MAPPING ENHANCEMENTS TO NETWORK IDENTIFIERS

Abstract: By transmitting a map which correlates channels or network identifiers to session identifiers that relate to enhancements, a head-end or server may enable downstream receivers such as a network operating center or a receiver to remap the channels or network identifiers to particular enhancements. Starting with an initial map received from the upstream source, a downstream source may adapt the information to its particular needs.

Description: MAPPING ENHANCEMENTS TO NETWORK IDENTIFIERS Background This invention relates generally to interactive television or enhanced television broadcasts. In enhanced television broadcasts or interactive television, television content may be distributed together with references to enhancements. These enhancements may be hypertext markup language documents including advertising, additional information related to the programming content, or other information. In some instances, the user can link to the enhancement by mouse clicking on an appropriate icon on the screen display associated with the television program. The distribution of enhanced television content may initially involve the transmission of content by a head-end or server. The content may be transmitted directly to a plurality of receivers or it may be transmitted to an intervening network operating center that thereafter transmits the information to the appropriate receivers. Thus, it is important to match each enhancement to a particular network or channel identifier associated with particular programming at particular times. One way of matching enhancements to programs is to provide a back channel so that an entity receiving an enhanced television broadcast may access information that correlates the enhancements to channels or network identifiers. However, such techniques unnecessarily waste bandwidth and require the presence of a back channel connection such as a telephone or Internet connection. Moreover, in many cases, the channel assignments in one locality do not correspond to those in other localities. For example, in the United States, in one locality channel two may be a CBS network channel and in another locality channel two may be an NBC channel. Users generally think in terms of channels. Therefore, the network identifiers that identify the network source of a multisource transmission need to be correlated to particular channels just like the enhancements must be correlated to particular channels or network identifiers. In some cases, it may be important to rearrange the correlation between network identifiers, channels and enhancements. Currently, no technique is known to exist for accomplishing this function. Thus, there is a need for better ways to match enhancements to particular networks or channels . Brief Description of the Drawings Figure 1 is a schematic depiction of one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is a depiction of session-channel map in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 is a depiction of a simple session directory; Figure 4A is session-channel map in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4B is a session-network identifier map in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 is an evolving session-channel map for a receiver of enhanced television broadcast in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 is a remapped session-channel map for a network operating center in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 7 is a flow chart for software that allows enhancements to be matched to network identifiers or channels in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; and Figure 8 is a flow chart for software that enables channels to be remapped by a network operating center in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Description Referring to Figure 1, a head-end or server 12 may distribute television programming to a plurality of receivers . The programming may originate from one or more networks or other providers of television content. This content may be accompanied by enhancements or the enhancements may be received from separate enhancement providers. At various times, the enhanced television content may be broadcast or distributed by the head-end 12 to the receivers 20 either directly or via intervening network operating centers 16. Where network operating centers 16 are utilized, a transport 14 may couple the head-end 12 and one or more network operating centers 16. In one example, the network operating centers 16 may be local content retransmitters that service particular geographic areas . The transport 14 may be one of a variety of transports for distributing either analog or digital enhanced television content. Examples of such transports include those utilized in connection with cable, satellite and airwave broadcast systems . The network operating center 16 may be a processor- based system coupled to a storage device 22 such as hard disk drive. The storage device 22 may store software 24 and 34 for matching enhancements to network identifiers and for remapping the assignments of particular channels and session identifiers. Session identifiers may be part of the announcement stream received from the head-end 12 by a network operating center 16. That announcement stream may be in accordance with the Advanced Television Enhancement Form (ATVEF) specification in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. See the ATVEF Content Specification, Version 1.1 r.26 (1999). A session identifier or sid correlates an enhancement to television content. In general, session identifiers identify an announcement for a particular broadcast and the announcement in turn identifies particular enhancements that correlate to particular television programs. Of course, the enhancements and the television programs may be broadcast over the same or different transports at the same or different times . The network operating centers 16 may then distribute the enhanced television content over a transport 18 to a plurality of receivers 