System for distributing broadcast television services identically on a first bandwidth portion of a plurality of express trunks and interactive services over a second bandwidth portion of each express trunk on a subscriber demand basis

• US 5,557,316 A
• Filed: 09/29/1994
• Issued: 09/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ActiveVideo Networks, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ICTV, Inc.
• Inventors: Hoarty, W. Leo, Soske, Joshua W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, David E.
• Application Number:
  US08/315,283
• Time in Patent Office: 719 Days
• US Class Current: 725/114
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2203/04802 3D-info-object: information is displayed on the internal or external surface of a three dimensional manipulable object, e.g. on the faces of a cube that can be rotated by the user
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04815 Interaction with a metaphor-based environment or interaction object displayed as three-dimensional, e.g. changing the user viewpoint with respect to the environment or object
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/085 using a television receiver, e.g. viewdata system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/48 using compressed domain processing techniques other than decoding, e.g. modification of transform coefficients, variable length coding [VLC] data or run-length data motion estimation in a transform domain H04N19/547; processing of decoded motion vectors H04N19/513
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/90 using coding techniques not provided for in groups H04N19/10-H04N19/85, e.g. fractals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/17372 the upstream transmission being initiated or timed by a signal from upstream of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4318 by altering the content in the rendering process, e.g. blanking, blurring or masking an image region image enhancement or restoration in general G06T5/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• 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 21/6168 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 : Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 : Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 : Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17345 : Control of the passage of the selected programme

Abstract

An interactive television information system having a node in television communication between a source of television information services and a plurality of home interface controllers. Each subscriber television is associated with a home interface controller. The home interface controllers receive the television information signals and include a data transceiver for data communications with the node. Express trunks deliver television information services to groups of subscribers. Each trunk includes a first bandwidth portion for carrying broadcast television signals in the same manner on each trunk. A second bandwidth portion carries television information services on a demand basis. The node responds to subscriber requests by selecting television information services for delivery over the second bandwidth portion of the express trunk coupled to the requesting home interface controller.

Claims

1. An interactive television information system, for providing interactive cable television service over a cable television system distribution network, the interactive television system comprising:

an information source means for supplying a plurality of information services;

a plurality of home interface controller means, each such home interface controller means providing an output in communication with an associated subscriber television and having (i) a signal input for television information signals and input selection means for selecting a given one of the television information signals at the signal input, (ii) channel selection means for permitting a user to select an apparent channel, and (iii) a data transceiver operative over a data communications link;

wherein the cable television distribution network is included in the interactive television information system and includes a plurality of express trunks, each trunk coupled to a group of the home interface controller means and including a first bandwidth portion carrying non-interactive television information services that are substantially identical in nature and bandwidth allocation among all trunks, and a second bandwidth portion carrying the selected television information services on a demand basis established by subscriber usage of the group of the home interface controller means utilizing each trunk for service; and

node means, in television communication with the information source means and with the groups of the home interface controller means over the plurality of express trunks, and in data communications with the groups of the home interface controller means over the data communications link, for selecting information services obtained from the information source means based on data obtained over the data communications link from each such home interface controller means and providing each selected information service for delivery by the express trunk coupled to such requesting home interface controller means.

2. A system according to claim 1, including a collection of neighboring home interface controller means, wherein the data communications link includes a return path from each of the home interface controller means to the node means and the return path includes a common trunk line for the collection of neighboring home interface controller means.

3. A system according to claim 1, wherein the distribution network further includes:

a main trunk carrying television information signals for non-interactive information services from the node means to the express trunks,

an interactive trunk carrying television information signals for information services on a demand basis from the node means to each of the express trunks,

splitter means for splitting from the interactive trunk the television information signals for information services on a demand basis for each of the express trunks, and

coupling means for coupling the signals from the main trunk and the splitter means to feed each of the express trunks.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein television information signals delivered by the cable television distribution network include television information signals delivered on a time-shared basis, each settop controller includes means for selecting the time slice assigned to a desired television information signal, and the signal assignment data can identify a television information signal of a given time slice.

4. An interactive television information system for use on a cable television system having (i) a source of broadcast television information signals, (ii) a cable television distribution network for delivering television information signals to subscriber televisions, and (iii) a plurality of settop controllers connected to the cable television distribution network, each settop controller providing an associated subscriber television with one of the television information signals in response to an associated channel control means operable by the subscriber, said interactive television information system comprising:

headend means for accessing any of a plurality of television information services;

a plurality of home interface control means, each of such home interface control means associated with each settop controller and including a data transceiver operative over a data communications link;

wherein the cable television distribution network is included in the interactive television information system and includes a plurality of express trunks, each trunk coupled to a group of the settop controllers and including a first bandwidth portion carrying broadcast television information signals such that they are substantially identical in nature and bandwidth allocation among all trunks, and a second bandwidth portion carrying television information services on a demand basis established by subscriber usage of the home interface control means associated with the group of settop controllers;

node means, in television communication with the headend means and in television communication with the plurality of settop controllers over the cable television distribution network, and in data communication with the plurality of home interface control means over the data communications link, for selecting television information services obtained through the headend means based on data obtained over the data communications link from home interface control means and for providing selected television information services to said cable distribution network for delivery in the second bandwidth portion of the express trunk coupled to the settop controller associated with the requesting home interface control means.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein each of said home interface control means further includes means, responsive to signal assignment data received over the data communications link from said node means, for causing the respective settop controller to provide the associated subscriber television with the television information signal determined by the signal assignment data when the channel control means makes an interactive node selection.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein each of the television information signals delivered by the cable television distribution network has a different carrier frequency, each settop controller includes means for tuning to a desired information signal carrier frequency, and the signal assignment data identifies a television information signal of a given carrier frequency.

8. The system of claim 4, including a collection of neighboring home interface control means, wherein the data communications link includes a return path from each of the home interface control means to the node means and the return path includes a common trunk line for the collection of neighboring home interface control means.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the node means is disposed in a headend of the cable television distribution network.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein with each home interface control means there is associated a remote unit having controls for moving a cursor displayed on the associated subscriber television and for making a selection;

and

each node means further includes interactive means (i) for providing, based on information received over the data communications link from one of the home interface control means, content of the given television information signal to cause a display, on the subscriber television associated with the one of the home interface control means, to permit the associated remote unit to move the cursor thereon and to make a selection and (ii) for processing the information constituting the selection to give effect thereto, thereby providing interactive television service to the subscriber television associated with the one of the home interface control means.