Audio/video signal redistribution system

• US 6,567,981 B1
• Filed: 03/10/2000
• Issued: 05/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Northvu Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Elysium Broadband Inc.
• Inventors: Jeffrey, Ross A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kostak, Victor R.
• Application Number:
  US09/522,940
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 725/78, 725/80, 725/82, 725/83, 725/85, 725/118, 348/706, 348/705, 348/731, 348/732
• US Class Current: 725/80
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/08 specially adapted for optional reception of entertainment or informative matter
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• 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 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6137 : involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 : Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 : for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 : the cable being constituted by a pair of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 : Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A system for redistributing a multiple input audio/video and data signals having a redistributing device equipped to receive signals in a multiple formats and redistribute a selected signal to a user'"'"'s premises over conductors, preferably existing twisted-pair telephone wire. The redistributing device is in interactive communication with a communications interface located in the user'"'"'s premises which receives user-input control signals and contains switching circuitry which routes the selected signal to the user'"'"'s premises where it is received by the receiving unit such as a television receiver. A single redistributing device services an entire multi-user network from a common distribution point, and services multiple users independently. The system of the invention does not interfere with normal use of the telephone network, so users can interactively access services provided by the system and use the telephone at the same time. In one preferred embodiment the system of the invention dynamically allocates frequencies and modulation techniques to various output signals, to maximize spectral efficiency and minimize interference and cross-talk.

Claims

1. A system for redistributing a plurality of audio/video and data signals over conductors, comprising

a server, and

a redistributor for receiving a plurality of input signals, comprising for each input signal, a demodulator for demodulating the signal, the server controlling an output channel selection of the input signal responsive to one or more control signals input into a communications interface,

wherein the redistributor dynamically selects and allocates a redistribution frequency suitable for each output signal based on one or more of:

attenuation due to interference from other sources, attenuation due to cable length, signal loss, signal-to-noise ratio, data density of the output signal and signal sharing with other output signals.

2. The system of claim 1 in which the redistributor further selects a modulation technique for the output signal.

3. The system of claim 1 in which the server records subscriber usage information for designated output signals.

4. The system of claim 3 in which the server comprises software for invoicing subscribers based on usage of designated output signals over a specified period.

5. The system of claim 1 in which the output of the redistributor is transmitted to the communications interface over one or more twisted pairs of a telephone wire.

6. The system of claim 5 in which the one or more control signals are transmitted to the redistributor over a twisted pair of a telephone wire which carries a telephone signal, the one or more control signals being modulated at a frequency which does not interfere with the telephone signal.

7. The system of claim 1 in which the communications interface includes an optical interface for receiving the one or more control signals from an infrared remote control device.

8. The system of claim 1 in which the communications interface includes a data interface for receiving data from a keyboard, joystick, card reader, bar code reader or other data providing device.

9. The system of claim 1 in which the communications interface modulates the output of the redistributor to a selected channel or channels of the receiving device.

10. The system of claim 9 in which the output signal comprises a plurality of superposed signals, whereby each of a plurality of communications interfaces within a single subscriber premises is tuned to a different frequency so as to transmit to its associated receiver one of the superposed signals.

11. A method of redistributing a plurality of audio/video and data signals to a plurality of communications interfaces over conductors, comprising the steps of

(a) receiving a plurality of input signals at a signal redistributor,

(b) demodulating each input signal,

(c) processing each input signal to a format suitable for switching,

(d) switching an output of the redistributor according to one or more control signals input into a communications interface,

(e) selecting and allocating a redistribution frequency suitable for the output signal based on one or more of:

attenuation due to interference from other sources, attenuation due to cable length, signal loss, signal-to-noise ratio, data density of the output signal and signal sharing with other output signals, and

(f) routing the output of the redistributor to the communications interface for transmission to a receiving device.

12. The method of claim 11 including the step of selecting a modulation technique for the output signal.

13. The method of claim 11 in which the server records subscriber usage information for designated output signals.

14. The method of claim 13 in which the server comprises software for invoicing subscribers based on usage of designated output signals over a specified period.

15. The method of claim 11 in which the output of the redistributor is transmitted to the communications interface over one or more twisted pairs of a telephone wire.

16. The method of claim 15 in which the one or more control signals are transmitted to the redistributor over a twisted pair of a telephone wire which carries a telephone signal, the one or more control signals being modulated at a frequency which does not interfere with the telephone signal.

17. The method of claim 11 in which the communications interface includes an optical interface for receiving the one or more control signals from an infrared remote control device.

18. The method of claim 11 in which the communications interface modulates the output of the redistributor to a selected channel or channels of the receiving device.

19. The method of claim 18 in which the output signal comprises a plurality of superposed signals, including the step of tuning each of a plurality of communications interfaces within a single subscriber premises to a different frequency so as to transmit to its associated receiver one of the superposed signals.

20. The method of claim 11 in which the step of processing each input signal to a format suitable for switching comprises matching the impedance of the demodulated input signal to the output impedance of the redistributor, raising the baseband of the demodulated input signal, equalizing the high frequency components and increasing the level of chroma of the demodulated input signal, and increasing the peak-to-peak voltage of the demodulated input signal.