Multi-point multi-channel data distribution system

• US 7,500,261 B1
• Filed: 10/30/2001
• Issued: 03/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Myers, Steven Duane
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US10/020,030
• Time in Patent Office: 2,681 Days
• Field of Search: 725 74- 85, 725/105, 725/62, 725/63, 725/65, 725/73, 725/123, 370/311, 370/320, 370/487
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/33 by plural channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/72 of terrestrial networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite

Abstract

A system for the efficient distribution of live and stored audio/video streams to multiple subscribers without degrading normal data delivery services. The system segments one or more frequency bands into sub-bands, or channels, each of which is capable of carrying encoded audio, video, and other data streams, to a plurality of subscribers. Each channel transmitted in the system provides full-duplex operation so that each subscriber may indicate what specific services are desired, such as audio/video broadcast, two-way data transfer, video library access, pay-per-view video, interactive video, and audio file transfer. A transmission headend facility (‘hub’) broadcasts multiple channels of video/audio data (e.g., Internet data) in unicast mode via a shared media transmission facility to multiple subscribers. Simultaneously, selected video/audio/data is transmitted in Internet Protocol multicast mode over one or more channels of the segmented frequency band. The subscriber is provided a device which simultaneously and dynamically demodulates 2 or more channels and interleaves the information over a single ethernet interface connected to one or more IP enabled devices. Each subscriber thus has the capability of, for example, receiving a video stream concurrent with many other subscribers while simultaneously interacting uniquely with the Internet or other data network.

Claims

1. A wireless communication system comprising:

a network transceiver configured to;

receive a unicast signal;

receive a multicast signal;

process the unicast signal to generate a first wireless radio frequency (RF) signal modulated with the unicast signal;

process the multicast signal to generate a second wireless RF signal modulated with the multicast signal; and

simultaneously transmit the first wireless RF signal and the second wireless RF signal via a plurality of non-multiplexed channels; and

a subscriber unit configured to simultaneously receive the first wireless RF signal and the second wireless RF signal, demodulate the first wireless RF signal into the unicast signal, demodulate the second RF signal into the multicast signal, multiplex the unicast signal and the multicast signal onto a local network for delivery of the unicast signal to a first device on the local network and delivery of the multicast signal to the first device and a second device on the local network.

2. The wireless communication system of claim 1 wherein the subscriber unit is further configured to join a multicast transmission of the multicast signal.

3. The wireless communication system of claim 2 wherein the unicast signal comprises an Internet transmission.

4. The wireless communication system of claim 3 wherein the multicast signal comprises a television signal.

5. The wireless communication system of claim 4 further comprising the first device, wherein the first device comprises a first network interface card configured to receive the unicast signal and a second network interface card configured to receive the multicast signal.

6. The wireless communication system of claim 1 wherein the multicast signal comprises video.

7. The wireless communication system of claim 6 wherein the unicast signal comprises data.

8. A method of wireless communication, the method comprising:

in a network transceiver;

receiving a unicast signal;

receiving a multicast signal;

processing the unicast signal to generate a first wireless radio frequency (RF) signal modulated with the unicast signal;

processing the multicast signal to generate a second wireless RF signal modulated with the multicast signal;

simultaneously transmitting the first wireless RF signal and the second wireless RF signal via a plurality of non-multiplexed channels; and

in a first subscriber unit;

simultaneously receiving the first wireless RF signal and the second wireless RF signal;

demodulating the first wireless RF signal into the unicast signal;

demodulating the second RF signal into the multicast signal; and

multiplexing the unicast signal and the multicast signal onto a local network for delivery of the unicast signal to a first device on the local network and delivery of the multicast signal to the first device and a second device on the local network.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

in the subscriber unit, joining a multicast transmission of the multicast signal.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the unicast signal comprises an Internet transmission.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the multicast signal comprises a television signal.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

in the first device, receiving the unicast signal via a first network interface card and receiving the multicast signal via a second network interface card.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein the multicast signal comprises video.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the unicast signal comprises data.