High bandwidth broadcast system having localized multicast access to broadcast content
DCFirst Claim
1. An IP content distribution system of a type useable to distribute streaming IP content to Internet users, the distribution system, comprising:
- A. a satellite uplink;
B. a head-end providing streaming IP content to the satellite uplink according to a broadcasting schedule, said satellite uplink providing at least one uplink carrier carrying the streaming IP content to an extraterrestrial satellite that broadcasts the streaming IP content over at least one downlink carrier;
C. a plurality of downlink carrier satellite receiver systems located at a plurality of corresponding separate Internet gateways, said satellite receiver systems receiving the streaming IP content on a downlink carrier of the extraterrestrial satellite and providing said streaming IP content to said plurality of Internet gateways generally according to the broadcasting schedule, wherein the streaming IP content is forwarded, generally according the broadcasting schedule, to a plurality of Internet users communicating with said separate Internet gateways.
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Litigations
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Accused Products
Abstract
An arrangement for multicasting digital data to a user accessing an Internet connection is disclosed. The arrangement entails placing streaming digital data content that is to be multicast in IP protocol to generate streaming IP digital data. The streaming IP digital data is uplinked from a transmission site to a satellite and downlinked to one or more remote Internet gateways via a communications path that is substantially separate from the Internet backbone. A plurality of separate satellite receiver systems, which may be located at separate remote Internet gateways, are adapted to receive IP streaming content via downlink carrier from the satellite and provide the streaming IP content to an Internet gateway without providing substantial TCP confirmation of delivery. At a remote Internet gateway, the streaming IP digital data content is multicast for delivery as a one-way data stream to at least one receiving Internet user'"'"'s apparatus connected to but distant from the remote Internet gateway.
128 Citations
18 Claims
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1. An IP content distribution system of a type useable to distribute streaming IP content to Internet users, the distribution system, comprising:
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A. a satellite uplink;
B. a head-end providing streaming IP content to the satellite uplink according to a broadcasting schedule, said satellite uplink providing at least one uplink carrier carrying the streaming IP content to an extraterrestrial satellite that broadcasts the streaming IP content over at least one downlink carrier;
C. a plurality of downlink carrier satellite receiver systems located at a plurality of corresponding separate Internet gateways, said satellite receiver systems receiving the streaming IP content on a downlink carrier of the extraterrestrial satellite and providing said streaming IP content to said plurality of Internet gateways generally according to the broadcasting schedule, wherein the streaming IP content is forwarded, generally according the broadcasting schedule, to a plurality of Internet users communicating with said separate Internet gateways. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An Internet content distribution system of a type useable to distribute streaming audio or video IP content to Internet users, the distribution system, comprising:
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A. a satellite uplink;
B. a head-end system in communication with the satellite uplink and thereby providing streaming IP content to the satellite uplink according to a broadcasting schedule, said satellite uplink being adapted to uplink broadcast to at least one extraterrestrial satellite an uplink carrier carrying said IP streaming content, the extraterrestrial satellite providing the IP streaming content on a downlink carrier;
C. a plurality of remote Internet gateways each providing two-way Internet access to remote Internet users;
D. a plurality of remote satellite receiver systems, one of each of said satellite receivers systems respectively located at each of said remote Internet gateways and being adapted to receive the IP streaming content on the downlink carrier from the extraterrestrial satellite, each of said remote satellite receiver systems also including;
(i) a demultiplexer adapted to recover said streaming IP content from said downlink carrier and (ii) a router adapted to receive said streaming IP content and provide said IP content to an associated Internet gateway generally according to the broadcasting schedule;
whereby the streaming IP content is forwarded to a plurality of remote Internet users distant from the remote Internet gateway generally according the broadcasting schedule. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A media distribution system of a type useable to distribute video to Internet users when accessing the Internet, the media distribution system, comprising:
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A. a satellite uplink;
B. a video delivery system in communication with said satellite uplink and providing at least one video stream to said uplink;
C. the satellite uplink providing a satellite channel having predetermined bandwidth, said predetermined bandwidth being sufficient to transmit said video stream substantially in real time;
D. a plurality of remote Internet access gateways;
E. a plurality of remote satellite downlink systems, each one of said remote satellite downlink systems being in communication with one of said plurality of remote Internet access gateways;
F. each of said remote satellite downlink systems comprising at least a satellite demultiplexer receiver system and an Internet router system, said demultiplexer receiver system and Internet router system adapted to cooperatively recover said video stream from said satellite channel and provide access to said video stream substantially in real time to a plurality of remote Internet users distant from said one of said remote Internet access gateways. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification