Computer system and method for providing digital video and data over a communication channel

• US 6,434,562 B1
• Filed: 11/04/1998
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Original Assignee: Georgia Tech Research Corporation (University System of Georgia)
• Inventors: Eshleman, Matthew A., Pellegrini, Mark W., Pennywitt, Kirk, Dunn, Bryan W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CHEUNG, MARY DA ZHI WANG
• Application Number:
  US09/185,702
• Time in Patent Office: 1,378 Days
• Field of Search: 348/1, 348/2, 348/3, 348/4, 348/6, 348/7, 348/8, 348/9, 348/10, 725/109, 725/110, 725/119, 707/10
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64307 ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A computer system and method for providing digital video and data capitalizes on a bus, or broadcast backplane, created by circuitry contained within the central office. The broadcast backplane enables a plurality of video program data to be available to each end user, and allows a plurality of end users access to a plurality of video programming content without the necessity of delivering the entire program content to each end user. A user requests a particular program and, if authorized, receives at least that program over the communication channel. Simultaneous with the digital video content supplied on the channel is both bi-directional data service (such as for example, Internet data) and POTS (plain old telephone service). In this manner, a communication channel that is presently available to a large percentage of the population may be used to deliver digital video content, bi-directional data and POTS simultaneously. In addition, the digital video and data delivery system employs novel architecture to synchronize the timing of the digital video signal to ensure that the digital video program received by the user is of high quality and complies with the present state of the art MPEG-2 (motion picture experts group-2) video standard.

Claims

1. A software management system for managing a digital video and data delivery system in which a plurality of channels are simultaneously available to at least one user, and wherein said user may request at least one of said plurality of video channels, comprising:

means for managing a database containing user information;

means for managing a plurality of channels including a plurality of video channels available on a bus and at least one bi-directional data channel, wherein said bi-directional data channel allows for communication with networks selected from the group consisting of internal and external networks;

means for communicating with a plurality of central office master workstations in order to exchange information relating to said user information and said plurality of channels;

means for processing a request from said user to view one of said plurality of video channels, wherein said means for processing is located within a central office; and

means for delivering said at least one of said plurality of video channels and said at least one bi-directional data channel to said user over a communications channel.

2. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for interfacing said user information to a billing system.

3. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising means for simultaneously providing with said at least one video channel and said at least one bi-directional data channel, at least one telephone channel.

4. The system as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

means for monitoring each of said plurality of channels requested by said user in order to develop a viewing history for each said user;

means for recording said history to said database; and

means for communicating said history to a system management workstation.