Apparatus, method and article of manufacture for transmitting data over a satellite

• US 6,584,082 B1
• Filed: 01/15/1999
• Issued: 06/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/16/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: WorldCom, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Garrity, Martin M., Heneghan, John C., Howser, James L., Willis, Edward D.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, DUC M
• Application Number:
  US09/232,266
• Time in Patent Office: 1,621 Days
• Field of Search: 370/310, 370/312, 370/313, 370/314, 370/321, 370/322, 370/326, 370/337, 370/347, 370/325, 370/316, 370/349, 370/486, 370/487, 455/3.01, 455/3.02, 455/12.1, 455/427, 455/422, 455/426, 709/217, 709/201
• US Class Current: 370/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18584 Arrangements for data networking, i.e. for data packet routing, for congestion control data switching networks H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/63 Routing a service request depending on the request content or context

Abstract

Calls are routed in a hybrid telecommunications system including a switched communications network and a packet transmission network. A gateway server provides file transfer services in response to a user initiating a call. Calls and data are routed over a hybrid network including a satellite facility. The satellite facility receives data streams at a stream gateway, receives data files and stores and forwards the data files to file gateways as directed by a scheduling service according to the subscriber and the data. All data is multiplexed with authentication and session information and transmitted through orbiting satellite links or the Internet to a receiving facility. Transmission status is returned to the transmitting facility and the data is retransmitted accordingly. The receiving facility decodes the satellite transmission data and transmits the data to client device(s) as directed by a scheduling service according to the subscriber and the data.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting data via a hybrid telecommunications system that includes a switched communications network, a satellite broadcast facility, and a packet transmission network, the method comprising:

forwarding data files and data streams from a content provider facility;

receiving the data files and the data streams at a broadcast operation center, the receiving the data files and the data streams including;

receiving the data files and the data streams from the content provider facility at an input gateway,

exchanging scheduling information between the content provider facility and the input gateway,

storing the data files in the storage device for forwarding to an output gateway of the broadcast operation center based on the scheduling information, and

forwarding the data streams to the output gateway without storing the data streams in the storage device; and

transmitting the data files and the data streams from the output gateway to at least one client via the switched communications network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwarding data files and data streams further comprises:

facilitating communication between the content provider facility and the broadcast operation center, wherein the facilitating comprises;

transmitting at least one data stream and at least one data file to the broadcast operation center using a content provider gateway; and

scheduling at least one transmission with the broadcast operation center.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the data files and the data streams further comprises:

storing the scheduling information and subscription information in the storage device.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising:

receiving the data files at a file gateway of the input gateway;

forwarding the data files from the file gateway to the storage device;

receiving the scheduling information at the file gateway;

receiving at least one data stream from the content provider facility at a stream gateway of the output gateway; and

transmitting the at least one data stream to the uplink gateway.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the data files at a downlink gateway of a reception facility from the satellite broadcast facility via the switched communications network;

exchanging scheduling information between the downlink gateway and a local program menu database; and

transmitting the data files from the downlink gateway to at least one application service and at least one computer in response to the exchanged scheduling information.

6. A hybrid telecommunications system for media communication that includes a network, the system comprising:

a packet transmission network coupled to the network and including;

an input gateway that receives data files and the data streams and exchanges scheduling information regarding at least one of the data files and the data streams,

an information storage device that stores the data files, and

an output gateway that obtains the files according to the scheduling information and transmits the data files and the data streams to a reception facility via the network;

a satellite broadcast facility, coupled between the network and the packet transmission network, that broadcasts the data files and the data streams;

a call router coupled to the network and the packet transmission network that routes the data files and the data streams; and

a gateway server in communication with the call router configured to provide data transfer services to at least one user connected to the network.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the packet transmission network comprises:

a content provider facility that forwards the data files and the data streams; and

a broadcast operation center that receives the data files and the data streams from the content provider facility and transmits the data files and the data streams to at least one client at appropriate times via the network, the broadcast operation center including the input gateway, the information storage device, and the output gateway.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the content provider facility comprises a content provider gateway that facilitates communication between the content provider facility and the broadcast operation center by transmitting at least one data stream and at least one data file to the broadcast operation center and scheduling transmissions with the broadcast operation center.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the input gateway receives the data files and the data streams from the content provider facility and transmits scheduling information to and receives scheduling information from the content provider facility, the information storage device also stores schedule and subscription information, and the output gateway transmits the data streams from the broadcast operation center to the reception facility via the network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the input gateway comprises:

a file gateway that receives the data files transmitted to the broadcast operation center and forwards the data files to the information storage device and receives the scheduling information;

a schedule gateway that exchanges scheduling information with the content provider facility; and

a stream gateway that receives at least one data stream from the content provider facility and transmits the at least one data stream to the output gateway and receives scheduling information from the information storage device.

11. The system of claim 6, wherein the reception facility comprises a downlink gateway that receives at least one data packet from the packet transmission network via the network and transmits and receives scheduling information having a local program menu data.

12. A system for delivering data from a content source to at least one destination comprising:

a transmitting facility coupled to the content source and comprising;

a content provider facility for forwarding data that includes data files and data streams, and

a broadcast operation center coupled to the content provider facility for receiving the data from the content provider facility;

a transmission means in communication with the transmitting facility for transmitting data; and

a receiving facility for receiving data and forwarding the data to the at least one destination in accordance with a predetermined schedule;

wherein the content provider facility in combination with the broadcast operation center includes;

a content provider gateway that facilitates communication between the content provider facility and the broadcast operation center by transmitting data to the broadcast operation center and scheduling transmissions with the broadcast operation center,

an input gateway that receives data from the content provider facility and exchanges scheduling information with the content provider facility, and

an output gateway that receives data files from the input gateway based on the scheduling information and according to a first transmission technique and data streams from the input gateway according to a second transmission technique and transmits data from the broadcast operation center to the receiving facility.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first transmission technique is a store-and-forward technique.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the second transmission technique is a direct forwarding technique.