Patent Publication Number: US-8990855-B1

Title: Generating a personalized video mosaic in a cable services network

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/704,700, filed Feb. 9, 2007, which claims priority to Provisional Application No. 60/772,153, filed Feb. 10, 2006. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     With the advent of modern television services networks, such as cable and satellite systems, subscribers have grown accustomed to receiving a variety of television programming from numerous broadcasting sources. In recent years, technology advances have enabled subscribers to receive an even greater variety of products and services through television services networks. For example, modern cable services networks provide traditional video television programming, telephone services, high speed Internet access, electronic mail services, video-on-demand, information services, and the like. Through the use of set-top boxes (computing systems), cable and satellite television services providers can provide interactive television services to subscribers. Such interactive television services allow customers to interact directly with service providers in response to services and product offerings presented to the subscribers through their television sets. 
     Recently, many television services providers are beginning to offer dedicated “mosaic” channels in which live feeds of multiple programming are broadcast on a single video channel on the provider&#39;s networks. Currently, mosaic channels display a scaled down “windows” of currently broadcasting programs selected by the provider in one or more categories (i.e., news, sports, etc.) also selected by the provider, along with non-program based audio from a live host or background music. 
     Current mosaics, however, only offer content which is determined by the service provider. Thus, subscribers have no control over the programs which make up a particular mosaic channel. Moreover, the content selected by the service provider may not be of interest to some subscribers. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made. 
     BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     In accordance with the present invention, the above and other problems are solved by methods and systems for generating a personalized video mosaic from multiple video sources in a cable television services system. The methods and systems enable a subscriber to select multiple video sources broadcast from a head end for simultaneous display on a single broadcast channel in the cable television services system. 
     According to one aspect of the invention, a method is provided for generating a personalized video mosaic from multiple video sources in a cable television services system. The method includes receiving, in a cable television services head end, a subscriber selection of video sources from multiple video sources broadcast in the cable television services system. The method further includes generating, in the head end, a personalized video mosaic, the personalized video mosaic including the video sources selected by a subscriber. Finally, the method includes transmitting the personalized video mosaic from the head end to the subscriber for simultaneous viewing of the selected video sources on a broadcast channel in the cable television services system. 
     Various other aspects of the invention may be implemented by a head end and a set-top box in a cable television services system. The head end is operative to receive a subscriber selection of video sources from multiple video sources broadcast in the cable television services system and generate a personalized video mosaic from those sources. The head end then transmits the personalized video mosaic to the subscriber for simultaneous viewing of the selected video sources on a broadcast channel in the cable television services system. The set-top box is operative to receive the personalized video mosaic from the head end and which is further operative to execute an application program enabling the subscriber to individually select the video sources which make up the personalized video mosaic and transmit the selections to the head end. The set-top box is further operative to display the personalized video mosaic on the broadcast channel in the cable television services system. 
     Still other aspects of the invention may be implemented by an apparatus for generating a multiple video windows for use in a personalized video mosaic which includes multiple video sources broadcast in a cable television services system. The apparatus includes de-multiplexer means for de-multiplexing an input video stream including the multiple video sources, a transcoder for decoding and decompressing each of the video sources into a common raw format, a scalar for scaling the plurality of video sources from a full-screen format into configurable sized video windows, compression means for compressing the configurable sized video windows into a configurable bit stream at a configurable bit rate, and multiplexer means for multiplexing the compressed video windows into an output video stream for selecting the personalized video mosaic. 
     These and various other features, as well as advantages, which characterize the present invention, will be apparent from a reading of the following detailed description and a review of the associated drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is a network diagram illustrating a cable services network architecture that serves as an illustrative operating environment for the present invention; 
         FIG. 2  is a hardware architecture diagram illustrating aspects of the various components and interfaces in a head end of the cable services network architecture of  FIG. 1 , according to the various embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a hardware architecture diagram illustrating aspects of the various components in a Scaling Transcoding Multiplexer in a head end of the cable services network architecture of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  is a simplified block diagram illustrating a customer profile data structure for providing subscriber profile data to a set-top box according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  is a flow diagram showing an illustrative routine for generating a personalized video mosaic from multiple video sources broadcast in the cable services network architecture of  FIG. 1 , according to an embodiment of the present invention; and 
         FIG. 6  is a simplified block diagram illustrating a television screen display of a video mosaic for displaying a personalized video mosaic according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements, various embodiments of the present invention will be described. These embodiments may be combined, other embodiments may be utilized, and structural changes may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is therefore not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. According to an actual embodiment, the present invention is implemented in a cable television/services system in communication with one or more telecommunications sources.  FIG. 1  is a block diagram illustrating a cable television/services system architecture (hereinafter referred to as “CATV” system) that serves as an illustrative operating environment for the present invention. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , digital and analog video programming, information content and interactive television services are provided via a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) network  115  to a television set  120  for consumption by a cable television/services system customer. As is known to those skilled in the art, HFC networks  115  combine both optical fiber and coaxial cable lines. Typically, optical fiber runs from the cable head end  110  to neighborhoods of 500 to 2,000 customers. Coaxial cable runs from the optical fiber feeders to each customer. According to embodiments of the present invention, the functionality of the HFC network  115  allows for efficient bidirectional data flow between the client-side set-top box  105  and the server-side application server  140  of the present invention. 
     According to embodiments of the present invention, the CATV system  100  is in the form of a distributed client-server computing system for providing video and data flow across the HFC network  115  between server-side services providers (e.g., cable television/services providers) via a server-side head end  110  and a client-side customer via a client-side set-top box (set-top box) functionally connected to a customer receiving device, such as the television set  120 . As is understood by those skilled in the art, modern CATV systems may provide a variety of services across the HFC network  115  including traditional digital and analog video programming, telephone services, high speed Internet access, video-on-demand, and information services. 
     On the client side of the CATV system  100 , digital and analog video programming and digital and analog data are provided to the customer television set  120  via the set-top box  105 . Interactive television services that allow a customer to input data to the CATV system  100  likewise are provided by the set-top box  105 . As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the set-top box  105  is a multipurpose computing device having a computer processor, memory and an input/output mechanism. The input/output mechanism receives input from server-side processes via the HFC network  115  and from customers via input devices such as the remote control device  128  and the keyboard  130 . The remote control device  128  and the keyboard  130  may communicate with the set-top box  105  via a suitable communication transport such as the infrared connection  132 . The set-top box  105  also includes a video processor for processing and providing digital and analog video signaling to the television set  120  via a cable communication transport  134 . A multi-channel tuner is provided for processing video and data to and from the set-top box  105  and the server-side head end system  110 , described below. 
     The set-top box  105  also includes an operating system  122  for directing the functions of the set-top box  105  in conjunction with a variety of client applications  125 . For example, in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, a client application  125  enables a customer subscribed to a personal video mosaic service to select a list of multiple video sources (i.e., channels) comprising the personalized video mosaic for transmission to the head end  110  and enables the display of the personalized video mosaic broadcast channel on the television  120 . 
     Because a variety of different operating systems  122  may be utilized by a variety of different brands and types of set-top boxes, a middleware layer  124  is provided to allow a given software application to be executed by a variety of different operating systems. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the middleware layer  124  may include a set of application programming interfaces (“APIs”) that are exposed to the client applications  125  and operating systems  122  that allow the client applications to communicate with the operating systems through common data calls understood via the API set. As described below, a corresponding middleware layer is included on the server side of the CATV system  100  for facilitating communication between a server-side application server and the client-side set-top box  105 . According to one embodiment of the present invention, the middleware layer  142  of the server-side application server and the middleware layer  124  of the client-side set-top box  105  format data passed between the client side and server side according to the Extensible Markup Language (“XML”). 
     The set-top box  105  passes digital and analog video and data signaling to the television  120  via a one-way communication transport  134 . The set-top box  105  may receive video and data from the server side of the CATV system  100  via the HFC network  115  through a video/data downlink and data via a data downlink. The set-top box  105  may transmit data from the client side of the CATV system  100  to the server side of the CATV system  100  via the HFC network  115  via one data uplink. The video/data downlink is an “in band” downlink that allows for digital and analog video and data signaling from the server side of the CATV system  100  through the HFC network  115  to the set-top box  105  for use by the set-top box  105  and for distribution to the television set  120 . As is understood by those skilled in the art, the “in band” signaling space operates at a frequency between 54 and 860 megahertz. The signaling space between 54 and 860 megahertz is generally divided into 6 megahertz channels in which may be transmitted a single analog signal or a greater number (e.g., up to ten) digital signals. 
