Apparatus and method for integrating downstream data transfer over a cable television channel with upstream data carrier by other media
First Claim
1. In a telecommunication network that supports communications between users and information service providers by using high-speed cable transmission channels to transport information to the users'"'"' customer premise equipment and lower speed transmission channels that carry users'"'"' requests from the users'"'"' customer premises equipment, the lower speed transmission channels transported by a transmission medium physically separate from the transmission medium that transports the high speed cable transmission channels, a split channel bridging apparatus comprising:
- means for receiving user generated requests carried on said lower speed transmission channels, each of said user generated requests having a destination of one of said service providers;
means coupled to said receiving means for transmitting each of said requests through a separate communication network to one of the destination service providers located remote from said transmitting means;
means for concurrently supporting the receipt of at least one high speed data channel from each of said service providers, said at least one of said high speed data channel carrying packets of data wherein each packet of data has a destination address associated with one user'"'"'s customer premise equipment;
routing means coupled to said supporting means for segregating said received packets based on which users are served by each of the high speed cable transmission channels; and
modulating means coupled to said routing means for encoding said segregated packets onto respective high speed cable transmission channels for delivery to the associated users.
7 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A split channel bridging unit includes a router that operates under the control of a control processor to route packets of information destined for a user to a modulator which is connected to the cable distribution head-end of the cable television system which serves the requesting user. The modulator encodes the digital information transmitted from the router and encodes it in an RF channel to be carded by the television cable. The cable distribution head-end combines this channel with other conventional cable television sources to broadcast these channels to its users. The customer premises equipment of the user includes an RF demodulator and packet receiver which demodulates the RF encoded signals and utilizes the packet receiver to transmit the digital information addressed to the particular user to the user'"'"'s personal computer. Upstream requests are made by the user by utilizing a modem connection over the public switched telephone network with a terminating modem contained in the split channel bridging unit. Secured low-speed control information is preferably supported bidirectionally by utilizing a modem connection over the public switched telephone network.
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Citations
16 Claims
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1. In a telecommunication network that supports communications between users and information service providers by using high-speed cable transmission channels to transport information to the users'"'"' customer premise equipment and lower speed transmission channels that carry users'"'"' requests from the users'"'"' customer premises equipment, the lower speed transmission channels transported by a transmission medium physically separate from the transmission medium that transports the high speed cable transmission channels, a split channel bridging apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving user generated requests carried on said lower speed transmission channels, each of said user generated requests having a destination of one of said service providers; means coupled to said receiving means for transmitting each of said requests through a separate communication network to one of the destination service providers located remote from said transmitting means; means for concurrently supporting the receipt of at least one high speed data channel from each of said service providers, said at least one of said high speed data channel carrying packets of data wherein each packet of data has a destination address associated with one user'"'"'s customer premise equipment; routing means coupled to said supporting means for segregating said received packets based on which users are served by each of the high speed cable transmission channels; and modulating means coupled to said routing means for encoding said segregated packets onto respective high speed cable transmission channels for delivery to the associated users. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A telecommunication system that supports communications between users and information providers by using cable transmission channels to transport information to the users'"'"' customer premise equipment and other transmission channels to carry users'"'"' requests from the users'"'"' customer premises equipment, the other transmission channels being transported by a transmission medium physically separate from the transmission medium that transports the cable transmission channels, the system comprising:
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means for transmitting a user generated request for service on one of said other transmission channels; means for receiving said user generated request carried on one of said other transmission channels, each of said user generated requests having a destination of one of said information providers; means coupled to said receiving means for transmitting each of said requests through a separate communication network to one of the destination information providers located remote from said transmitting means; means for concurrently supporting the receipt of at least one high-speed data channel from each of said information providers, said at least one high-speed data channel carrying packets of data wherein at least some of the packets of data have a destination address associated with one user'"'"'s customer premise equipment; routing means coupled to said supporting means for segregating said received packets based on which users are served by each of the cable transmission channels; modulating means coupled to said routing means for encoding said segregated packets onto respective cable transmission channels; head end cable distribution device coupled to one of said cable transmission channels for receiving at least one stream of said segregated packets; customer premise equipment (CPE) of the user coupled to said head end cable distribution device, said CPE including means for demodulating said segregated packets and packet receiving means coupled to said demodulating means for identifying packets addressed to said user, said packet receiving means transmitting packets identified as addressed to said user to a computer associated with the user'"'"'s CPE.
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9. A telecommunication method for communications between users and information providers by using cable transmission channels to transport information to the users'"'"' customer premise equipment and other transmission channels to carry users'"'"' requests from the users'"'"' customer premises equipment, the other transmission channels being transported by a transmission medium physically separate from the transmission medium that transports the cable transmission channels, the method comprising:
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transmitting a user generated request for service on one of said other transmission channels; receiving said user generated request carried on one of said transmission channels, each of said user generated requests having a destination of one of said information providers; transmitting each of said requests through a separate communication network to one of the destination information providers; concurrently supporting the receipt of at least one high-speed data channel from each of said information providers, said at least one high-speed data channel carrying packets of data wherein at least some of the packets of data have a destination address associated with one user'"'"'s customer premise equipment; segregating said received packets based on which users are served by each of the cable transmission channels; encoding said segregated packets onto respective cable transmission channels; receiving at least one stream of said segregated packets; demodulating said segregated packets; identifying packets addressed to said user, said identified packets addressed to said user transmitted to a computer associated with the user'"'"'s CPE.
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10. In a telecommunication network that supports communications between users and information service providers by selectively using high-speed cable transmission channels and low-speed transmission channels to transport information to the users'"'"' customer premises equipment, the low-speed transmission channels also utilized to carry users'"'"' requests from the users'"'"' customer premises equipment, the low speed transmission channels supported by transmission medium physically separate from the transmission medium that supports the high-speed cable transmission channels, a split channel bridging apparatus comprising:
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means for receiving user generated requests carried on said lower speed transmission channels, each of said user generated requests having a destination of one of said service providers; means coupled to said receiving means for transmitting each of said requests to the destination service providers; means for concurrently supporting the receipt of at least one data channel from each of said service providers, said at least one data channel carrying packets of data wherein each packet of data has a destination address associated with one user'"'"'s customer premise equipment; processor means coupled to said supporting means for selecting one of said high-speed cable transmission channels and low-.speed transmission channels for carrying said data to the users'"'"' customer premise equipment; routing means, coupled to and responsive to said processor means, for segregating said received packets based on whether said processing means has selected said data to be carded by one of said high-speed cable transmission channels; and modulating means, coupled to said routing means and responsive to said processor means selecting one of said high-speed cable transmission channels to carry said data, for encoding said segregated packets on said one high-speed cable transmission channel for delivery to the associated user for said data. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification