FLEXIBLE ROUTER

• US 20090225221A1
• Filed: 03/19/2008
• Published: 09/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Streamband LLC
• Original Assignee: Streamband LLC
• Inventors: Savage, John, Gordon, Andrew Robert, Haines, David
• Application Number:
  US12/051,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20090225221A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/441
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440263 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for displaying on a connected PDA
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution

Abstract

A method and apparatus are disclosed for providing a video signal to anyone of a plurality of TV sets, the apparatus comprising at least one demodulation unit, each of the at least one demodulation unit for receiving one of a broadband signal and a broadcast signal and for providing a corresponding demodulated video signal, a modulating unit for modulating an incoming video signal into a video signal suitable for a given TV set and a switching unit for selecting a demodulated video signal from a given demodulation unit of the at least one demodulation unit and for providing the selected demodulated video signal to the modulating unit according to a selection signal.

Claims

1. A flexible router for providing a video signal to anyone of a plurality of TV sets, the flexible router comprising:

at least one demodulation unit, each of the at least one demodulation unit for receiving one of a broadband signal and a broadcast signal and for providing a corresponding demodulated video signal;

a modulating unit for modulating an incoming video signal into a video signal suitable for a given TV set; and

a switching unit for selecting a demodulated video signal from a given demodulation unit of the at least one demodulation unit and for providing the selected demodulated video signal to the modulating unit according to a selection signal.

2. The flexible router as claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexible router comprises a plurality of demodulation units, each of the plurality of demodulation units for receiving one of a broadband signal and a broadcast signal and for providing a corresponding demodulated video signal.

3. The flexible router as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a video processing unit for receiving the selected demodulated video from the switching unit and for processing the selected demodulated video to provide a video processed signal;

further wherein said modulating unit modulates the video processed signal.

4. The flexible router as claimed in claim 3, further comprising a data storage unit for storing a plurality of video signals, further wherein said switching unit is used for selecting one of a demodulated video signal from a given demodulation unit of the at least one demodulation unit and a video signal from the data storage unit.

5. The flexible router as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a broadband data processing unit for receiving a broadband signal from a broadband source and providing a data signal to store to the data storage unit.

6. The flexible router as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a broadband data communication port connected to the broadband data processing unit, the broadband data communication port for providing broadband data to a processing unit.

7. The flexible router as claimed in claimed in claim 1, wherein said flexible router comprises a plurality of modulating units, each for modulating an incoming video signal into a corresponding video signal suitable for a given TV set;

further wherein said switching unit is for selecting a demodulated video signal from a given demodulation unit of the at least one demodulation unit and for providing the selected demodulated video signal to a given modulating unit of the plurality of modulating units according to a selection signal.

8. The flexible router as claimed in claim 7, further comprising a plurality of video processing units, each for receiving the selected demodulated video from the switching unit and for processing the selected demodulated video to provide a video processed signal to a corresponding one of the plurality of modulating units.

9. The flexible router as claimed in claim 1, wherein said selection signal comprises a user selection signal.

10. A method for providing a video signal to anyone of a plurality of TV sets, the method comprising:

receiving an incoming signal;

processing the incoming signal to provide a video signal;

modulating the video signal to providing a modulated video signal; and

providing the modulated video signal to at least one of a plurality of TV sets.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said processing of said incoming signal comprises providing a video signal and processing the provided video signal.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein said providing of said video signal comprises demodulating the incoming signal to provide said video signal.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said incoming signal originates from a group consisting of a data storage unit, a broadband access and a broadcast access.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, further comprising selecting a source for an incoming signal, further wherein said incoming signal is received from the selected source for the incoming signal.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said providing of said modulated video signal to at least one of a plurality of TV sets is performed over an existing communication network.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said modulating of said video signal to provide a modulated video signal comprises selecting a suitable modulating unit and providing said video signal to said selected suitable modulating unit.