IP Library Granted Patent US 12684182
Granted Patent B2
US 12684182 · App. 18/622,250 · Granted Jul 14, 2026

Systems and methods for converting hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) live streaming (HLS) streams to real-time broadcast streams that include closed captions and society of cable and telecommunications engineers (SCTE) markers

Inventors: Thomas Hamilton Link (Pasadena, CA); Keegan Browder (Aurora, CO); Christopher Todd McCarron (Windermere, FL)
Assignee: SnifferCat, Inc.
H04N21/2353H04N21/2355
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12684182
App. No.
18/622,250
Granted
Jul 14, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A server system comprises one or more hardware processors; memory storing computer instructions executable by the one or more hardware processors, the computer instructions when executed by the one or more hardware processors causing the server system to perform: receiving TS files of an HLS data stream; receiving VTT files containing VTT closed caption segments; converting the VTT closed caption segments to 608/708 closed captions based on the CTA 608/708 specification; generating CC-enriched TS files using the TS files and the 608/708 closed captions; encoding SCTE markers into the CC-enriched TS files to generate SCTE/CC-enriched TS files; converting the SCTE/CC-enriched TS files to a real-time broadcast stream; and preparing the real-time broadcast stream for transmission to a consumer system.

Claims (42)

1 . A server system comprising:

one or more hardware processors;

memory storing computer instructions executable by the one or more hardware processors, the computer instructions when executed by the one or more hardware processors causing the server system to perform:

by a media processing system,

using a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) live streaming (HLS) data stream manifest to select a highest bitrate variant provided in variant playlists;

receiving Transport Stream (TS) files of an HLS data stream of the highest bitrate variant;

receiving Web Video Text to Track (VTT) files containing VTT closed caption (CC) segments;

converting the VTT closed caption segments to 608 / 708 closed captions based on the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) 608 / 708 specification;

generating CC-enriched TS files using the TS files and the 608 / 708 closed captions;

generating a single-variant reduced manifest without a VTT playlist; by a broadcasting system,

receiving the reduced manifest in real time from the media processing system;

using the reduced manifest to retrieve the CC-enriched TS files in real time;

encoding Society of Cable and Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) markers into tags of the CC-enriched TS files in real time to generate SCTE/CC-enriched TS files;

converting the SCTE/CC-enriched TS files in real time to a real-time broadcast stream; and

preparing the real-time broadcast stream in real time for transmission to a consumer system.

2 . The server system of claim 1 , wherein the server system is distributed across a network.

3 . The server system of claim 1 , wherein generating the CC-enriched TS files includes inserting the 608 / 708 closed captions into the TS files to generate the CC-enriched TS files.

4 . The server system of claim 1 , wherein generating the CC-enriched TS files includes generating an MP4 data stream, inserting the 608 / 708 closed captions into the MP4 data stream, and converting the MP4 data stream to the CC-enriched TS files.

5 . The server system of claim 1 , wherein the real-time broadcast stream includes a Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) stream.

6 . The server system of claim 1 , wherein the real-time broadcast stream includes a Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) stream.

7 . The server system of claim 1 , wherein the real-time broadcast stream includes a single-variant HLS stream.

8 . The server system of claim 1 , wherein the receiving the TS files of an HLS data stream includes receiving the TS files from a content provider system remote from the server system.

9 . A method comprising:

by a media processing system,

using a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) live streaming (HLS) data stream manifest to select a highest bitrate variant provided in variant playlists;

receiving Transport Stream (TS) files of an HLS data stream of the highest bitrate variant;

receiving Web Video Text to Track (VTT) files containing VTT closed caption (CC) segments;

converting the VTT closed caption segments to 608 / 708 closed captions based on the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) 608 / 708 specification;

generating CC-enriched TS files using the TS files and the 608 / 708 closed captions;

generating a single-variant reduced manifest without a VTT playlist; by a broadcasting system,

receiving the reduced manifest in real time from the media processing system;

using the reduced manifest to retrieve the CC-enriched TS files in real time;

encoding Society of Cable and Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) markers into tags of the CC-enriched TS files in real time to generate SCTE/CC-enriched TS files;

converting the SCTE/CC-enriched TS files in real time to a real-time broadcast stream; and

preparing the real-time broadcast stream in real time for transmission to a consumer system.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the method is performed by a server system distributed across a network.

11 . The method of claim 9 , wherein generating the CC-enriched TS files includes inserting the 608 / 708 closed captions into the TS files to generate the CC-enriched TS files.

12 . The method of claim 9 , wherein generating the CC-enriched TS files includes generating an MP4 data stream, inserting the 608 / 708 closed captions into the MP4 data stream, and converting the MP4 data stream to the CC-enriched TS files.

13 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the real-time broadcast stream includes a Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) stream.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the real-time broadcast stream includes a Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) stream.

15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the real-time broadcast stream includes a single-variant HLS stream.

16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the receiving the TS files of an HLS data stream includes receiving the TS files from a content provider system.