Logical node identification in an information transmission network

• US 20040062270A1
• Filed: 09/16/2003
• Published: 04/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sedna Patent Services LLC
• Inventors: Son, Yong Ho, Rajdev, Nikhil
• Granted Patent: US 7,203,201 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/103 using a shared central buffer; using a shared memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/201 Multicast operation; Broadcast operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64 Addressing network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00; support for multicast or broadcast of one-way stream services H04L65/611
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A system for generating and sending a Logical Node identification signal as part of a data stream is disclosed. The system also includes subscriber stations capable of receiving and extracting Logical Node identification information from a data stream. The subscriber stations create new messages including the Logical Node identification signal and send the message to the transmission network system control, such that switching of data streams to an appropriate channel over the information transmission network is done consistent with the network topology.

Claims

1. In a hybrid fiber coaxial network for broadcasting video programs from a headend to a plurality of subscriber stations, the network characterized by hubs for coupling coaxial portions to fiber portions of the network, and further characterized by at least a first and a second channel allocated between each of said hubs and corresponding subscriber stations, apparatus for responding to a program request from said subscriber stations by causing transmission of a requested program, comprising:

first means for periodically providing a Logical Node identifier, for identifying a correspondence between a hub corresponding to said requesting subscriber station and a control station;

second means, responsive to said program request from a requesting one of said subscriber stations, for providing frequency and PIDs, indicative of said requested program, to said requesting subscriber station;

third means, responsive to said second means, for causing transmission of said requested program for receipt by said requesting subscriber station; and

fourth means, for receiving said logical node identification from said requesting subscriber station.

2. An apparatus for causing transmission, over a network, of programming requested by a subscriber station coupled to the network by way of a network controller that assigns a channel for transmission of requested programming from said network controller to said requesting subscriber station, said network characterized by a first bandwidth between said apparatus and said network controller, and characterized by a second bandwidth between said network controller and said subscriber station, said second bandwidth being lower than said first bandwidth, said apparatus responding to a request by said requesting subscriber station for a requested program by causing transmission, for receipt by said requesting subscriber station, of a program identifier, which uniquely identifies said requested program, and causing transmission, for receipt by said network controller of a logical identifier, which uniquely identifies said network controller as a corresponding network controller and which is independent of physical organization of said subscriber stations on said network, said apparatus further causing transmission, for receipt by said requesting subscriber station, of said requested program, in response to receiving said logical identification transmitted by said requesting subscriber station.

3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2 further comprising a master control module, responsive to said request by said requesting subscriber station for said requested program, for assigning one of a plurality of other control modules to cause transmission of said program identifier, said logical identifier and said requested program.

4. In a video-on-demand system having a headend which may be put in communication with a subscriber device via an intermediate node, a method for communication between the headend and the subscriber device, comprising:

providing first identification information from the headend into a first datastream, the first identification information for routing communication to the headend;

providing the first datastream to the intermediate node;

providing the first datastream from the intermediate node to the subscriber device;

in response to receiving the first datastream at the subscriber device, using the first identification information in the first datastream to provide a second datastream for the headend having second identification information, the second identification information for routing communication to the subscriber device;

providing the second datastream to the intermediate node;

providing the second datastream from the intermediate node to the headend; and

establishing a session between the headend and the subscriber device in response to the headend receiving the second identification information in the second datastream.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the headend comprises a session manager.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the intermediate node is associated with a logical node.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the first identification information comprises an address of the session manager and an identifier of the logical node.

8. The method of claim 5 wherein the second identification information comprises an identifier of the subscriber device.

9. The method of claim 4 wherein the session is selected from a User Datagram Protocol-based session and a Transmission Control Protocol-bases session.