20. The transport 18 may be the same transport utilized between the head-end 12 and the network operating center 16 or completely different technologies may be used. The receiver 20 may be a processor-based system such as a desktop computer, a handheld computer, a processor-based appliance such as a set-top box or any of a variety of other appliances. Each receiver 20 may include a storage 26, coupled to the receiver 20, storing instructions to enable the receiver 20 to correlate the session information received over the transport 18. Thus, the software 24 may be stored on the storage 26 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. Referring to Figure 2, a session directory or session- channel map contains the information that enables information received in an announcement to be correlated to other necessary information. For example, given a channel and time interval, the session-channel map may provide information about an enhancement correlated to the programming on that channel at that time interval . The enhancement may be identified by a session identifier and a version (sidl, ver.l) in one embodiment of the present invention. Similarly, a session identifier and a version may be correlated to a channel in a time interval. In general, given a key or input, the session-channel map returns a list of values depending on the query received. In one hypothetical example, a grid or electronic programming guide of program times across the horizontal axis and channels extending down the left, vertical margin enable one to correlate particular channels and times with particular enhancements as illustrated in Figure 3. An enhancement, identified by a session identifier sid2ii, ver. 2vi, may relate to the program on channel two from seven til nine o'clock. Thus, Figure 3 visually indicates the information that is actually provided by a session-channel map of the type illustrated in Figure 2. Referring to Figure 4A, a channel-session map correlates a given channel number to a session identifier or sid. Within a broadcast program time interval from a headend 12 or a network operating center 16, one or more channels may have associated enhancements. Specific enhancement content may not yet be available to the receiving ' device, be it a receiver 20 or a network operating center 16. Similarly, in the embodiment shown in Figure 4B, instead of correlating channel numbers to session identifiers, a network identifier is utilized. The network identifier associates the enhancement with a particular network such as the American Broadcasting Company or ABC. The embodiment shown in Figure 4B may be used with broadcasts that extend over several geographic areas, each using different channels for the same networks. Having received the network identifier, it is thereafter possible to correlate, within any given locality, to the appropriate local channel number for that network identifier. As the announcements for different enhancement sessions begin to be received, the session-channel map, shown for example in Figure 4A, begins to fill-up with additional information or links so that enhancement specific information may then be made available. Thus, referring to Figure 5, a particular channel such as channel number two may have a particular session identifier and a particular version. However, in this case, the particular receiver 20 or network operating center 16 has still not received any information for the channel number six. The same type of session-channel map can be utilized in an embodiment using a network identifier corresponding to Figure 4B. The version identification may be obtained from a session description protocol (SDP) which may be broadcast from the head-end 12. The session description protocol is set forth for example in the Request for Comments (RFC) 2327 available from the Network Working Group and dated April 1998. Thus, the version together with the session identifier may identify a particular enhancement. Figure 6 shows the channel-session map of Figure 4A after it has been remapped, for example by a network operating center 16, to correlate to the channel assignments of a particular locality. Thus, channel two has now become channel eight and channel eight now has the session identifier formerly associated with channel two (as received from the head-end 12) . Similar conversions may be done for other channel numbers. The same approach may be utilized in a system in which network identifiers are provided. In such case, the network identifiers may be converted to local channel numbers. In some cases, particular channels may be remapped to other channel numbers by the network operating center 16 or particular channels may be removed since a particular network operating center 11 may not choose to rebroadcast a particular channel. Instead of accessing the needed tables over a back channel or using other techniques, a session-channel map, such as the one shown in Figure 4A, may be broadcast from the head-end to the network operating center 16. Thereafter, that map may simply be remapped locally (i.e., at the network operating center 16) to correlate to the appropriate local information. The information needed to remap the originally broadcast map may be obtained locally from a storage associated with a network operating center 16. Thus, an object oriented design in the form of a session-channel map may provide a pluggable framework component that may be modified to meet evolving standards and differences in the enhancement announcement schemes. The assignment of particular enhancements to particular networks or channels may be readily varied at the receiving end to achieve local requirements . Turning to Figure 7, the session-channel mapping software 24 resident on a network operating center 16 begins by determining whether content has been received that includes an announcement as determined in diamond 28. If so, the channels (or network identifiers) , session identifiers and versions may be extracted as indicated in block 30. This information may then be utilized to populate