Apparatus and system for delivering audio/video content to a remote receiver
First Claim
1. An apparatus for forwarding audio/video data content to a remote wireless device, comprising:
- a content server device configured for receiving data content from an external source of audio data content, video data content or both audio and video data content;
wherein said content server device is configured for transmitting said data content, as one or more data streams, over a physical power line communications (PLC) network;
wherein said content server device is configured for operating on a PLC network which can be bounded by a distribution transformer upon which multiple servers of multiple users are operating in different virtual networks;
wherein said content server device, and other servers on the same PLC network but within different virtual networks, are configured to determine which server is to be bus master of the PLC network for controlling allocation of PLC bandwidth within each virtual network on the PLC network; and
at least one PLC to wireless conversion module configured for receiving streaming data over the PLC network and outputting said data streams over a short-range wireless transmitter to at least one remote user device;
wherein said content server is configured to encrypt and decrypt data being communicated over the respective virtual networks to each PLC to wireless conversion module, thereby preventing content from being accessed by other virtual networks connected within the same PLC network.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system for communicating content streams (e.g., voice, video, data) between a content server connected to a network and a remote electronic device. In one implementation, the network is a power-line communication (PLC) network and the remote device is configured for ultra-wide band connectivity with an interface module. The interface module is a power-line communication/ultra-wide band (PLC/UWB) module preferably connected to a conventional power outlet on the network. The interface module converts the power-line signals from the server to ultra-wide band signals which are broadcast for reception by the wireless electronic device. Return communications with the server from the wireless electronic device are also preferably supported. The power-line communication and/or ultra-wide band signal can also be encrypted for improved security. The content server and interface module are preferably configured to communicate content streams only within the portions of the bandwidth allocated by a bus master, which may be a content server with programming for controlling bandwidth use on the physical power-line communications network. In another implementation, the content is sent to the remote device over a connection to the Internet.
58 Citations
20 Claims
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1. An apparatus for forwarding audio/video data content to a remote wireless device, comprising:
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a content server device configured for receiving data content from an external source of audio data content, video data content or both audio and video data content; wherein said content server device is configured for transmitting said data content, as one or more data streams, over a physical power line communications (PLC) network; wherein said content server device is configured for operating on a PLC network which can be bounded by a distribution transformer upon which multiple servers of multiple users are operating in different virtual networks; wherein said content server device, and other servers on the same PLC network but within different virtual networks, are configured to determine which server is to be bus master of the PLC network for controlling allocation of PLC bandwidth within each virtual network on the PLC network; and at least one PLC to wireless conversion module configured for receiving streaming data over the PLC network and outputting said data streams over a short-range wireless transmitter to at least one remote user device; wherein said content server is configured to encrypt and decrypt data being communicated over the respective virtual networks to each PLC to wireless conversion module, thereby preventing content from being accessed by other virtual networks connected within the same PLC network. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A system for forwarding audio/video data content through a power-line communications (PLC) network to a remote wireless device, comprising:
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a content server device configured for receiving data content from an external source of audio data content, video data content or both audio and video data content; wherein said content server device is configured for transmitting said data content, as one or more data streams, over a physical power line communications (PLC) network; wherein said content server device is configured for operating on a PLC network which can be bounded by a distribution transformer upon which multiple servers of multiple users are operating in different virtual networks; wherein said content server device, and other servers on the same PLC network but within different virtual networks, are configured to determine which server is to be selected as bus master of the PLC network for controlling allocation of PLC bandwidth within each virtual network on the PLC network to assign one or more time slots to each said data stream being directed to a remote wireless device; and at least one PLC to wireless conversion module configured for receiving streaming data over the PLC network, utilizing bandwidth according to the direction of the selected bus master, and outputting said streaming data over a short-range wireless transmitter to at least one remote user device wherein said content server device is configured to encrypt and decrypt data being communicated over the respective virtual networks to each PLC to wireless conversion module, thereby preventing content from being accessed by other virtual networks connected within the same PLC network. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. An apparatus for forwarding audio/video data content through a power-line communications (PLC) network to a remote wireless device, comprising:
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a content server device configured for receiving data content from an external source of audio data content, video data content or both audio and video data content; wherein said content server device is configured for transmitting said data content, in the form of one or more data streams, over a physical power line communications (PLC) network; wherein said content server device is configured for operating on a PLC network which can be bounded by a distribution transformer upon which multiple servers of multiple users are operating in different virtual networks; wherein said content server device, and other servers connected to the same PLC network but within different virtual networks, are configured to select which server is to operate as bus master of the PLC network for controlling allocation of PLC bandwidth within each virtual network on the PLC network; and at least one PLC to ultra-wide band (UWB) conversion module configured for receiving streaming data over the PLC network and outputting said data streams over ultra-wide band transmissions to at least one remote user device; said UWB transmissions configured to minimize interference with existing devices in response to spreading signal power over a wide band of frequencies during transmission; wherein said content server device is configured to encrypt and decrypt data being communicated over the respective virtual networks to each PLC to wireless conversion module, thereby preventing content from being accessed by other virtual networks connected within the same PLC network. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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Specification