Extended range video on demand distribution system
DCFirst Claim
1. In a video distribution system in which video signals are distributed to end users over a telephone wiring plant of a central office using respective pairs of asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) interface units, a source side interface unit of each pair being located relatively closer to a source of video information than a subscriber side interface unit and the subscriber side interface unit of each pair being located at an end user'"'"'s location, a method of improving operating characteristics of said distribution system comprising the steps of:
- (a) locating the ADSL source side interface unit at a site remote from said central office, and(b) connecting the source of video information to the ADSL source side interface unit using a broadband communication link.
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Abstract
In a video on demand system utilizing asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) interfaces, a plurality of video channels are arranged at a central office into ADSL format and, together with a provisioning channel, are multiplexed into a composite spectrum. This composite spectrum is then transmitted to an intermediate distribution point, remote from the central office, over analog optical fiber. The composite spectrum is split and applied individually to channel selection mixers associated with the subscribers serviced by the intermediate distribution point. Telephone signals (POTS) are combined at the intermediate distribution point into the ADSL signal and transmitted with the video, to an ADSL multiplexer/demultiplexer at the subscriber'"'"'s location. In the reverse direction, channel direction/change signals are split from the composite received from the subscriber'"'"'s location at the intermediate distribution point and utilized to control channel selection. Program request information is forwarded back over the optical fiber link to the central office where it is extracted at the ADSL individual channel units for use in providing video on demand service.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. In a video distribution system in which video signals are distributed to end users over a telephone wiring plant of a central office using respective pairs of asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) interface units, a source side interface unit of each pair being located relatively closer to a source of video information than a subscriber side interface unit and the subscriber side interface unit of each pair being located at an end user'"'"'s location, a method of improving operating characteristics of said distribution system comprising the steps of:
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(a) locating the ADSL source side interface unit at a site remote from said central office, and (b) connecting the source of video information to the ADSL source side interface unit using a broadband communication link. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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2. A method of adapting an existing telephone wiring plant of a central office used to provide telephone service to one or more subscribers over individual subscriber loops to accommodate distribution of video information, comprising:
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(a) providing one or more sources of video information, (b) connecting said one or more sources of video information to a distribution point remote from a central office over a broadband communication link, and (c) at said remote distribution point, multiplexing video information from said one or more sources together with telephone information onto individual subscriber loops. - View Dependent Claims (9)
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3. A method of distributing video information to one or more subscriber locations over individual subscriber loops, comprising:
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(a) providing one or more sources of video information, (b) connecting said one or more sources of video information to a distribution point at a site which is remote from a central office and remote from subscriber locations over a broadband communication link, and (c) at said remote distribution point, providing a mechanism by which the subscriber selects one or more sources of video information to be provided to the subscriber'"'"'s individual subscriber loop. - View Dependent Claims (10)
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4. In a multichannel information distribution system in which only some channels are authorized for access by a subscriber and in which the subscriber controls selection of one or more particular channels to be provided to the subscriber, apparatus for channel selection comprising:
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(a) a user operated channel selector for generating a user selection signal indicative of a particular channel or channel change desired by the user, (b) a converter for receiving said user selection signal and converting it into a specific channel selection signal, (c) a signal generator at said converter for selectively generating a provisioning signal indicating that a first group of one or more CATV or broadcast channels is authorized to be received by the subscriber, or for selectively generating a demand signal indicating that one or more special services is authorized to be received by the subscriber on one or more channels of an on-demand group or for selectively generating both a provisioning signal and a demand signal, and (d) output means for providing a specific channel of the first group indicated by the channel selection signal to the subscriber only if the provisioning signal is present and a specific channel of the on demand group indicated by the channel selection signal only if the demand signal is present. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7)
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11. A video distribution system comprising:
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a source of plural channel video programming; a first level multiplexer/demultiplexer circuit connected to respective channels of video programming for multiplexing video programming information into a multiplexed format and demultiplexing multiplexed formatted signals into base band signal component; a plural video channel multiplexer for multiplexing the outputs of the first level multiplexer/demultiplexer circuits into a composite signal;
broad band communication means for transmitting said composite signal to an intermediate distribution point; anddistribution means at the intermediate distribution point associated with each subscriber for selecting a channel from the composite signal and for combining that channel with a plain old telephone signal for transmission to the associated subscriber. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. In a multichannel information distribution system in which only some channels are authorized for access by a subscriber and in which the subscriber controls selection of one or more particular channels to be provided to the subscriber, apparatus for channel selection comprising:
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(a) a user operated channel selector for generating a user selection signal indicative of a particular channel or channel change desired by the user, (b) a converter for receiving said user selection signal and converting it into a specific channel selection signal, (c) authorization control means for receiving channel specific provisioning information and storing it and for selectively generating (1) a provisioning signal, indicating that a first group of one or more channels is authorized to be received by the subscriber (2) a demand signal, indicating that one or more special services is authorized to be received by the subscriber on one or more channels of an on-demand group or (3) both a provisioning signal and a demand signal, and for generating (4) a channel specific authorization signal indicating for each channel whether that channel is authorized to be received by that user (d) output means for providing a specific channel of the first group indicated by the channel selection signal to the subscriber only if the provisioning signal is present and the channel specific authorization signal indicates the channel is authorized and for providing a specific channel of the on-demand group indicated by the channel selection signal only if the demand signal is present. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
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Specification