System for distributing video/audio files from central location to a plurality of cable headends
First Claim
1. A method of transmitting a digital video data file from a distribution station to a cable television or CATV headend, said method comprising the steps of:
- a) selecting a data file at said distribution station for transmission to said cable headend;
b) after said selecting step, dividing or segmenting said digital data video file into a plurality of data packets, each packet including a header and a data payload section;
c) using a satellite to transmit said data packets to said cable headend;
d) identifying at said headend which of said packets are in error and need to be re-transmitted from said distribution station to said headend;
e) requesting from said headend that said distribution station re-transmit said packets identified as being in error;
f) deciding at the distribution station whether re-transmission is to be done via a land-link or via the satellite; and
g) re-transmitting said identified packets from said distribution station to said headend over one of said land-link interconnecting said distribution station and said headend and said satellite as determined in said deciding step so as to allow said headend to more quickly and economically receive said video file.
16 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method for ensuring accurate reception of digitally encoded files that are transmitted in non-real time from a distribution station to a plurality of receiving stations, e.g. cable headends. Each file is divided into a plurality of data packets, with the packets being transmitted via satellite to the headends. Each headend determines which packets are in error (i.e. missing or jumbled) and need to be re-transmitted to the headend from the distribution station. After such a determination, each headend communicates a request over a land-link, e.g. telephone line or internet, to the distribution station requesting re-transmission of the packets in error. The distribution station then re-transmits these particular packets either via the land-link or the satellite. Re-transmission in non-real time via the land-link allows the headend to simultaneously receive packets via satellite and land-link so as to reduce the time taken to transmit files from the distribution station to the headends. The different land-links coupling the distribution station to each receiving station allow different data packets to simultaneously be re-transmitted to different receiving stations.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of transmitting a digital video data file from a distribution station to a cable television or CATV headend, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) selecting a data file at said distribution station for transmission to said cable headend; b) after said selecting step, dividing or segmenting said digital data video file into a plurality of data packets, each packet including a header and a data payload section; c) using a satellite to transmit said data packets to said cable headend; d) identifying at said headend which of said packets are in error and need to be re-transmitted from said distribution station to said headend; e) requesting from said headend that said distribution station re-transmit said packets identified as being in error; f) deciding at the distribution station whether re-transmission is to be done via a land-link or via the satellite; and g) re-transmitting said identified packets from said distribution station to said headend over one of said land-link interconnecting said distribution station and said headend and said satellite as determined in said deciding step so as to allow said headend to more quickly and economically receive said video file. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A system for transmitting video/audio digital file data from a distribution station to a plurality of cable television or CATV headends, said system comprising:
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a hard drive storage disposed at said distribution station, said hard drive storage for storing digital video/audio files to be sent to said cable headends; a file transmitter server (TS) located at said distribution station for retrieving files from said hard drive storage so that said files may be transmitted to said cable headends in less than real time; means at said distribution station for dividing each of said files into a plurality of data packets, each packet having a data or payload section and a header section; satellite transmission means for transmitting said data packets via satellite to each of said cable headends, each said headend having receiving means for receiving said data packets from said satellite transmission means; a land-link connecting each of said cable headends with said distribution station wherein the number of land-links substantially corresponds to the number of cable headends; error detection means at each of said headends for identifying which, if any, of said packets received from said distribution station are in error and need to be re-transmitted; re-transmission request means at each of said headends for sending an error signal over a corresponding one of said land-links from said headend to said distribution station, said error signal identifying (positively or negatively) specific packets which need to be re-transmitted from said distribution station to the requesting headend(s); re-transmission means at said distribution station for re-transmitting said specific packets identified by said re-transmission request means to said requesting headend(s); decision making means at said distribution station for determining whether said re-transmission of said specific packets is to be done via said land-link or said satellite transmission means; and means at each of said headends for storing said received packet data, said received data to be distributed over a cable television network to a plurality of subscribers at a later time. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method of transferring/transmitting a digital data file from a first station to a second station, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) storing a plurality of digital data files in a storage area at said first station; b) instructing a file server at said first station to transmit a file to said second station; c) retrieving said file via said file server from said storage area at said first station; d) dividing said file into a plurality of data packets, each packet having a header section and a data payload section; e) adding error identification data to each of said data packets; f) transmitting said data packets via satellite or microwave to said second station; g) analyzing said error identification data from each of said data packets at said second station so as to identify which of said packets are in error and need to be re-transmitted to said second station from said first station; h) requesting, via a land-link connecting said first and second stations, said first station to re-transmit said packets identified in step g) to be in error; i) deciding whether to re-transmit via the land-link or via the satellite or microwave and re-transmitting from said first station to said second station via one of said land-link and said satellite or microwave said packets requested in step h) depending upon the transmission medium determined in said deciding step; j) receiving said re-transmitted packets at said second station by way of a data interface device; and k) storing said re-transmitted data at said second station adjacent the previously transmitted correctly received and stored data of said file. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification