MXPA99009365A - A system for processing and decoding mpeg compatible data and internet information - Google Patents

Abstract

A video decoder system decodes input video data encoded in a plurality of encoding formats. The decoder includes a first processor (65) for decoding MPEG compatible data identified by a first data identifier to provide a first decoded video output. The decoder also includes a second processor (60) for decoding data encoded in an Internet compatible data format identified by a second data identifier to provide a second decoded video output. A display processor (70) formats the first and second decoded video outputs for display as a composite video image and the proportion of the video image contributed by the first and second decoded outputs is variable.

Description

A SYSTEM FOR PROCESSING AND DECODING DATA COMPATIBLE WITH MPEG AND INTERNET INFORMATION This is a non-provisional application of the provisional application with Serial Number 60 / 043,539 by R.J. Logan et al., Filed on April 14, 1997.

Field of the Invention This invention relates to the field of digital signal processing, and more particularly, to the processing and decoding of data compatible with MPEG and Internet information.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Home entertainment systems that combine functions of Personal Computer and Television (PC / TV systems), are becoming more and more generic communication devices, interactive with the User, from multiple sources, and from multiple destinations . These systems are required to communicate in different data formats between multiple locations for a variety of applications in response to User requests. For example, a PC / TV system can receive data from satellite or terrestrial sources that include High Definition Television (HDTV) transmissions, Multi-Point Microwave Distribution System (MMDS) transmissions, and Digital Video Transmissions (DVB). ). A "PC / TV system can also receive and transmit data via telephone lines (for example, the Internet) and coaxial (for example, cable TV), and both from remote and local sources, such as disc players. Digital Video (DVD), CDROM, VHS, and digital VHS (DVHSMR), PCs, and many other types of sources.A number of problems in the development of this generic PC / TV entertainment system are presented. problems in the support of communication between multiple sources of data, and in the processing of data from multiple sources.Also - a problem arises because of the need to devise a User interface for this system that supports complex interactive user tasks, while provide a simple command interface suitable for the general public.A user interface of the PC / TV system, for example, should allow a User to view a selected program, and allow r the operation by the User of functions such as email, telephone, Internet access, fax, and video-telephone functions. These applications require communication between a PC / TV unit and a variety of both remote sources, for example a satellite service provider, and local sources, for example a DVD storage device. In addition, a PC / TV needs to process and decode data in different data formats from different devices, and display the data received to the User. These problems are solved by a system in accordance with the present invention. References in the prior art include International Publication Number 097/13368, which gives Gonocer a program guide processing system that involves using remote databases in the acquisition of program guide information from data sources in response to the command of the User. In addition, references of the prior art also include the article "Intercast Brings the Web to TV", January 21, 1997, PC magazine, which discloses a system for transporting a program guide in the • Vertical Blank Interval of an analog TV signal.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Hereby, the inventors have recognized that a user interface type of program guide conveniently provides a simple and user-friendly interface for the operation by the User of functions such as electronic mail, telephone, access to Internet, fax, home control, and video-telephone functions. The User of a Program Guide for these functions also conveniently provides a single User interface for the operation by the User of multiple devices and associated functions. The inventors have further recognized that it is desirable for a video decoder system to be capable of decoding encoded input video data into a plurality of encoding formats., such as data formats compatible with MPEG and compatible with the Internet. Furthermore, it is desirable that a decoder be able to display the decoded data derived from the different encoding formats, for example, the data of decoded MPEG video programs, and the web page Internet data, as an image. of composite video. A video decoder system decodes the encoded input video data into a plurality of encoding formats. The decoder includes a first processor for decoding the MPEG compatible data identified by a first data identifier, in order to provide a first decoded video output. The decoder also includes a second processor for decoding the encoded data in an Internet compatible data format identified by a second data identifier, in order to provide a second decoded video output. A visual display processor formats the first and second decoded video outputs for visual display as a composite video image, and the proportion of the video image contributed by the decoded first and second outputs is variable.

Brief Description of the Drawings In the drawing: Figure 1 shows a home entertainment decoder system, according to the invention, for communicating with a plurality of sources, and for processing the program guide information and the content data of programs. Figure 2 shows a visual display format of the Example Program Guide according to the invention. Figure 3 shows a data format, according to the invention, for packetizing Internet data to be transmitted within a data stream compatible with MPEG. Figure 4 shows a flow diagram, according to the invention, to receive the program guide information, including the selection options of the user, and to process the information received in order to form a program guide that supports functions of communication selectable by the User. Figure 5 shows - a flow chart, according to the invention, for "a process to form a program guide in a video decoder from the information received from a plurality of sources." Figure 6 shows a diagram of flow, according to the invention, for a process to automatically acquire and collate the program guide information from a plurality of sources, and form a program guide for its display Figure 7 shows a black and white representation of a visual display format of the Guide to Example color programs, according to the invention, showing the menu options that allow a User to compare the programs by font and color attribute. Figure 8 shows a flow diagram, according to the invention, for a process to acquire information requested by a user of the video receiver, by means of a selection made from the options of a program guide displayed. Figure 9 shows a flow diagram, according to the invention, for a process to decode the incoming Internet information and the compressed video data, and form a composite video output for visual display.

Detailed Description of the Drawings Figure 1 shows a home entertainment decoder system, according to the invention, for communicating with multiple sources for the purpose of acquiring program guide information and program content data. The decoder system forms a program guide to be displayed from the acquired information and automatically collated from multiple sources. A User can initiate the functions of electronic mail, telephone, Internet access, fax, and video-telephone by selecting options from the program guide displayed. The decoder system decodes in an adaptive manner a stream of data encoded in the MPEG standard, which incorporates compressed program content data and Internet data representative of, for example, Hypertext Mark-up Language (HTML). The decoded data is formatted either as a composite video image, or as separate video images for visual display. The MPEG2 image coding standard (Moving Pictures Expert Group), hereinafter referred to as the "MPEG standard", is comprised of a section that encodes the system (ISO / IEC 13818-1). , June 10, 1994), and a section encoding the video (ISO / IEC 13818-2, January 20, 1995), hereinafter referred to as the "MPEG system standard" and "MPEG video standard" , respectively. Although the system disclosed is described in the context of a system for receiving an MPEG-compatible signal, it is exemplary only. The principles of the invention can be applied to systems where the types of transmission channels and communication protocols may vary, or to systems where the type of coding may vary. These systems can include, for example, systems not compatible with MPEG, which involve other types of coded data streams and other methods for transporting the Program Guide information. In addition, although the system disclosed is described as transmission program processing, this is exemplary only. The term 'program' is used to represent any form of data, such as telephone messages, computer programs, Internet data, or other communications, for example. In one scenario, in the video receiver system of Figure 1, a carrier modulated with video data is received from a transmission satellite via antenna 10, and processed by unit 15. The resulting digital output signal is demodulated by the demodulator 20, and errors are decoded and corrected by the decoder 30. In this exemplary mode, the demodulated and decoded output from the unit 30 is in the form of a transport stream compatible with MPEG containing compressed video data. MPEG and Internet data encoded in HTML. The video data encoded in the MPEG standard is in the form of a packet data stream, which normally includes the data content of many program channels (for example, the content corresponding to the cable television channels 1- 125). The transport stream compatible with MPEG is provided to the processor 25, which responds to commands from the remote control unit 125. The processor 25 communicates with other data sources, including the storage device 90, and either the server Internet data 83, or Internet connection service 87 (for example, America On-lineMR). The program guide information is automatically acquired and checked from the input transport stream and the storage device 90, and the server 83, or the connection service 87. The acquired information is merged by the processor 25. to form a program guide for exhibiting, which incorporates selection options that allow a User to initiate the functions of electronic mail, telephone, Internet access, fax, and video-telephone, among others, for example. The program guide to be displayed is also formed to include information not displayed from multiple sources, to identify and assemble the individual data packages that constitute the programs that are selected to be seen or heard by the User. This information is used to retrieve the content of selected programs from multiple sources. The processor 25 decompresses the compressed video input data in an adaptive manner, and decodes the HTML Internet data to provide a composite video image formatted to be displayed in the unit 75. The processor 25 also provides coded data outputs for storage in the storage medium 105 by means of the storage device 90, and provides coded data to other devices (not shown to simplify the drawing) by means of the modem 80 and the telephone lines. A User of the video receiver initiates functions, including the functions of electronic mail, telephone, Internet access, fax, and video-telephone, and the display and storage of selected programs by selecting options from the program guide displayed . A User selects an option displayed with a cursor, using the remote control unit 125. The commands from the remote control 125 are passed through the interface 120 to the controller 115 inside the processor 25. The unit 115 controls the operation of the elements of the processor 25, and responds to the remote control unit 125 with commands, using a bidirectional data bus and control signals C. The controller 115 controls the functions of the individual elements inside the processor 25., setting the control register values inside these elements, with the control busbar C. The processor 25 also supports the storage and retrieval of data from the storage medium 105 by the storage device 90. The storage device 90 is a DVD-type device, and means 105 comprises a multi-disk stack unit containing a plurality of disks in this exemplary embodiment. Considering Figure 1 in detail, a carrier modulated with video data received by the antenna 100, is converted to a digital form, and processed by the input processor 15. The processor 15 includes a radio frequency (RF) tuner and a intermediate frequency (IF) mixer, and amplification stages to convert the incoming video signal down to a lower frequency band. The processor 15 also includes an analog-to-digital convert to digitize the converted signal downward, in order to produce a signal suitable for further processing. The resulting digital output signal is demodulated by the demodulator 20, and is decoded and the errors are corrected by the decoder 30. The output from the decoder 30 is further processed by the unit 45 of the processor 25. The data provided to the unit 45 are in the form of a packet transport data stream that complies with MPEG, as defined in the MPEG 2.4 system standards section, and includes the program guide information and the data content of one or more channels of programs. The processor 25 acquires and collates the program guide information automatically from the input transport stream and the storage device 90, and either the Internet data server 83 or the Internet connection service 87 (e.g. , America On-lineMR). The individual packages that comprise the content of particular program channels, or the Program Guide information, are identified by their Packet Identifiers (PIDs) contained within the header information. In response to the control signal C, the unit 45 selects the transport stream from the unit 30, or in a reproduction mode, a data stream recovered from the storage device 90 by means of the storage interface 95. In normal operation, without reproduction, the individual packets comprising the program guide information are identified by the unit 45 in the transport stream from the unit 30, and assembled using the packet identifiers, which are previously determined and stored in an internal memory of the controller 115. The unit 45 couples the Packet Identifiers, of the input packets in the transport data stream from the decoder 30, with the Packet Identifier values previously loaded in the control registers inside the unit 45 by means of the controller 115. Accordingly, the information packets of the guide of Satellite transmission programs (SPG) in the transport stream through unit 45 without additional PID information. The controller 115 acquires a complete SPG, having access to and assembling the PSG packets that are identified and captured by the unit 45. The PID information that enables the controller 115, in conjunction with the unit 45, to identify the data packets comprising individual programs, is called a map of programs or channels. The program map associates the PIDs with the data streams in individual packages that constitute a program and that are part of the SPG. The SPG may also contain additional information, for example, package assembly information, supporting retrieval of program guide data from the incoming transport stream. The controller 115 also configures the unit 45 using the control signal C to select the data packets comprising the DVD program guide information (DPG) derived from the storage device DVD 90, by means of the interface 95. The unit 45 couples the PIDs of the input packets in the packet data stream from the interface 95, with the PID values previously loaded in control registers inside the unit 45 by the controller 115. The controller 115 acquires a complete DPG by accessing and assembling the DPG data packets that are identified and captured by the unit 45. A similar process is followed in the acquisition of the Internet program guide information (IPG), from the Internet server 83 or from the Internet connection service 87, by means of telephone line communication through the modem 80. In the acquisition of the IPG, identifiers are coupled analogous or equal data in the PIDs used in the acquisition of SPG or DPG, with the identifiers previously loaded by the controller 115. The coupling function can be ede performed either within the unit 80, or by the controller 115. The process for acquiring the program guide information is explained in greater detail in the description of Figures 4 to 6. The information SPG, DPG, and IPG acquired the controller 115 is merged by the processor 25 to form a program guide for displaying, which incorporates selection options that allow a User to initiate functions of electronic mail, telephone, Internet access, fax, and videophone. In the fusion of the data, the information SPG, DPG, and IPG acquired, is checked in two levels of hierarchy called topic and topic, and the redundant program guide information is eliminated. A theme, for example, may include categories such as movies, sports, weather, arts, documentaries, news, and so on. A topic is a category within a topic, for example, a movie subject category can have topics, including comedy, suspense, horror, science fiction, romance, adult entertainment, and so on. Different or additional levels of hierarchies can be used in the collation of SPG, DPG, and acquired IPG information, involving criteria such as ownership of the viewer's age, the establishment of the period, for example contemporary or historical, reviewers' evaluations, and so on. A number of problems are presented in the comparison of the SPG, DPG, and IPG information. The SPG, DPG, and IPG information, which is from different sources, can categorize the programs by different topics and topics, and can use a different classification hierarchy. In addition, the SPG, DPG, and IPG data may use conflicting, redundant, or incompatible PIDs, or other data identifiers to identify individual data items that comprise a particular content of channels or program guides. The controller 115 creates a master set of topics and topics that map the SPG, DPG, and IPG information into a corresponding category of the master set. For example, the master set may contain a topic-topic that encompasses 'movies - comedy' where both a) the DPG topic of 'parody movies' are mapped, and b) the IPG Internet topic-topic of 'movies - synopsis index' (an index of web pages). In the comparison of the information in the guide, the controller 115 determines the categories of topics and topics of the data in SPG, DPG, and IPG from the subject-specific codes previously determined. SPG, DPG, and IPG topic and topic codes, along with equivalence mapping information to convert codes from one service provider, to those from another, are acquired from the SPG or from the entry of data defined by the User to the processor 25, or are previously stored in the internal memory inside the controller 115. The controller 115 assembles the SPG, DPG, and IPG packets collated according to the categories defined by the master set of topics and topical The SPG data, Assembled DPG, and IPG are stored by the controller 115 in the internal memory for use in forming a composite program guide for display. The controller 115 also forms the non-displayed information compatible with MPEG, associated with the composite program guide displayed. Information not displayed includes the composite program map, conditional access, and network information. This non-displayed information is required to support the identification, assembly, and decoding of the packages comprising the composite program guide and the associated program content. The conditional access information governs the access to the programs based on the right of the User. The network information defines the physical parameters of the network, such as the frequencies of the satellite transmission channel and the transponder channels, for example. The controller 115 forms the composite program map information for the composite program guide that maps the topics and topics of SPG, DPG, and IPG into the master set of topics and topics. The composite program map also associates the data identifiers (for example, the PID values) with the data streams in individual packets that constitute the programs listed in the composite program guide. The composite program map information may also include a dedicated indicator to denote that a particular program has information from associated Internet web pages available. In the formation of the composite program map information, the controller 115 examines the information of SPG, DPG, and IPG for omissions, redundancies, and conflicts of the data identifiers. The controller 115 renumbolds the existing data identifiers, and creates new data identifiers, as required, to produce the MPEG-compatible program map information, both for the program guide information checked and the program content. associated . The controller 115 also forms conditional access information compatible with MPEG and the network information from the corresponding information received in the SPG, DPG, and IPG data. The conditional access information includes data such as cryptic codes that govern access to programs that depend on the right of the User. The network information defines the physical parameters of the network, such as the frequencies of the "satellite transmission channel, the transponder channels, and the Internet access parameters associated with the composite program guide for display. of composite programs, conditional access, and network information, support the assembly, • decode, and display the content of programs available from satellite, storage, and Internet server sources, as well as the program guide The controller 115 also includes additional link data in the composite program map not shown, conditional access, and network information.The additional link data supports user selectable functions, such as e-mail functions, telephone, Internet access, fax, video-telephone, channel tuning, recording programs, and home control. s home control can support the user's control of lighting, air conditioning, heating, and thief alarm operation, for example. The additional link data associates the access data, both with the data identifiers (for example, PIDs) of the requested data, and with the menu options selectable by the User in the composite program guide displayed. Access data includes identification codes, communication protocol codes, conditional access codes, Internet access codes, for example, URL codes for the web page and access to e-mail, as well as telephone and fax numbers. The access data makes it possible for the processor 25 to communicate with external devices. In order to generate the composite program guide for visual display, the controller 115 retrieves the data 'in SPG, DPG, and IPG package assembled and collated previously stored in the internal memory. The controller 115 converts the retrieved data to pixel data, and formats the converted data for storage in the pixel representative memory map contained in the visual display processor 70. In addition, the controller 115 creates selectable menu options by the User (for the selection by the User of email, fax, etc.) in the form of pixel data to be incorporated into the pixel memory map of unit 70.

The controller 115 stores the pixel data SPG, DPG, and IPG formatted, together with the pixel data of the option generated in the pixel map of the unit 70, to form the composite program guide for visual display. The composite program guide, combining the data SPG, DPG, and IPG, and the options selectable by the User, are formatted to be compatible with the link data in the information of the program guide not shown. For example, a user selectable option of the displayed guide (for example, for a telephone function) is associated, both with the access data for the function (for example, a telephone number), and the data identifiers ( for example, the PIDs for the data packets of the transmitted and received telephone messages The visual display processor 70 converts the program guide data stored and formatted into conventional luminance and chrominance components.The components of luminance and chrominance, together with the time data provided by the controller 115, they are processed by the processor 70 in a conventional manner to form an NTSC signal to be displayed on the NTSC 75 compliant image playback device, for example, a television or television monitor. The processor 70, in another embodiment, can provide the RGB output data to be displayed by a reproducing device. compatible with RGB or a high-definition television. The controller 115, in conjunction with the processor 55, forms a data stream compatible with MPEG of compressed video and audio data containing the composite program guide and the program content. The processor 55 separates the system information, including time, error, and synchronization information from the data stream from the unit 45, and bypasses it to be used by the controller 115. The controller 115 applies the system information in the control processor 55, to provide program guide data and matched, co-synchronized composite programs, together with synchronization and error indication information, for use in the following decompression of program content data by the decoder. The composite program guide data provided by the processor 55, combines the SPG, DPG, and IPG data and the selectable options by the User, in a manner compatible with the program map link information as described above. The program content data provided by the processor 55, are decompressed by the MPEG decoder 65, to provide video pixel data and audio output data to the processor 70. The visual display processor 70 processes the video pixel data. and the audio output data to be suitable to be reproduced by unit 75 as described above. Figure 2 shows a composite program guide shown as an example. The features of the 833-850 menu show the services and functions of the program. The features of menu 833 and 835 show the program channels that can be invoked and displayed by highlighting the corresponding menu feature using a User selection control, such as a cursor directed to remote control. If a User enhances feature 833 with the cursor, that is, selects menu option 833, for example, processor 25 tunes to television channel 107 (A &EMR), and displays it in unit 75, using the information from the program guide not shown in the composite to determine the activated function and the associated tuning information (channel frequencies, etc.). In a similar manner, if a User enhances feature 837, processor 25 tunes to receive FM radio channel 13 for audio output on unit 75. By enhancing characteristics 840-850, corresponding to the functions of e-mail, telephone, fax, and DVD recording / playback, respectively, they come to display specific menus of additional functions, providing additional selection options for the User. These function-specific menus can provide a User with the ability to edit, store, and delete access information, including, for example, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, Internet addresses, credit card numbers, and credit information. Additional conditional access. If a User enhances the characteristics of the 860-870 menu, specific function tasks are initiated. After a User enhances feature 860, for example, an additional menu is displayed, asking the User to enter an email message to be sent to John Smith at home, via an Internet email address retrieved from the information of the program guide not shown composite. In a similar way, in response to a User enhancing feature 865, for example, controller 115 (Figure 1) retrieves Jean's home telephone number from internal memory, using information from the non-exhibited composite program guide . In addition, the controller 115 establishes telephone communication, through modem 80, with Jean at home, by dialing the telephone number of Jean's home. Also, after a User enhances feature 870, for example, the movie 'Star Wars' is shown again from the DVD 90 unit (Figure 1). The communication between the processor 25 and the DVD unit 90 is established with the access data retrieved from the memory inside the controller 115, using the information of the program guide not shown.

In addition, the program guide may include one or more icons, such as icon 873 (Figure 2) that illustrates a home, for example, to indicate whether Internet information is available, such as a 'home page' for a particular program. In addition, icon 873 of Figure 2 may change color, for example, from white to green, to indicate that Internet information is available for a particular program. Alternatively, the 873 icon may be an icon that pops up, which appears as an indication that Internet information is available for a particular program. The displayed program guide can be formed to enable a User to request Internet information about a particular program by enhancing the program followed by the highlighting of the jump icon, for example. The home page icons that are present when Internet information is available can also be located in or adjacent to the program icons, for example the 859 icon. In addition, the home page icon may change color after the User selects the information by highlighting the home page icon. Although Internet information can be retrieved by highlighting a web page icon, such as icon 857 in Figure 2, this is for example only. The recovery of Internet information can also be initiated in a variety of other ways. A User can retrieve the available Internet information related to a program, highlighting a program icon, such as' Seinfeld ™, using the 859 icon, followed by the enhancement of the Internet 810 icon, for example. After the User selects a function from the composite program guide, the controller 115 (Figure 1) determines and applies the access data associated with both the request and response operations involved in the selected function. The controller 115 determines the access data required for the request and response operations from the pre-formed composite program map, the conditional access, and the network information. The processor 25 acquires information, such as the data from the web page, in response to a request from the User, in a number of ways, including, for example: a) in a first configuration, the processor 25 has access to the data of the web page that is continuously transmitted in the satellite transmission received from the decoder 30, b) in a second configuration, the processor 25 acquires the data of the web page that is transmitted in the satellite transmission received from the decoder 30, in response to a request for information to a service provider by means of the telephone line, and c) in a third configuration, the processor 25 requests the information and receives the response information on the same communication link, for example, on the link telephone with the server 83.

