Gateway power synchronization

• US 7,013,480 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2003
• Issued: 03/14/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Campbell, Kurt A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shang, Annan Q
• Application Number:
  US10/464,948
• Publication Number:
  US 20030213000A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• Field of Search: 725/119, 725/120, 725/95, 725 96- 97, 725/131, 725/151, 725/141, 725/139, 725 74- 85, 348/734, 709231-233, 37019541- 42, 370/437, 370/395.41, 370/395.42
• US Class Current: 725/119
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/10 Current supply arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42204 User interfaces specially adapted for controlling a client device through a remote control device; Remote control devices therefor constructive details of casings for the remote control device H01H9/0235; user interfaces for controlling a tuning device of a television receiver through a remote control H03J9/00; remote control of peripheral devices connected to a television receiver through the remote control device of the television receiver H04B1/205
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4432 Powering on the client, e.g. bootstrap loading using setup parameters being stored locally or received from the server resetting in general G06F1/14; program loading or initiating in general G06F9/445; bootstrapping in general G06F9/4401; secure boots of computer platforms G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4882 for displaying messages, e.g. warnings, reminders arrangements for providing short real-time information to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1895
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/088 the inserted signal being digital
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/16 Analogue secrecy systems; Analogue subscription systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A system for receiving network video includes a remote control with a power control input. A video receiver, controlled by the remote control, powers up or powers down based on a control signal indicating activation of the power control input. The video receiver receives video signals from a gateway or gateway source connected to the video network. The gateway decodes signals received from the network into a format acceptable by the receiver. If the gateway receives a control signal from the remote control indicating activation of the power control input and the gateway is currently in the “on” state, the gateway toggles to the “off” state and outputs a predefined channel to the receiver.

Claims

1. A video system, comprising:

a remote control having a power control input;

a receiver controlled by the remote control for receiving a plurality of video channels, wherein the receiver has a power on state and a power off state; and

a gateway controlled by the remote control for providing the video channels to the receiver, wherein the gateway has a power on state and a power off state, wherein the gateway in the power on state provides a video channel selected by a user of the system, and wherein the gateway in the power off state provides a predefined video channel to the receiver that is different than the user selected video channel;

wherein the receiver and the gateway are toggled between the power on and power off states in response to activation of the power control input; and

wherein the predefined video channel is provided by the gateway after the gateway is toggled from the power on state to the power off state in response to the activation of the power control input, so that if the receiver is toggled at the same time from the power off state to the power on state, content from the predefined video channel is provided to the receiver for display to the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the predefined channel comprises vertical blanking interval (VBI) information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway includes a timer operative to turn the gateway to an on state for a predetermined period of time.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the predefined channel comprises emergency alert system (EAS) information.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the predefined channel comprises channel content information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway receives video signals from a video network, and wherein the gateway comprises MPEG decode circuitry to decode the signals received from the network into a predefined video format for the predefined video channel.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway comprises at least one gateway source, each gateway source receiving control signals from at least one remote control.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the power control input is a button, the remote control transmitting a control signal indicating activation of the power control input each time the button is asserted.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the gateway receives video signals from a video distribution line, and wherein the predefined channel requires less bandwidth than a standard video channel, whereby the bandwidth of signals carried over the distribution line is reduced when the gateway is in the off state.

10. A video gateway for providing video channels from a video network to a video receiver, the gateway and video receiver both toggled between an on condition and an off condition controlled by a control signal from a user operated control device, the gateway comprising:

a control program operated in response to the control signal, wherein the program provides a video channel from the gateway to the video receiver that is selected by a user of the gateway when the gateway is in the on condition, and wherein the control program switches from the user selected video channel to a predefined one of the video channels after the gateway is toggled from the on condition to the off condition;

wherein the predefined video channel is provided by the gateway after the gateway is toggled from the on condition to the off condition in response to the control signal from the user operated device, so that if the receiver is toggled at the same time from the off condition to the on condition, content from the predefined video channel is provided to the receiver for display.

11. The gateway of claim 10, wherein the user operated control device is a remote control and has a power control input, and wherein the receiver and the gateway are toggled between the on and off conditions in response to activation of the power control input.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the predefined channel comprises vertical blanking interval (VBI) information.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the gateway includes a timer operative to turn the gateway to an on state for a predetermined period of time.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the predefined channel comprises emergency alert system (EAS) information.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the predefined channel comprises channel content information.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the gateway receives video signals from a video network, and wherein the gateway comprises MPEG decode circuitry to decode the signals received from the network into a predefined video format for the predefined video channel.

17. A method for power synchronization between a video receiver and a gateway that are controlled by a user operated control device, wherein the gateway provides video signals to the receiver representing a plurality of video channels, wherein each of the video receiver and the gateway have an on state and an off state, and wherein gateway provides a video channel selected by a user when the gateway is in the on state, the method comprising:

providing a control signal from the control device to toggle the gateway and receiver between the on state to the off state; and

providing a predefined channel from the gateway to the receiver that is different than the user selected video channel, after the gateway is toggled from the on state to the off state, so that if the receiver is toggled at the same time from the off state to the on state, content from the predefined channel is provided to the receiver for display.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the control device has a power control input, the method further comprising:

toggling the receiver and the gateway between the on and off states in response to activation of the power control input.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising extracting vertical blanking interval (VBI) information from the predefined channel.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising turning the gateway to an on state for a predetermined period of time at regular intervals.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising extracting emergency alert system (EAS) information from the predefined channel.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the gateway decodes a plurality of channels, the method further comprising extracting content information about the plurality of channels from the predefined channel.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein the decoding comprises MPEG decoding.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein the control device is a remote control.