Methods and apparatus for providing virtual service selection in a multi-service communications system

• US 5,418,782 A
• Filed: 01/06/1994
• Issued: 05/23/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wasilewski, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TON, DANG T
• Application Number:
  US08/178,041
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 370/110.1, 370/73, 370/71, 370/80, 370/79, 370/13, 370/17, 370/66, 370/60:94.1, 370/76, 370/69.1, 395/425, 395/325, 380/10, 380/20, 380/14, 380/21, 380/34, 380/9, 380/19, 380/33, 380/13, 348/3, 348/6, 348/13, 348/481, 348/473, 348/10, 348/11, 348/462, 348/465, 348/906, 358/426, 358/471, 379/96, 379/97, 379/98, 379/101, 379/399, 455/3.1, 455/3.2, 455/4.2, 455/2, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 455/6.3
• US Class Current: 370/486
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/106 Receiver-side switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/16 Arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/26 Arrangements for switching distribution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/33 by plural channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/09 Arrangements for receiving desired information automatically according to timetables
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/06 Arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/41 for identifying broadcast space, i.e. broadcast channels, broadcast stations or broadcast areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23617 by inserting additional data into a data carousel, e.g. inserting software modules into a DVB carousel arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26291 for providing content or additional data updates, e.g. updating software modules, stored at the client deployment, distribution, installation, update of software G06F8/65; error detection or correction during software upgrading G06F11/1433; arrangements for updating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/25
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/162 : Authorising the user terminal, e.g. by paying; Registering the use of a subscription channel, e.g. billing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 : Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/52 : Systems for transmission of a pulse code modulated video signal with one or more other pulse code modulated signals, e.g. an audio signal or a synchronizing signal assembling of a multiplex stream by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, assembling of a packetised elementary stream at server side H04N21/236; disassembling of a multiplex stream, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, extraction or processing of Service Information, disassembling of packetised elementary stream at client side H04N21/434

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are disclosed for providing virtual service selection in a multi-service communications system wherein the service components of each of a number of basic services are transmitted to subscriber locations on one of a plurality different frequency channels. Each frequency channel may carry the service components of more than one basic service. A virtual service definition is generated for each basic service that specifies which of the service components carried on a particular frequency channel comprise that service. The virtual service definition for each basic service is periodically, and frequently, transmitted to each subscriber location on the frequency channel carrying the service components that comprise that basic service. When a subscriber selects a given basic service for output at the subscriber location, a decoder at the subscriber location tunes to the frequency channel carrying the service components of the selected basic service, extracts a virtual service definition for the selected basic service from the tuned frequency channel, and then obtains from the frequency channel the service components specified in the extracted virtual service definition as comprising the selected basic service.

Claims

1. A method for providing virtual service selection at a subscriber location in a multi-service communications system wherein a plurality of basic services are transmitted to the subscriber location and each of said basic services comprises one or more service components, the service components for each of said basic services being transmitted to the subscriber location on one of a plurality of different frequency channels, said method comprising the steps of:

generating a virtual service definition for each of said basic services that specifies which of the service components carried on a particular frequency channel comprise that basic service; and

periodically transmitting the virtual service definition for each of said basic services to the subscriber location on the frequency channel carrying the service components that comprise that basic service;

whereby a decoder at the subscriber location tunes to the frequency channel carrying the service components of a selected basic service, extracts from the tuned frequency channel one of the virtual service definitions transmitted thereon for the selected basic service, and then obtains, from the tuned frequency channel, the service components specified in the extracted virtual service definition.

2. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the step of assigning a unique virtual service number to each of said basic services, and wherein the virtual service definition for each basic service comprises a virtual service number designation and at least one service component assignment.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein said multi-service communications system operates in accordance with the MPEG-2 Systems standard (ISO 13818), each of said basic services defining a program in accordance with said standard, and each virtual service definition defining a program definition in accordance with said standard.

4. In a multi-service communications system wherein a plurality of basic services are transmitted to a subscriber location, and wherein each of said basic services comprises a plurality of service components, the service components of each of said basic services being received at the subscriber location in multiplexed form on one of a plurality of frequency channels, some frequency channels containing multiplexed service components for more than one of said basic services, and further wherein virtual service definitions are periodically transmitted to the subscriber location for each of said basic services on the frequency channel carrying the service components of that basic service, the virtual service definitions for each of said basic services specifying which service components carried on the frequency channel comprise that basic service, a method of accessing the service components of a subscriber selected basic service comprising the steps of:

tuning to the frequency channel carrying the service components of the selected basic service;

extracting from the tuned frequency channel one of the virtual service definitions transmitted thereon for the selected basic service; and

obtaining from the tuned frequency channel the service components specified in the extracted virtual channel definition as comprising the selected basic service.