First Configuration of the Processor 25 In the first configuration, the data of the web page selected by a User by means of the program guide displayed, are continuously transmitted inside the transport data stream introduced to the processor 25 from the decoder 30. In In this configuration, the information of the composite program map contains previously determined PID values for the requested web page. Accordingly, the data of the requested web page is retrieved from the incoming transport stream using the composite program map information without the need for the controller 115 to communicate with a service provider via the 80 modem. Configuration, the web information available to a User is limited to the specific information that a service provider continuously transmits to the processor 25 using the dedicated transmission bandwidth. Nevertheless, this configuration is simple and offers a quick access to the website (because the web data can be stored locally in the encoder by the service provider). This configuration also minimizes the burden of the data acquisition service provider, and eliminates the need for the processor 25 to communicate the web page request information to a service provider. The information on the web page, encoded in HTMLMR and JávaMR, is put into packages, and is formatted in an encoder by the service provider to be incorporated into the MPEG transport data stream for transmission. Figure 3 shows a data format, according to the invention, for packetizing Internet data to be transmitted inside a data stream compatible with MPEG. The encoder forms a sequence of HTMLMR / JavaM web pages (705-720 of Figure 3), in uncompressed packets, with auxiliary information and HTMLMR / JavaMR data (725). The auxiliary information includes PID values, a packet count value, and the size of the individual web page (e.g., number of bytes or pixel size of the image). The auxiliary information may also include: an indicator to indicate that a particular transport package contains information from the web page; a start code; a web page identification code; an error correction code, and an appropriate time parameter to synchronize the Internet information of the web page with an associated video or audio program. The web page indicator can be used to facilitate the identification and separation of the web page information from compressed video data in MPEG. In addition, one or more elements of the auxiliary data of the web page may be included within the user-definable elements of the MPEG transport syntax, such as within the transport header, or may be included together with the information of the web page in the MPEG transport data payload. The information on the response web page, including the previously determined PID value, is incorporated into the transport data stream compatible with MPEG introduced to the processor 25 (Figure 1) by the service provider. The previously determined PID value of the response channel is also previously stored in the internal memory of the controller 115, and is incorporated into the composite program map information. As an alternative, the PID value of response data and associated program map data can be encoded, for example, in a Channel Information Table (CIT), in a coded high definition television (HDTV) signal. in accordance with the Digi Television Standard for HDTV Transmission of April 12, 1995, prepared by the United States Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC, Committee of Advanced Television Systems of the United States). In this case, one or more specific predetermined program channels can be designated to convey the response information of the web page. In addition, the PID values of the program channels can be transported in a CIT in the composite program map information, for example. The controller 115 derives the previously determined PID value corresponding to the requested web page response information, from the stored composite program map information, and loads it into the control registers inside the unit 45. The unit 45 couples the PIDs of the input packets of the response data of the web page in the transport data stream from the decoder 30, with the PID value previously loaded in the control registers of the unit 45. The packets with PID values that according to the previously determined web response PID value are identified as response data of the web page, and are provided by the unit 45 to a dedicated buffer area in the decoder 55. The dedicated buffer zone in the decoder 55 contains the response data to be decoded by the processor 60. The processor 55 derives the information of the system, including the time, error, and synchronization information, from the data stream from the unit 45, and provides it to the controller 115. The controller 115 applies the system information in the address processor 55, to provide web page response data resynchronized from the dedicated buffer zone in the decoder 55, to the HTMLMR / javaMR processor 60. The processor 60 decodes the web response information encoded in HTMLMR and JavaMR, and provides the data of representative pixels of the web page image for storage in the memory inside the controller 115. Although the processor 60 is shown as a separate processor in Figure 1, it can also be implemented inside the controller software 115. The processor 60 comprises the processing functions of a special web browser, including JPEG decompression and Java decoding, such as the one involved in n the operation of Netscape Navigator1 ^, for example. The program content data, for example, a channel of television programs selected by the User, inside the transport data stream compatible with MPEG from the decoder 30, are also decoded into representative data of pixels by the processor 25, in addition to the data of web page response. For this purpose, the controller 115 determines the PID value of the program of the selected television channel from the information of the composite program map, and loads it into the control registers inside the unit 45. The unit 45 couples the PIDs of the input packets of the program data of the selected television channel in the transport data stream from the decoder 30 with the PID value previously loaded in the control registers of the unit 45. The packets with PID values that match the PID value of the program of the previously selected television channel determined, are identified and are provided by unit 45 to a dedicated application buffer area in decoder 55. As described above for web page response data, the processor 55 derives the information from the system, including time, error, and synchronization information, starting with the stream of data from the unit 45, and provides it to the controller 115. The controller 115 applies the system information in the address processor 55, to provide the content data of the resynchronized program channel, from the buffer zone of application in the decoder 55, to the MPEG decoder 65. The program content contents of the MPEG-compatible program are decompressed by the MPEG decoder 65 to provide video pixel data and audio output data to the visual display processor 70. The video pixel data from the decoder 65 is stored in a representative pixel memory contained in the visual display processor 70. The controller 115 retrieves the pixel data from the web page image from the internal memory, and it formats them to be stored as an overlay in the representative pixel memory contained in the visual display processor 70. As such, a merged visual display is formed which combines the web page response data and the content of the program channel inside the pixel memory of the processor 70. The relative proportions and sizes of the web page image and the image of the content of the channel inside the resulting composite image, formed in the pixel memory of the processor 70, can be varied by the controller 115 in response to an internal programmed instruction or to an external command, for example from the User. The relative proportions can be varied, such that the web page image or the content image of the channel contributes between 0 and 100 percent of the resulting composite image. In order to adjust the proportion of the composite image contributed by the web page data, the controller 115 scales the pixel data of the web page image by a conventional interpolation process. Alternatively, the data can be scaled by a separate video processing integrated circuit that operates in conjunction with the controller 115. The resulting scaled web page image is stored inside the pixel memory of the processor 70 via the controller 115 The stored web page image represents a superimposed image with respect to the content image of the program channel. In order to adjust the location of the data of the web page image inside the composite image, the controller 115 determines the addresses corresponding to the desired memory locations, from the data of the internal memory map, and stores the scaled web page image data in the desired locations of the memory. As explained above, the visual display processor 70 converts the composite image data formatted into conventional luminance and chrominance components. In addition, the processor 70 processes the luminance and chrominance components, along with the time data provided by the controller 115, in a conventional manner, to form an NTSC signal to be displayed on the NTSC 75 compliant image reproduction device.

Second Configuration of the Processor 25 In the second configuration, the processor 25 of Figure 1 acquires web page data that is transmitted in the satellite transmission received from the decoder 30, in response to a request for information from a service provider by means of of a telephone line. After a User requests web page data, for example by highlighting the web page icon 857 in Figure 2, the controller 115 (Figure 1) uses the access data of the request (telephone number, web page identifier code) requested (for example, URL), and conditional access data), in order to establish communication with the satellite transmission service provider. Before establishing communication with the service provider, the controller 115 determines, based on the conditional access information, whether access to the requested web page information is authorized. The authorization may be determined directly from the conditional access information of the program guide, or indirectly from a User's right device, such as a smart card (not shown to simplify the drawing) inside the processor 25. If access is authorized, the controller 115 establishes telephone communication with the satellite transmission service provider, dialing a telephone number by means of the modem 80, and transmitting the request transmission, for example the requested website identifier code (such as as a URL), and the User's right code. The service provider incorporates the requested web page information into the transport data stream transmitted to the processor 25 via the antenna 10, the processor 20, and the decoder 30. The controller 115 uses the response access data (PIDs). of the web page data, response program channel number, and transponder number), to identify and assemble the web page packets in the transport stream, as described for the first configuration of the processor 25. The PID values of the response web page information and the corresponding program map information, can be communicated between the service provider and the processor 25 in a variety of ways and in a variety of data formats. The PID values and the program map information may be transported, for example, according to the proprietary or custom requirements of a particular system, such as within the data elements defined by the MPEG User, or within data that are not MPEG, such as within the vertical blanking interval (over-scan region) of a broadcast television signal. In addition, the PID values assigned to the web information may also be transmitted to the processor 25 in the complementary program guide information. As another alternative, the PID values to be used for the response data can be determined by a service provider from the information transmitted from the processor 25.

