Hybrid multichannel data transmission system utilizing a broadcast medium
DCFirst Claim
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1. A data transmission system, comprising:
- a plurality of clients at remote locations;
transmission means for transmitting broadcast signals in at least one broadcast channel to said remote locations;
distribution control means for controlling the distribution of downstream data to said clients;
inserter means responsive to said distribution control means for inserting said downstream data in said at least one broadcast channel;
router means for routing said downstream data received from remote systems and addressed to particular ones of said plurality of clients, said router routes said downstream data to said distribution control means;
first communications linking means for coupling said router means and said distribution control means; and
a plurality of receiving means for receiving said downstream data from said broadcasting signals, each one of said plurality of receiving means being associated with one of said plurality of clients;
wherein said distribution control means transmits receiving instructions to said plurality of receiving means, said receiving instructions instruct said plurality of receiving means how to receive said downstream data addressed to said plurality of clients.
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Abstract
The system and apparatus of the present invention includes, a triangular topology consisting of: 1) a distributor at the broadcast point which receives data and then transmits this data on the uni-directional broadcast channels, 2) a plurality of clients which receive this data and periodically connect to 3) a router which receives the requests and acknowledgments from the clients, and services these requests through its connections to remote systems such as networks, host computers, and the distributor.
193 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A data transmission system, comprising:
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a plurality of clients at remote locations; transmission means for transmitting broadcast signals in at least one broadcast channel to said remote locations; distribution control means for controlling the distribution of downstream data to said clients; inserter means responsive to said distribution control means for inserting said downstream data in said at least one broadcast channel; router means for routing said downstream data received from remote systems and addressed to particular ones of said plurality of clients, said router routes said downstream data to said distribution control means; first communications linking means for coupling said router means and said distribution control means; and a plurality of receiving means for receiving said downstream data from said broadcasting signals, each one of said plurality of receiving means being associated with one of said plurality of clients; wherein said distribution control means transmits receiving instructions to said plurality of receiving means, said receiving instructions instruct said plurality of receiving means how to receive said downstream data addressed to said plurality of clients. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. In a digital data transmission system in which digital data is addressably broadcast in at least one of the raster scan lines of a television channel to a client at a remote location, a receiving apparatus associated with said client comprising:
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tuner means for tuning to and demodulating a broadcast signal; receiver means coupled to said tuner means for extracting said data from said at least one of the raster scan lines of the demodulated broadcast signal; decoder means for decoding the address of said data from said receiver means to verify an address and obtain said data; control means responsive to external control signals transmitted to said client for commanding said receiver means to extract said data from said at least one of the raster scan lines. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15)
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16. In a digital data transmission system in which digital data is addressably broadcast in at least one broadcast transmission channel to a client at a remote location, a receiving apparatus associated with said client comprising:
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tuner means for tuning to and demodulating a broadcast signal; a receiver means coupled to said tuner means for receiving said data from said broadcast channel of the demodulated broadcast signal; a decoder means for decoding the address of said data from said receiver means to verify an address and obtain said data; a control means responsive to external control signals transmitted to said client for commanding said tuner means to tune to said at lease one broadcast channel containing said data. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. In a un-directional broadcasting system in which broadcast signals are transmitted from a broadcast point to a plurality of remote locations, a digital data transmission subsystem comprising:
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a distribution control means at said broadcast point for controlling the transmission of downstream data to said plurality of remote locations with said broadcast signals; and a plurality of clients at said remote locations, said plurality of clients receive said downstream data with said broadcast signals and for generating upstream data; and a router means for receiving said upstream data from said clients and for transmitting said downstream data to said distribution control means; wherein there is no immediate reverse channel between said distribution control means and said clients to acknowledge receipt of said downstream data by said clients during the transmission of said downstream data. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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Specification