Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing – Local trick play processing – With randomly accessible medium
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-04
2003-05-13
Tran, Thai (Department: 2615)
Motion video signal processing for recording or reproducing
Local trick play processing
With randomly accessible medium
C386S349000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06564003
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to an apparatus and method for digitally recording and playing back a composite data stream. More particularly, the invention relates to digitally recording a composite data stream containing a plurality of multiplexed channels onto a recording media, retrieving the recording from the medium, and selecting one of the channels and outputting the selected channel.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Satellite digital audio radio service (SDARS), a satellite broadcast service established by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has been proposed using satellite transmission of digital audio programs to radio receivers. The radio receivers can be stationary receivers, in which case a receiver antenna can be pointed for optimal line of sight (LOS) reception from a satellite. In contrast, the position of the receiver antenna relative to the satellite changes with mobile receivers (e.g., a receiver that is hand-carried by a user or is mounted in a vehicle), and LOS reception from one satellite is not always available. Accordingly, mobile receivers are generally configured to receive broadcast signals from more than one satellite.
Service outages can occur in proposed systems which broadcast data, video, audio and other information using radio frequencies. These outages can prevent receivers, and particularly mobile receivers, from receiving the broadcast service altogether, or cause them to receive a signal so degraded that the service is rendered unacceptable. These outages are generally due to physical blockage of transmission paths between the transmitter and receiver (e.g., due to mountainous terrain or long tunnels) and multipath fading and reflection of the transmission path. Satellite broadcast systems can therefore use two transmission channels to provide diversity for mitigating service outages due to multipath, physical blockages and interference in mobile broadcast receivers. Terrestrial repeaters can also be provided to repeat satellite signals in geographic areas where LOS reception is obscured by tall buildings, hills and other obstructions.
Nevertheless, for some users, adequate satellite or terrestrial broadcast coverage may not be available (e.g., users traveling by airplane or residing in apartment buildings). On the other hand, some users may desire SDARS broadcast programming, and be in an area having coverage from at least one of a satellite or terrestrial repeater, but may not wish to purchase a radio receiver or a service that includes ongoing reception of broadcast signals. For example, a retail store may wish to have several hours of music programs intended for satellite broadcast but stored on a storage medium for continuous and repeated playback in the store. The owner/operator of the retail store may not perceive the need for receiving additional broadcast data when a stored composite data stream, which can have plural channels comprising several hours of music, for example, satisfies the desire to provide customers with background music. A need therefore exists for storage of composite data streams (e.g., programs intended for satellite broadcast) on a memory device that can be played back on a playback device, whereby the playback device need not be equipped to receive radio frequency broadcast signals.
A number of methods exist for digitally recording information onto a recording medium, and retrieving or otherwise playing back the recorded information using, for example, a compact disc (CD) or a digital video disc (DVD). The recording techniques used with these types of recording media, however, only record a single information channel. The information channel can contain a number of content segments such as songs on a music CD, for example, or a film and related information such as the soundtrack for the film and director/actor interviews about the making of the film. The content segments of the information channel are demarcated on the recording media during the recording process.
These playback devices (e.g., CD or DVD players), however, are not equipped to retrieve information from a composite data stream stored on recording media. As will be described in more detail below, a composite data stream such as an SDARS signal comprises multiplexed program channels. Each of the program channels can comprise multiple service components. The number of frames of multiplexed channels required to transmit or playback the different program channels can vary. Accordingly, headers having information for demultiplexing and decoding the multiplexed program channels and service components therein are provided. Conventional playback devices such as CD and DVD players are not configured to decode such header information in a composite data stream to locate program channels selected by a user for playback, but rather simply rely on content segment demarcation information provided on the recording media at the time of recording. A need therefore exists for an apparatus for and method of recording a composite data stream and retrieving selected content therefrom for playback.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, an aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus, system and method for increasing the diversity of information that can be recorded on and retrieved from a recording medium.
Another aspect of the present invention is to provide an apparatus, system and method for recording a composite data stream on a storage medium and playing back selected content in the recorded composite data stream.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus, system and method are provided for recording a composite data stream representing a plurality of broadcast channels in a time division multiplex format for later playback and simulation of a digital audio or video program received from a satellite broadcast.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for storing a composite signal includes a number of encoders which encode both analog and digital content to create service components. The apparatus generates payload channels having plural service components. A multiplexed composite data stream is then created which comprises at least a portion of the payload channels and header information to identify where in the composite data stream the portions of each payload channel therein reside. The composite signal is sent to a recorder for recording a selected duration of the data stream onto a memory storage device or recording medium.
In accordance with still yet another aspect of the invention, the storage medium containing a recorded composite digital signal is played, emulating a broadcast signal carrying at least two channels of information. During playback, the played composite signal is demultiplexed and the service components of a selected channel can be decoded. Playback of the composite signal can also involve additional decoding if an outer layer of decoding is used with the composite data stream, as well as deinterleaving and/or forward error correcting (FEC) when interleaving and/or FEC techniques are also used. The demultiplexed signals are provided to a source or service layer decoder for further processing to extract a user-selected channel for output.
In this manner, a composite data stream that is generated to carry a plurality of SDARS program channels can be recorded onto a disc or other recording medium for playback at another time without having to be broadcast and received at a receiver. A user can insert the recorded medium into a player, such as a portable radio/cassette/CD portable stereo unit equipped with suitable playback electronics, and play the recorded medium as if it had received an SDARS broadcast. The user selects a program channel or content segment in a program channel for retrieval and playback in a manner similar to the selection of a program content from a received signal using a satellite reciever. The playback electronics decode and output selected content from the composite data stream on the storage media using the head
Marko Paul D.
Wadin Craig P.
Roylance Abrams Berdo & Goodman L.L.P.
Tran Thai
XM Satellite Radio Inc.
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