Method and system for providing video and data traffic packets from the same device

• US 20050123001A1
• Filed: 11/05/2004
• Published: 06/09/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Arris International, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Arris International, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Craven, Jeff, Harrington, Michael, Downey, Denis, Cheevers, Charles, Wheelock, Ian, Bugajski, Mark
• Application Number:
  US10/982,211
• Publication Number:
  US 20050123001A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/486
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1682 Allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users, e.g. concentrated multiplexers, statistical multiplexers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• 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 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• 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 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• 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 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A device receives packets associated with a program stream at an addressable communications port, and assigns them to one of a plurality of QAM channels. Multiplexed program packets, DOCSIS data or multimedia packets or a combination of both, are transmitted over the QAM channel. DSG messaging transports requests for content to a server, transports queries to mapping tables and returns information from the tables to a manager that, along with processors, determine which channel to use for downstream transport of the multiplexed streams. The manager assigns a connection identifier corresponding to a channel and program number combination to the packets, and sends the identifier, via DSG, to the requesting/receiving user device; the identifier instructs the user device how to tune and receive the requested packets. The identifier may use seven bits for program numbers, two for output port number and two for channel frequency.

Claims

1. A combined transmission device for transmitting one or more requested downstream audio, video and data program packet streams over one of a plurality of communication channels from one of a plurality of output ports to one or more of a plurality of requesting user devices, comprising:

means for receiving data and multimedia packets according to an address;

means for assigning a unique connection identifier to packets composing streams of a requested program according to the physical connection of a requesting user device and the communication channel over which the requested program streams will be transmitted; and

means for processing packets received at the receiving means and for transmitting said packets from an output port over the communication channel frequency that correspond to the output port and communication channel frequency indicated by the connection identifier assigned to the packets by the assigning means.

2. The transmission device of claim 1 further comprising a means for processing data packets capable of coordinating downstream transmission of data packet corresponding to a session with upstream data packets associated with the downstream packets of the session.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein the means for processing data packets includes DOCSIS processing circuitry.

4. The transmission device of claim 1 wherein the means for receiving data and multimedia packets according to an address is a communication port associated with an address.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the address is an IP address.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein DOCSIS set top gateway messaging packets are used to request a program by a user device and are used to communicate to the assigning means the unique identifier.

8. The device of claim 1 wherein the means for processing and transmitting packets includes a processor capable of querying a stream mapping database table having fields corresponding to output port, communication channel and program number, wherein each combination of port, channel and program number is associated with fields containing flags indicating whether a particular combination is available to be assigned to packets associated with a program and the bandwidth used by the program to which the combination is assigned.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the means for processing and transmitting packets is coupled to switching/routing means for controlling which port the packets of a particular stream will be transmitted, and wherein the means for processing and transmitting packets is capable of controlling the channel frequency over which the packets will be transmitted.

10. A system for transmitting one or more requested downstream audio, video and data program packet streams over one of a plurality of communication channels from one of a plurality of output ports to one or more of a plurality of requesting user devices, comprising:

a combined transmission device;

means for determining a communication channel from among the plurality of channels over which the one or more requested programs can be transmitted based on bandwidth requirements of the requested programs and available bandwidth of each of the plurality of channels;

wherein the combined transmission device and communication channel determining means are coupled to an addressable network and the user devices are coupled to the combined transmission device; and

wherein a messaging protocol is used to initiate a request for a program from a user device to the communication channel determination means and to send a unique connection identifier from the communication channel determination means to the combined transmission device.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the combined transmission device includes:

means for receiving data and multimedia packets according to an address;

means for assigning the unique connection identifier to packets composing streams of a requested program according to the physical connection of a requesting user device and the communication channel over which the requested program streams will be transmitted; and

means for processing and transmitting packets received at the receiving means from an output port over the communication channel frequency that correspond to the output port and communication channel frequency indicated by the connection identifier assigned to the packets by the assigning means.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the addressable network is an Ethernet network.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the means for receiving data and multimedia packets includes an addressable communication port.

14. The system of claim 11 wherein the channel communication determining device is capable of querying a stream mapping database table having fields corresponding to output port, communication channel and program number, wherein each combination of port, channel and program number is associated with fields containing flags indicating whether a particular combination is available to be assigned to packets associated with a program and the bandwidth used by the program to which the combination is assigned.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein the messaging protocol is DSG.

16. A method for providing audio, video and data traffic signal packets at an output port, comprising

receiving a request for a multimedia or data program from a user device;

step for determining one of a plurality of communication channels over which to send the program to the requesting user device based on which one of a plurality of downstream output ports the requesting device is connected and based on a comparison of the bandwidth required by the program and the bandwidth available in each of the plurality of communication channels;

step for determining a unique program identifier based on the determined one of the plurality of communication channels over which to send the program;

step for assigning the unique identifier to program packets associated with the requested program;

step for routing packets having the assigned program stream to a combined transmission device; and

step for outputting packets received at the combined transmission device from the output port and over the communication channel corresponding to the assigned unique identifier.