Data carousel franchise provisioning

• US 6,608,837 B1
• Filed: 10/08/1998
• Issued: 08/19/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brodigan, Donald L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Olms, Douglas
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, BRIAN D
• Application Number:
  US09/168,541
• Time in Patent Office: 1,776 Days
• Field of Search: 370/432, 370/389, 370/395.1, 370/396, 370/397, 370/400, 370/401, 370/409, 370/353, 370/354, 370/355, 370/356, 370/395.2, 370/486, 370/487, 370/493, 370/498, 709/203, 709/206, 709/352
• US Class Current: 370/432
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5601 Transfer mode dependent, e.g. ATM
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5664 Support of Video, e.g. MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23617 by inserting additional data into a data carousel, e.g. inserting software modules into a DVB carousel arrangements for broadcast or for distribution of identical information repeatedly in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/16
• 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 21/4349 by extracting from data carousels, e.g. extraction of software modules from a DVB carousel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4508 Management of client data or end-user data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47211 for requesting pay-per-view content payment schemes payment architectures or payment protocols G06Q20/00, G07F
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

Data is provisioned from a data carousel in the head end of a broadband data distribution system covering a plurality of franchises. The data destination is based on the franchise to which a customer belongs. The distribution system includes at least one broadband digital terminal for providing a point-to-multipoint connection between the data carousel and the customer. A franchise permanent virtual circuit is established between the data carousel and the BDT for each franchise served by the BDT. Each franchise PVC carries franchise-specific data. A sign on request is received from the customer over a customer PVC. The sign on request is used to determine to which franchise the customer belongs. A soft PVC is established in the BDT between the customer PVC and the franchise PVC corresponding to the determined franchise, thereby allowing franchise-specific information to be delivered to the customer.

Claims

1. A method for provisioning data from a data carousel in a head end of a broadband data distribution system covering a plurality of franchises wherein data destination is based on the franchise to which a customer belongs, the distribution system including at least one broadband digital terminal (BDT) in communication with the data carousel and in communication with the customer, the BDT operable to provide a connection between the data carousel and the customer, the method comprising:

establishing a franchise permanent virtual circuit (PVC) between the data carousel and at least one BDT for each franchise served by the BDT, each franchise PVC carrying franchise-specific data;

receiving a sign on request from the customer over a customer PVC between the customer and the BDT;

determining to which franchise the customer belongs based on the sign on request; and

establishing a soft PVC in the BDT between the customer PVC and the franchise PVC corresponding the determined franchise.

2. A method for provisioning data to a customer as in claim 1 wherein the data comprises at least one type of information from a set including an electronic programming guide (EPG) for each franchise;

public, education, and government (PEG) programming information for each franchise; and

pay-per-view (PPV) selections for each franchise.

3. A method for provisioning data to a customer as in claim 1 wherein the data is delivered through a set-top box (STB) within the customer premises, the data comprising at least one file to be downloaded to the STB, the at least one file based on the franchise to which the customer belongs.

4. A method for provisioning data to a customer as in claim 1 wherein the franchise PVC is identified by a unique franchise service handle.

5. A method for provisioning data to a customer as in claim 1 wherein the customer PVC is established through a universal access multiplexer (USAM) in communication with the at least one BDT, the customer connected to the USAM through a port having a port number, the method further comprising establishing a profile for each customer, the profile including the USAM and the port number to which the customer is connected associated with the franchise to which the customer belongs.

6. A method for provisioning data to a customer as in claim 5 wherein determining to which franchise the customer belongs comprises finding the profile containing the USAM and port number received in the sign on request.

7. A broadband system for provisioning data to customers, each customer belonging to a franchise, the system comprising:

a head end including a data carousel, the data carousel providing franchise-based data; and

at least one broadband digital terminal (BDT) in communication with the head end data carousal and in communication with customers served by the BDT, the BDT operative to

(a) support a franchise permanent virtual circuit (PVC) between the data carousel and the BDT for each franchise served by the BDT,

(b) establish a PVC between each customer served by the BDT and the BDT,

(c) receive a sign on request from a requesting customer over the customer PVC between the requesting customer and the BDT,

(d) determine to which franchise the requesting customer belongs based on the sign on request, and

(e) establish a soft PVC in the BDT between the requesting customer PVC and the franchise PVC corresponding to the determined franchise.

8. A broadband system for provisioning data to customers as in claim 7 wherein the data comprises at least one type of information from a set including an electronic programming guide (EPG) for each franchise;

public, education, and government (PEG) programming information for each franchise; and

pay-per-view (PPV) selections for each franchise.

9. A broadband system for provisioning data to customers as in claim 7 wherein the data is delivered through a set-top box (STB) within the customer premises, the data comprising at least one file to be downloaded to the STB, the at least one file based on the franchise to which the customer belongs.

10. A broadband system for provisioning data to customers as in claim 7 wherein the franchise PVC is identified by a unique franchise service handle.

11. A broadband system for provisioning data to customers as in claim 7 further comprising at least one universal access multiplexer (USAM) in communication with the at least one BDT, the customer connected to the USAM through a port having a port number, the BDT further operable to establish a profile for each customer in communication with the BDT, the profile including the USAM and the port number to which the customer is connected associated with the franchise to which the customer belongs.

12. A broadband system for provisioning data to customers as in claim 11 wherein the BDT is further operative to determine to which franchise the customer belongs by finding the profile containing the USAM and port number received in the sign on request.

13. A broadband system for provisioning data to customers as in claim 11 further comprising a business system interface (BSI) in communication with the BDT, the BSI operative to transmit the customer profile to the BDT.

14. A broadband digital terminal (BDT) for provisioning franchise-dependent data to customers, each customer belonging to a franchise, the BDT comprising:

at least one input port operative to support a franchise permanent virtual circuit (PVC) for each franchise served by the BDT, each PVC for receiving franchise-dependent data from a data carousel in a head end;

a plurality of output ports, each output port operative to support a plurality of customer PVCs, each customer PVC serving at least one customer;

an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switch operative to form a point-to-multipoint connection between the at least one input port and at least one output port; and

a control unit in communication with the at least one input port, each output port, and the ATM switch, the control unit operative to

(a) receive a sign on request from a requesting customer over the customer PVC,

(b) determine to which franchise the requesting customer belongs based on the sign on request, and

(c) set the ATM switch to establish a soft PVC between the requesting customer PVC and the franchise PVC corresponding to the determined franchise.

15. A BDT for provisioning data to customers as in claim 14 wherein the data comprises at least one type of information from a set including an electronic programming guide (EPG) for each franchise;

public, education, and government (PEG) programming information for each franchise; and

pay-per-view (PPV) selections for each franchise.

16. A BDT for provisioning data to customers as in claim 14 wherein the data is delivered through a set-top box (STB) within the customer premises, the data comprising at least one file to be downloaded to the STB, the at least one file based on the franchise to which the customer belongs.

17. A BDT for provisioning data to customers as in claim 14 wherein the franchise PVC is identified by a unique franchise service handle.

18. A BDT for provisioning data to customers as in claim 14 wherein at least one universal access multiplexer (USAM) is in communication with the at least one BDT, the customer connected to the USAM through a port having a port number, the BDT further comprising a database including a profile for each customer in communication with the BDT, the profile including the USAM and the port number to which the customer is connected associated with the franchise to which the customer belongs.

19. A broadband system for provisioning data to customers as in claim 18 wherein the control unit is further operative to receive the USAM and port number in the sign on request and to determine to which franchise the customer belongs by finding the profile containing the received USAM and port number.