Data tunneling via closed captioning
View Patent ↗An example apparatus that processes DTVCC data has a demultiplexer that extracts DTVCC data packets from an DTV signal. A parser receives the DTVCC data packets and parses the data packets by: passing normal DTVCC data to a CC decoder; detecting ancillary data in the DTVCC data packets; and separating the ancillary data from the DTVCC data for output to an ancillary data process. An example apparatus that processes DTVCC data has an ancillary data packager that packages data ancillary to DTV data for insertion into the DTVCC data packets. A DTVCC data packager receives CC data from a CC data source into DTVCC data packets and packages the ancillary data together with the DTVCC data into DTVCC data packets. A multiplexer multiplexes the DTVCC data packets from the DTVCC data packager with non-CCDTV data to produce DTV signal data. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.
1. A method of packaging ancillary data for a digital television (DTV) content provider, the method carried out by the DTV content provider, comprising:
providing a digital representation of the video content;
packaging closed caption data to form a part of the video content; and
where the closed caption data comprises:
a window definition that defines a hidden window, where the window definition comprises a CEA-708 compliant definewindow command having command parameters that define a window in a manner that prevents the window from being visible;
a data element comprising an otherwise undefined P16 Unicode character that signifies the presence of ancillary data in the hidden window, and
the ancillary data defined to be within the hidden window; and
whereby, neither the data element nor the ancillary data are displayed as closed caption data.
2. The method according to claim 1 , where the data element comprises a character or sequence of characters that are not found in normal closed caption text.
3. The method according to claim 1 , where the data element comprises a pair of data elements that define the start and end of the ancillary data.
4. The method according to claim 1 , where the ancillary data comprises XML code.
5. The method according to claim 1 , where the hidden window is defined to have transparent text over a transparent background.
6. The method according to claim 1 , where the hidden window is defined as a window with a visible attribute set as false.
7. The method according to claim 1 , where the hidden window is a window that is defined as hidden.
8. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on one or more programmed processors, carry out a method according to claim 1 .
9. A method of packaging ancillary data for digital television (DTV) content provider, the method carried out by the DTV content provider, comprising:
providing a digital representation of the video content;
packaging closed caption data to form a part of the video content; and
where the closed caption data comprises:
a data element that signifies the presence of ancillary data, where the data element comprises the presence of an otherwise undefined P16 Unicode character, and
the ancillary data; and
where neither the data element nor the ancillary data are displayed as closed caption data.
10. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on one or more programmed processors, carry out a method comprising:
providing a digital representation of the video content;
packaging closed caption data to form a part of the video content; and
where the closed caption data comprises:
a data element that signifies the presence of ancillary data, where the data element comprises the presence of an otherwise undefined P16 Unicode character, and
the ancillary data; and
where neither the data element nor the ancillary data are displayed as closed caption data.
11. A method of processing ancillary data from a digital television (DTV) content provider, comprising:
receiving a digital representation of the video content;
receiving closed caption data that form a part of the video content;
where the closed caption data comprises:
a window definition that defines a hidden window, where the window definition comprises a CEA-708 compliant definewindow command having command parameters that define a window in a manner that prevents the window from being visible;
a data element that signifies the presence of ancillary data, where the data element comprises the presence of an otherwise undefined P16 Unicode character; and
the ancillary data defined to be within the hidden window;
whereby, neither the data element nor the ancillary data are displayed as closed caption data; and
parsing the ancillary data out of the closed caption data for processing as non-closed caption data.
12. The method according to claim 11 , where the data element comprises a character or sequence of characters that are not found in normal closed caption text.
13. The method according to claim 11 , where the data element comprises a pair of data elements that define the start and end of the ancillary data.
14. The method according to claim 11 , where the ancillary data comprises XML code.
15. The method according to claim 11 , where the hidden window is defined to have transparent text over a transparent background.
16. The method according to claim 11 , where the hidden window is defined as a window with a visible attribute set as false.
17. The method according to claim 11 , where the hidden window is a window that is defined as hidden.
18. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on one or more programmed processors, carry out a method comprising:
receiving a digital representation of the video content;
receiving closed caption data that form a part of the video content;
where the closed caption data comprises:
a window definition that defines a hidden window, where the window definition comprises a CEA-708 compliant definewindow command having command parameters that define a window in a manner that prevents the window from being visible;
a data element that signifies the presence of ancillary data, where the data element comprises the presence of an otherwise undefined P16 Unicode character; and
the ancillary data defined to be within the hidden window;
whereby, neither the data element nor the ancillary data are displayed as closed caption data; and
parsing the ancillary data out of the closed caption data for processing as non-closed caption data.
