URI pointer system and method for the carriage of MPEG-4 data in a DVB-HMP MPEG-2 transport stream

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for the broadcast and receiving of MPEG-4 data resources in a European DVB network. The receiving method comprises: at a DVB-Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) terminal, receiving an MPEG-2 TS, with a packetized DSM-CC U-U OC; locating a URI in the TS; in response to the URI, accessing an address in the DSM-CC U-U OC; in response to accessing the address, retrieving MPEG-4 resources from the DSM-CC U-U OC; and, decoding the MPEG-4 resources. A lid URI provides a binding name and access scheme to the objects in the DSM-CC U-U OC, as prescribed and restricted by MHP protocols (MHP OC). That is, a lid URI is embedded in an Initial Object Descriptor (IOD) to locate resources in the MHP OC such as a BIFS scene description stream or an object descriptor stream.

1 . A method for receiving of MPEG-4 data resources broadcast in a European Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) network, the method comprising: 
 at a DVB-Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) terminal, receiving an MPEG-2 Transport Stream (TS), with a packetized DSM-CC User-to-User (U-U) Object Carousel (OC);    locating a universal resources identifier (URI) in the TS;    in response to the URI, accessing an address in the DSM-CC U-U OC;    in response to accessing the address, retrieving MPEG-4 resources from the DSM-CC U-U OC; and,    decoding the MPEG-4 resources:    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein accessing an address in response to the URI includes accessing an address selected from the group including a local identifier (lid) and an http address in the DSM-CC U-U OC.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein accessing an address includes accessing a lid URI providing a binding name and access scheme to the objects in the DSM-CC U-U OC, as prescribed and restricted by MHP protocols (MHP OC).  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein using lid URIs to provide a binding name and access scheme to the objects in the MHP OC includes using a lid URI embedded in an Initial Object Descriptor (IOD) to locate resources in the MHP OC selected from the group including a BIFS scene description stream and an object descriptor stream.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein receiving an MPEG-2 TS, with a packetized MHP OC, includes forming MPEG-4 resources in a hierarchical directory structure.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein forming a hierarchical directory structure includes forming a hierarchical directory structure of BIOP objects including a DSM::ServiceGateway, a DSM::Directory, DSM::Stream, and a DSM::File.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein retrieving MPEG-4 resources from the MHP OC, in response to accessing the address, includes: 
 locating a DSI message;    extracting the IOR for the Service Gateway;    parsing the Service Gateway object;    extracting IORs for Directory, Stream, and File objects from the Service Gateway binding structure; and,    acquiring MPEG-4 resources from the Stream and File objects.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 3  wherein receiving an MPEG-2 TS, with a packetized MHP OC, includes receiving a first MPEG-2 TS and a second MPEG-2 TS with a packetized MHP OC; 
 wherein locating a URI in the TS includes retrieving a lid URI in the first MPEG-2 TS; and,    wherein retrieving MPEG-4 resources from the MHP OC, in response to accessing the lid URI, includes retrieving MPEG-4 resources from the second MPEG-2 TS MHP OC.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  wherein retrieving MPEG-4 resources from MHP OC, in response to accessing the address, includes retrieving MPEG-4 resources selected from the group including audio, video, and systems data.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein decoding the MPEG-4 resources includes an action selected from the group including enhancing audio data in the MPEG-2 TS, enhancing video data in the MPEG-2 TS, and using the systems data to establish an interactive audiovisual scene and communication link.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 establishing an interactive audiovisual scene and communication link in response to decoding MPEG-4 systems data.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 caching the retrieved MPEG-4 resources.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 3  wherein accessing an address in response to the URI includes additionally accessing an address selected from the group including a local cache address and a Web protocol identifier; and, 
 the method further comprising:    retrieving MPEG-4 resources, in response to accessing the address, from a source selected from the group including a local cache and a website.    
   
   
       14 . A method for broadcasting pointers to MPEG-4 data in a European Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) network, the method comprising: 
 embedding MPEG-4 resources in an DSM-CC User-to-User (U-U) Object Carousel (OC);    packetizing the DSM-CC U-U OC in an MPEG-2 transport stream (TS);    generating a universal resource identifier (URI) for accessing MPEG-4 resources located at an address in the DSM-CC U-U OC;    embedding the URI in an MPEG-2 TS; and,    broadcasting the MPEG-2 TS, with the packetized DSM-CC U-U OC.    
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein generating a URI for accessing the MPEG-4 resources includes generating a URI selected from the group including an http address and a local identifier (lid).  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein generating a URI for accessing MPEG-4 resources located at an address includes generating a lid URI to supply a binding name and access scheme to objects in the DSM-CC U-U OC, as prescribed and restricted by MHP protocols (MHP OC).  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein generating a lid URI to supply a binding name and access scheme to objects in the MHP OC includes generating a lid URI embedded in an Initial Object Descriptor (IOD) to locate resources in the MHP OC selected from the group including a BIFS scene description stream and an object descriptor stream.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein embedding MPEG-4 resources in an MHP OC includes forming the MPEG-4 resources hierarchical directory structure.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein forming a hierarchical directory structure includes forming a hierarchical directory structure of BIOP objects including a DSM::ServiceGateway, a DSM::Directory, DSM::Stream, and a DSM::File.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein embedding MPEG-4 resources in the MHP OC includes: 
 loading the MPEG-4 resources into File and Stream objects;    creating IORs for Directory, Stream, and File Objects;    binding the IORs in a Service Gateway;    creating an IOR for the Service Gateway; and,    locating the Service Gateway IOR in a DSI message.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 17  wherein embedding the URI in an MPEG-2 TS includes locating a lid URI in a first MPEG-2 TS; 
 wherein packetizing the MHP OC in an MPEG-2 TS includes packetizing the MPEG-4 resources in an MHP OC carried by a second MPEG-2 TS; and,    wherein broadcasting the MPEG-2 TS includes broadcasting the first and second MPEG-2 TSs.    
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 14  wherein embedding MPEG-4 resources in an MHP OC includes embedding MPEG-4 resources selected from the group including audio, video, and systems data.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein embedding MPEG-4 resources in an MHP OC includes resources used for a purpose selected from the group including enhanced audio data in the MPEG-2 TS, enhanced video data in the MPEG-2 TS, and systems data for the establishment of an interactive audiovisual scene and communication link.  
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising: 
 generating additional URI addresses selected from the group including http and local (receiver) cache addresses for accessing MPEG-4 resources from a website and a local (receiver) cache, respectively.    
   
   
       25 . A European Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) terminal for receiving broadcast MPEG-4 data resources, the system comprising: 
 a receiver having an interface for accepting an MPEG-2 transport stream (TS) with an embedded uniform resource indicator (URI) and a packetized DSM-CC User-to-User (U-U) Object Carousel (OC);    an address access unit having an interface to accept the MPEG-2 TS from the receiver, the address access unit locating a URI in the TS, accessing an address, and retrieving MPEG-4 resources from the DSM-CC U-U OC; and,    a decoder having an interface connected to the address access unit for receiving the MPEG-4 resources and an interface for supplying decoded MPEG-4 information.    
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the address access unit locates a URI selected from the group including an http address and a local identifier (lid).  
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 26  wherein the address access unit accesses a lid URI providing a binding name and access scheme to objects in the DSM-CC U-U OC, as prescribed and restricted by MHP protocols (MHP OC).  
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 27  wherein the address access unit uses a lid URI embedded in an Initial Object Descriptor (IOD) to locate resources in the MHP OC selected from the group including a BIFS scene description stream and an object descriptor stream.  
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 28  wherein the address access unit accesses MPEG-4 resources in a hierarchical directory.  
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 29  wherein the address access unit forms a hierarchical directory structure of BIOP objects including a DSM::ServiceGateway, a DSM::Directory, a DSM::Stream, and a DSM::File.  
   
