METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUTHENTICATED FAST CHANNEL CHANGE OF MEDIA PROVIDED OVER A DSL CONNECTION

• US 20100322235A1
• Filed: 08/30/2010
• Published: 12/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Quarterhill Inc. (f/k/a Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Inventors: Fencsik, Gabor, Mehta, Hemang, Bathrick, Greg, Camacho, Don
• Granted Patent: US 8,509,223 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/258 Client or end-user data management, e.g. managing client capabilities, user preferences or demographics, processing of multiple end-users preferences to derive collaborative data arrangements for services using the result on the distributing side of broadcast systems H04H60/66; profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and system for fast channel changes of media that is provided by carriers over an xDSL connection to a home. Each customer'"'"'s subscriber information is stored at the DSLAM that supports the xDSL connection to the home. Also, each DSLAM supports multicast protocols so that only one instance of a channel is provided on the core network regardless of how many customers have requested access to the channel.

Claims

1. An apparatus for enabling fast access to a media channel available on a core network, the apparatus comprising:

(a) an access node enabled with multicast capabilities, to enable a subscriber to access the media channel over an xDSL connection coupled to the access node;

(b) means, at the access node, for receiving a request for the media channel from the subscriber;

(c) means for storing subscriber authorization information at the access node; and

(d) means for using the subscriber authorization information to determine whether the subscriber is authorized to access the media channel without requesting the subscriber authorization information from the core network in response to the request for the media channel and for providing access to the media channel over the xDSL connection using a multicast protocol if the subscriber is determined to be authorized to access the media channel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the media channel is made available at the access node in advance of selection by the subscriber.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the access node is a Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM).