In-band controller

• US 5,058,160 A
• Filed: 10/01/1990
• Issued: 10/15/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wasilewski, Anthony, Thatcher, William B. Jr., Haman, Rdy T. Jr., Naddor, David, Schaubs, Randolph, Banker, Robert O., Harney, Michael, Durden, Gregory S., McMullan, Jay C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SWANN, TOD R
• Application Number:
  US07/593,329
• Time in Patent Office: 379 Days
• Field of Search: 380/20
• US Class Current: 380/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/1675 Providing digital key or authorisation information for generation or regeneration of the scrambling sequence pseudo-random number generators in general G06F7/58

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for providing a cable TV system with the ability to issue information from a system manager, determine whether the information is intended for a set top designed to receive out-of-band information or in-band information, send the information to the appropriate circuitry. Reformatting of some information is necessary and is performed by a format translator. For in-band information, information may be sent over one or more of a plurality of data streams. Certain types of information are sent over one or more data streams based on the type of information and characteristics of the data streams. It is further disclosed that for efficiency, similar information intended for several addresses is grouped together in a database manager so that the information may be sent to plural addresses at one time. Scramblers are employed with the capability of inserting data onto nonscrambled channels.

Claims

1. In a cable television system comprising means for generating data capable of being transmitted over a transmission path, transmission means for transmitting at least one television channel, scrambler means for selectively scrambling said generated data, in-band type set top receiving means at a first predetermined location for receiving said at least one television channel and receiving and descrambling said selectively scrambled data transmitted within said at least one television channel and out-of-band type set top receiving means at a second predetermined location for receiving said at least one television channel and receiving and descrambling said selectively scrambled data transmitted outside of said at least one television channel and any other television channel transmitted by said cable system, an apparatus for manipulating said generated data comprising:

control means operatively connected between said means for generating data and said scrambler means for receiving and analyzing data received by said means for generating data to determine whether said data is to be transmitted to said in-band type set top receiving means or said out-of-band type set top receiving means to control the transmission path said data is transmitted over.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said generated data is in a first format corresponding to a data format used to transmit data to said out-of-band type set top receiving means, said control means further comprising:

interface means for interfacing with and receiving data from said means for generating data and for determining whether said generated data is to be transmitted to one or more of said out-of-band type set top receiving means or to one or more of said in-band type set top receiving means or to one or more of both said out-of-band and in-band type set top receiving means.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein said control means further comprises format translation means for receiving, from said interface means, data in said first format and for reformatting said data into a second format to enable said in-band type set top receiving means to receive data in said second format.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said interface means routes data, determined to be transmitted to one or more of said out-of-band type set top receiving means, to an addressable transmitter means;

said interface means routes data, determined to be transmitted to one or more of said in-band type set top receiving means, to said format translation means; and

said interface means routes data, determined to be transmitted to both said out-of-band and in-band type set top receiving means, to both said addressable transmitter means and said format translation means.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein said out-of-band type set top receiving means is characterized by receiving data from said means for generating data over a frequency band outside of the band of cable television system frequencies;

and said in-band type set top receiving means is characterized by receiving data from said means for generating data over a frequency band within the band of cable television system frequencies.

6. In a cable television system comprising a data generating means for generating data, transmission means for transmitting at least one television channel and said data, scrambler means for selectively scrambling said data prior to transmission, out-of-band type set top receiving means at a first predetermined location for receiving and descrambling data transmitted outside of said at least one television channel and in-band type set top receiving means at a second predetermined location for receiving and descrambling data transmitted within said at least one television channel and any other television channel transmitted by said cable system, an apparatus for selectively inserting data into a nonscrambled channel comprising:

means for determining whether to insert data into a predetermined channel; and

means for inserting data into said predetermined channel in response to a determination from said determining means.

7. A cable television system comprising data generating means for generating data, scrambler means for selectively scrambling data, transmission means for transmitting at least one television channel and an in-band controller means disposed between said generating means and said scrambler means for determining whether generated data is to be transmitted to in-band type set top receivers within said at least one television channel or to out-of-band type set top receivers outside of said at least one television channel and controlling the flow of data received from said generating means based on said determination.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein data generating means is located remote from said scrambler means and said inband controller means is disposed in the vicinity of said generating means.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein said data generating means is located remote from said scrambler means and said inband controller means is located in the vicinity of said scrambler means.

10. In a cable television system comprising means for generating data capable of being transmitted over a transmission path, transmission means for transmitting at least one program signal, scrambler means for selectively scrambling said generated data, in-band type set top receiving means at a first predetermined location for receiving said at least one program signal and receiving and descrambling said selectively scrambled data accompanying said at least one program signal and out-of-band type set top receiving means at a second predetermined location for receiving said at least one program signal and receiving and descrambling said selectively scrambled data not accompanying said at least one program signal, an apparatus for manipulating said generated data comprising:

control means operatively connected between said means for generating data and said scrambler means for receiving and analyzing data received by said means for generating data to determine whether said data is to accompany said program signal or not accompany said program signal to control the transmission path said data is transmitted over.

11. In a cable television system comprising means for generating data capable of being transmitted over a transmission path, headend means for transmitting at least one television channel, scrambler means for selectively scrambling said generated data, in-band type set top receiving means at a first predetermined location for receiving said at least one television channel and receiving and descrambling said selectively scrambled data transmitted within said at least one television channel and out-of-band type set top receiving means at a second predetermined location for receiving said at least one television channel and receiving and descrambling said selectively scrambled data transmitted outside of said at least one television channel and any other television channel transmitted by said headend, an apparatus for manipulating said generated data comprising:

control means operatively connected between said means for generating data and said scrambler means for receiving and analyzing data received by said means for generating data to determine whether said data is to be transmitted to said in-band type set top receiving means or said out-of-band type set top receiving means to control the transmission path said data is transmitted over.

12. A cable television system comprising;

data generating means for generating data for transmission over a transmission path,

scrambling means for selectively scrambling said generated data,

headend means for transmitting at least one television channel and said scrambled data within said television channel and for transmitting said scrambled data on a separate carrier outside of said at least one television channel and outside of any television channel,

in-band type top receiving means at first predetermined location for receiving and descrambling said at least one television channel,

out-of-band type set top receiving means at a second predetermined location for receiving said at least one television channel and receiving and descrambling said selectively scrambled data transmitted outside of said at least one television channel and by other television channel, on said separate carrier outside of said at least one television channel, and

control means operatively connected between said data generating means and said scrambler means for receiving and analyzing data received by said data generating means to determine whether said data is to be transmitted inside said at least one television channel or on a separate subcarrier outside of said at least one television channel transmitted by said headend.