Interactive video distribution systems – Operator interface
Reexamination Certificate
1998-06-17
2003-08-12
Faile, Andrew (Department: 2611)
Interactive video distribution systems
Operator interface
C375S240260
Reexamination Certificate
active
06606746
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is related to interactive video delivery mediums such as interactive television, and more particularly to a system and method for inserting pictures within a background picture in an interactive television application to simulate user interface features on the television display.
DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART
Interactive television is an interactive audio/video delivery medium which provides broadcast audiovisual content to a number of subscribers. Interactive television provides broadcast video and audio to users and also provides a return path for the user to interact with the content, e.g., to make selections or order desired products, etc.
Currently, many interactive television applications display a still background using an encoded bit stream, such as an MPEG-2 encoded bit stream, and some overlayed information. In general, the still background bitstream and the overlayed information bit stream are not edited by the interactive television application or any other subsystem prior to the decoding. However, it would be greatly desirable for the interactive application executing on the set top box decoder to be able to edit the still background and overlayed information prior to decoding and display. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/951,795 titled “Interactive Television System and Method for Inserting Pictures within Pictures using MPEG I Frames” and filed Oct. 16, 1997 whose inventors are Joel Walter Zdepski and Rama Murty Kalluri, discloses a system and method for displaying a picture with an insert picture in a video system, such as an interactive television system. The above-referenced patent application allows, for example, a still image background, such as a web page, downloaded to an interactive receiver decoder (IRD) or set top box to contain an area into which it is desired to patch a related or unrelated image or video sequence. As a result, the contents of this insert area being patched into the background image can be programmatically selected/edited and/or can be selected/edited by a viewer based on user input, e.g., from a list of choices made available to him/her.
The picture in picture feature of the above-referenced patent application can be used for a number of different applications. In particular, it would be desirable to provide enhanced graphical user interface features in an interactive television system
MPEG Background
Background on MPEG compression is deemed appropriate. MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) compression is a set of methods for compression and decompression of full motion video images which uses interframe and intraframe compression techniques. MPEG compression uses both motion compensation and discrete cosine transform (DCT) processes, among others, and can yield compression ratios of more than 200:1.
The two predominant MPEG standards are referred to as MPEG-1 and MPEG-2. The MPEG-1 standard generally concerns inter-field data reduction using block-based motion compensation prediction (MCP), which generally uses temporal differential pulse code modulation (DPCM). The MPEG-2 standard is similar to the MPEG-1 standard, but includes extensions to cover a wider range of applications, including interlaced digital video such as high definition television (HDTV).
An MPEG stream includes three types of pictures, referred to as the Intra (I) frame, the Predicted (P) frame, and the Bi-directional Interpolated (B) frame. The I or Intra frames contain the video data for the entire frame of video and are typically placed every 10 to 15 frames. Intra frames provide entry points into the file for random access, and are generally only moderately compressed. Predicted frames are encoded with reference to a past frame, i.e., a prior Intra frame or Predicted frame. Thus P frames only include changes relative to prior I or P frames. In general, Predicted frames receive a fairly high amount of compression and are used as references for future Predicted frames. Thus, both I and P frames are used as references for subsequent frames. Bi-directional pictures include the greatest amount of compression and require both a past and a future reference in order to be encoded. Bi-directional frames are never used as references for other frames.
An MPEG encoder divides respective frames into a grid of 16×16 pixel squares called macroblocks. The respective frames are divided into macroblocks in order to perform motion estimation/compensation. Each picture is comprised of a plurality of slices. The MPEG standard defines a slice as a contiguous sequence of 2 or more macroblocks (16×16 pixel blocks) that begin and end on the same row of macroblocks. A slice begins with a slice start code and includes information indicating the horizontal and vertical location where the slice begins in the picture.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a system and method for providing a graphical user interface (GUI) in an interactive television system, wherein the interactive television system comprises a video delivery system for providing video content, and at least one subscriber television including a display screen, wherein the subscriber television is coupled to the video delivery system. This enables a user to interact with a GUI presented on the screen of a television in an interactive television system.
According to the present invention, the video delivery system provides a compressed background picture and one or more compressed insert pictures. Each of the compressed insert pictures represents a display portion of the GUI. The subscriber television receives the compressed background picture and the one or more compressed insert pictures, and operates to paste at least one of the compressed insert pictures into the compressed background picture. The pasting is preferably performed in response to interactive program execution and/or user input. The subscriber television then decodes the compressed background picture including the at least one compressed insert picture and displays the background picture with the at least one insert picture incorporated into the background picture, wherein this displaying operates to display the GUI.
In the preferred embodiment, the compressed background picture comprises a plurality of slices, wherein the plurality of slices include one or more replacement slices. The compressed insert picture comprises one or more slices. The compressed background picture is created with a slice structure wherein the replacement slices are placed in a position where the insert picture is desired to appear. The replacement slices in the compressed background picture are adapted to be replaced with the one or more slices comprising the compressed insert picture. The compressed insert picture slices preferably include position data indicating the location in the background picture where they are to appear.
The subscriber television receives the compressed background picture and the compressed insert picture and operates to paste the compressed insert picture into the compressed background picture. The pasting operation preferably comprises replacing the replacement slices in the compressed background picture with the slices comprising the compressed insert picture. More specifically, the pasting operation preferably comprises providing the compressed insert picture slices for decoding in place of the replacement slices in the compressed background picture. In other words, the method provides interspersed slices from the compressed background picture and the compressed insert picture for decoding, wherein the slices are interspersed to accomplish replacement of the replacement slices with the compressed insert picture slices.
The video delivery system also preferably provides a background picture slice map indicating a location of the replacement slices comprised in the compressed background picture, and further provides an insert picture slice map indicating byte offsets of the insert picture slices. The subscriber television receives the background picture slice map and the inser
Kalluri Rama M.
Zdepski Joel W.
Faile Andrew
Hood Jeffrey C.
Lonsberry Hunter
Meyertons Hood Kivlin Kowert & Goetzel PC
OpenTV, Inc.
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