Logical node identification in an information transmission network

• US 6,697,376 B1
• Filed: 11/08/1999
• Issued: 02/24/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: DIVA Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Son, Yong Ho, Rajdev, Nikhil
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ferris, Derrick W
• Application Number:
  US09/436,934
• Time in Patent Office: 1,569 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/389, 370/464, 370/465, 370/468, 370/475, 370/477, 370/480, 370/485, 370/487, 725/86, 725/87, 725/91, 725/95, 725/96, 725/97, 725/93, 725/119, 725/120, 709/226, 709/227, 709/231
• US Class Current: 370/465
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/103 using a shared central buffer; using a shared memory
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/201 Multicast operation; Broadcast operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• 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 21/64 Addressing network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00; support for multicast or broadcast of one-way stream services H04L65/611
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A system for generating and sending a Logical Node identification signal as part of a data stream is disclosed. The system also includes subscriber stations capable of receiving and extracting Logical Node identification information from a data stream. The subscriber stations create new messages including the Logical Node identification signal and send the message to the transmission network system control such that switching of data streams to appropriate channel over the information transmission network is done consistent with the network topology.

Claims

1. In a network characterized by channel reuse in transmission between intermediate nodes of the network and corresponding subscriber stations, a method of transmitting a requested program in response to a request by a subscriber station, the method comprising the steps of:

responding to a request for said requested program by transmitting, from said intermediate node, a network address of said requesting subscriber station to a control module;

assigning a channel between said requesting subscriber station and said intermediate node for transmission of said requested program;

transmitting, for receipt by the requesting subscriber station, a program identifier, which uniquely identifies the requested program;

assigning a logical identifier based on spectrum reuse, independent of physical organization of said subscriber stations on said network, to said intermediate node;

causing transmission of said requested program with information indicative of said program identifier and said logical identifier; and

receiving, at the control module, the program identifier and the logical identifier transmitted from the requesting subscriber station.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of switching the transmission of the requested program to the Logical Node and the program identifier transmitted from the requesting subscriber station to the control module.

8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said master control module selects a DVM and a channel for transmitting requested programs to the first subscriber station using the node identification values transmitted by the subscriber station to the master control module.

3. An apparatus for causing transmission of video programs over a network in response to requests for said video programs from subscriber stations coupled to said network by a corresponding one of a plurality of hubs, said apparatus comprising:

a plurality of control modules, each of said control modules controlling transmission of requested programs to a plurality of subscriber stations;

a node identifier for assigning a node identification value to said hub, said node identification value indicative of a correspondence between said hub and a corresponding one of said control modules;

a master control module for assigning said control modules to at least a first corresponding one of said hubs; and

wherein the master control module receives the node identification values transmitted from a first subscriber station.

4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said node identifier assigns said node identification value by periodically causing transmission of node identification values to each of said hubs in said network.

5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said master control module responds to a request from any one of said subscriber stations by identifying a corresponding one of said control modules to said requesting subscriber station.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein said node identification value comprises a single packet for all hubs.

7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said master control module causes a corresponding one of the control modules to transmit requested programs to the first subscriber station using the node identification values transmitted by the subscriber station to the master control module.

9. In a network characterized by channel reuse in transmission between a headend, the headend having a plurality of modulators, and a plurality of subscriber stations, a method for identifying a modulator communicating with a first subscriber station, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurally of logical node identification numbers;

assigning a logical node identification numbers to a data stream;

transmitting the assigned logical node identification number along with a data stream from the headend using one of the plurality of modulators to a first subscriber station;

receiving, at the headend, the logical node identification number and information identifying the first subscriber station sent from the first subscriber station; and

using the logical node identification number from the first subscriber station to identify a sending modulator from the plurality of modulators that is communicating with the first subscriber station.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the headend includes a digital video modulator that uses DVM quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM).

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising the step of identifying the predefined channel and the packet identification number from a copy of a distributed packed stored at a subscriber station.

12. The method of claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

disconnecting the first subscriber station from communication with the network at the first location;

re-connecting the first subscriber station for communication with the network at a second location;

receiving by first subscriber station a logical node identification number along with a data stream;

sending the logical node identification number and the first station identification information to the headend;

using the logical node identification number to identify a new sending modulator that is communicating with the first subscriber station.