Virtual Channel Declarative Script Binding for Digital TV
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing digital television systems lack the ability for triggerable declarative objects (TDOs) to dynamically adjust their behavior based on the current virtual channel and video resolution, limiting their versatility and service usage reporting capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A script binding mechanism is introduced that exposes parameters like virtual channel number, channel name, and video resolution to TDO scripts, allowing them to execute conditional functions and enhance user experience across multiple channels and resolutions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If TDOs use fixed declarative content without environment awareness, then the system structure remains simple, but the adaptability to different virtual channels and video resolutions is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an environment awareness mechanism as an intermediary layer between the TDO and the broadcast environment. This mechanism includes environment awareness code that executes to retrieve virtual channel number and video resolution information, serving as a mediator that enables TDOs to adapt to different environments without fundamentally changing the TDO structure or requiring complex system modifications.
2Loss of information
If TDOs lack service usage reporting capability, then the device complexity remains low, but the broadcaster's data collection ability is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling TDOs to automatically report their own service usage information to broadcasters. The TDOs include code that executes to determine operational parameters (virtual channel number, video resolution) and transmit this information back to the broadcaster without requiring separate tracking mechanisms or complex data collection systems. This allows TDOs to serve dual purposes: enhancing viewer experience and providing service usage data.
Data Source
AI summary
A method consistent with certain implementations involves receiving a triggerable declarative object (TDO) at a digital television receiver device that carries out a programmed script upon execution; the programmed script including a parameter discovery function that determines an operational parameter of the television receiver device and further includes a programmed function; initiating the execution of the TDO in order to initiate execution of the script on a processor of the television receiver device; running the script on the processor of the television receiver device in order to discover the operational parameter and in order to carry out the programmed function; and where the programmed function is conditional upon the discovered operational parameter of the television receiver. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.