Method and Apparatus for Delivering Consumer Entertainment Services Accessed Over an Ip Network
First Claim
1. A system for providing a plurality of system users IP-centric, multi-channel, time-shifted and real-time telecommunications services including live television, television-on-demand, video-on-demand, streaming audio, audio-on-demand, said system comprising:
- a) a compressed data creation subsystem for receiving multiple data signal streams each having one of several industry standard communication formats, and for converting the incoming data signal streams into compressed digital data, said compressed digital data being created using a predetermined compression scheme;
b) a storage means for storing selected compressed digital data and permitting stored compressed digital data to be retrieved therefrom;
c) a media streaming subsystem for receiving and forwarding streams of compressed digital data, said media streaming subsystem being responsive to a user request and operative to forward a selected stream of compressed digital data from either the compressed data creation subsystem or the storage means to a gateway means;
d) a gateway means for receiving said compressed digital data from the media streaming subsystem and preparing said compressed digital data for transmission over a broadband communication network to a user sending the user request; and
e) a user computing device, connected to the broadband communication network, for receiving the selected stream of compressed digital data and the user computing device decompressing and presenting said selected stream of compressed digital to the system user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention provides IP-centric, multi-channel, time-shifted and real-time telecommunications services to a plurality of system users. The system can capture both digital and analog multi-channel feeds and, through a cross-connect layer, can convert the signals to a digital format and subsequently send them to an encoder to be compressed. The encoding process can use a firmware upgradeable software developed to decrease data bitrates while retaining quality of the information at a desired level. The encoded, compressed signals may either be stored on a data-on-demand server for later viewing services, such as television/video-on-demand or audio-on-demand, or may be streamed directly to system users using a Media Streaming Subsystem (MSS). The MSS can be responsive to a system user request and operative to forward a selected stream of compressed digital data to the system user via a gateway means. The system can include a System Controller that can provide management and control of the system components and services provided by the system. The gateway means is able to receive compressed digital data from the Media Streaming Subsystem and transmit that data to a system user sending a request over a communication network. A cable modem, DSL modem or other appropriate interface can be located at each system user'"'"'s location, thereby providing a means for sending multiple signal sources to a system user'"'"'s Local Area Network (LAN) to which the User Computing Device(s) (UCD) of a system user are connected. The UCD receives the compressed data from the gateway means, subsequently decodes this compressed data and presents this decompressed information to the system user via a presentation system which may or may not be integrated into the UCD, thereby providing the requested entertainment services to the system user.
205 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A system for providing a plurality of system users IP-centric, multi-channel, time-shifted and real-time telecommunications services including live television, television-on-demand, video-on-demand, streaming audio, audio-on-demand, said system comprising:
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a) a compressed data creation subsystem for receiving multiple data signal streams each having one of several industry standard communication formats, and for converting the incoming data signal streams into compressed digital data, said compressed digital data being created using a predetermined compression scheme; b) a storage means for storing selected compressed digital data and permitting stored compressed digital data to be retrieved therefrom; c) a media streaming subsystem for receiving and forwarding streams of compressed digital data, said media streaming subsystem being responsive to a user request and operative to forward a selected stream of compressed digital data from either the compressed data creation subsystem or the storage means to a gateway means; d) a gateway means for receiving said compressed digital data from the media streaming subsystem and preparing said compressed digital data for transmission over a broadband communication network to a user sending the user request; and e) a user computing device, connected to the broadband communication network, for receiving the selected stream of compressed digital data and the user computing device decompressing and presenting said selected stream of compressed digital to the system user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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14. A method for providing a plurality of system user IP-centric, multi-channel, time-shifted and real-time telecommunications services including live television, television-on-demand, video-on-demand, streaming audio, audio-on-demand, said method comprising:
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a) receiving multiple incoming data signal streams each having one of several industry standard communication formats and converting the incoming data signal streams into compressed digital data using a predetermined compression scheme; b) storing selected compressed digital data; c) selecting user requested compressed digital data from the compressed digital data and the selected compressed digital data in response to a user request and forwarding the user requested compressed digital data to a gateway means; d) receiving the user requested compressed digital data in the gateway means and preparing the user requested compressed digital data for transmission over a broadband communication network to a user computing device sending the user request; and e) receiving the user requested compressed digital data by the user computing device and decompressing and displaying the user requested compressed digital data by means of the user computing device. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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Specification