Abstract:
A device for supplying commentary streaming related to a data unit via a network, including: a server, for storing a commentary stream which has first commentary information and corresponding navigation commands, and outputting the commentary stream according to a data unit identifier; and a client end, for reading the data unit identifier, outputting the data unit identifier to the server via the network, receiving the commentary stream via the network, then providing second commentary information from the data unit according to the navigation commands, and then outputting commentary information corresponding to a combination of the first commentary information and the second commentary information.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The present invention relates in general to a device and method for supplying commentary information. In particular, the present invention relates to a device and method for supplying commentary information about a movie in a DVD disc through a network.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    The conventional way for viewers to get commentary information about a movie is from newspapers, magazines, or a supplement to the ending of a film. However, the traditional way can&#39;t meet the need that a viewer requires ready commentary information while watching a movie. Currently, commentary information can be provided on the Internet via World Wide Web (WWW) but the transmission of commentary information along with video information is time-consuming.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    The object of the present invention is to provide a device and method for supplying commentary information about DVDs through a network. The related commentary information about DVDs can be offered to the users of the DVD players in the client end in real time.  
           [0006]    To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides a device for supplying a commentary stream related to a data unit via a network. The device includes a server and a client end. The server stores the commentary stream which has first commentary information and corresponding navigation commands, and the server outputs the commentary stream according to a data unit identifier. The client end reads the data unit identifier, outputs the data unit identifier to the server via the network, receives the commentary stream via the network, then provides second commentary information from the data unit according to the navigation commands, and then outputs commentary information corresponding to a combination of the first commentary information and the second commentary information.  
           [0007]    Another object of the present invention is that the user can record his personal commentary information and transmit it to the server for other viewers&#39; reference.  
           [0008]    Accordingly, the device for supplying commentary information in the present invention further includes: a navigation recoder, for recording data extracted from the data unit; a RNS (Remote Navigation Stream) multiplexer, coupled to the RNS multiplexer, for receiving the extracted data and voice images, and texts provided by the user, and outputting a client commentary stream; and an RNS transmitter, coupled to the RNS multiplexer, for transmitting the client commentary stream.  
           [0009]    The present invention further provides a method for supplying a commentary stream related to a data unit. The method includes the steps as below. A data unit identifier of the data unit is read at a client end and the data unit identifier is transmitted from the client end to a server through a network. Then the server outputs a commentary stream having first commentary information and navigation commands to the client end according to the data unit identifier. The client end provides second commentary information from the data unit according to the navigation commands. Finally, the client end outputs commentary information corresponding to a combination of the first commentary information and the second commentary information. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings, given by way of illustration only and thus not intended to be limitative of the present invention.  
         [0011]    FIGS.  1 - 2  show flow charts of a method for processing a commentary stream in accordance with the embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0012]    FIGS.  3 A- 3 B show block diagrams of a device in the client end in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of a device in the server in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0014]    The present invention provides a method and device for accessing DVD commentary information services in a client/server environment. Thereby, DVD player users connected to Internet may have easy access to the desired information on the Internet.  
         [0015]    Refer to FIG. 1. At first, a client end outputs a DVD identifier to a server via a network (step  410 ). Then, the server provides commentary stream types corresponding to the DVD identifier (step  420 ). Next, after the client end chooses a commentary stream type that is desired (step  430 ), the server verifies the chosen commentary stream type and outputs a commentary stream (step  440 ). Finally, the client end may terminate receiving the commentary stream (step  450 ).  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a process after the client end receives the commentary stream via an RNS receiver. At first, the RNS receiver of the client end receives the commentary stream and a returned DVD identifier via a network (step  501 ). Then, the client end verifies if the returned DVD identifier corresponds to the DVD identifier that was previously outputted (step  502 ). If so, the process goes to step  504 ; otherwise, the commentary stream is rejected (step  503 ). In step  504 , a commentary stream type is chosen according to the request and the equipment of the client end. The commentary stream may include navigation commands, audio data, video data, text commands, and drawing commands. According to the navigation commands, the film extracts what a film critic comments on, and can be provided by the DVD. The audio data is the voice of the film critic. The video data is the image of the film critic. According to the text commands, the text data offered by the film critic can be shown. According to the drawing commands, the specific frame of the film can be marked on an area that the film critic tries to make a description of. For example, a circle can be used to mark the area. Next, in step  505  the data package of the commentary stream is received. Then, navigation commands (step  506 ), text commands (step  509 ), drawing commands(step  511 ), video data(step  513 ), and audio data (step  515 ) are parsed from the data package and transmitted to a DVD navigator (step  508 ), a text reader(step  510 ), a drawer (step  512 ), a video decoder(step  514 ), and an audio decoder(step  516 ), respectively. If the commentary stream is not ended(step  517 ), the process goes back to step  505  until the commentary streaming is ended.  
