Method and System of Transporting Multimedia Signals

• US 20080256584A1
• Filed: 01/31/2005
• Published: 10/16/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ngna LLC
• Original Assignee: Ngna LLC
• Inventors: Gonzalez, Francisco, Hildebrand, John G.
• Granted Patent: US 7,907,634 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• 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 21/42676 for modulating an analogue carrier signal to encode digital information or demodulating it to decode digital information, e.g. ADSL or cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/437 Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6437 Real-time Transport Protocol [RTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A method and system of transporting multimedia signals from a source 12 to customer equipment (CE) 14. The method and system being applicable to cable, telecommunications, and other systems where signals are transported from a source 12 to CE 14.

Claims

1. A transport system, the system comprising:

a source having a number of encoders configured to packetize broadcast television signals; and

a bi-directional data communication unit (BDCU) located remotely from the source and configured to communicate packetized data signals between customer equipment (CE) and a network according to data transmission protocols, the BDCU including a multiplexer for integrating the packetized television signals with the packetized data signals for transport to the CE in an integrated transport stream defined as a function of the data transmission protocols.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the source includes at least one multiplexer configured to combine the packetized television signals into a multiple program transport stream (MPTS) prior to transport to the BDCU.

3. The system of claim 2 further comprising a network communicator configured to encapsulate the MPTS for network communication prior to transport to the BDCU.

4. The system of claim 3 further comprising a packet-switching network for transporting the encapsulated MPTS from the source to the BDCU.

5. The system of claim 1 further comprising a video server in configured for packetizing streaming video and wherein the multiplexer of the BDCU is configured to integrate the packetized streaming video with the packetized television signals and data signals for transport to the CE in the integrated transport stream.

6. The system of claim 5 further comprising a network communicator configured to encapsulate the packetized streaming video signals for network communication prior to transport to the BDCU.

7. A method of providing multimedia signals from a source to customer equipment (CE) in a system having a bi-directional data communication unit (BDCU) configured for communicating data signals between the CE and a network, the method comprising:

receiving the multimedia signals at the BDCU;

integrating the received multimedia signals with a BDCU transport; and

transmitting the integrated transport from the BDCU to the CE.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising encapsulating the multimedia signals for network communication and transmitting the encapsulated multimedia signals over the network to the BDCU for integration with the data BDCU transport.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising encapsulating the multimedia signals according to internet protocols (IP).

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising configuring the multimedia signals according to real-time transport protocols (RTP) prior to encapsulation.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising configuring the RTP multimedia signals according to user datagram protocols (UDP) or transmission control protocols (TCP) prior to encapsulation.

12. The method of claim 7 further comprising multiplexing the multimedia signals into a transport and transmitting the transport to the BDCU for integration with the BDCU transport.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising configuring the transport according to MPEG-2 protocols.

14. The method of claim 7 further comprising configuring the multimedia signals to include audio and video elements.

15. The method of claim 7 further comprising configuring the multimedia signals to include program specific information (PSI) or system information (SI).

16. The method of claim 7 further comprising configuring the BDCU for communicating the integrated signals according to data over cable service interface specifications (DOCSIS) transport.

17. A method of transporting broadcast television signals, the method comprising:

packetizing the television signals;

integrating the television packets into a DOCSIS transport; and

transporting the packetized television signals through the DOCSIS transport to customer equipment (CE).

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising multiplexing the packetized television signals into a MPEG-2 transport at a cable headend, transmitting the MPEG-2 transport from the headend to the a cable modem termination station (CMTS), and integrating the television packets carried in the MPEG-2 transport with the DOCSIS transport at the CMTS.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising encapsulating the MPEG-2 transport stream according to internet protocols (IP) and transporting the MPEG-2 transport from the headend to the CMTS over a packet switching network as a function of the IP.

20. A cable system for transporting broadcast television signals, the system comprising:

a headend configured to packetize the television signals;

a cable modem termination station (CMTS) in communication with the headend for integrating the television packets into a DOCSIS transport; and

customer equipment (CE) configured to recover the packetized television signals from the DOCSIS transport.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the headend includes a multiplexer for combining the packetized television signals into a MPEG-2 transport for output to the CMTS.

22. The system of claim 21 further comprising a network communicator in communication with the headend and a packet switching network associate with the headend, the network communicator configured to encapsulate the MPEG-2 transport stream according to internet protocols (IP) for transport over the packet switching network to the CMTS.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein headend includes a video server configured to packetize streaming video signals and wherein the CMTS is configured to integrated the streaming video signals with the television packets into the DOCSIS transport.

24. The system of claim 23 further comprising a network communicator in communication with the headend and a packet switching network associate with the headend, the network communicator configured to encapsulate the packetized streaming video signals according to internet protocols (IP) for transport over the packet switching network to the CMTS.