System for interactively distributing information services having a remote video session manager

• US 6,305,019 B1
• Filed: 07/16/1998
• Issued: 10/16/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Charter Communications Operating LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: DIVA Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Dyer, Bradley L., Fronsdahl, Dwight Wesley, Randall, John Mark, Gill, Michael S., Goode, Christopher, Zack, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): GRANT, CHRISTOPHER C
• Application Number:
  US09/116,759
• Time in Patent Office: 1,188 Days
• Field of Search: 345/326, 345/327, 348/6, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 395/200.47, 395/200.44, 395/455, 455/3.1, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 725/92, 725/93, 725/87, 725/114, 725/116, 725/117, 725/118, 725/119, 725/95, 725/96, 725/97
• US Class Current: 725/91
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• 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. The service provider equipment contains two geographically distributed components: central server equipment and a remote video session manager. The central server equipment provides information streams to the remote video session manager in response to information manipulation commands. The remote video session manager monitors and controls distribution of the information stream'"'"'s substreams to a plurality of subscriber terminals.

Claims

1. An interactive information distribution system comprising:

central server equipment, located at a first geographic location, for generating a MPEG transport stream and a command signal, and for receiving information manipulation requests; and

a remote video session manager, located at a second geographic location, comprising an active splitter for demultiplexing said MPEG transport stream into a plurality of data streams where individual packets associated with a particular program are identified by a program identifier code, a plurality of digital video modulators coupled to said active splitter for modulating each of said data streams onto a carrier signal, where said carrier signals are each propagated from a respective digital video modulator to subscriber terminals via conductive paths from the digital video modulators to the subscriber terminals, and wherein each subscriber terminal extracts specific packets that are identified by a particular program identifier code.

2. The interactive information distribution system of claim 1 wherein each of said subscriber terminals receives said carrier signal and said command signal from said remote video session manager, and for generating said information manipulation requests that are coupled to said remote video session manager.

3. The interactive information distribution system of claim 2 wherein the remote video session manager controls a communication session between the central server equipment and the subscriber terminals.

4. The interactive information system of claim 1 wherein said remote video session manager contains a terminal server that monitors the status of the remote video session manager and communicates the status to the central server equipment.

5. The interactive information distribution system of claim 1 wherein said central server equipment multiplexes the MPEG transport stream onto a single information channel.

6. The interactive information distribution system of claim 1 wherein command signals and information manipulation requests are communicated between the remote video session manager and the central server equipment via fiber optic cables and fiber optic transceivers.

7. The interactive information distribution system of claim 1 wherein said central server equipment further comprises:

an information server for producing at least one sequence of information in response to a particular information manipulation request, where said sequence of information is communicated to the remote video session manager through a fiber optic cable;

an ETHERNET hub coupled to said information server, for communicating the command signals and the information manipulation requests to said information server;

a fiber optic transceiver, coupled to the ETHERNET hub, for performing bidirectional communications of the command signal and the information manipulation requests.

8. The interactive information distribution system of claim 7 wherein said remote video session manager further comprises:

a command channel modem for coupling said command to said command channel of a communication network, where said command is used by said subscriber equipment to decode and present said sequence of information.

9. The interactive information distribution system of claim 1 wherein said remote video session manager further comprises:

a command channel modulator; and

a back channel demodulator.

10. An interactive information distribution system comprising:

central server equipment, located at a first geographic location, for generating a packetized transport stream, a command signal, and for receiving information manipulation requests, and further comprising;

an information server for producing at least one sequence of information as a substream in response to a particular information manipulation request;

an ETHERNET hub coupled to said information server, for communicating the command signal and the information manipulation requests to said information server;

a fiber optic transceiver, coupled to the ETHERNET hub, for performing bi-directional communications of the command signal and the information manipulation requests;

a remote video session manager, located at a second geographic location, for distributing the packetized transport stream to a plurality of subscriber terminals and for communicating command signals to the subscriber terminals and communicating information manipulation requests to the central server equipment via a hybrid fiber channel communications link, where the remote video session manager controls a communication session between the central server equipment and the subscriber terminals, and the remote video session manager further comprises;

a terminal server that monitors the status of the remote video session manager and communicates the status to the central server equipment;

an active splitter for demultiplexing the packetized transport stream into a plurality of data streams and communicating each data stream in the plurality of data streams to a respective digital video modulator module for remodulating the data stream onto a carrier signal for transmission to the subscriber terminals;

the plurality of subscriber terminals receive said respective carrier signals and said command signal from said remote video session manager, and for generating said information manipulation requests that are coupled to said remote video session manager; and

a communication network, coupled between said remote video session manager and said subscriber terminals.

11. An interactive information distribution system comprising:

central server equipment, located at a first geographic location, for generating a packetized transport stream and a command signal, and for receiving information manipulation requests; and

a remote video session manager, located at a second geographic location, comprising an active splitter for demultiplexing said packetized transport stream into a plurality of data streams, a plurality of digital video modulators coupled to said active splitter for modulating each of said data streams onto a carrier signal where said carrier signals are each propagated from a respective digital video modulator to a subscriber terminal via a conductive path from the digital video modulator to the subscriber terminal, and wherein said remote video session manager contains a terminal server that monitors the status of the remote video session manager and communicates the status to the central server equipment.

12. An interactive information distribution system comprising:

central server equipment, located at a first geographic location, for generating a packetized transport stream and a command signal, and for receiving information manipulation requests;

a remote video session manager, located at a second geographic location, comprising an active splitter for demultiplexing said packetized transport stream into a plurality of data streams, a plurality of digital video modulators coupled to said active splitter for modulating each of said data streams onto a carrier signal where said carrier signals are each propagated from a respective digital video modulator to a subscriber terminal via an conductive path from the digital video modulator to the subscriber terminal;

an information server for producing at least one sequence of information in response to a particular information manipulation request, where said sequence of information is communicated to the remote video session manager through a fiber optic cable;

an ETHERNET hub coupled to said information server, for communicating the command signal and the information manipulation requests to said information server; and

a fiber optic transceiver, coupled to the ETHERNET hub, for performing bi-directional communications of the command signal and the information manipulation requests.

13. The interactive information distribution system of claim 12 wherein said remote video session manager further comprises:

a command channel modem for coupling said command to the command channel of a communication network, where said command is used by said subscriber equipment to decode and present said sequence of information.