Digital video recorder recording and rendering programs formed from spliced segments

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9955107-B2
Application number	US-42862509-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 23, 2009
Priority date	Apr 23, 2009
Publication date	Apr 24, 2018
Grant date	Apr 24, 2018

Abstract

A method and apparatus is provided for recording a program. The method includes storing, in response to a user request, at least one content file that includes first and second program segments that are spliced to form a single program. At least one index file is created and stored. The file index includes program specific information associated with the first and second program segments. The index file also includes an identification of a splice point denoting a transition between the first and second program segments. In addition, a splice index is created and stored. The splice index includes timing information specifying a time at which the splice point occurs.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of recording a program, comprising:
storing, in response to a user request, at least one content file that includes first and second program segments that are spliced to form a single program, wherein an identification of a splice point is included in an elementary stream associated with at least one of the first and second program segments, the splice point denoting a transition between the first and second program segments;
in a digital video recorder, creating and storing at least one index file that includes program specific information associated with the first and second program segments, wherein the program specific information includes a program's service number that is used to access a program map table, wherein the program map table includes packet identifiers, the index file further including the identification of the splice point; and
in the digital video recorder, creating and storing a splice index record that includes timing information specifying a time at which the splice point occurs, wherein the splice index record further includes:
one or more pre-service acquisition packet identifiers that identify packets of a first program transport stream for receiving the first program segment, and
a corresponding one or more post-service acquisition packet identifiers that identify packets of a second program transport stream for receiving the second program segment;

wherein, during a playback of the content file in a trick play mode, the splice index record is available to the digital video recorder, and the splice index record enables the transition between the first and second program segments, such that the digital video recorder does not need to receive the identification of the splice point from one of the first and second program segments during the playback of the content file in the trick play mode.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving the first and second program segments over a broadband network in the first and second program transport streams, respectively.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the identification of the splice point is located in a data packet included in the first program transport stream.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the content file, index file and the splice index record are stored in a network digital video recorder (DVR) associated with a broadband network headend.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the timing information includes a timing offset to denote a point in time at which the splice point occurred relative to a start time of the first program segment.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein creating and storing the splice index record further comprises:
using the timing offset to create second timing index values for the second program segment that sequentially follow first timing index values for the first program segment; and
storing the first and second timing index values for the first and second program segments in the splice index record.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the splice index record is not included in the content file and is included in a second index file.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the splice index record further includes at least some of the program specific information for the first and second program segments.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more pre-service acquisition packet identifiers are selected from a group consisting of:
a video packet identifier that identifies packets of the first program transport stream for receiving the first program segment,
an audio packet identifier that identifies packets of the first program transport stream for receiving the first program segment,
a data packet identifier that identifies packets of the first program transport stream for receiving the first program segment, and
an entitlement control message packet identifier that identifies packets of the first program transport stream for receiving the first program segment;
and each of the corresponding one or more post-service acquisition packet identifiers corresponds to a selected pre-service acquisition packet identifier, and identifies packets of the second program transport stream for receiving the second program segment.

10. A set top terminal comprising:
a receiver/tuner for receiving programs over a broadband network;
a DVR module for coordinating storage and playback of programs received over the broadband network, wherein the DVR module is configured to store in at least one content file first and second program segments associated with a single program received over the broadband network, wherein an identification of a splice point is included in an elementary stream associated with at least one of the first and second program segments, the splice point denoting a transition between the first and second program segments, and further configured to store in at least one index file program specific information associated with the first and second program segments, wherein the program specific information includes a program's service number that is used to access a program map table, wherein the program map table includes packet identifiers, wherein the DVR module is further configured to store, in a common splice index file, timing information denoting a splice point between the first and second program segments, wherein the splice index file further includes a splice index record comprising:
one or more pre-service acquisition packet identifiers that identify packets of a first program transport stream for receiving the first program segment, and
a corresponding one or more post-service acquisition packet identifiers that identify packets of a second program transport stream for receiving the second program segment;

at least one storage medium for storing the content file, index file, and the splice index file; and
a processor operationally associated with the receiver/tuner, the at least one storage medium, and the DVR module;

wherein, during a playback of the content file in a trick play mode, the splice index record is available to the DVR module, and the splice index record enables the transition between the first and second program segments, such that the DVR module does not need to receive the identification of the splice point from one of the first and second program segments during the playback of the content file in the trick play mode.

11. The set top terminal of claim 10 wherein the timing information includes a timing offset to denote a point in time at which the splice point occurred relative to a start time of the first program segment.

12. The set top terminal of claim 11 wherein the DVR module is further configured to use the timing offset to create second timing index values for the second program segment that sequentially follow first timing index values for the first program segment.

13. The set top terminal of claim 10 wherein the DVR module is further configured to:
receive user input requesting rewinding of the single program back through the splice point;
determine from the timing information in the splice index file when the splice point has been reached;
upon reaching the splice point while rewinding the single program, cause values of the program specific information associated with the first program segment to be loaded into the processor from the splice index file; and
cause the first program segment of the single program to be retrieved from the content file and rendered using the program specific information presently loaded in the processor.

14. The set top terminal of claim 10 wherein the DVR module is further configured to:
receive

Assignees

• Wang Yeqing
• Del Sordo Christopher S
• Schmitt Ernest G
• Arris Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Wang Yeqing
• Del Sordo Christopher S
• Schmitt Ernest G

Classifications

• H04N21/4334

  Recording operations (recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27) · CPC title

• H04N5/76 Primary

  Television signal recording · CPC title

• H04N7/10

  Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable (H04N7/12 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04N9/8042

  involving data reduction · CPC title

• H04N5/783

  Adaptations for reproducing at a rate different from the recording rate · CPC title