Method and apparatus for transmitting video and graphics in a compressed form
View Patent ↗An apparatus for compressing and transmitting both video and graphics portions of an interactive program guide (IPG). For an IPG that comprises a graphics portion and at least one video portion having audio associated with the video portion, the apparatus separately encodes the video and audio portion and the graphics portion. The video portion is slice-base encoded using a predictive encoder that produces a bitstream comprising intra-coded picture slices and predictive-coded picture slices. The graphics portion is separately slice-base encoded to produce encoded slices of the graphics image. To transmit an IPG, a transport stream is created containing the intra-coded and predicted picture streams as well as the encoded slices that comprise a graphics image that is to be included in the IPG. The receiver reassembles the components of the IPG into a comprehensive IPG.
1. An encoder apparatus comprising:
a video processor for encoding a video sequence;
a graphics processor for producing a plurality of encoded graphics slices;
means, coupled to said video processor and said graphics processor, for selectively producing for transmission a bitstream comprising said encoded video, associated encoded audio, and said encoded graphics slices; and
a controller, coupled to said video processor and said graphics processor, for selecting the graphics slices to be included in said bitstream and for adjusting the slice boundaries.
2. The encoder apparatus of claim 1 wherein said video processor comprises a video encoder and an audio encoder.
3. The encoder apparatus of claim 1 wherein said graphics processor comprises a database for storing said graphics slices.
4. The encoder apparatus of claim 1 wherein said video is a video portion of an interactive program guide and said encoded graphics slices represent a plurality of guide portions for said interactive program guide.
5. An apparatus for distributing an interactive program guide comprising:
an encoder, for encoding at least one video sequence having associated audio as an encoded audio and video portion, and guide graphics as an encoded guide graphics portion, said encoder comprising an audio encoder, a video processor and a graphics processor, wherein said video processor comprises a compositor unit for receiving video information and an encoder unit coupled to said compositor unit;
at least one modem, for transmitting said encoded video and guide graphics portions through a head end channel;
local neighborhood equipment, coupled to said head end channel, for selecting said encoded video portion and said encoded guide graphics portion and producing a transport stream comprising said encoded video portion and said encoded guide graphics portion;
a network, for carrying said transport stream to at least one receiver; and
at least one receiver, coupled to said network, for processing said transport stream to form an interactive program guide.
6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said graphics processor comprises:
a guide data grid generator for receiving guide information;
a guide encoder coupled to said guide data grid generator; and
a slice form grid page database coupled to said guide encoder.
7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein said encoder produces a plurality of encoded video portions and a plurality of encoded guide graphics portions that are made available to said local neighborhood equipment.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said local neighborhood equipment further comprises:
a modem;
a slice combiner;
a multiplexer; and
modulator.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said video processing comprises
a compositor unit; and
an encoder unit.
10. An apparatus for distributing an interactive program guide (IPG) comprising:
an encoder assembly having a video processor for encoding at least one video sequence of said IPG and audio associated with said video sequence as an encoded video and audio portion, and a graphics processor for encoding guide graphics of said IPG as an encoded guide graphics portion;
means for selecting said encoded video and audio portion and said encoded guide graphics portion, and producing a transport stream comprising said encoded video and audio portion and said encoded guide graphics portion;
a network for carrying said transport stream to at least one receiver; and
at least one receiver, coupled to said network, for processing said transport stream to form an interactive program guide;
wherein said graphics processor comprises:
a guide data grid generator;
a guide encoder; and
a slice form grid page database.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein said encoder assembly produces a plurality of encoded video and audio portions and a plurality of encoded guide graphics portions that are made available to said local neighborhood equipment.