a session-channel map of the type shown for example in Figure 6. Similarly, the flow shown in Figure 7 may be utilized by a receiver 20 to create a map of the type shown in Figure 5 for example. A network operating center 16 may use the channel remapping software 34, shown in Figure 8, to reassign particular enhancements to particular channels. Upon receipt of a remapping request, as indicated in block 36, the software 34 receives the channel replacements as indicated in block 38. The session identifiers of the replacements are matched to the new channels as indicated in block 40. A new session-channel map is then populated as indicated in block 42. Any unused enhancements may be deleted from the map if so opted for as indicated in diamond 44. For example, if a flag is set, unused enhancements may be deleted automatically as indicated in block 46. Otherwise, the unused enhancements may simply remain even though they may never be selected by the final receiver. The flag setting may be user selectable via a graphical user interface. While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this present invention. What is claimed is:

Claims: 1. A method comprising: transmitting enhanced television content; and transmitting information correlating enhancements to channel information with said content. 2. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting information includes transmitting a session identifier and correlating said session identifier to channel information. 3. The method of claim 2 including transmitting a network identifier correlated to said session identifier. 4. The method of claim 3 including transmitting a channel identifier correlated to a session identifier. 5. The method of claim 1 wherein transmitting information includes transmitting a session identifier- channel map in a first format translatable into a second format. 6. The method of claim 1 including transmitting a session identifier and a version identifier. 7. An article comprising a medium storing instructions that enable a processor-based system to: transmit enhanced television content; and transmit information correlating enhancements to channel information with said content. 8. The article of claim 7 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to transmit a session identifier and correlate the session identifier to channel information. 9. The article of claim 8 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to transmit a network identifier correlated to said session identifier. 10. The article of claim 9 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to transmit a channel identifier correlated to a session identifier. 11. The article of claim 7 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to transmit a session identifier-channel map in a first format that is translatable into a second format. 12. The article of claim 11 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to transmit a session identifier and a version identifier. 13. A system comprising: a processor-based device; and a storage coupled to said processor-based device storing instructions that enable the processor-based device to transmit enhanced television content with information correlating enhancements to channel information. 14. The system of claim 13 wherein said storage stores instructions that enable the device to transmit a session identifier and correlate said session identifier to channel information. 15. The system of claim 14 wherein said storage further stores instructions that enable the processor-based device to transmit a network identifier correlated to said session identifier. 16. A method comprising: receiving enhanced television content; and receiving information with said content correlating enhancements to channel information. 17. The method of claim 16 wherein receiving information includes receiving a session identifier and correlating said session identifier to channel information. 18. The method of claim 17 further including receiving a network identifier correlated to said session identifier. 19. The method of claim 18 further including receiving a channel identifier correlated to a session identifier. 20. The method of claim 16 wherein receiving information includes receiving a session identifier-channel map in a first format and translating said first format into a second format. 21. The method of claim 16 including receiving said information with the enhanced television content. 22. The method of claim 21 including receiving a session identifier and a version identifier. 23. An article comprising a medium storing instructions that enable a processor-based device to: receive enhanced television content; and receive information with the content correlating enhancements to channel information. 24. The article of claim 23 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to receive a session identifier and correlate said session identifier to channel information. 25. The article of claim 24 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to receive a network identifier and correlate said network identifier to said session identifier. 26. The article of claim 25 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to receive a channel identifier and to correlate said channel identifier to a session identifier. 27. The article of claim 23 further storing instructions that enable the processor-based system to receive a session identifier-channel map in a first format and translate said first format into a second format. 28. A system comprising: a processor-based device; and a storage coupled to said processor-based device storing instructions that enable the processor-based device to receive enhanced television content and to receive information correlating enhancements to channel information. 29. The system of claim 28 wherein said system is a network operating center. 30. The system of claim 28 wherein said system is a receiver.

Inventors: ESTIPONA JIM, ESTIPONA, JIM
Applicants: INTEL CORP, INTEL CORPORATION
Application year: 2001
Main classification: H04N7
IPC codes: H04N7