5. A method according to claim 4 wherein each of said basic services is assigned a unique virtual service number, and wherein the virtual service definition for each of said basic services comprises a virtual service number designation and at least one service component assignment.

6. A method according to claim 4 wherein a tuning map is provided at the subscriber location that specifies, for each of said basic services, which of the frequency channels carries the multiplexed service components that comprise that basic service, and wherein said tuning step comprises the steps of:

accessing the tuning map to determine which of the frequency channels carries the multiplexed service components of said selected basic service; and

tuning to the frequency channel specified in the tuning map for the selected basic service.

7. A method according to claim 4 wherein said multi-service communications system operates in accordance with the MPEG-2 Systems standard (ISO 13818), each of said basic services defining a program in accordance with said standard, and each virtual service definition defining a program definition in accordance with said standard.

8. Apparatus for providing virtual service selection at a subscriber location in a multi-service communications system wherein a plurality of basic services are transmitted to the subscriber location and each of said basic services comprises one or more service components, the service components of each of said basic services being transmitted to the subscriber location in multiplexed form on one of a plurality of different frequency channels wherein some of said frequency channels carry the service components of more than one of said basic services, said apparatus comprising:

means for generating a virtual service definition for each of said basic services that specifies which service components carried on a particular frequency channel comprise that basic service; and

means for periodically transmitting to the subscriber location the virtual service definition for each of said basic services, the virtual service definition for a given basic service being transmitted to the subscriber location on the frequency channel carrying the service components that comprise that basic service.

9. Apparatus as recited in claim 8 further comprising a decoder for use at the subscriber location, said decoder comprising:

a service selection switch for selecting one of said basic services for output at the subscriber location;

means for tuning to the frequency channel carrying the multiplexed service components of a selected basic service and for receiving the multiplexed service components carried on that frequency channel;

means for extracting from the tuned frequency channel one of the virtual service definitions transmitted thereon for the selected basic service; and

a de-multiplexer coupled to said receiving means and responsive to the extracted virtual service definition for de-multiplexing the received multiplexed service components and for obtaining the service components specified in the extracted virtual service definition as comprising the selected basic service.

10. Apparatus recited in claim 9 wherein said means for tuning and receiving comprises:

a tuning map that specifies, for each of said basic services, which of said frequency channels carries the multiplexed service components that comprise that basic service; and

a tunable receiver responsive to said tuning map for tuning to a frequency channel specified by said tuning map.

11. Apparatus recited in claim 9 wherein said extracting means is coupled between said receiving means and said demultiplexer.

12. A method according to claim 8 wherein said multi-service communications system operates in accordance with the MPEG-2 Systems standard (ISO 13818), each of said basic services defining a program in accordance with said standard, and each virtual service definition defining a program definition in accordance with said standard.

13. A decoder apparatus for providing virtual service selection at a subscriber location in a multiservice communications system wherein a plurality of basic services are transmitted to the subscriber location and each of said basic services comprises a plurality of service components, the service components of each of said basic services being received at the subscriber location in multiplexed form on one of a plurality of frequency channels, some frequency channels containing multiplexed service components for more than one of said basic services, and further wherein a virtual service definition for each of said basic services is periodically transmitted to the subscriber location on the frequency channel carrying the service components of that basic service, the virtual service definition for a given basic service specifying which service components carried on a particular frequency channel comprise that basic service, said decoder apparatus comprising:

a service selection switch for selecting one of said basic services for output at the subscriber location;

means for tuning to the frequency channel carrying the multiplexed service components of a selected basic service and for receiving the multiplexed service components carried on that frequency channel;

means for extracting from the tuned frequency channel one of the virtual service definitions transmitted thereon for the selected basic service; and

a de-multiplexer coupled to said receiving means and responsive to the extracted virtual service definition for de-multiplexing the received multiplexed service components and for obtaining the service components specified in the extracted virtual service definition as comprising the selected basic service.

14. Apparatus recited in claim 13 wherein said means for tuning and receiving comprises:

a tuning map that specifies, for each of said basic services, which of said frequency channels carries the multiplexed service components that comprise that basic service; and

a tunable receiver responsive to said tuning map for tuning to a frequency channel specified by said tuning map.

15. Apparatus recited in claim 13 wherein said extracting means is coupled between said receiving means and said demultiplexer.

16. A method according to claim 13 wherein said multi-service communications system operates in accordance with the MPEG-2 Systems standard (ISO 13818), each of said basic services defining a program in accordance with said standard, and each virtual service definition defining a program definition in accordance with said standard.