Multi-stream premises apparatus and methods for use in a content-based network
First Claim
1. Network resource management apparatus adapted to manage a plurality of tuner resources within one or more premises devices, said resource manager comprising first apparatus adapted to:
- receive information regarding said plurality of tuner resources;
process said information; and
control said plurality of tuner resources according to at least one resource management policy.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for enhanced tuner efficiency, wherein tuner resources function to permit multiple content streams to be demultiplexed and thus made available for subsequent display. In one embodiment, Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) comprises a resource manager on which a guide application is run to control the tuning of an available tuner resource. This approach obviate reliance on OCAP or other proprietary vendor architecture applications. In another variant, the CPE is adapted to receive RF source data from a wideband tuner, or multiple tuners. The CPE may also be utilized in conjunction with other system configurations designed to enforce a security or other policies within a premises network. The CPE may also employ ‘look ahead’ capabilities to anticipate a QAM stream content before it is received.
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Citations
35 Claims
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1. Network resource management apparatus adapted to manage a plurality of tuner resources within one or more premises devices, said resource manager comprising first apparatus adapted to:
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receive information regarding said plurality of tuner resources; process said information; and control said plurality of tuner resources according to at least one resource management policy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) adapted to manage a plurality of tuner resources, the CPE comprising:
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an RF front end, said front end adapted to at least receive signals from a distribution network; a demultiplexer in signal communication with said front end and adapted to demultiplex a plurality of program streams from at least one multiplexed transport; and a resource manager in signal communication with at least said RF front end and said demultiplexer, said resource manager adapted to distribute said plurality of program streams to respective ones of receiving devices in communication with said CPE. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of operating a premises device in a cable network, said premises device having at least one tuner resource associated therewith, the method comprising:
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providing a resource manager adapted to determine the availability of said at least one tuner resource and control the tuning thereof; receiving at least one composite transport comprising a plurality of individual program streams; receiving information relating to said plurality of individual streams; processing said information using said resource manager; and implementing at least one content distribution scheme based at least in part on said processed information, said distribution scheme distributing individual ones of said plurality of streams to respective ones of receiving, content rendering, and/or content storage devices. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
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28. A method of operating a premises device in a cable network, said premises device having at least one tuner associated therewith, the method comprising:
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providing a resource manager adapted to control the tuning of said at least one tuner; providing an application enabled to run on said premises device, said application being configured to generate a request for at least one content element and provide said request to said resource manager; receiving a transport stream at said premises device; and obtaining said requested at least one content element from said transport stream using said resource manager. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of doing business, comprising:
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providing a premises device having at least an in-band network interface, an out-of-band (OOB) network interface capable of receiving a multiplexed transport, and a resource manager adapted to control said in-band and OOB interfaces, to a subscriber; providing a video rendering or recording device to said subscriber; and operating said resource manager to extract a plurality of individual transport streams from said multiplexed transport and distribute at least one of said streams to said rendering or recording device. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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34. A method of controlling content distribution within a premises network, comprising:
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providing a premises device adapted to interface with a content delivery network; receiving, at said premises device, at least one multiplexed transport comprising a plurality of individual program streams; representing at least a portion of said program streams on a graphical user interface (GUI) as a plurality of first graphical objects; representing a plurality of other devices in communication with said premises device as respective ones of a plurality of second graphical objects; and enabling a user of said GUI to associate ones of said program streams with ones of said other devices via at least one of said first and second graphical objects. - View Dependent Claims (35)
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Specification