Apparatus and system for delivering audio/video content to a remote receiver

• US 20070022449A1
• Filed: 07/03/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Electronics Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Iwamura, Ryuichi, Boyden, David
• Granted Patent: US 7,739,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/81
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/7163 using impulse radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5441 Wireless systems or telephone
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 2203/5454 Adapter and plugs
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals

Abstract

A system for communicating content streams (e.g., voice, video, data) between a content server connected to a network and a remote electronic device. In one implementation, the network is a power-line communication (PLC) network and the remote device is configured for ultra-wide band connectivity with an interface module. The interface module is a power-line communication/ultra-wide band (PLC/UWB) module preferably connected to a conventional power outlet on the network. The interface module converts the power-line signals from the server to ultra-wide band signals which are broadcast for reception by the wireless electronic device. Return communications with the server from the wireless electronic device are also preferably supported. The power-line communication and/or ultra-wide band signal can also be encrypted for improved security. The content server and interface module are preferably configured to communicate content streams only within the portions of the bandwidth allocated by a bus master, which may be a content server with programming for controlling bandwidth use on the physical power-line communications network. In another implementation, the content is sent to the remote device over a connection to the Internet.

Claims

1. An apparatus for forwarding audio/video data content to a remote device, comprising:

a content server device;

said content server device configured for receiving data content from an external source of audio data content, video data content or both audio and video data content;

said content server device configured for transmitting said data content to a remote user device over a network.

2. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said external source of audio and video data content is selected from the group consisting of a media player, DVD, CD, PVR, DVR, STB, live feed, cable feed, satellite feed, broadcast feed, Internet connection, and high or low bandwidth telephone connection.

3. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said content server is configured to collect data content, to distribute data content, or to both collect and distribute data content.

4. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said content server device includes a communications interface configured for interfacing said content server device with a network.

5. An apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein said content server device includes a computer processor and programming executable on said computer processor for carrying out the operations of,

dividing available bandwidth of the network into assignable units,

categorizing content streams that are to be communicated over the network into priority groups,

assigning units of bandwidth to said priority groups in response to the bandwidth requirements of said content streams and the transmission priority of said priority group, and

assigning specific units of bandwidth to specific content streams within each of said priority groups in response to an equitable sharing of bandwidth on said network.

6. An apparatus as recited in claim 5:

wherein bandwidth within a given priority group is assigned by said content server device to a plurality of said remote devices on an as-needed basis and said remote devices are permitted to utilize up to their equal share of bandwidth within said given priority group; and

wherein additional available bandwidth is equally divided between virtual networks with unfulfilled bandwidth requests.

7. A system for forwarding audio/video data content to a remote device, comprising:

a content server device;

said content server device configured for receiving data content from an external source of audio data content, video data content or both audio and video data content;

said content server device configured for transmitting said data content to a remote user device over a network to which a plurality of network devices are connected.

8. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said external source of audio and video data content is selected from the group consisting of a media player, DVD, CD, PVR, DVR, STB, live feed, cable feed, satellite feed, broadcast feed, Internet connection, and high or low bandwidth telephone connection.

9. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said content server is configured to collect data content, to distribute data content, or to both collect and distribute data content.

10. An apparatus as recited in claim 7, wherein said content server device includes a communications interface configured for interfacing said content server device with a network.

11. A system as recited in claim 7, further comprising:

a plurality of remote user devices;

each said remote user device configured for receiving data content from a content server.

12. A system as recited in claim 11, further comprising a remote communications module configured for transmitting said data content received from said content server to a remote user device.

13. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein a said communications module includes a network interface configured for interfacing said communications module with a wired network.

14. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein a said communications module includes a wireless transmitter configured to transmit said data content received from said content server device to a wireless receiver associated with the remote user device.

15. A system as recited in claim 12, wherein a said communications module includes a power line communications (PLC) receiver configured to receive said data content from said content server device.

16. A system as recited in claim 7, wherein said content server device includes a computer processor and programming executable on said computer processor for carrying out the operations of,

dividing available bandwidth of the network into assignable units,

categorizing content streams that are to be communicated over the network into priority groups,

assigning units of bandwidth to said priority groups in response to the bandwidth requirements of said content streams and the transmission priority of said priority group, and

assigning specific units of bandwidth to specific content streams within each of said priority groups in response to an equitable sharing of bandwidth on said network.

17. A system as recited in claim 16:

wherein bandwidth within a given priority group is assigned by said content server device to a plurality of said remote devices on an as-needed basis and said remote devices are permitted to utilize up to their equal share of bandwidth within said given priority group; and

wherein additional available bandwidth is equally divided between virtual networks with unfulfilled bandwidth requests.

18. An apparatus for forwarding audio/video data content to a remote device, comprising:

a content server device;

said content server device configured for receiving data content from an external source of audio data content, video data content or both audio and video data content;

said content server device configured for transmitting said data content to a remote user device over a network to which a plurality of network devices are connected; and

a communications interface configured for interfacing said content server device with a network.

19. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said external source of audio and video data content is selected from the group consisting of a media player, DVD, CD, PVR, DVR, STB, live feed, cable feed, satellite feed, broadcast feed, Internet connection, and high or low bandwidth telephone connection.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 18, wherein said content server is configured to collect data content, to distribute data content, or to both collect and distribute data content.