Method and system for providing a return path for signals generated by legacy video service terminals in an optical network
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A return path of an optical network system comprising:
- a video services controller for generating downstream analog RF modulated video service control signals that are converted to the optical domain, the video services controller being disposed at a first site; and
a device for converting digitized, upstream, RF return packets to standard sized digital packets, the RF return packets comprising data derived from digitized and compressed upstream analog RF modulated video service control signals, the video service control signals comprising one or more commands for managing video prorammin that is displayable on a display device, the device comprising a scaling restoration unit for restoring information from compressed data contained within the RF return packets, the device being coupled to the video services controller, the device decompressing, restoring, and demodulating the upstream analog RF modulated video service control signals from the data contained within the RF return packets, the device further comprising a packet encapsulator for formatting the demodulated video service control signals into standard sized digital packets that are processed by the video services controller for managing video programming.
12 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A return path system includes inserting RF packets between regular upstream data packets, where the data packets are generated by communication devices such as a computer or internet telephone. The RF packets can be derived from analog RF signals that are produced by legacy video service terminals. At a data service hub, a digitized-RF-to-packet converter (DRPC) can convert the RF packets into standard sized packets such as Ethernet packets for processing by a video services controller. In this way, the present invention can provide an RF return path for legacy terminals that shares a return path for regular data packets in an optical network architecture.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A return path of an optical network system comprising:
-
a video services controller for generating downstream analog RF modulated video service control signals that are converted to the optical domain, the video services controller being disposed at a first site; and a device for converting digitized, upstream, RF return packets to standard sized digital packets, the RF return packets comprising data derived from digitized and compressed upstream analog RF modulated video service control signals, the video service control signals comprising one or more commands for managing video prorammin that is displayable on a display device, the device comprising a scaling restoration unit for restoring information from compressed data contained within the RF return packets, the device being coupled to the video services controller, the device decompressing, restoring, and demodulating the upstream analog RF modulated video service control signals from the data contained within the RF return packets, the device further comprising a packet encapsulator for formatting the demodulated video service control signals into standard sized digital packets that are processed by the video services controller for managing video programming. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
-
-
12. A method for providing a return path for signals in an optical network system comprising the steps of:
-
receiving RF-modulated video service control signals, the video service control signals comprising one or more commands for managing video programming that is displayable on a display device; compressing the RF-modulated video service control signals; converting the compressed, RF-modulated video service control signals to a first digital information packet comprising RF modulated information; receiving a plurality of second digital information packets; transmitting the first and second digital information packets by inserting the first digital information packet between the second digital information packets; propagating the packets towards a data service hub; receiving the first and second digital information packets at the data service hub; converting the first digital information packets to third digital information packets by decompressing the RF-modulated video service control signals and restoring information from compressed data with a scaling restoration unit, and removing the RF modulation and by adding formatting information with a packet encapsulator, the third digital information packets comprising a standard packet format; receiving the third packets with a video services controller; and processing the third packets with the video services controller for managing video programming. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
-
-
18. A method for returning RF signals to a data service hub over an optical network comprising:
-
receiving modulated RF video service control signals, the video service control signals comprising one or more commands for managing video programming that is displayable on a display device; compressing the modulated RF video service control signals; converting the compressed, modulated RF video service control signals into a plurality of first packets; receiving a plurality of second packets; combining the first packets with the second packets; propagating the combined packets towards the data service hub; changing a format of the first packets from a first format to a second format by decompressing the first packets and restoring information from compressed data with a scaling restoration unit, and demodulating the RF signals from the first packets and adding appropriate protocol information for the second format with a packet encapsulator; feeding the first packets to a video service controller; and processing the first packets with the video services controller for managing video programming. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
-
Specification