Digital residential entertainment system

• US 8,677,423 B2
• Filed: 12/06/2004
• Issued: 03/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hicks, John Alson III, Zimler, Randy
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Hai V
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malangone, Carmine
• Application Number:
  US11/005,527
• Publication Number:
  US 20050086694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,389 Days
• Field of Search: 725/105, 725/109, 725/114, 725131-133, 725/151, 725 74- 85
• US Class Current: 725/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/63 to plural spots in a confined site, e.g. MATV [Master Antenna Television]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/72 of terrestrial networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/78 CATV [Community Antenna Television] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/27 specially adapted for broadcast systems covered by groups H04H20/53 - H04H20/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/27 Arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2805 Home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/282 based on user interaction within the home receiver circuitry for displaying additional information being controlled by a remote control apparatus H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2838 Distribution of signals within a home automation network, e.g. involving splitting/multiplexing signals to/from different paths adaptations of television systems for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution H04N7/106; hybrid transport H04L12/6418; home network arrangements specially adapted for distribution of digital video signals H04N7/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4135 external recorder interface circuits between an apparatus for recording television signals and a television receiver H04N5/775
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• 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 21/43622 Interfacing an external recording device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 : involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 : for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 : the cable being constituted by a pair of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/20 : Adaptations for transmission via a GHz frequency band, e.g. via satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/16 : Gateway arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 92/02 : Inter-networking arrangements

Abstract

A digital residential entertainment system is disclosed recording video data of an event. The apparatuses include a processor communicating with memory. The memory stores video data of the event captured by a camera, and the video data includes a series of picture frames of the event. A loop buffer also stores video data of the event captured by the camera. A rule-based engine stored in the memory uses a set of rules to store the contents of the loop buffer in the memory. The apparatus utilizes the loop buffer to provide video data prior to occurrence of the event.

Claims

1. A system for providing digital data, the system comprising:

a residential gateway storing a browser-based graphical user interface in memory, the residential gateway receiving an instruction from a client device to retrieve a web page from the memory and to send the web page to the client device over a power line carrier interface;

a video overlay processor in the residential gateway, the video overlay processor having three inputs and an output, the video overlay processor receiving a plurality of information signals and superimposing the web page over an audio-visual signal to produce a superimposed signal, the video overlay processor sending the superimposed signal to the output;

multiple pairs of a tuner and a demodulator in the residential gateway, with each pair of the tuner and the demodulator tuning to receive a plurality of information signals from a different source;

a data switch in the residential gateway having multiple input ports and multiple output ports;

a dedicated link connected at one end between each one of the multiple input ports and connected at another end at a respective one of the multiple pairs of the tuner and the demodulator, such that each pair of the multiple pairs of the tuner and the demodulator is dedicated to a different input port of the data switch;

the data switch coupled to the output of the video overlay processor and to the client device, the data switch receiving the instruction from the client device and sending the superimposed signal through a switch port to the client device; and

a mass storage device connected to the data switch, the mass storage device storing a plurality of content items and a corresponding single data record describing one content item in the plurality of content items, the single data record being a row in a data table, the row having a plurality of data fields, the plurality of data fields comprising;

an item identifier field describing a title of the one content item;

a type field indicating a type of the one content item;

a cost of playback field indicating a fee for playing the one content item;

a usage field indicating the one content item has been played;

a cost of purchase field indicating the fee for purchasing the one content item;

a purchase field indicating the one content item has been licensed for purchase; and

a storage position identifier specifying a position for the one content item in a lineup of different content items, the storage position identifier received from a source remote from the system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser-based graphical user interface provides a programming guide for broadcast programming available from the residential gateway.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser-based graphical user interface provides a control that instructs the residential gateway to record the one content item.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a conditional access system.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the browser-based graphical user interface includes instructions for controlling the residential gateway from the client device.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote control that issues commands that control the residential gateway.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising content items that have been automatically downloaded to the memory of the residential gateway.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the data switch is an Ethernet switch.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the data switch is a router.