     The data downlink and the data uplink, illustrated in  FIG. 1 , between the HFC network  115  and the set-top box  105  comprise “out of band” data links. As is understand by those skilled in the art, the “out of band” frequency range generally lies between zero and 54 megahertz. According to embodiments of the present invention, data flow between the client-side set-top box  105  and the server-side application server  140  is typically passed through the “out of band” data links. Alternatively, an “in band” data carousel may be positioned in an “in band” channel into which a data feed may be processed from the server-side application server  140  through the HFC network  115  to the client-side set-top box  105 . Operation of data transport between components of the CATV system  100 , described with reference to  FIG. 1 , is well known to those skilled in the art. 
     Referring still to  FIG. 1 , the head end  110  of the CATV system  100  is positioned on the server side of the CATV system and includes hardware and software systems responsible for originating and managing content for distributing through the HFC network  115  to client-side set-top boxes  105  for presentation to customers via televisions  120 . In accordance with the various embodiments of the present invention, the head end  110  is operative to generate a personalized video mosaic from multiple video sources broadcast in the CATV system  100  for distribution to the set-top box  105  and for presentation to customers via the television  120 . 
     The application server  140  is a general-purpose computing system operative to assemble and manage data sent to and received from the client-side set-top box  105  via the HFC network  115 . According to embodiments of the invention, the application server  140  may also be utilized to obtain subscriber profile data from services provider data services  160  for preparing a subscriber profile that may be utilized by the set-top box  105  for tailoring certain content provided to the customer. 
     As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , the services provider data services  160  include a number of services operated by the services provider of the CATV system  100  which may include data on a given customer. For example, a billing system  162  may include information such as a customer&#39;s name, street address, business identification number, Social Security number, credit history, and information regarding services and products subscribed to by the customer. An electronic mail system  164  may contain information such as electronic mail addresses, high-speed Internet access subscription information and electronic mail usage data. An authentication system  166  may include information such as secure user names and passwords utilized by customers for access to network services. 
     The subscriber information database  168  may include general information about customers such as place of employment, business address, business telephone number and demographic information such as age, gender, educational level, and the like as well as information about subscribed services such as whether or not a customer has high-speed Internet access, an e-mail account, and premium programming access. In addition to the aforementioned services and in accordance with the various embodiments of the present invention, the subscriber information database  168  may also include information as to whether or not a customer subscribes to the personalized video mosaic service briefly described above and which will be described in greater detail below. As should be understood by those skilled in the art, the disparate data services systems  162 ,  164 ,  166 ,  168  are illustrated as a collection of data services for purposes of example only. The example data services systems comprising the data services  160  may operate as separate data services systems, which communicate with a web services system (described below) along a number of different communication paths and according to a number of different communication protocols. 
     Referring still to  FIG. 1 , a web services system  150  is illustrated between the application server  140  and the data services  160 . According to embodiments of the present invention, the web services system  150  serves as a collection point for data requested from each of the disparate data services systems comprising the data services  160 . When the application server  140  requires customer profile data from one or more of the data services  160  for preparation or update of a customer profile, the application server  140  passes a data query to the web services system  150 . The web services system formulates a data query to each of the available data services systems for obtaining any available data for a given customer as identified by a set-top box identification associated with the customer. The web services system  150  serves as an abstraction layer between the various data services systems and the application server  140 . That is, the application server  140  is not required to communicate with the disparate data services systems, nor is the application server  140  required to understand the data structures or data types utilized by the disparate data services systems. The web services system  150  is operative to communicate with each of the disparate data services systems for obtaining necessary customer profile data. The customer profile data obtained by the web services system is assembled and is returned to the application server  140  for ultimate processing via the middleware layer  142 , as described above. 
       FIG. 2  is a hardware architecture diagram illustrating aspects of the various components and interfaces in the head end  110  of the CATV system  100  according to the various embodiments of the present invention. Referring now to  FIG. 2 , the head end  110  includes routers  215  and  217  for receiving multiple broadcast video sources  205 , representing programming produced by national television networks, and multiple local origination video sources  210 , representing programming produced by the CATV system  100 , respectively. 
     It should be understood that the broadcast video sources  205  may comprise both analog and digital video sources. It should be appreciated that in one embodiment, the head end  110  may include additional hardware (not shown) for converting the analog video sources to digital video via analog-to-digital (“A/D”) conversion. Various methods of A/D conversion are well known to skilled in the art. In one embodiment, the digital video sources (either native or converted from analog sources) may be formatted according to the MPEG-2 digital video compression standard although it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the digital video sources may be formatted according to other video compression standards, such as MPEG-4, or alternatively the digital video sources may in an uncompressed (i.e., raw) format. 
     The router  215  multiplexes the video sources  205  into a single video stream and forwards the video stream to a scaling transcoding multiplexer (“SXM”)  220 . Similarly, the router  217  multiplexes the video sources  210  into a single video stream and forwards the video stream to SXM  222 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the multiplexed video streams forwarded to the SXMs  220  and  222  are gigabit Ethernet (“GbE”) video streams with each stream including as many as 250 of 3.5 megabits per second quality MPEG-2 bit streams. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the actual number of bit streams in a GbE stream may vary depending upon various factors including GbE overhead, initial stream bit rates, and the format of the input bit streams. Each of the encapsulated video sources in the multiplexed video streams received by the SXMs  220  and  222  may be identified by format and bit rate. 
     The multiplexed video streams forwarded by the routers  215  and  217  are attached to the SXMs  220  and  222 . The SXMs  220  and  222  are operative to handle multiple input video streams and performs scaling, transcoding (i.e., converting from one format to another), and multiplexing of each input video stream (after being de-multiplexed from the received multiplexed video streams). The components comprising the SXMs  220  and  222  will be described in greater detail below with respect to  FIG. 3 . 
     The multiplexed output from the SXMs  220  and  222  are combined into a single output video stream by the router  219  and forwarded to compositors  225 . In one embodiment of the present invention, the output video stream is a single GbE connection capable of handling thousands of compressed video streams (e.g., a single GbE connection may include 10,000 video sources at a 64 kilobit per second bit rate). The compositors  225  are general purpose computers which receive return channel input (via the set-top box  105 ) from return path proxy  230 . 
     In particular, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the compositors  225  are configured to receive a selection of video sources in the output video stream from return path proxy  230 . The return path proxy  230  is a general purpose computer configured to receive video sources selected from the set-top box  105  by a subscriber via, for example, an on-demand session for utilizing a personalized video mosaic of subscriber-selected video sources or mosaic channels. The return path proxy  230  instructs the compositors  225  to select the video sources making up the personalized video mosaic from the output video stream. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the return path proxy  230  may receive the return channel input via quadrature phase-shift key (“QPSK”) return path demodulator  235  which demodulates signals received from the set-top box  105  via RF combiner  245 . 
     After receiving the return channel input from the return path proxy  230 , each of the compositors  225  composite (i.e., select, combine, and if necessary, convert) the video streams comprising the personalized video mosaic into a single video mosaic stream for delivery to a subscriber associated with the set-top box  105 . For example, according to one embodiment of the present invention, the compositors  225  may be configured to composite MPEG-4 video sources into a single MPEG-2 (or MPEG-4) video mosaic stream for delivery to the subscriber. Those skilled in the art will understand that the mosaic video sources composited in the compositors  225  may undergo quadrature amplitude modulation (“QAM”) via QAM units  240  prior to being communicated to the set-top box  105  via the RF combiner  245 . The functionality of the compositors  225  will be described in greater detail below with respect to  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 3  is a hardware architecture diagram illustrating aspects of the various components in the SXM  220  of the CATV system  100  according to one embodiment of the present invention. The SXM  220  includes a multiplexer  305 , a transcoder  310 , a scalar,  315 , and a compressor  320 . The multiplexer  305  performs both multiplexing and de-multiplexing functions with respect to broadcast video sources  205  received by the SXM  220  from the router  215  in the CATV system  100 . 
     In particular, the multiplexer  305  de-multiplexes an input video stream comprising the broadcast video sources  205  and communicates the de-multiplexed video sources to the transcoder  310 . The transcoder  310  transcodes each of the video sources into a common raw format. In particular, the transcoder  310  decodes and decompresses video sources which may have been formatted according to different digital video compression standards (e.g., MPEG-2, MPEG-4, etc.). Once each of the video sources has been transcoded into a common format, the video sources are then communicated to the scalar  315  which scales the video from each video source from an initial (i.e., full-screen) format into a configurable sized window. For example, a full screen size of 640×480 having 65,536 colors (i.e., 16-bit color) may be scaled down into a video window having a size of 80×60 with 256 colors (i.e., 8-bit color). After the video sources have been scaled into video windows, the video sources are communicated to the compressor  320  which compresses each of the video windows into a configurable bit-stream at a configurable bit rate. For example, the compressor  320  may compress the video window into an MPEG-4 bit-stream at a bit rage of 64 kilobits per second. The compressor  320  communicates the compressed video windows to the multiplexer  305  which combines each of the compressed video windows into a single output video stream. The multiplexer  305  also communicates the output video stream to the compositors  225  (via the router  219 ). It should be appreciated that the functionality of the multiplexer  305 , the transcoder  310 , the scalar  315 , and the compressor  320  may be implemented using discrete or integrated components known to those skilled in the art. 
       FIG. 4  is a simplified block diagram illustrating a customer profile data structure for providing customer profile data to a set-top box according to embodiments of the present invention. As described in  FIG. 1  above, once the web services system  150  assembles required customer data, the customer data is passed back to the application server  140  where a subscriber profile  400  is prepared for transmission to the client-side set-top box  105  via the HFC network  115 . The subscriber profile  400 , illustrated in  FIG. 4 , is for purposes of example only. As should be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the subscriber profile may contain a variety of different types of information about a given customer that may be useful for content provision for the customer via the set-top box  105 . 
     Referring to the subscriber profile  400 , information gathered by the web services system  150  from one or more of the data services systems  160  is assembled into a data structure for provisioning the set-top box  105 . As illustrated in  FIG. 4 , a name  405 , address  410 , telephone number  415 , email address  420 , age  425  and gender  430  for a given customer have been obtained and have been populated into the subscriber profile  400 . As described above, such information may be gathered from any number of data services systems such as the billing system  162 , the email system  164 , the authentication system  166 , or the subscriber information database  168 . Additionally, following from the example subscriber profile  400 , illustrated in  FIG. 4 , subscription information  440  for the associated customer has been obtained and has been populated into the subscriber profile. For example, information regarding services or products subscribed to by the customer is provided such as high-speed Internet subscription  450 , email subscription  455 , premium programming subscription  460 , and video mosaic service  465 . With respect to the video mosaic service  465 , the subscription information  440  may also include customer preferences regarding which channels will be represented in the mosaic. These preferences may be indicated in a personalized video mosaic (“PVM”) channel list  470 . 
     Referring now to  FIG. 5 , an illustrative routine  500  will be described illustrating a process performed in the head end  110  of the CATV system  100  client applications  125  for generating a personalized video mosaic from multiple video sources. The routine  500  begins at operation  505 , wherein the compositors  225  receive a subscriber selection of video sources comprising a personalized video mosaic. In particular, as described above, the compositors  225  receive a request for a specific personalized video mosaic from a subscriber associated with the set-top box  105  via the return path proxy  230 . It will be appreciated that according to one embodiment of the present invention, the video sources or channels comprising the personalized video mosaic may be selected “on demand” by a subscriber using an interactive television (“ITV”) user interface consisting of menus and selection boxes generated by the set-top box  105 . After the subscriber selections have been made, they are sent via the return channel to the return path proxy  230  for forwarding to the compositors  225 . According to an alternative embodiment of present invention, the channels comprising the personalized video mosaic may be retrieved from a subscriber profile, such as the subscriber profile  400  discussed in  FIG. 4 . In this embodiment, a subscriber may select video mosaic channels by updating the subscriber profile  400  stored in the set-top box  105 . Once the set-top box  105  is initialized or booted, the subscriber profile including any selected personalized video mosaic channels are communicated to the return path proxy  230  for forwarding to the compositors  225 . 
