Methods and apparatus for broadcasting data

• US 20050169255A1
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Published: 08/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Peting, Mark, Mulligan, Geoff, Shimomura, Tsutomu, Waltman, Steve, Fu, Castor, Johansen, Dag H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,701,140 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• 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 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4828 for searching program descriptors retrieval of video data G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6112 involving terrestrial transmission, e.g. DVB-T
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A broadband data broadcast system that allows rich multimedia content to be delivered to a plurality of subscribers is disclosed. The broadband data broadcast system operates by multiplexing a plurality of rich multimedia digital information streams together at a centralized data broadcast center. The data broadcast center then broadcasts the multiplexed digital information stream on a broadcast medium such as satellite broadcasts, radio frequency broadcasts, or digital television broadcasts. A large number of receiver systems receive the broadcast signal and demodulate the broadcast signal to retrieve the multiplexed digital stream. The receiver system extracts a subset of digital information streams that the particular receiver system'"'"'s owner has designated are of interest. The receiver system caches the interesting digital information stream for later access. The receiver system outputs the interesting digital information streams to a client system upon demand. The receiver system may also stream an incoming digital information stream to a client as the stream is received.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a digital broadcast signal comprising a plurality of multimedia streams;

identifying one or more of the multimedia streams that match a set of preprogrammed interest parameters;

caching the one or more multimedia streams over a period of time as each is identified; and

automatically generating a customized information page including the one or more cached multimedia streams for subsequent retrieval by a user.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein receiving comprises receiving the digital broadcast signal from one or more terrestrial digital television broadcast sources.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the digital broadcast signal comprises an MPEG-2 transport protocol stream received with an ATSC digital television signal.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the multimedia streams comprise moving picture streams.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein each identified multimedia stream is associated with a multimedia descriptor, and wherein identifying comprises comparing each multimedia descriptor with the set of preprogrammed interest parameters.

26. The method of claim 25, further comprising using the multimedia descriptor to create a multimedia directory that references the one or more cached multimedia streams.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the preprogrammed interest parameters comprise at least one information category of interest to the user.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

identifying a live multimedia stream that matches the preprogrammed interest parameters; and

incorporating the live multimedia stream into the customized information page.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

retrieving supplemental information from the Internet that matches a set of preprogrammed interest parameters; and

incorporating the supplemental information into the customized information page.

30. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

receiving a user query;

identifying any live multimedia streams that satisfy the user query;

identifying any previously-cached multimedia streams that satisfy the user query; and

dynamically generating a second customized information page including any identified live and previously-cached multimedia streams in response to the user query.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein the customized information page comprises a web page.

32. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a digital broadcast signal comprising a plurality of multimedia streams;

identifying, for each of a plurality of client systems, one or more of the multimedia streams that match a set of preprogrammed interest parameters for a particular client system;

centrally caching the identified multimedia streams; and

automatically generating a customized information page for each client system comprising one or more identified multimedia streams for subsequent retrieval by a respective user.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein receiving comprises receiving the digital broadcast signal from one or more terrestrial digital television broadcast sources.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein receiving comprises receiving the digital broadcast signal from one of a satellite television source and a cable television source.

35. The method of claim 32, further comprising rebroadcasting a cached multimedia stream to a client system.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein rebroadcasting comprises rebroadcasting the cached multimedia stream over a local area network.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein each identified multimedia stream is associated with a multimedia descriptor, and wherein identifying comprises comparing a multimedia descriptor with the set of preprogrammed interest parameters for the particular client system.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising generating a multimedia directory that references each cached multimedia stream using information from the respective multimedia descriptors.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the preprogrammed interest parameters for each client system comprise at least one information category of interest to an associated user.

40. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

identifying a live multimedia stream that matches the preprogrammed interest parameters for a particular client system; and

incorporating the live multimedia stream into the customized information page for that client system.

41. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

retrieving supplemental information from the Internet that matches a set of preprogrammed interest parameters for a particular client system; and

incorporating the supplemental information into the customized information page for that client system.

42. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

receiving a user query from a particular client system;

identifying any live multimedia streams that satisfy the user query;

identifying any previously-cached multimedia streams that satisfy the user query; and

dynamically generating a second customized information page including any live and previously-cached multimedia streams in response to the user query.

43. A method for distributing data, comprising:

multiplexing a plurality of multimedia streams received from a plurality of data sources;

modulating the multiplexed streams into a digital signal;

broadcasting the modulated digital signal to a plurality of receiving systems;

demodulating the broadcasted signal;

demultiplexing at least a portion of the plurality of multimedia streams;

caching a first demultiplexed stream within a receiving system that matches a first set of preprogrammed interest parameters; and

caching a second demultiplexed stream within a different receiving system that matches a second set of preprogrammed interest parameters.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein broadcasting comprises broadcasting the modulated digital signal using excess broadcast capacity of a terrestrial digital television transmission system.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein broadcasting comprises broadcasting the modulated digital signal using excess broadcast capacity of a plurality of terrestrial digital television transmission systems.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the each multimedia stream is associated with a multimedia descriptor, and wherein caching comprises caching a multimedia stream having an associated multimedia descriptor that satisfies a particular set of preprogrammed interest parameters.

47. The method of claim 43, further comprising rebroadcasting a cached multimedia stream from a receiving system to one or more client systems.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein rebroadcasting comprises rebroadcasting the cached multimedia streams over a local area network.

49. The method of claim 43, further comprising automatically generating a customized information page within each receiving system including a cached multimedia stream for subsequent retrieval by a user.

50. A system comprising:

a front-end receiver to obtain a digital broadcast signal comprising a plurality of multimedia streams;

a caching component to identify a multimedia stream that matches a set of preprogrammed interest parameters and cache the identified multimedia stream over a period of time as each is identified; and

a page-building component to automatically generate a customized information page including the cached multimedia stream for subsequent retrieval by a user.

51. The system of claim 50, wherein the front-end receiver comprises at least one digital television receiver to obtain the digital broadcast signal from one or more terrestrial digital television broadcast sources.

52. The system of claim 51, wherein the digital broadcast signal comprises an MPEG-2 transport protocol stream received with an ATSC digital television signal.

53. The system of claim 50, wherein the front-end receiver comprises at least one of a satellite television receiver and a cable television receiver.

54. The system of claim 50, wherein the identified multimedia stream is associated with a multimedia descriptor, and wherein the caching component is to compare the multimedia descriptor with the set of preprogrammed interest parameters.

55. The system of claim 54, wherein the caching component is to use the multimedia descriptor to create a multimedia directory that references the cached multimedia stream.

56. The system of claim 50, wherein the preprogrammed interest parameters comprise at least one information category of interest to the user.

57. The system of claim 50, wherein the caching component is to identify a live multimedia stream that matches the preprogrammed interest parameters;

and wherein the page-building component is to incorporate the live multimedia stream into the customized information page.

58. The system of claim 50, wherein the page-building component is to receive supplemental information from the Internet that matches a set of preprogrammed interest parameters and incorporate the supplemental information into the customized information page.

59. The system of claim 50, wherein the page-building component is to receive a user query;

wherein the caching component is to identify any live or previously-cached multimedia streams that satisfy the user query; and

wherein the page-building component is further to dynamically generate a second customized information page including any identified live and previously-cached multimedia streams in response to the user query.

60. The system of claim 50, wherein the customized information page comprises a web page.

61. A system comprising:

a front-end receiver to obtain a digital broadcast signal comprising a plurality of multimedia streams;

a caching component to identify, for each of a plurality of client systems, a multimedia stream that matches a set of preprogrammed interest parameters for a particular client system and cache each identified multimedia stream; and

a page-building component to automatically generate a customized information page for each client system comprising an identified cached multimedia stream for subsequent retrieval by a respective user.

62. The system of claim 61, wherein the front-end receiver comprises a digital television receiver to obtain the digital broadcast signal from one or more terrestrial digital television broadcast sources.

63. The system of claim 62, wherein the digital broadcast signal comprises an MPEG-2 transport protocol stream received with an ATSC digital television signal.

64. The system of claim 61, wherein the front-end receiver comprises one of a satellite television receiver and a cable television receiver.

65. The system of claim 61, further comprising a rebroadcasting component to rebroadcast a cached multimedia stream to a client system.

66. The system of claim 65, wherein the rebroadcasting component is to rebroadcast the cached media stream over a local area network.

67. The system of claim 61, wherein each identified multimedia stream is associated with a multimedia descriptor, and wherein the caching component is to compare a multimedia descriptor with the set of preprogrammed interest parameters for the particular client system.

68. The system of claim 67, further wherein the caching component is to generate a multimedia directory that references each cached multimedia stream using information from the respective multimedia descriptors.

69. The system of claim 61, wherein the preprogrammed interest parameters for each client system comprise at least one information category of interest to an associated user.

70. The system of claim 61, wherein the caching component is to identify a live multimedia stream that matches the preprogrammed interest parameters for a particular client system;

and wherein the page-building component is to incorporate the live multimedia stream into the customized information page for that client system.

71. The system of claim 61, wherein the page-building component is to retrieve supplemental information from the Internet that matches a set of preprogrammed interest parameters for a particular client system and incorporate the supplemental information into the customized information page for that client system.

72. The system of claim 61, wherein the page-building component is to receive a user query from a particular client system;

wherein the caching component is to identify any live or previously-cached multimedia streams that satisfy the user query; and

wherein the page-building component is further to dynamically generate a second customized information page including any live and previously-cached multimedia streams in response to the user query.

73. A system for distributing data, comprising:

a multiplexing unit within a broadcast control center to multiplex a plurality of multimedia streams received from one or more data sources;

a modulating unit within the broadcast control center to modulate the multiplexed streams into a digital signal;

a broadcasting unit within the broadcast control center to broadcast the modulated digital signal to a plurality of receiving systems using one or more separate broadcasters;

a demodulating unit within a first receiving system to demodulate the broadcasted signal;

a demultiplexing unit within the first receiving system to demultiplex the plurality of multimedia streams; and

a caching unit within the first receiving system to identifying a demultiplexed stream that matches a set of preprogrammed interest parameters for the first receiving system and cache the identified demultiplexed stream.

74. The system of claim 73, wherein the broadcasting unit is to broadcast the modulated digital signal using excess broadcast capacity of a terrestrial digital television transmission system.

75. The system of claim 73, wherein the broadcasting unit is to broadcast the modulated digital signal using excess broadcast capacity of a plurality of terrestrial digital television transmission systems.

76. The system of claim 73, wherein the identified multimedia stream is associated with a multimedia descriptor, and wherein caching unit is to compare the multimedia descriptor with the set of preprogrammed interest parameters for the receiving system.

77. The system of claim 73, wherein the first receiving system further comprises a rebroadcasting unit to rebroadcast a cached multimedia stream from the receiving system to one or more client systems.

78. The system of claim 77, wherein rebroadcasting unit is to rebroadcast the cached multimedia stream over a local area network.

79. The system of claim 73, further comprising a page-building unit to automatically generate a customized information page including the cached multimedia stream for subsequent retrieval by a user.