High bandwidth broadcast system having localized multicast access to broadcast content

• US 20030012180A1
• Filed: 03/04/2002
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1996
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hanger Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Starguide Digital Networks Incorporated (Extreme Reach, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fish, Laurence A., Roberts, Roswell R. III, Lerner, Ian A., Dankworth, Jeffrey A., Donahue, Paul W., Ballister, Thomas C., Hinderks, Larry W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,965,593 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18595 Arrangements for adapting broadband applications to satellite systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1854 with non-centralised forwarding system, e.g. chaincast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/604 Address structures or formats
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/201 Multicast operation; Broadcast operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/602 Multilayer or multiprotocol switching, e.g. IP switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5007 Internet protocol [IP] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5046 Resolving address allocation conflicts; Testing of addresses testing when self-assigning an address H04L61/5092
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5061 Pools of addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5069 for group communication, multicast communication or broadcast communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A method of multicasting digital data to a user accessing an Internet connection is disclosed. The method includes placing digital data that is to be multicast in IP protocol to generate IP digital data. The IP digital data is transmitted from a transmission site to a remote Internet point of presence through a dedicated transmission channel substantially separate from Internet backbone. The dedicated transmission channel may be, for example, a satellite channel. At the remote Internet point of presence, the IP digital data is multicast for delivery to at least one receiving Internet user'"'"'s apparatus connected to but distal from the remote Internet point of presence.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting digital content to a plurality of separate users accessing Internet services at least in part via conventional two-way Internet protocol (IP) connection, said digital content comprising digital data and/or digital audio and/or digital video, the method comprising the steps of:

a) predetermining a schedule for a streaming transmission of the digital content from a content source head-end; and

b) providing a streaming transmission of the digital content, generally according to the schedule, from the head-end through one or more substantially one-way data flow bandwidth portions of a communications medium that is substantially unaffected by conventional two-way IP Internet communications traffic to at least one remote Internet service gateway which provides digital data to a plurality of Internet users via two-way Internet protocol (IP) connections.

2. A method according to claim 1, further including the step of:

transmitting further relatively time-insensitive digital data associated with the streaming transmission from at least one remote Internet site through a two-way IP communications medium to at least one Internet service user receiving the streaming transmission of digital content.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the further digital data includes HTML code determining at least a portion of displayable information viewable on a display screen by an Internet service user receiving the streaming transmission of digital content.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the further digital data includes HTML code determining a location for displaying digital video content on a display screen used by an Internet service user receiving the streaming transmission of digital content.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein said remote Internet site provides two-way interactive communications with one or more Internet service users receiving the streaming transmission of digital content.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of said substantially one-way data flow bandwidth portions comprise one or more video content channels.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein one or more of said substantially one-way data flow bandwidth portions comprise one or more audio content channels.

8. A method of transmitting digital content to a plurality of separate users accessing Internet services at least in part via conventional two-way Internet protocol (IP) connection, said digital content comprising digital data and/or digital audio and/or digital video, the method comprising the steps of:

a) formatting said digital content in accordance with an IP protocol to generate IP digital data;

b) providing a streaming transmission of the IP digital data from a transmission site to a remote Internet point of presence through one or more substantially one-way data flow bandwidth portions of a digital communications medium that is substantially unaffected by conventional two-way IP Internet communications traffic;

c) multicasting the IP digital data transmitted by step (b) from the remote Internet point of presence to a plurality of separate receiving Internet user apparatus connected to but distant from the remote Internet point of presence; and

d) contemporaneously with step c), transmitting relatively time-insensitive additional IP digital data via a conventional two-way IP connection that is separate from the one-way data flow bandwidth portions to the remote Internet point of presence and then to the plurality of separate receiving Internet user apparatus;

wherein on each among the plurality of separate receiving Internet user apparatus, received IP digital data multicast by step (c) and received additional IP digital data transmitted by step (d) is processed to allow simultaneous use of both.

9. A method of providing digital content to a plurality of separate users accessing Internet services at least in part via conventional two-way Internet protocol (IP) connection, said digital content comprising digital data and/or digital audio and/or digital video, the method comprising the steps of:

a) formatting said digital content in accordance with an IP protocol to produce IP digital data;

b) providing a streaming transmission of the IP digital data from a transmission site to a remote Internet point of presence through one or more substantially one-way data flow bandwidth portions of a digital communications medium that is substantially unaffected by conventional two-way IP Internet communications traffic; and

c) providing, from the remote Internet point of presence, multicast access of said IP digital data received via streaming transmission at the remote Internet point of presence by step (b) for a plurality of separate users accessing Internet services via two-way IP connection.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein one or more of said substantially one-way data flow bandwidth portions comprise one or more video content channels.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein one or more of the substantially one-way data flow bandwidth portions comprise one or more audio content channels.

12. The method of claim 9 further including the step of receiving and processing at least one IP request from at least one of said separate users.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the multicast access service provided in step c) is localized to a predetermined geographic region.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the digital communications medium substantially unaffected by conventional two-way IP Internet communications traffic comprises, at least in part, an extraterrestrial satellite communications system.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the digital communications medium substantially unaffected by conventional two-way IP Internet communications traffic is a substantially terrestrial communications system.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the digital communications medium substantially unaffected by conventional two-way IP Internet communications traffic is a reserved portion of a commercial IP communications network.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein an Internet browser or its equivalent used by said plurality of disparate Internet users for accessing Internet services provides a screen display wherein at least a first portion of a display device screen is allocated for displaying the digital data received from said distant Internet point of presence and wherein a separate portion of the display device screen is allocated for simultaneously conducting two-way interactive IP connectivity.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein one or more of said one-way data flow bandwidth portions comprise a one-way wireless transmission system.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the transmitting of step a) comprises transmitting the digital data to plural Internet points of presence, including said at least one distant Internet point of presence, substantially through a reserved one-way data flow bandwidth portion.

23. The method of claim 19 wherein the two-way IP network comprises a telecommunications network.

24. The method of claim 19 wherein the two-way IP network comprises a cable network.

25. The method of claim 19 wherein the two-way IP network comprises a local area computer network.

26. The method of claim 23 wherein the telecommunications network includes a POTS line connecting communications equipment supporting an Internet browser or its equivalent used by at least one of said Internet users to said distant Internet point of presence, wherein said Internet browser may access and display said digital data transmitted via said one-way data flow bandwidth portions.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the Internet point of presence transmits the digital content through remote affiliate points of presence to distal Internet users connected to the remote affiliate points of presence.

30. The method of claim 29 wherein the distributing of streaming digital content via multicast transmission from to an Internet point of presence is localized to a predetermined geographic region.

17. A method of providing digital streaming content to a plurality of separate users accessing Internet services at least in part via conventional two-way Internet protocol (IP) connections, the streaming digital content comprising digital data and/or digital audio and/or digital video, the method comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting the digital streaming content from a transmission site to a remote Internet point of presence of an Internet access service provider through one or more substantially one-way data flow bandwidth portions of a digital communications medium that is substantially unaffected by conventional two-way IP Internet communications traffic; and

b) providing, from the remote Internet point of presence, access to the digital streaming content received at the remote Internet point of presence via step (a), by multicast transmission to a plurality of separate users accessing Internet services via two-way IP connection.

18. A method of providing digital data to a plurality of disparate users accessing Internet services at least in part via two-way Internet protocol (IP) connections, the digital data comprising digital audio and/or digital video data, the method comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting the digital data from a transmission site to a distant Internet point of presence of an Internet access service provider through one or more substantially one-way data flow bandwidth portions of a digital communications medium that remains substantially unaffected by other IP Internet communications traffic; and

b) providing access to the digital data by multicast transmission delivery from the distant Internet point of presence to a plurality of disparate users accessing Internet services via two-way IP connection.

19. A method of transmitting digital data, said digital data comprising streaming and/or non-streaming data encompassing both video and audio information content, to a plurality of disparate Internet users each among which use an Internet browser or its equivalent for accessing Internet services at least in part via conventional two-way Internet protocol (IP) connection, the method comprising the steps of:

a) transmitting the digital data to at least one distant Internet point of presence through one or more substantially one-way data flow bandwidth portions of a digital communications medium that is substantially unaffected by Internet communications traffic; and

b) transmitting the digital data from said distant Internet point of presence to a plurality of disparate Internet users over a two-way IP network connecting the remote Internet point of presence to said disparate Internet users, wherein said users employ an Internet browser or its equivalent to access Internet services.

27. A method of transmitting digital streaming data and/or digital video content and/or digital audio content to a plurality of disparate Internet users accessing the Internet at least in part via conventional two-way Internet protocol (IP) connection, the method comprising the steps of:

a) predetermining a schedule for streaming transmission of streaming digital content from a head-end; and

b) stream transmitting the streaming digital content from the head-end, generally according to the schedule, through one or more substantially one-way data flow bandwidth portions of a digital communications medium that is substantially unaffected by conventional two-way IP Internet communications traffic, for receipt by at least one remote Internet point of presence, said Internet point of presence providing the streaming digital content and/or other relatively time-insensitive IP data to said plurality of disparate Internet users via two-way IP connection;

wherein the plurality of disparate Internet users may access and/or utilize the streaming digital content received from the Internet point of presence generally according to the predetermined schedule while maintaining said two-way IP connection.

29. A method of providing localized multicast access to streaming digital content, said digital content comprising digital data and/or audio and/or video information, by a plurality of disparate Internet users accessing the Internet at least in part via conventional two-way Internet protocol (IP) connection, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a streaming transmission of digital content from a head-end content source through one or more substantially one-way data flow bandwidth portions of a communications medium that is disparate from and substantially unaffected by Internet communications traffic to at least one distant Internet point of presence of an Internet service access provider that provides IP digital data to a plurality of Internet users via two-way IP connections; and

distributing the streaming digital content via multicast transmission to a plurality of disparate Internet users that access and/or utilize the multicast streaming digital content received from the Internet service access provider via two-way IP connection.