     The routine  500  then continues from operation  505  at operation  510  where the compositors  225  de-multiplex the input video stream received from the SXMs  220  and  222  via the router  219 . As discussed above in  FIGS. 2 and 3 , the SXMs  220  and  222  have scaled broadcast and local origination video sources in the CATV system  100  into compressed video windows and multiplexed the video windows into a single video stream. The routine  500  then continues from operation  510  at operation  515  where the compositors  225  select video sources from the input video stream corresponding to the requested video sources comprising the personalized video mosaic. The routine  500  then continues from operation  515  at operation  520  where the compositors  225  multiplex the video sources to generate the personalized video mosaic. In particular, the compositors combine the various video windows corresponding to the subscriber selected channels into a single output video stream. 
     The routine  500  then continues from operation  525  at operation  530  where the compositors  225  transmit the personalized video mosaic to the requesting subscriber including program audio. In particular, the personalized video mosaic is transmitted to the requesting set-top box  105  which receives the mosaic and broadcasts each of the selected video windows simultaneously on a predetermined broadcast channel in the CATV system  100 . It should be understood that the compositors  225  in transmitting the personalized video mosaic also transmits audio signals associated with each of the broadcast or local origination video sources comprising the personalized video mosaic, thus enabling a subscriber to listen to program audio while simultaneously viewing a selected video window on the predetermined broadcast channel in the CATV system  100 . It should further be understood that the compositors  225  also transmits the position of the video windows comprising the personalized video mosaic to be displayed on a television screen display by the set-top box  105 . 
     The routine  500  then continues from operation  530  at operation  535  where the compositors  225  determine if the same mosaic (i.e., the same video sources) has been requested by other subscribers. If, at operation  535 , the same personalized video mosaic has not been requested, then the routine  500  returns to operation  510  where the compositors  225  select video sources corresponding to the newly requested mosaic. If, at operation  530 , the same personalized video mosaic has been requested, then the routine  500  continues from operation  530  at operation  535  where the compositors  225  retransmit the personalized video mosaic to the additional subscriber set-top boxes. From operation  535 , the routine  500  then ends. 
       FIG. 6  is a simplified block diagram illustrating a television screen display of a personalized video mosaic broadcast channel in the CATV system  100 , in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. It should be understood that the layout and content of the television screen display illustrated in  FIG. 6  is for purposes of example only and is not limiting of the variety of different layouts and types of content that may be included in such displays according to illustrative embodiments of the present invention. 
     Referring now to  FIG. 6 , the television screen display  600  includes a personalized video mosaic consisting of video windows  610  which show video streams corresponding to broadcast video sources (including local origination video sources) provided by the CATV system  100 . In the mosaic, each of the video windows  610  are identified by channel banners  605  identifying each of the video sources displayed in the video windows  610  in the video mosaic. A selection window  625  may be used to select any of the video windows  610  displayed in the video mosaic. According to the various embodiments of the present invention, the selection window  625  is a graphical user interface which may be generated by the client applications  125  in the set-top box  105  whenever the tuner is tuned to a video mosaic channel. The selection window  625  may be used to move among the displayed video windows  610  using the remote control device  128 . It should be understood that once a video window  610  is selected by the selection window  625 , the client applications  125  instruct the set-top box  105  to transmit the current audio feed for the currently shown video stream to the television display device  120 . That is, by selecting a video window  610  with the selection window  625 , the subscriber not only is able to view the video stream but also hear the audio which is broadcast with the video stream in the CATV system  100 . It should also be understood that the set-top box client applications  125  may enable the selection window  625  to “tune” to a selected video window  610  as if selecting a channel from an electronic program guide. Once a video window  610  has been tuned, the set-top box  105  generates a full-screen display of the corresponding channel. 
     The television screen display  600  also includes “More Channels” buttons  615  which are selectable buttons for adding video windows to the mosaic which will not fit on the television screen display  600 . The More Channels buttons  615  may be selected by the remote control device  128  to tune to a selected channel. If the number of More Channels is larger than the space available on the television screen display  600 , then scroll buttons  620  may be activated by the set-top box client applications  125  to enable the viewing and selection of the additional channels. 
     Based on the foregoing, it should be appreciated that the various embodiments of the invention include methods and systems for generating a personalized video mosaic from multiple video sources in a cable television services system. The methods and systems enable a subscriber to select multiple video sources broadcast from a head end for simultaneous display on a single broadcast channel in the cable television services system. 
     The above specification, examples and data provide a complete description of the manufacture and use of the composition of the invention. Since many embodiments of the invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, the invention resides in the claims hereinafter appended.