System for interactively distributing information services

• US 6,253,375 B1
• Filed: 12/03/1997
• Issued: 06/26/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast IP Holdings I LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: DIVA Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Knight, Stanley, Gordon, Donald, Star, Jack Van der, Goode, Christopher, Chin, Danny
• Primary Examiner(s): GRANT, CHRISTOPHER C
• Application Number:
  US08/984,710
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: H04/N.710, H04/N.714, H04/N.716, H04/N.7173, 345/326, 345/327, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 395/200.47, 395/200.49, 455/3.1, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.2
• US Class Current: 725/88
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

An interactive information distribution system includes service provider equipment for generating an information stream that is coupled to an information channel and transmitted to subscriber equipment. The service provider also generates a command signal that is coupled to a command channel and transmitted to the subscriber equipment. The service provider also receives information manipulation requests from the subscriber via a back channel. A communication network supporting the information channel, command channel and back channel is coupled between the service provider equipment and the subscriber equipment.

Claims

1. A method for distributing information through an interactive information distribution system comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a session manager, a request for a session, where said request is propagated from a subscriber terminal to said session manager via a back channel of a communication network;

creating a session for said subscriber terminal;

transmitting a menu structure to said subscriber terminal through which the subscriber terminal requests specific information sequences;

receiving, at said session manager, a request for an information sequence, where said request is propagated from said subscriber terminal to said session manager via said back channel of said communication network

requesting an information server to fulfill said request by supplying said session manager with said requested information sequence;

transmitting said information sequence to said subscriber terminal via an information channel through said communication network;

transmitting a command signal to said subscriber terminal via a command channel through said communication network;

decoding said information sequence in response to said command signals within said subscriber terminal;

transmitting information manipulation requests from said subscriber terminal to said session manager via said back channel;

manipulating said information sequence in response to said information manipulation requests while said session manager is transmitting said information sequence to said subscriber terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

receiving a second request for a second session from said subscriber terminal; and

creating a second session for said subscriber terminal.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the method further comprises the step of:

switching between said sessions in response to a request from said subscriber terminal.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

randomly assigning and altering a terminal identification number (TID) assigned to said subscriber terminal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein each information sequence is identified by a program identification number (PID) and said method further comprises the step of:

randomly altering the PID for said information sequences.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said subscriber terminal is presented with a barker channel as one channel within a conventional cable television channel set and said subscriber terminal requests said session via said barker channel.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the information server provides a time division multiplexed data stream having a plurality of packets, each packet contains a TID and a PID whereby the requested program is addressed by the information server for transmission to a particular subscriber terminal.