Third Configuration of the Processor 25 In a third configuration, the processor 25 requests information and receives response information in the same communication link, for example, in the telephone link with the server 83 or the connection service 87, by means of the modem 80. In this configuration, the controller 115 requests the information from the Internet web page by highlighting the icon 857 (Figure 2), for example. On which, the controller 115 (Figure 1) uses the request access data (telephone number and URL code, and conditional access data), to establish the Internet access and the data of the request web page at the address URL, using the modem 80 and the server 83. The controller 115 determines whether the requested Internet access is authorized from the conditional access or from the right information of the user of the smart card, as described in connection with the second configuration of the processor 25. If authorized, the controller 115 establishes telephone communication with a service provider via the server 83, dialing a telephone number using the 80 modem, and transmitting the address code Internet URL and the User's right code, for example, as described above. The controller 115 uses the response access data (including the Transmission Control Protocol / Internet Protocol (TCP / IP) identification data determined from the composite program map information to identify and assemble the packets. TCP / IP of the web page containing the HTML data of the associated web page and Java (and other data, for example data of type JPEG, GIF, TIF) in the response data stream from the server 83. The packets TCP / IP of the response web page are placed in the buffer area inside the modem 80, and are provided to the HTMLMR 60 processor under the command of the controller 115. The processor 60 decodes the web response information encoded in HTMLMR and JavaMR, and provides the representative pixel data of the web page image for storage in the memory inside the controller 115. The controller 115 retrieves the pixel data of the page image. web from the internal memory, and format them for storage as an overlay in the representative pixel memory contained in the visual display processor 70 for reproduction by the unit 75 as a fused visual display, as described above. In this configuration, the processor 25 supports full access to the Internet via the server 83, using the program guide displayed. For example, when a User enhances the icon 810, followed by the icon 830 (Figure 2), the controller 115 (Figure 1) executes the functions of the web page finder, and displays a custom web page browser, or a Visual display of standard browser, such as the Netscape Navigator ™, through which Internet access is available. In an alternative way, in the third configuration, the processor 25 can support a limited Internet service. In this case, access to the Internet network through the server 83 is under the control of a service provider that allows only indirect access to the Internet. The service provider provides collated web page information for visual display compatible with the composite program guide displayed. The service provider stores a limited number of web pages locally within the server 83, which are accessible by the processor 25 using the composite program map information, which provides an index for the available web pages and their corresponding pre-determined PIDs. In "an alternative way, the service provider may alter the selection of the available web pages from the server 83, and provide periodically updated complementary program guide information to the processor 25 by means of the satellite transmission data stream. The complementary program guide information makes it possible for the processor 25 to form an updated display guide along with a compatible program map, and other access information, which make it possible for a User to have access to updated web information. of the Internet information of the web page locally on the server 83, the service provider retains control of the Internet content available to a User, and may bill the User for the material provided. the web page on server 83 provides a user with more access Fast to information without the full delay associated with normal Internet access. further, the load on the processor 25 is minimized by communicating the information requests to external devices, in which only a limited amount of Internet information can be requested, and the processor 25 only needs to communicate with the local servers, such as the server 83 It should be noted that the modem 80 can also be a broadband amplitude communication modem, such as a cable modem. In which case, the processor 25 can decode both the web page data and the transmission video program data to be displayed from a cable program source via the modem 80. The controller 115 employs the method shown in Figure 4 for produce a program guide displayed, through the processing and formatting of the received program guide information that already includes the User selection menu options. The process of Figure 4 does not require the processor 25 to form the options of the User selection menu, and may be employed by the processor 25 in its first configuration, for example. In step 205, following the start in step 200, the processor 25 receives a transport data stream from the decoder 30, which incorporates the selectable menu options by the User to be displayed as part of the displayed program guide. The options selectable by the User support the initiation by the User of communication functions such as e-mail, telephone, Internet access, fax, video-telephone, channel tuning, program recording, and home control functions. The data received in step 205 also includes additional link data in the program guide information. The additional link data includes program map, conditional access and network information, and associates the access data with the menu options selectable by the User in the program guide displayed. The access data includes identification codes, communication protocol codes, conditional access codes, Internet access codes, for example URL codes for web page and access to electronic mail, as well as telephone and fax numbers. The additional link data makes it possible for the processor 25 to assemble, decode, and display the program content and program guide information in the transport stream from the decoder 30. The access data makes it possible for the processor 25 to communicate with the processor. external devices, and include different representative address codes corresponding to the addresses "of different information sources." In step 210, the controller 115 uses the PID values of the previously determined link data in the internal memory to direct the processor 25 with In order to identify and capture the link and access data from the received program guide information, the captured link data is assembled, formatted, and stored by the controller 115 in the internal memory in step 215. Also, in step 210, a User may enter additional link data, such as Internet addresses or of electronic mail, or telephone numbers, by means of an input device, such as a remote control unit, and the additional data is incorporated into the link data received by the controller 115. The program guide information containing the selectable options by the User, is formatted to be displayed by the controller 115 in conjunction with the visual display processor 70 inside the processor 25 in step 220, as described above in relation to Figure 1. In step 225, the processor visual display 70 converts program guide data stored and formatted into conventional luminance and chrominance components. The luminance and chrominance components, together with the time data provided by the controller 115, are processed by the processor 70 to be displayed on the playback device 75. The process of Figure 4 ends at step 230. The controller 115 (Figure 1) employs the method shown in Figure 5 to produce a program guide in a video decoder from the information received from a plurality of sources. The formed guide supports the communication functions selectable by the User, for example Internet access, e-mail, fax, etcetera. In step 305, following the start in step 300, the controller 115 acquires the satellite program guide (SPG) information from the satellite transmission transport stream received by the processor 25 from the decoder 30. In at step 310, the controller 115 acquires the information of the DVD program guide (DPG) from the storage device 90 via the interface 95. The controller 115 acquires, collates, and formats the SPG and the DPG, giving access and assembling the respective data packets to produce the representative pixel data of SPG and DPG for storage as a composite program guide in the pixel map of the unit 70, as described above in relation to Figure 1. The SPG information and DPG includes link and access data in the form of a program map, conditional access, and network information. In other configurations, processor 25 applies the principles detailed herein to form a composite program guide, including program guide information derived from a source such as a terrestrial transmission source, a cable transmission source, a computer source, a radio transmission source, and a source accessed through telephone lines. In step 315, the controller 115 creates the menu options selectable by the User to be displayed (for the User's selection of Internet access, email, fax, etc.) in the form of pixel data, to be incorporated into the pixel memory map of the unit 70. In step 315, the controller 115 also creates menu options determinable by the User, which make it possible for a User to tailor his program guide to include an icon that performs a function specific request by the User, for example, a User may require an icon that gives access to a specific Internet site, or that results in a visual display of all messages received. The controller 115 responds to commands entered by means of a data entry device, for example a remote control unit or a keyboard, in the creation of the menu option determined by the User, in accordance with program instructions. The controller 115, in step 320, examines the SPG and DPG information for the omissions and conflicts of the data identifiers (e.g., PID). In step 325, the controller 115 renumbers the existing data identifiers, and allocates new data identifiers, as required, to produce compatible program map information for both the program guide information checked and the content of the program. associated programs. In step 330, the controller 115 forms the composite program map, the conditional access, and the network information for the composite program guide, in the manner described in relation to Figure 1. The composite program map is formed to enabling the processor 25 to perform the selectable communication functions by means of the composite program guide. For this purpose, the composite program map associates a communication function PID and menu option (for example, web page, email, fax icon) with the different representative address codes corresponding to the addresses of the different sources of information. information. In step 330, the controller 115 also incorporates the data entered by the User into the composite program map, conditional access, and network information. These may include items such as an email address, a telephone / fax number, an Internet website link address, a credit card number, and so on. The User enters this data into the processor 25 by means of a device, such as a remote control or a keyboard. The controller 115, in step 335, formats the pixel data SPG and DPG, together with the pixel data of menu options in the pixel map of the unit 70 created in step 315, to form a composite program guide for its visual display. The information of the composite program guide, which contains the selectable menu options by the User, is formatted to be displayed in step 340, and is produced in step 345, as described above in relation to Figure 1. The process of Figure 5 ends in step 350. Controller 115 (Figure 1) employs the process of Figure 6 to automatically acquire and collate program guide information from a plurality of sources, in order to form a guide of composite programs for visual display. In step 405, following the start in step 400, the controller 115 acquires and stores the satellite program guide (SPG) information from the satellite transmission transport stream received by the processor 25 from the decoder 30. The controller 115, in step 415, automatically initiates communication with the DVD storage device 90 (Figure 1), via the interface 95. The communication is initiated when the processor 25 is energized in response to the configuration information of the previously stored hardware, which defines the peripheral devices that are attached to the processor 25, and the associated communication protocols. This information may be contained within the received program guide information, or it may be stored inside the processor 25 at the factory, or it may be determined locally by the processor 25, or it may be determined through a combination of these methods . The local determination of the hardware configuration by means of the processor 25 can be performed either by peripheral interrogation initiated by the controller 115, or by the user entering the hardware configuration data. In alternative modalities, communication can be initiated automatically on conditions such as, a) the command by the User by means of an option selection of the program guide, for example, b) the peripheral interrogation initiated by the controller 115 on a periodic or intermittent basis, or c) the detection of a new or changed electrical connection from the processor 25 to a peripheral device, such as a DVD device. The controller 115 initiates communication with the DVD unit 90 via the interface 95, using the communication protocol codes, the identification codes, the right codes, and the conditional access codes retrieved from the access data inside of the program guide information received. In step 420, the controller 115 directs the processor 25 to acquire and assemble the DVD program guide information (DPG) derived from the DVD storage device 90 via the interface 95, in the manner previously described in connection with Figure 1. In step 425, the controller 115 collates the SPG and DPG information by topic and topic, mapping the SPG and DPG information into the corresponding topic and topic categories in a master set, also as described in connection with the Figure 1. Further, in step 425, the controller 115 collates the SPG and DPG information by source, and assigns a different color attribute to programs and program icons from different sources. In addition, the controller 115 creates menu options, which allow a user to sort by font and color. Figure 7 shows a black-and-white representation of a visual display format of the Color Program Guide, according to the invention, showing the menu options created by the controller 115, which allow a User to compare the programs by font and color attribute. Source icons 905-925 are associated with off-air transmission, cable, radio, satellite, and storage (for example, the DVD source 90 - (Figure 1), respectively. The font icons 930-950 are associated with the sources of e-mail, telephone, video-telephone, fax, and Internet, respectively.When a User enhances the source icon 905, for example, a program guide is displayed that shows off-air broadcast programs and associated icons In a similar way, when a User enhances the font icon 930, for example, a program guide is displayed that shows the email icons by means of which a User can activate the menus to start the composition and sending emails, and reading and deleting received messages The 900 icon is a "rainbow" selection icon that shows a spectrum of separate colored blocks represented by shades of gray in the illustration of the black and white program guide of Figure 7. The "color choices of the 900 icon can be alternatively configured as a continuous color spectrum, or a range of colors selected in a single or a number of separate color blocks. When a User enhances a particular color inside the 900 icon, the programs are displayed from the source attributed with that particular color. For example, assuming, in step 425, that the driver 115 attributes the purple color to the DVD 90 source device, then, when a User enhances the purple color inside the 9TT0 icon, the available movies of the DVD 90 device are displayed as a program guide. Alternatively, the color matching scheme can be used to identify programs by other criteria than the source. You can use color as an attribute to identify programs by topic or topic, for example, in which case, you can identify a visual display of movies available to view from all sources by highlighting a red color inside the 900 icon, for example. In addition, the program guide data can be checked for different color attributes. For example, programs of different sources can be attributed different types of nuance or different nuances and geometries of icons. Continuing with the process of Figure 6, in step 430, the controller 115 forms a composite program guide to be displayed, from the collated SPG and DPG information, in a manner similar to that described in relation to FIG. 1. The controller 115 also, in step 425, creates the user selectable menu options to be displayed, including program guide options selectable by the User to be classified by font and color. The created menu options are incorporated by the controller 115 in step 430, into a composite program guide for display, as exemplified in Figure 7. In step 435, the controller 115 formats the composite program guide information for displaying as described above in relation to Figure 1. The process of Figure 6 ends at step 440. Controller 115 (Figure 1) uses the process of Figure 8 to acquire the information from the web page requested by a User of the video receiver, by means of a selection made from the options in a program guide displayed. In step 505, following the start in step 500, the controller 115 retrieves the access data in the form of a telephone number and an Internet URL code, for example, from the memory, in response to a selection by the party of the User of a web page made by means of a program guide displayed. The access data associated with the particular selection of the User are determined from a program guide database, using the program map information that links all the data associated with a program or function of the particular program guide . In step 515, the controller 115 directs the processor 25 to establish a request communication link with the server 83, dialing the retrieved telephone number, using the modem 80. Also, in step 515, the processor 25 encodes and transmits the Additional access data, such as the Internet URL code, using the protocol required for communication over the request communication link. The required protocol is determined from the program map information. In step 520, the controller 115 directs the processor 25 to receive and decode an input signal received over a response communication link. The controller 115 directs the processor 25 in identifying and retrieving the information from the response web page, from the input signal in steps 525 and 530. The processor 25 employs different methods to retrieve the response data from the input signal in steps 525 and 530. The selected method depends on whether or not the response communication link is the same link used for the web page data request. The methods used to identify- and recover the response data are similar to those previously described in relation to the three configurations of the processor 25. The controller 115 applies the appropriate configuration method in the identification of the -response web page data in the input signal, in step 525. For this purpose, the controller 115 uses data identifiers determined from the program map information, which associates the identifiers with the selection of the User's program guide. The controller 115, in step 535, formats the response web page information to be displayed, and ends the process of Figure 8 in step 540. Controller 115 (Figure 1) employs the process of Figure 9 to decode both the incoming Internet information and the compressed video data to form a composite video output for display. Following the start in step 600, the controller 115, in step 605, determines the packet identifiers for the Internet data requested by the User and the compressed image data from the program map information. In step 607, the controller 115 determines whether access to the compressed video data and requested Internet data is authorized from the conditional access or right information of the Smart Card User, as described above in connection with the third configuration of the processor 25. If access is authorized, controller 115, in step 610, identifies web page TCP / IP packets containing the web page data in a response data stream from server 83. In a similar manner , if access is authorized, the controller 115, in step 615, identifies the compressed video data packets containing a video program selected by the User in an input transport stream from the decoder 30 to the processor 25. The controller 115 identifies the web page and compressed video data packets in a manner similar to that described in the relation to Figure 1. In step 6 17, the controller 115 directs the processor 25 (Figure 1) to cryptically decode the Internet or compressed video data if they are cryptically encoded. The controller 115, in step 620, directs the processor 25 in the decoding of the identified Internet web page data using the HTMLMR processor 60. The controller 115, in step 625, directs the processor 25 in the decompression of the compressed video data identified, using the MPEG decoder 65. The resulting decoded web page data and squeezed video data are merged, formatted, and displayed in the unit 75 using the visual display processor 70, under the address of controller 115 in step 630. The process of Figure 9 ends in step 640. The architecture of Figure 1 is not exclusive. Other architectures may be derived according to the principles of the invention, to carry out the same Objectives. In addition, the functions of the elements of the processor 25 of FIG. 1, and the process steps of FIGS. 4 to 6, 8 and 9, may be implemented in whole or in part within the program instructions of a microprocessor. In addition, the principles of the invention apply to any form of electronic program guide compatible with MPEG or not compatible with MPEG. In addition, the principles of the invention apply to communication in any form of communication link, including by means of cable, infrared, radio, microwave, and by means of a computer network. In addition, it should be noted that the information of the composite program guide, as described herein, can be made at a remote location of a video receiver, and can be accessed by the receiver via a communication network. .

Claims (19)

1. A video decoder apparatus for decoding the input video data encoded in a plurality of encoding formats, which comprises: a first processor for decoding the MPEG compatible data identified by a first data identifier, to provide a first output of decoded video; a second processor to decode the encoded data into a data format compatible with Internet, these Internet data being identified by a second data identifier to provide a second decoded video output; and a visual display processor for formatting the first and second decoded video outputs to be displayed as a composite video image, wherein: the proportion of the video image contributed by the decoded first and second outputs is variable. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the first and second processors decode the separated data using the first and second data identifiers from a single stream of composite input data. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the first processor decompresses compressed data compatible with MPEG. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the second processor decodes the formatted data according to the TCP / IP protocol. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: the data format compatible with the Internet includes data encoded in at least one of: a), HTML format, b) JavaMR format, and c) ActiveXMR format. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the proportion of the video image contributed by the first decoded output is variable between 0 and 100 percent. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the visual display processor stores the composite video image in a pixel memory. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: the visual display processor formats the first and second decoded outputs as separate images within the composite video image, and the proportion of the composite video image contributed by the first and second decoded outputs is variable in response to at least one of: (a) the selection of the User, (b) the formatting of the data received in the input video data, and (c) the previously programmed processor instruction. "~~ 9. A method for decoding image input video data in a plurality of encoding formats, which comprises the steps of: identifying first representative image data compatible with MPEG, identifying second representative image data encoded in a data format compatible with the Internet, decoding the first representative image data using a first method to provide a first decoded output, decoding the second representative image data using a second method to provide a second decoded output, and formatting the first and second decoded outputs for visual display as a composite video image, wherein the proportion of the video image contributed by the first and second decoded outputs is variable 10. A method according to claim 9, which further includes the step of: separating the first and according to two representative image data from a single composite input data stream. The apparatus according to claim 9, which includes the step of: determining whether a User is authorized to have access to the first representative image data, and where: the step of decoding the first representative image data, is presented in response to such authorization. 1

2. The apparatus according to claim 11, which includes the step of: cryptically decoding the first image representative data in response to the authorization of the User. 1

3. A method according to claim 9, which includes the steps of: receiving the information of the program guide, and selecting the information of the web page to be displayed, from the program guide information received. A method according to claim 9, which includes the step of: receiving an index of the information from the web page, and including the step of: selecting the second representative image data from this index. 15. A method according to claim 9, which includes the step of: decompressing the first compressed image representative data compatible with MPEG, to provide the first decoded output. 16. A method according to claim 9, which includes the step of: decoding the second representative image data formatted according to the TCP / IP protocol. 17. A method according to claim 9, which includes the step of: varying the proportion of the video image contributed by the first decoded output. 18. A method according to claim 9, which includes the step of: decoding the second representative image data formatted in at least one of: a) HTML format, b) JavaMR format, and c) ActiveXMR format. 19. A method according to claim 9, which includes the step of: varying the proportion of the video image contributed by the first decoded output, in response to at least one of: (a) the selection of the User, ( b) the formatting of the data received in the input video data, and (c) the previously programmed processor instruction.