   
       31 . The system of  claim 30  wherein the address access unit retrieves MPEG-4 resources from the MHP OC as follows: 
 locating a DSI message;    extracting the IOR for the Service Gateway;    parsing the Service Gateway object;    extracting IORs for Directory, Stream, and File objects from the Service Gateway binding structure; and,    acquiring MPEG-4 resources from the Stream and File objects.    
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 27  wherein the receiver receives a first MPEG-2 TS and a second MPEG-2 TS with a packetized MHP OC; 
 wherein the address access unit retrieves the lid URI from the first MPEG-2 TS, and retrieves MPEG-4 resources from the MHP OC in the second MPEG-2 TS.    
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 25  wherein the address access unit retrieves MPEG-4 resources selected from the group including audio, video, and systems data.  
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 35  wherein the decoder supplies MPEG-4 information selected from the group including enhancing audio data in the MPEG-2 TS, enhancing video data in the MPEG-2 TS, and using the systems data to establish an interactive audiovisual scene and communication link.  
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 34  further comprising: 
 a transmitter having a transmit interface; and,    wherein the transmitter and receiver form an interactive audiovisual scene and communication link in response to decoding MPEG-4 systems data.    
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 25  further comprising: 
 a local cache have an interface to receive retrieved MPEG-4 resources for storage.    
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 26  wherein the address access unit accesses an address selected from the group including a local cache address and a Web protocol identifier, and retrieves MPEG-4 resources, in response to accessing the address, from a source selected from the group including a local cache and a network-connected website.  
   
   
       38 . A European Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) system for transmitting MPEG-4 resources, the system comprising: 
 an address pointer unit (APU) having an interface to supply an MPEG-2 transport stream (TS) with uniform resource identifiers (URIs) for accessing MPEG-4 resources embedded in an DSM-CC User-to-User (U-U) Object Carousel (OC), and to supply a MPEG-2 TS with the packetized DSM-CC U-U OC; and,    a transmitter having an interface to accept the MPEG-2 TS, with the packetized DSM-CC U-U OC from the address pointer unit, and an interface to broadcast the MPEG-2 TS.    
   
   
       39 . The system of  claim 38  wherein the APU supplies an MPEG-2 TS with a URI selected from the group including an http address and a local identifier (lid).  
   
   
       40 . The system of  claim 39  wherein the APU generates a lid URI to supply a binding name and access scheme to objects in the DSM-CC U-U OC, as prescribed and restricted by MHP protocols (MHP OC).  
   
   
       41 . The system of  claim 40  wherein the APU generates a lid URI embedded in an Initial Object Descriptor (IOD) to locate resources in the MHP OC selected from the group including a BIFS scene description stream and an object descriptor stream.  
   
   
       42 . The system of  claim 41  wherein the APU embeds MPEG-4 resources in an MHP OC by forming the MPEG-4 resources in a hierarchical directory structure.  
   
   
       43 . The system of  claim 42  wherein the APU forms a hierarchical directory structure of BIOP objects including a DSM::ServiceGateway, a DSM::Directory, a DSM::Stream, and a DSM::File.  
   
   
       44 . The system of  claim 43  wherein the APU embeds MPEG-4 resources in the MHP OC as follows: 
 loading the MPEG-4 resources into File and Stream objects;    creating IORs for Directory, Stream, and File Objects;    binding the IORs in a Service Gateway;    creating an IOR for the Service Gateway; and,    locating the Service Gateway IOR in a DSI message.    
   
   
       45 . The system of  claim 39  wherein the APU locates a lid URI in a first MPEG-2 TS and embeds MPEG-4 resources in an MHP OC packetized in a second MPEG-2 TS; and, 
 wherein the transmitter broadcasts the first and second MPEG-2 TSs.    
   
   
       46 . The system of  claim 38  wherein the APU embeds MPEG-4 resources in an MHP OC selected from the group including audio, video, and systems data.  
   
   
       47 . The system of  claim 38  wherein the APU generates additional URI addresses embedded in the MPEG-2 TS selected from including http and local (receiver) cache addresses for accessing MPEG-4 resources from a website and a local (receiver) cache, respectively.