Broadband communications network services access platform

• US 5,862,324 A
• Filed: 08/23/1994
• Issued: 01/19/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: KEEN Select Limited
• Original Assignee: Francis R. Collins
• Inventors: Collins, Francis R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US08/294,490
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 348/7-12, 395/200.5, 379/93
• US Class Current: 709/220
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/14 Charging , metering or billing arrangements for data wireline or wireless communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1453 Methods or systems for payment or settlement of the charges for data transmission involving significant interaction with the data transmission network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25883 being end-user demographical data, e.g. age, family status or address arrangements for identifying locations of users in broadcast systems H04H60/52
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

A system for controlling access to, service transmission from, and use of an information transmission network which provides an end-user with at will access to the broadband/narrowband service networks deployed in the cable television industry, telephone industry, the multi-media information/services network technology, and the video dial tone industry. Allows the end-user to control the type of services to which such end-user has access to. Network service providers have the ability to provide targeted commercials. Independent interfaced subsystems are combined to yield the network services access system.

Claims

1. A broadband communications network services access platform host that receives, transmits, processes, and stores information signals at the headend of a transmission network having elements including down-line network service access platforms, the transmission network carrying broadband optical and/or electrical signals which include control signals, and which represent voice information, digital and analog data information including customer billing information, and imagery information including video, the broadband communications network services access platform host comprising:

a. a means for storing information, such information including a host operating system;

b. a central processing unit-based broadband information network access controller, responsive to the operating system stored within the means for storing information, for controlling the transmission and receipt of digital information and control signals;

c. a receiving means, responsive to the network access controller, for receiving customer billing information from the network services access platforms; and

d. a communication means, responsive to the network access controller, for communicating with at least one network services access platform in the transmission network, the communication means output to the network services access platform including operating and application program data for the network services access platforms.

2. The network services access platform host of claim 1, in which the network further includes a network control center with a control center database, the host further including a means for interfacing with the network control center database.

3. The network service access platform host of claim 2, in which said network control center database includes an end-user specific database having a plurality of end-user specific records.

4. The network services access platform host of claim 1, further including a means for reporting network diagnostic data.

5. The network services access platform host of claim 4, in which said reporting means includes automating means for automatically accomplishing flow of said diagnostic data between the network control center and said host.

6. The network services access platform host of claim 5, in which said automating means includes a means for providing formatted and unformatted data output.

7. The network services access platform host of claim 1, in which said central processing unit includes at least one 2^N bit master processor and at least one 2^N-1 bit slave processor to increase processing power and speed.

8. The network services access platform host of claim 1, in which said means for storing information includes random access memory, read only memory, and mass storage memory, said mass storage memory including fixed and removable memory.

9. The network services access platform host of claim 1, in which said receiving means transmits program information to said communication means, for transmission of the program information to a network services access platform.

10. The network services access platform host of claim 1, in which said communication means includes a microprocessor, said microprocessor communicating with said central processing unit and controlling the flow of program data through said communication means.

11. The network service access platform host of claim 10, in which said communication means includes a means for formatting programming information into a readable format for said network services access platform prior to transmission.

12. The network services access platform host of claim 10, in which said communication means accepts addressed data from a network services access platform, and includes a means for translating accepted addressed data from said network services access platform into a readable format used by said host.