data based on the selected one of the multiple configuration definitions;
- and
- displaying via the display interface at the client device, according to the language and the layout format associated with the selected configuration definition, at least a portion of the broadcast data selectively acquired.
22 more elements
A computer-readable storage media encoded with computer executable instructions which executed by a processor, perform steps comprising:
- selectively acquiring at a client device, based on a region identifier, a region configuration file from multiple region configuration files that are broadcast, wherein the region configuration file includes:
- multiple configuration definitions presented for selection by a viewer through a display interface;
- and
- a name based on the region identifier;
- wherein each of the multiple configuration definitions:
- define out-of-band data including electronic program guide data, the out-of-band data being decoded and rendered in parallel with video and audio data;
- define a data grouping according to one of multiple different languages;
- define a layout format for presenting the out-of-band data to the viewer via the display interface, the layout format being associated with a viewer interest and different from other layout formats in the region configuration file;
- and
- include:
- a client type table storing data that identifies different types of client devices capable of supporting one or more configuration definitions;
- a data types table storing a list of data types associated with a configuration definition;
- and
- a tags table recording details associated with each configuration definition, wherein the tags table includes:
- at least one metadata tag specifying a configuration identifier and a configuration name that can be presented to the viewer for selection;
- at least one required data tag specifying a data type for which a client device must acquire data;
- and
- one or more optional tags identifying data downloaded after data specified by the at least one required data tag is downloaded;
- receiving at the client device a viewer selection of one of the multiple configuration definitions, wherein the viewer selects one of the multiple configuration definitions from a list of multiple configuration definitions presented via the display interface;
- selectively acquiring, by the client device, portions of broadcast data based on the selected one of the multiple configuration definitions;
- and
- displaying via the display interface at the client device, according to the language and the layout format associated with the selected configuration definition, at least a portion of the broadcast data selectively acquired.
19 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.