Transmission communications management

• US 6,959,451 B1
• Filed: 08/21/1998
• Issued: 10/25/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Ramanathan, Ramanathan
• Primary Examiner(s): VU, NGOC K
• Application Number:
  US09/138,054
• Time in Patent Office: 2,622 Days
• Field of Search: 725/91, 725/144, 725/147, 725/148, 725/67, 725/70, 725/116, 725/118, 725/146, 709/233, 709/234, 709/328, 709/230, 370/229, 370/230, 370/465, 370/468
• US Class Current: 725/148
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• 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 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8545 for generating interactive applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• 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

An interactive transmission system having a data management module that identifies at least one transmission characteristic of at least one transmitter module. The transmitter module transmits data over a transport medium. The data management module modifies its behavior based on the identified at least one transmission characteristic.

Claims

1. A transmission system, comprising:

a data management module capable of managing data flow;

a first transmitter module coupled to a transport medium and to the data management module, the transmitter module to contain first configuration information specifying at least one predefined transmission characteristic; and

at least an additional transmitter module containing second configuration data,

the data management module to access the first configuration information to determine the at least one predefined transmission characteristic and to modify data flow management based on the at least one predefined transmission characteristic and the data management module to access the second configuration information to determine at least one predefined transmission characteristic associated with said additional transmitter module,

wherein each transmitter module is associated with a different transport medium, and the first configuration information is retrieved by the data management module at startup of the first transmitter module or data management module, and

wherein the first configuration information comprises at least one of information to indicate if the first transmitter module is able to assign priorities to data, and information to indicate if the first transmitter module is able to perform bandwidth management.

2. The transmission system of claim 1, the data management module and first transmitter module to continue to exchange configuration information after startup.

3. The transmission system of claim 1, wherein the transmission characteristic of the first transmitter module varies over time.

4. The transmission system of claim 1, further comprising an interface between the data management module and the first transmitter module.

5. The transmission system of claim 4, wherein the interface includes an API interface.

6. The transmission system of claim 1, wherein the transmission characteristic indicates a data flow rate of the first transmitter module.

7. The transmission system of claim 6, wherein the data flow rate is adjusted to compensate for delays in the first transmitter module.

8. A transmission system comprising:

a data management program capable of assembling data;

a first transmitter capable of receiving data from the data management program and transmitting the data to a transport medium;

a communication interface between the data management program and the first transmitter that enables the data management program and the first transmitter to negotiate the type of communication to be performed; and

at least another transmitter coupled to at least another transport medium; and

the first transmitter to contain configuration information specifying a characteristic of the first transmitter,

the data management program to access the configuration information of the first transmitter and to modify data flow management based on the configuration information,

wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of information to indicate if the first transmitter is able to assign priorities to data, and information to indicate if the first transmitter is able to perform bandwidth management.

9. The transmission system of claim 8, wherein the assembled data includes digital data and television data.

10. The transmission system of claim 8, wherein the transport media have different transmission characteristics.

11. The transmission system of claim 8, the data management program and the first transmitter to exchange information on a continuous basis.

12. The transmission system of claim 10, wherein the transport media have different data flow rates.

13. A computer-readable medium storing a program executable by a computer in a transmission system including a first transmitter coupled to a transport medium, the program comprising instructions for causing the computer to:

retrieve stored information to identify at least one transmission characteristic of the first transmitter;

modify data flow management based on the identified at least one transmission characteristic; and

identify a transmission characteristic of at least another transport medium over which data is to be transmitted by at least another transmitter,

wherein the information comprises at least one of information to indicate if the first transmitter is able to assign priorities to data, and information to indicate if the first transmitter is able to perform bandwidth management.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the transport media have different transmission characteristics.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the transmission system further includes a data management module, the program further comprising instructions causing the computer to cause the data management module and the first transmitter to exchange information relating to the transport medium'"'"'s said at least one transmission characteristic.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the data management module and the first transmitter exchange information on a continuous basis.

17. A method of managing data flow over a transport medium in an interactive transmission system, comprising:

accessing stored configuration information;

identifying, based on the accessed configuration information, at least one transmission characteristic of a first transmitter used to transmit data over the transport medium;

modifying data flow management based on the identified at least one transmission characteristic; and

identifying a transmission characteristic of at least another transmitter used to transmit data over a different transport medium,

wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of information to indicate if the first transmitter is able to assign priorities to data, and information to indicate if the first transmitter is able to perform bandwidth management.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first transmitter is associated with the different transport media have different transmission characteristics.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the at least one transmission characteristic of the first transmitter is identified on a continuous basis.

20. The method of claim 17, the configuration information to specify one or more of the following:

maximum transfer rate, maximum size of each data packet, and usage of compression.

21. A transmission system, comprising:

a data management module capable of managing data flow; and

a transmitter module coupled to a transport medium and to the data management module, the transmitter module to contain configuration information specifying at least one predefined transmission characteristic defining a capability of the transmitter module,

the data management module to access the configuration information to determine the at least one predefined transmission characteristic and to modify data flow management based on the at least one predefined transmission characteristic, wherein the configuration information is retrieved by the data management module at startup of the transmitter module or data management module, and

wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of information to indicate if the transmitter module is able to assign priorities to data, and information to indicate if the transmitter module is able to perform bandwidth management.

22. The transmission system of claim 21, wherein the transmission characteristic of the transmitter module varies over time.

23. The transmission system of claim 21, further comprising an interface between the data management module and the transmitter module.

24. The transmission system of claim 21, wherein the transport medium includes a medium selected from the group consisting of an airwave transmission, a cable transmission, a satellite transmission, a digital television transmission, and a computer network.

25. The transmission system of claim 21, the data management module and transmitter module to continue to exchange configuration information after startup.

26. A computer-readable medium storing a program executable by a computer in a transmission system including a transmitter module coupled to a transport medium and a data management module, the program comprising instructions for causing the computer to:

retrieve stored information to identify at least one transmission characteristic of the transport medium;

modify data flow management based on the identified at least one transmission characteristic; and

cause the data management module and the transmitter module to exchange information relating to the transport medium'"'"'s said at least one transmission characteristic,

wherein the data management module and the transmitter module exchange information on a continuous basis,

wherein the information comprises at least one of information to indicate if the transmitter module is able to assign priorities to data, and information to indicate if the transmitter module is able to perform bandwidth management.

27. A method of managing data flow over a transport medium in an interactive transmission system, comprising:

accessing stored configuration information;

identifying, based on the accessed configuration information, at least one transmission characteristic of a transmitter module used to transmit data over the transport medium; and

modifying data flow management based on the identified at least one transmission characteristic,

wherein the configuration information comprises at least one of information to indicate if the transmitter module is able to assign priorities to data, and information to indicate if the transmitter module is able to perform bandwidth management.

28. The method of claim 27, the configuration information to specify one or more of the following:

maximum transfer rate, maximum size of each data packet, and usage of compression.

29. A transmission system, comprising:

a data management module capable of managing data flow;

a first transmitter module coupled to a transport medium and to the data management module, the first transmitter module to contain configuration information specifying at least one predefined transmission characteristic; and

at least an additional transmitter module,

the data management module to access the configuration information to determine the at least one predefined transmission characteristic and to modify data flow management based on the at least one predefined transmission characteristic,

wherein each transmitter module is associated with a different transport medium, and the configuration information comprises at least one of information to indicate if the first transmitter module is able to assign priorities to data, and information to indicate if the transmitter module is able to perform bandwidth management.