Data referencing system
View Patent ↗This application describes a method of referencing content in an application. The method comprises, for a content element, creating a reference to the content element and associating that reference with the content element. This enables the content element (for example, text or images) to be dissociated from other features related to content; for example, its presentation on the screen. In this way, control over presentation may be achieved separately from control of the content itself. In an example, a Content Provider provides referenced content to an Operator. A Program Provider sends referenced scenarios to the Operator. The Operator resolves the reference and sends data for broadcast by the Broadcaster.
1. A method for broadcasting interactive applications from an operator to at least one receiver/decoder comprising:
receiving from a program provider an interactive application containing at least one data reference;
receiving from a content provider at least streamed data, the streamed data corresponding to the at least one data reference, the streamed data being sent without any request;
replacing in the interactive application the at least one data reference with the corresponding data from the streamed data;
merging, by the operator separate and distinct from the program provider and the content provider, the streamed data from the content provider and the interactive application from the program provider to produce a resulting interactive application; and
broadcasting the resulting interactive application to at least one receiver/decoder,
wherein the streamed data is periodically modified and sent from the content provider with a high frequency, and
wherein the streamed data is automatically refreshed at a level of the at least one receiver/decoder.
2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising:
building at least one interactive application by the program provider, the at least one interactive application comprising at least one data reference;
providing content from the content provider, the content comprising at least streamed data corresponding to the at least one data reference.
3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising converting the interactive application into MPEG format for broadcasting.
4. The method according to claim 2 wherein the program provider creates screens which constitute a scenario.
5. The method according to claim 2 wherein the content provider sends the operator a collection of referenced data.
6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the operator broadcasts data to at least one receiver/decoder.
7. The method according to claim 2 wherein the program provider comprises:
an offline tool linked to a storage device;
an editing tool;
a web server application;
a broadcast console;
a data storage device; and
an extranet device.
8. The method according to claim 2 wherein the content provider comprises:
a broadcast console; and
an extranet device.
9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the operator comprises:
a reception service;
a URI-XTVML processing service;
a broadcast service;
a database for storage of URIs;
a database for the storage of containers;
a URI editor; and
a web server.
10. An apparatus, in a digital television system, to build interactive applications to be broadcast to a plurality of receivers/decoders comprising:
means for receiving from a program provider an interactive application comprising at least one data reference;
means for receiving from a content provider at least streamed data, the streamed data corresponding to the at least one data reference, the streamed data being sent without any request; and
means for replacing in the received interactive application the at least one data reference with the corresponding data from the streamed data,
wherein an operator separate and distinct from the program provider, the content provider, and the plurality of receiver/decoders merges the streamed data from the content provider and the interactive application from the program provider to produce a resulting interactive application,
wherein the streamed data is periodically modified and sent from the content provider with a high frequency, and
wherein the streamed data is automatically refreshed at a level of at least one of the plurality of receivers/decoders.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising means for converting the interactive application, after the replacement, into MPEG format for broadcasting.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 further comprising means for inserting the converted interactive application in a program stream to be broadcast.