Headend cherrypicker with digital video recording capability

• US 20020019984A1
• Filed: 07/03/2001
• Published: 02/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.), Terayon Communications Systems Incorporated (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Rakib, Selim Shlomo
• Application Number:
  US09/898,681
• Publication Number:
  US 20020019984A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/111
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19656 Network used to communicate with a camera, e.g. WAN, LAN, Internet
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19658 Telephone systems used to communicate with a camera, e.g. PSTN, GSM, POTS
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 17/02 using a radio link
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/41 Remote control of gateways
• CPC Class Codes: G08C 2201/93 Remote control using other portable devices, e.g. mobile phone, PDA, laptop
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18584 Arrangements for data networking, i.e. for data packet routing, for congestion control data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/6424 Access arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/168 specially adapted for link layer protocols, e.g. asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], synchronous optical network [SONET] or point-to-point protocol [PPP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/169 Special adaptations of TCP, UDP or IP for interworking of IP based networks with other networks protocols for interworking, protocol conversion H04L69/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2396 characterized by admission policies admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for network security using user profiles for access control H04L63/102; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 : Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 : having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 : embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 : PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 : User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42209 : for displaying non-command information, e.g. electronic program guide [EPG], e-mail, messages or a second television channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 : Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 : Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 : Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/443 : OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 : for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47214 : for content reservation or setting reminders; for requesting event notification, e.g. of sport results or stock market stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; notification of incoming messages in packet switching networks H04L51/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 : Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4786 : e-mailing message switching systems, e.g. electronic mail systems H04L51/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 : involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 : IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/76 : Television signal recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/7605 : on discs or drums H04N5/781, H04N5/805, H04N5/83, H04N5/85 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/781 : on disks or drums
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 9/8042 : involving data reduction

Abstract

A system for wireless remote control of a gateway and ordering or invocation of services provided by a headend. The remote control includes a video display and user input device or keyboard and can decompress and display compressed streaming video in some embodiments. Some species of the remote control can act as web browsers, appliance control, TIVO function control, an IP telephony telephone, a cellular telephone and/or an MP3 player. In some embodiments, the gateway and/or headend can implement TIVO-like functions under control from a wireless remote of custom design or implemented on a Personal Digital Assistant.

Claims

1. A headend cherrypicker that implements TIVO functions, comprising:

a packet switch;

a plurality of video servers and satellite feed servers coupled to supply MPEG packets encoding a plurality of video programs;

a hard disk array storing MPEG packet video data encoding TIVO-like function menus and for storing MPEG packet video data to record programs for which a customer has requested recording;

an IP wrapper circuit functioning to receive said MPEG packets from said plurality of video servers and said hard disk array and encapsulate them in IP multicast packets and encapsulate the IP multicast packets in local area network (LAN) packets having station addresses that correspond to said program identifier data and supplying said LAN packets to said switch;

a cable modem termination system and cable modem for coupling to a hybrid fiber coaxial cable transmission medium (HFC) for transmitting iData and command and control data downstream to customers and for receiving commands from each customer to order video programs including recorded programs or TIVO menus and to control TIVO functions performed for that customer;

one or more network cherrypickers and transmitter combinations coupled to said switch, each said transmitter coupled to said HFC for transmitting said requested programs, recorded programs or TIVO menus to one or more customers;

a system control computer programmed to exchange data with said switch and control routing by said switch to receive upstream requests for video programs and TIVO function commands and assign one or more logical channels on said HFC to each requested video program, recorded program or menu and to route data encoding requested video programs from one or more of said video servers and recorded programs or TIVO function menus from said hard disk array to one or more network cherrypicker and transmitter combination for transmission to the customer that requested the data, and to route a downstream message to said cable modem to said customer telling the customer on which logical channel the requested data will be arriving and for routing data encoding video programs to be recorded to said hard disk array.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising at least one web server coupled to said switch through an IP wrapper circuit and which outputs to said IP wrapper circuit IP format packets encapsulated in MPEG packets having a PID which identifies the source of the iData, and wherein said system control computer is programmed to control said switch to use said cable modem termination system and said cable modem to provide broadband internet access to customers.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising one or more game servers which output game data in MPEG packets to an IP wrapper circuit coupled to said switch, and wherein said system control computer controls said switch to send and receive game data packets to and from customers who are, at their premises, playing games resident on said game server.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising one or more EMM servers, electronic program guide servers, Tmail servers or data carousel servers for sending and receiving MPEG packets encapsulating iData to one or more customers through one or more IP wrapper circuits and said packet switch and one or more of said cherrypicker and transmitter combinations, and wherein said control computer is programmed to control said switch to facilitate said said exchanges of data with said customers.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising one or more transcoder servers coupled to said packet switch for altering the data rate of incoming packets in accordance with rate shaping commands and for outputting to said switch rate shaped data, and wherein said system control computer is programmed to route data encoding requested video programs, TIVO function menus, or iData to one or more of said transcoder servers and to control said one or more transcoder servers with rate shaping commands to alter the data rate of said data to a data rate that matches the available bandwidth to transmit said data to a customer, and to control said switch to route the rate shaped data to one or more network cherrypicker and transmitter combinations for transmission to the customer that requested the data on the assigned logical channel.

6. A headend cherrypicker that implements TIVO functions, comprising:

a packet switch;

a plurality of video servers and satellite feed servers coupled to supply MPEG packets encoding a plurality of video programs;

a plurality of personal video recorder servers, each for implementing TIVO functions for one or more customers by outputting MPEG packets encoding TIVO function menus and prerecorded programs and for receiving and recording MPEG packets encoding video programs to be recorded for each customer;

an IP wrapper circuit functioning to receive said MPEG packets from said plurality of video servers and said personal video recorder servers and encapsulate them in IP multicast packets and encapsulate the IP multicast packets in local area network (LAN) packets having station addresses that correspond to said program identifier data and supplying said LAN packets to said switch;

a cable modem termination system and cable modem for coupling to a hybrid fiber coaxial cable transmission medium (HFC) or one or more DSL modems for coupling to one or more DSL lines or a satellite uplink and downlink modem for coupling to a satellite dish, said modem for transmitting iData and command and control data downstream to customers and for receiving commands from each customer to order video programs including recorded programs or TIVO menus and to control TIVO functions performed by said one or more personal video recorder servers for that customer, said HFC, one or more DSL lines or satellite dish hereafter referred to as the transmission medium;

one or more network cherrypicker and transmitter combinations coupled to said switch, each said transmitter coupled to said transmission medium for transmitting said requested programs, recorded programs or TIVO menus to one or more customers;

one or more transcoder servers coupled to said packet switch for altering the data rate of packets sent to said transcoder servers to a different data rate in accordance with rate shaping commands;

a system control computer programmed to exchange data with said switch and control routing by said switch to receive upstream requests for video programs and TIVO function commands and assign one or more logical channels on said transmission medium to each requested video program, recorded program or menu and to route data encoding requested video programs from one or more of said video servers and recorded programs or TIVO function menus from said one or more personal video recorder servers to one or more of said transcoder servers and to control said one or more transcoder servers with rate shaping commands to alter the data rate of said data to a data rate that matches the available bandwidth to transmit said data to a customer, and to control said switch to route the rate shaped data to one or more network cherrypicker and transmitter combinations for transmission to the customer that requested the data, and to route a downstream message to said cable modem to said customer telling the customer on which logical channel the requested data will be arriving and for routing data encoding video programs to be recorded to said one or more personal video recorder servers.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising at least one web server coupled to said switch through an IP wrapper circuit and which outputs to said IP wrapper circuit IP format packets encapsulated in MPEG packets having a PID which identifies the source of the iData, and wherein said system control computer is programmed to control said switch to use said cable modem termination system and said cable modem to provide broadband internet access to customers.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising one or more game servers which output game data in MPEG packets to an IP wrapper circuit coupled to said switch, and wherein said system control computer controls said switch to send and receive game data packets to and from customers who are, at their premises, playing games resident on said game server.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 further comprising one or more EMM servers, electronic program guide servers, Tmail servers or data carousel servers for sending and receiving MPEG packets encapsulating iData to one or more customers through one or more IP wrapper circuits and said packet switch and one or more of said cherrypicker and transmitter combinations, and wherein said control computer is programmed to control said switch to facilitate said said exchanges of data with said customers.