Trigger Compaction via Trigger Parameters Table
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern televisions and set-top boxes face limitations in receiving and processing additional data required for interactive functions, such as electronic programming guides and web integration, due to data capacity constraints within television broadcasts.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for processing audio/video content triggers, utilizing a trigger parameters table retrieved from a server to define events and parameters for processing, allowing for compact and efficient transport of triggers, enabling flexible and robust interactive content delivery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If additional data is provided along with the television broadcast to enable interactive functions, then the interactivity and functionality are improved, but the data capacity constraints are exceeded
Solution Approach 1:
The trigger data is segmented into two parts: a compact trigger signal transmitted with the broadcast that contains only essential identification information, and a detailed trigger parameters table stored separately on the reception apparatus. This segmentation allows the broadcast to carry minimal trigger data while the reception apparatus stores the full parameter sets, resolving the data capacity constraint.
Solution Approach 2:
The reception apparatus pre-loads and stores trigger parameters tables containing detailed parameter information before the triggers are needed. This preliminary action allows the system to have comprehensive interactive functionality available without requiring all that data to be transmitted with each broadcast, thus avoiding data capacity issues.
2Productivity
If a compact trigger format is used to reduce data size, then the data transmission efficiency is improved, but the flexibility in defining events and parameters is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The solution moves from a single-dimensional compact trigger format to a two-dimensional structure where the trigger signal exists in one dimension (compact transmission) and the trigger parameters table exists in another dimension (detailed storage on reception apparatus). This dimensional expansion allows both compact transmission and flexible event definition to coexist.
Solution Approach 2:
The trigger parameters table acts as an intermediary between the compact trigger signal and the detailed event definitions. The compact trigger contains only an identifier that references the full parameter set in the parameters table, allowing the system to maintain both compact transmission and flexible event definition capabilities.
3Loss of information
If all trigger parameters are transmitted with each broadcast, then the completeness of trigger information is improved, but the bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of transmitting the full trigger parameters table with each broadcast, the system transmits only a compact trigger identifier and relies on the reception apparatus to copy the full parameter information from its locally stored trigger parameters table. This copying approach ensures information completeness while minimizing bandwidth consumption.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and reception apparatus for processing one or more triggers associated with audio/video (A/V) content, and an information providing apparatus for providing the one or more triggers. The method includes receiving by the reception apparatus the A/V content and a first trigger associated with the received A/V content. Further, the reception apparatus retrieves a trigger parameters table (TPT), associated with the A/V content, from a TPT server identified in the received first trigger. The TPT defines at least one event associated with the A/V content and defines, for each of the at least one event, a parameter used to perform a process and corresponding to the respective event.