Parameterized services descriptor for advanced television services

1. A method of a reception apparatus for accessing content, comprising:

receiving a transport stream from a content provider;

extracting, by circuitry of the reception apparatus, a virtual channel table (VCT) from the transport stream; and

when a virtual channel defined in the VCT is associated with a predetermined Service Type for an extended parameterized service that conveys a parameterized service descriptor (PSD),

determining whether a component list descriptor (CLD) is included for the virtual channel in the VCT, and

determining, by the circuitry, whether one or more services corresponding to the virtual channel is supported by the reception apparatus based on the PSD included in the VCT, wherein

the PSD has a bit-stream syntax that is different from a bit-stream syntax of the component list descriptor (CLD).

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the PSD includes a descriptor tag, a descriptor length, an application tag, and application data, the application tag identifying an application to which the application data applies.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the PSD is associated with Service Type 0x09.

4. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the step of determining comprises:

parsing at least one CLD including one or more stream types, the at least one CLD being included in the VCT; and

determining whether the one or more stream types are supported by the reception apparatus.

5. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the step of determining comprises:

determining whether the application tag included in the PSD is recognized;

determining whether the length of the PSD is within a predetermined range;

determining whether each mode defined in the application data is supported by the reception apparatus; and

determining whether the one of more services corresponding to the virtual channel is supported by the reception apparatus when the application tag is recognized, the length of the PSD is within the predetermined range, and each mode defined in the application data is supported.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embedded therein instructions, which when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a method for accessing content, the method comprising:

receiving a transport stream from a content provider;

extracting a virtual channel table (VCT) from the transport stream; and

when a virtual channel defined in the VCT is associated with a predetermined Service Type for an extended parameterized service that conveys a parameterized service descriptor (PSD),

determining whether a component list descriptor (CLD) is included for the virtual channel in the VCT, and

determining whether one or more services corresponding to the virtual channel is supported by the reception apparatus based on the PSD included in the VCT, wherein

the PSD has a bit-stream syntax that is different from a bit-stream syntax of the component list descriptor (CLD).

7. A reception apparatus, comprising:

circuitry configured to

receive a transport stream from a content provider;

extract a virtual channel table (VCT) from the transport stream; and

when a virtual channel defined in the VCT is associated with a predetermined Service Type for an extended parameterized service that conveys a parameterized service descriptor (PSD),

determine whether a component list descriptor (CLD) is included for the virtual channel in the VCT, and

determine whether one or more services corresponding to the virtual channel is supported by the reception apparatus based on the PSD included in the VCT, wherein

the PSD has a bit-stream syntax that is different from a bit-stream syntax of the component list descriptor (CLD).

8. The reception apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein

the PSD includes a descriptor tag, a descriptor length, an application tag, and application data, the application tag identifying an application to which the application data applies.

9. The reception apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein

the PSD is associated with Service Type 0x09.

10. The reception apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to

parse at least one CLD including one or more stream types, the at least one CLD being included in the VCT; and

determine whether the one or more stream types are supported by the reception apparatus.

11. The reception apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the circuitry is further configured to

determine whether the application tag included in the PSD is recognized;

determine whether the length of the PSD is within a predetermined range;

determine whether each mode defined in the application data is supported by the reception apparatus; and

determine whether the one of more services corresponding to the virtual channel is supported by the reception apparatus when the application tag is recognized, the length of the PSD is within the predetermined range, and each mode defined in the application data is supported.

12. An information providing apparatus, comprising:

circuitry configured to

store or receive content;

encode the content;

generate a transport stream including the encoded content and a virtual channel table (VCT), the VCT including a parameterized service descriptor (PSD) for a virtual channel associated with a predetermined Service Type of an extended parameterized service; and

when a component list descriptor (CLD) is included for the virtual channel in the VCT, the PSD has a bit-stream syntax that is different from a bit-stream syntax of the component list descriptor (CLD).