         [0017]    The devices according to the embodiment of the invention are described as below.  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 3A shows the device of the client end  200 . An RNS receiver  210  receives the commentary stream. An RNS parser  220 , coupled to the RNS receiver  210 , parses the commentary stream into navigation commands, audio data, video data, text commands, and drawing commands. The DVD navigator  230 , coupled to the RNS parser  220 , gets the film extracts a film critic comments on according to the navigation commands.  
         [0019]    A DVD reading module  260 , coupled to the DVD navigator  230 , includes a DVD player  262  and an UDF (Universal Disc Format) file system  261 . The DVD player  262  reads a DVD to get a DVD identifier and to provide corresponding film extracts that film critics make a description of, according to the navigation commands. The UDF (Universal Disc Format) file system  261  is a storing format for DVD data read by the DVD player  262 . An audio module  250 , coupled to the RNS parser  220  and the DVD navigator  230 , includes an audio decoder  251 , a compressed voice decoder  252 , an audio mixer  253 , and a sound device  254 . The audio decoder  251  receives and decodes the audio part of the DVD data, in the format such as AC3, MPEG2, or LPCM. The compressed voice decoder  252  receives and decodes the compressed voice data of the film critics, in the format such as A-CELP. The audio mixer  253  mixes the audio part of the DVD data and the voice data of the film critic so as to generate mixed audio data. The sound device  254 , such as a speaker, receives the mixed audio data and outputs corresponding sounds. A video module  240 , coupled to the RNS parser  220  and the DVD navigator  230 , includes a video decoder  241 , a subtitle decoder  242 , a text render  243 , a drawer  244 , a video mixer  245 , and a display device  246 . The video decoder  241  receives and decodes the video part of the DVD film extracts and the image of the film crictic in the format such as MPEG 1,2, or 4. The subtitle decoder  242  receives and decodes the subtitle part of the DVD film extracts. The text render  243  receives and decodes text commands for displaying text data from the film crictic. The drawer  244  receives and decodes the drawing commands for marking the specific frame of the DVD film. The video mixer  245  mixes the aforementioned video data and outputs them to the display device  246 , such as a TV monitor, for displaying the coprresponding images.  
         [0020]    Refer to FIG. 3B. the user can also author his personal commentary information about the DVD film he is watching. The personal commentary information can be transmitted to the sever end  100  via a network  300  for the other viewers&#39; reference. Therefore, the device of the client end  200  further includes: a navigation recorder  270 , for recording data extracted from a DVD by a user; an RNS multiplexer  271 , coupled to the navigation recorder  270 , for receiving the extracted DVD data, and voice, images, and texts provided by the user respectively via a microphone, a video camera, and a keyboard, and outputting a client commentary stream; an RNS transmitter  272 , coupled to the RNS multiplexer  271 , for transmitting the client commentary stream; and a buffer  273 , for storing the client commentary stream.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 4. shows the device of a server  100 , including a data base  130 , an RNS receiver  140 , a switch  120 , and an RNS transmitter  110 . The data base  130  stores commentary streams. The RNS receiver  140  receives client commentary streams from users. The switch  120  switches between the data base  130  and the RNS receiver  140  so as to select the commentary streams or the client commentary streams to output to the RNS transmitter  110 . The RNS transmitter  110  transmits the commentary streams or the client commentary streams to the client end.  
         [0022]    While the invention has been described with reference to an illustrative embodiment, the description is not intended to be construed in a limiting sense. Various modifications of the illustrative embodiment, as well as other embodiments of the invention, will be apparent to those persons skilled in the art upon reference to this description. It is therefore contemplated that the appended claims will cover any such modifications or embodiments as may fall within the scope of the invention defined by the following claims and their equivalents.