Centralized video controller for controlling distribution of video signals
First Claim
1. Apparatus for use at a prescribed local location to control the provision of video channels from a remote source at a remote location from the prescribed local location to a plurality of television sets at the prescribed local location, the apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of receivers associated with at least a prescribed number of said plurality of television sets for receiving control messages associated with said at least a prescribed number of said plurality of television sets, said plurality of receivers including a prescribed number of receivers equal to a prescribed number of video program units in a plurality of video program units, and wherein said control messages each includes at least a first field for containing an identity related to an associated one of said prescribed number of television sets and a second field for containing a selected channel number;
a generator supplied with said received control messages for generating video channel selection messages;
a transmitter for transmitting said video channel selection messages toward said source for controlling said remote source to supply video programs on a one-to-one basis corresponding to said video channel selection messages;
said plurality of video program units, each for receiving video channels transmitted from said remote source in response to said transmitted video channel selection messages and for supplying as an output a video channel carrying video program signals on said selected channel, each of said video program units including a storage unit for storing a selected channel number identifying a particular video program unit with a selected channel number;
a combiner for combining said received video channel from each of said plurality of video program units, a resulting combined video channel signal to be supplied as an output to said plurality of television sets; and
a processor for assigning said video program units to selected channel numbers on a one-to-one basis, wherein said processor stores the current video channel to which associated television sets are tuned to and upon any of said associated television sets being powered ON said processor assigns a program channel unit to it to supply the last stored channel to which said associated television set was tuned to prior to it being powered OFF, wherein a set-top terminal is not required to control video channel selection and/or transmission.
11 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A single centralized video controller is employed to convert and distribute video channels to one or more analog TVs (i.e., viewing devices or the like). This is realized without the need for changes to either the TVs or the interconnecting COAX. Specifically, the centralized controller includes one or more MPEG2 decoders, the number of which depends on a desired number of active TVs to be used in viewing different programs, and one or more wireless (e.g., radio frequency (RF)) communications links to television controllers (i.e., remote control units) associated on a one-to-one basis with the desired number of TVs. In operation, channel selection for each of the one or more TVs is communicated up-stream from the centralized controller to a remote video server and, therein, to a video services controller. The video services controller causes the video server to transmit only the selected program channels to the local centralized video controller. However, when the video channel is already being supplied from the video server to an optical line terminal and, specifically, to an optical line card to which the requesting centralized controller is connected to, there is no need to communicate the channel request to the video server. The optical line terminal simply supplies the requested channel via an optical line card to the additional requesting centralized controller and, in turn, to the requesting TV.
228 Citations
36 Claims
-
1. Apparatus for use at a prescribed local location to control the provision of video channels from a remote source at a remote location from the prescribed local location to a plurality of television sets at the prescribed local location, the apparatus comprising:
-
a plurality of receivers associated with at least a prescribed number of said plurality of television sets for receiving control messages associated with said at least a prescribed number of said plurality of television sets, said plurality of receivers including a prescribed number of receivers equal to a prescribed number of video program units in a plurality of video program units, and wherein said control messages each includes at least a first field for containing an identity related to an associated one of said prescribed number of television sets and a second field for containing a selected channel number;
a generator supplied with said received control messages for generating video channel selection messages;
a transmitter for transmitting said video channel selection messages toward said source for controlling said remote source to supply video programs on a one-to-one basis corresponding to said video channel selection messages;
said plurality of video program units, each for receiving video channels transmitted from said remote source in response to said transmitted video channel selection messages and for supplying as an output a video channel carrying video program signals on said selected channel, each of said video program units including a storage unit for storing a selected channel number identifying a particular video program unit with a selected channel number;
a combiner for combining said received video channel from each of said plurality of video program units, a resulting combined video channel signal to be supplied as an output to said plurality of television sets; and
a processor for assigning said video program units to selected channel numbers on a one-to-one basis, wherein said processor stores the current video channel to which associated television sets are tuned to and upon any of said associated television sets being powered ON said processor assigns a program channel unit to it to supply the last stored channel to which said associated television set was tuned to prior to it being powered OFF, wherein a set-top terminal is not required to control video channel selection and/or transmission. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. Apparatus for use at a prescribed local location to control the provision of video channels from a remote source at a remote location from the prescribed local location to a plurality of television sets at the prescribed local location, the apparatus comprising:
-
a plurality of first means associated with at least a prescribed number of said plurality of television sets for receiving control messages associated with said at least prescribed number of said plurality of television sets, said plurality of first means including a prescribed number of receivers equal to a prescribed number of video program units in a plurality of second means, and wherein said control messages each includes at least a first field for containing an identity related to an associated one of said prescribed number of television sets, a second field for containing a selected channel number and another field for containing an indication that said associated television set has been either powered ON or powered OFF;
means supplied with said received control messages for generating video channel selection messages;
means for transmitting said video channel selection messages toward said remote source;
said plurality of second means, each for receiving video channels transmitted from said remote source in response to said transmitted video channel selection messages and for supplying as an output a video channel carrying video program signals on said selected channel; and
means for combining said video channel from each of said plurality of second means, a resulting combined video channel signal to be supplied as an output to said plurality of television sets, wherein a set-top terminal is not required to control video channel selection and/or transmission. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A system for controllably supplying video channels from a remote source at a remote location to a plurality of television sets at an at least one local location remote from said remote location comprising:
-
at least one video controller, said at least one video controller being located at a local location and including a plurality of receivers associated with at least a prescribed number of said plurality of television sets for receiving control messages from said at least prescribed number of said plurality of television sets, said plurality of receivers in said at least one video controller including a prescribed number of receivers equal to a prescribed number of video program units in a plurality of video program units, wherein said control messages each includes at least a first field for containing an identity related to an associated one of said prescribed number of television sets and a second field for containing an indication that said associated television set has been either powered ON or powered OFF, a generator supplied with said received control messages for generating video channel selection messages, a transmitter for transmitting said video channel selection control messages toward a remote source of video channels for controlling said remote source to supply video programs on a one-to-one basis corresponding to said video channel selection messages, said plurality of video program units, each for receiving video channels transmitted from said remote source in response to said transmitted video channel selection messages and for supplying as an output a video channel carrying video program signals on said selected channel, and a combiner for combining said received video channel from each of said plurality of video program units, a resulting combined video channel signal to be supplied as an output to said plurality of television sets, wherein a set-top terminal is not required to control video channel selection and/or transmission; and
said remote source of video channels at said remote location including a plurality of digital encoders for encoding video program signals supplied to said video storage server into compressed digital video program signals, a video storage server for storing video programs to be supplied on said video channels, and a video services controller responsive to supplied channel selection control messages from said video controller for controlling said video storage server to supply as an output the selected video channels, said selected video channels being supplied to at least one requesting video controller. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
-
-
31. A method for use at a prescribed local location to control the provision of video channels from a remote source at a remote location to a plurality of television sets at the prescribed local location, the method comprising the steps of:
-
receiving control messages associated with at least a prescribed number of television sets in a plurality of television sets, wherein said control messages each includes at least a first field for containing an identity related to an associated one of said prescribed number of television sets and a second field for containing an indication that said associated television set has been either powered ON or powered OFF;
in response to said received control messages, generating video channel selection messages;
transmitting said video channel selection messages toward said remote source;
receiving video channels on one or more of a plurality of program units transmitted from said remote source in response to said transmitted video channel selection messages;
supplying as an output a video channel carrying video program signals on said selected channel; and
combining said video channel from each of said plurality of program units, a resulting combined video channel signal to be supplied as an output to said plurality of television sets, wherein a set-top terminal is not required to control video channel selection and/or transmission. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35)
-
-
36. A method for controllably supplying video channels from a remote source at a remote location to a plurality of television sets at one or more local locations including at least one video controller, the method comprising the steps of:
-
at said at least one video controller receiving control messages associated with at least a prescribed number of television sets in a plurality of television sets, wherein said control messages each includes at least a first field for containing an identity related to an associated one of said prescribed number of television sets and a second field for containing an indication that said associated television set has been either powered ON or powered OFF, in response to said received control messages, generating video channel selection messages;
transmitting said video channel selection messages toward said remote source;
receiving video channels on one or more of a plurality of program units transmitted from said remote source in response to said transmitted video channel selection messages;
supplying as an output a video channel carrying video program signals on said selected channel, and combining said video channel from each of said plurality of program units, a resulting combined video channel signal to be supplied as an output to said plurality of television sets, wherein a set-top terminal is not required to control video channel selection and/or transmission; and
at said remote source of video channels at said remote location storing video programs on said video channels, and in responsive to supplied channel selection control messages, controlling supplying as an output the selected video channels including prescribed video programs, said selected video channels being supplied to at least one requesting video controller.
-
Specification