19. A method of processing ancillary data from a digital television (DTV) content provider, comprising:
receiving a digital representation of the video content;
receiving closed caption data that form a part of the video content;
where the closed caption data comprises:
a data element that signifies the presence of ancillary data, where the data element comprises the presence of an otherwise undefined P16 Unicode character; and
the ancillary data;
whereby neither the data element nor the ancillary data are displayed as closed caption data; and
parsing the ancillary data out of the closed caption data for processing as non-closed caption data.
20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on one or more programmed processors, carry out a method comprising:
receiving a digital representation of the video content;
receiving closed caption data that form a part of the video content;
where the closed caption data comprises:
a data element that signifies the presence of ancillary data, where the data element comprises the presence of an otherwise undefined P16 Unicode character; and
the ancillary data;
whereby neither the data element nor the ancillary data are displayed as closed caption data; and
parsing the ancillary data out of the closed caption data for processing as non-closed caption data.
21. An apparatus that processes DTV closed caption data, comprising:
a demultiplexer that extracts DTVCC data packets from an DTV signal;
a parser that receives the DTVCC data packets and parses the data packets by:
passing normal DTVCC data to a closed caption decoder;
detecting ancillary data in the DTVCC data packets, where the ancillary data is detected by the presence of a data element signifying the presence of ancillary data, and where the data element comprises an otherwise undefined P16 unicode character; and
separating the ancillary data from the DTVCC data for output to an ancillary data process.
22. An apparatus that processes DTV closed caption data, comprising:
a demultiplexer that extracts DTVCC data packets from an DTV signal;
a parser that receives the DTVCC data packets and parses the data packets by:
passing normal DTVCC data to a closed caption decoder;
detecting ancillary data in the DTVCC data packets, where the ancillary data is detected by the presence of a data element signifying the presence of ancillary data;
where the data element comprises the presence of an otherwise undefined P16 Unicode character; and
separating the ancillary data from the DTVCC data for output to an ancillary data process.
23. The apparatus according to claim 22 , where the data element further comprises a pair of data elements that define the start and end of the ancillary data.
24. An apparatus that processes DTV closed caption data, comprising:
a demultiplexer that extracts DTVCC data packets from an DTV signal;
a parser that receives the DTVCC data packets and parses the data packets by:
passing normal DTVCC data to a closed caption decoder;
detecting ancillary data in the DTVCC data packets, where the ancillary data is detected by the presence of a data element signifying the presence of ancillary data; and
separating the ancillary data from the DTVCC data for output to an ancillary data process;
where the data element comprises the presence of an otherwise undefined P16 Unicode character.
25. An apparatus that processes DTV closed caption data, comprising:
a demultiplexer that extracts DTVCC data packets from an DTV signal;
a parser that receives the DTVCC data packets and parses the data packets by:
passing normal DTVCC data to a closed caption decoder;
detecting ancillary data in the DTVCC data packets, where the ancillary data is detected by the presence of a data element signifying the presence of ancillary data; and
separating the ancillary data from the DTVCC data for output to an ancillary data process;
where the data element comprises the presence of an otherwise undefined P16 Unicode character.
26. The apparatus according to claim 21 , where the ancillary data comprises XML code.
27. The apparatus according to claim 21 , where the ancillary data resides in a hidden window.
28. The apparatus according to claim 25 , where the data element further comprises a pair of data elements that define the start and end of the ancillary data.
29. The apparatus according to claim 25 , where the ancillary data comprises XML code.
30. The apparatus according to claim 25 , where the ancillary data packager packages the ancillary data in a hidden window.
31. The apparatus according to claim 22 , where the ancillary data comprises XML code.
32. The apparatus according to claim 22 , where the ancillary data resides in a hidden window.
33. The apparatus according to claim 32 , where the ancillary data comprises XML code.
34. The apparatus according to claim 25 , where the ancillary data resides in a hidden window.
35. The apparatus according to claim 24 , where the ancillary data comprises XML code.
36. The apparatus according to claim 24 , where the ancillary data resides in a hidden window.