System for providing data to multiple devices and method thereof

• US 7,106,715 B1
• Filed: 11/16/2001
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VIXS Systems Incorporated (Pixelworks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Pilla, Anselmo, Astrachan, Paul Morris, May, Michael R., Doyle, James, Girardeau, Jr., James Ward, Saleem, Shawn, Cave, Michael David, Rybicki, Mathew A., Kelton, James Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, STEVEN H D
• Application Number:
  US09/990,896
• Time in Patent Office: 1,761 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/338
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0803 Configuration setting
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/241 taking into account channel quality metrics, e.g. SIR, SNR, CIR, Eb/lo
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/28 using user profile, e.g. mobile speed, priority or network state, e.g. standby, idle or non transmission

Abstract

A system is provided for transmitting data to a plurality of devices. A data source receives data from a video broadcasting source, such as a digital television provides, through a data cable. The data source identifies devices to receive particular sets of data, such as particular programs, from the data cable. The data source identifies particular settings for transmitting to particular devices. The data source adjusts a transmission power to a first device to efficiently provide data reliably to the first device. The data source can assign more or less power for transmitting data to the first device. The data source provides data to the source device using a first data channel. The data source provides data to a second device using a second data channel. The data source receives acknowledgements and control information from the first device and the second device using the second data channel.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a first transmission power for transmitting data to a first device to reduce a time required to transmit data to the first device, wherein the time required to transmit data to the first device is based on a tine to transmit data to a second device;

determining a second transmission power for transmitting data to the second device, wherein the second device is different from the first device;

configuring a first data channel to transmit data to the first device based on the first transmission power; and

configuring a second data channel to transmit data to the second device based on the second transmission power.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein the step of determining the first transmission power further is based on time required to transmit data to the second device.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein the second data channel is further used to receive data from the first device and the second device.

4. The method as in claim 1, wherein the first and the second transmission powers are determined based on an amount of data to be transmitted.

5. The method as in claim 1, wherein the first and the second transmission powers are determined based on a signal quality.

6. The method as in claim 5, wherein the signal quality is based on a signal to noise ratio.

7. The method as in claim 5, wherein the signal quality is based on a bit error rate.

8. The method as in claim 5, wherein the signal quality is based on a channel capacity.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein configuring the first data channel includes setting a first data rate for communicating with the first device.

10. The method as in claim 1, wherein configuring the second data channel includes setting a second data rate for communicating with the first device.

11. The method as in claim 1, wherein the second device is associated with a first set of specifications associated with a communication standard.

12. The method as in claim 11, wherein the first device is associated with a second set of specifications, different from the first set of specifications.

13. The method as in claim 11, wherein the communications standard includes IEEE 802.11.

14. A method comprising:

determining a first transmission power for transmitting data to a first device based on a time required to transmit data to a second device to reduce a power required to transmit data to the first device,

determining a second transmission power for transmitting data to the second device, wherein the second device is different from the first device;

configuring a first data channel to transmit data to the first device based on the first transmission power;

configuring a second data channel to transmit data to the second device based on the second transmission power; and

configuring the second data channel to further receive data associated with the first device and the second device.

15. The method as in claim 14, wherein the data associated with the first device and the second device includes acknowledgements associated with data sent to the first device and the second device.

16. The method as in claim 14, wherein the first and the second transmission powers are determined based on an amount of data to be transmitted.

17. The method as in claim 14, wherein the first and the second transmission powers are determined based on a signal quality.

18. A system comprising:

means for determining a first transmission power for transmitting data to a fist device to reduce a time required to transmit data to the first device, wherein the time required to transmit data to the first device is based on a time to transmit data to a second device;

means for determining a second transmission power for transmitting data to the second device, wherein the second device is different from the first device;

means for configuring a first data channel to transmit data to the first device based on the first transmission power; and

means for configuring a second data channel to transmit data to the second device based on the second transmission power.

19. The system as in claim 18, wherein determining the first transmission power further is based on time required to transmit data to the second device.

20. The system as in claim 18, wherein the second data channel is further used to receive data from the first device and the second device.

21. The system as in claim 18, wherein the first and the second transmission powers are determined based on an amount of data to be transmitted.

22. The system as in claim 18, wherein the first and the second transmission powers are determined based on a signal quality.

23. The system as in claim 22, wherein the signal quality is based on a signal to noise ratio.

24. The system as in claim 22, wherein the signal quality is based on a bit error rate.

25. The system as in claim 22, wherein the signal quality is based on a channel capacity.

26. The system as in claim 18, wherein configuring the first data channel includes setting a first data rate for communicating with the first device.

27. The system as in claim 18, wherein configuring the second data channel includes setting a second data rate for communicating with the first device.

28. The system as in claim 18, wherein the second device is associated with a first set of specifications associated with a communication standard.

29. The system as in claim 28, wherein the first device is associated with a second set of specifications, different from the first set of specifications.

30. The system as in claim 28, wherein the communications standard includes IEEE 802.11.

31. A system comprising:

means for determining a first transmission power for transmitting data to a first device based on a time required to transmit data to a second device to reduce a power required to transmit data to the first device,

means for determining a second transmission power for transmitting data to the second device, wherein the second device is different from the first device;

means for configuring a first data channel to transmit data to the first device based on the first transmission power;

means for configuring a second data channel to transmit data to the second device based on the second transmission power; and

means for configuring the second data channel to further receive data associated with the first device and the second device.

32. The system as in claim 31, wherein the data associated with the first device and the second device includes acknowledgements associated with data sent to the first device and the second device.

33. The system as in claim 31, wherein the first and the second transmission powers are determined based on an amount of data to be transmitted.

34. The system as in claim 31, wherein the first and the second transmission powers are determined based on a signal quality.