Systems and methods for providing television signals using a network interface device

• US 8,713,617 B2
• Filed: 05/22/2003
• Issued: 04/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Bruce A., Casey, Steven M., Brodigan, Donald, Campbell, Kurt A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): NEWLIN, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US10/444,941
• Publication Number:
  US 20040163125A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,995 Days
• Field of Search: 725/78, 725/82, 725/80, 725/151, 348/734
• US Class Current: 725/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/005 Interface circuits for subscriber lines current supply H04M19/00 and subgroups; supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements H04M3/22 and subgroups; in key telephone systems H04M9/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 the cable being constituted by a pair of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085

Abstract

An isolation device isolates a transport medium internal to a customer premises from a transport medium external to the customer premises such that operational changes to one of the internal and external transport media do not affect the other of the internal and external transport media. A first interface communicates with the external transport medium and a second interface communicates with the internal transport medium. An addressable set-top box external to the customer premises receives encoded telecommunication information from the external transport medium and generates television signals from the encoded telecommunication information for transmission over the internal transport medium.

Claims

1. A network interface device comprising:

an isolation device adapted to isolate a transport medium internal to a customer premises from a first transport medium external to the customer premises such that operational changes to one of the internal and external transport media do not affect the other of the internal and external transport media, wherein the isolation device includes a customer area accessible to a customer of a telecommunication service provider and a network area inaccessible to the customer of the telecommunication service provider;

a first interface coupled with the isolation device and adapted to communicate with the first external transport medium, wherein the first external transport medium is in communication with a distribution point;

a second interface coupled with the isolation device and adapted to communicate with the internal transport medium;

an addressable external set-top box (ESTB) disposed within the network area of the isolation device and external to the customer premises and coupled with the first and second interfaces, wherein the external set-top box;

receives encoded telecommunication information from the first external transport medium;

receives instructions from a remote control device via the internal transport medium, the remote control device being disposed within the customer premises;

generates television signals from the encoded telecommunication information for transmission over the internal transport medium as a function of the instructions received from the remote control device; and

transmits the generated television signals over the internal transport medium to at least one customer premises device disposed within the customer premises; and

a digital video recorder application device, disposed within the network area of the isolation device to provide video storage capability.

2. The network interface device recited in claim 1 wherein the network interface device is disposed on an exterior wall of the customer premises.

3. The network interface device recited in claim 1 further comprising an addressable application device coupled with the first and second interfaces and adapted to implement a supplementary application over the internal transport medium with telecommunication information received from the external transport medium.

4. The network interface device recited in claim 3 wherein the addressable external set-top box and addressable application device are disposed within a common housing.

5. The network interface device recited in claim 1 further comprising:

a third interface coupled with the isolation device and adapted to communicate with a second transport medium external to the customer premises; and

an addressable application device coupled with the third and second interfaces and adapted to implement a supplementary application over the internal transport medium with telecommunication information received from the second external transport medium.

6. The network interface device recited in claim 5 wherein the addressable external set-top box and addressable application device are disposed within a common housing.

7. The network interface device recited in claim 1 wherein:

the encoded telecommunication information comprises encoded digital telecommunication information; and

the addressable external set-top box comprises a digital decoder adapted to decode the encoded digital telecommunication information.

8. The network interface device recited in claim 1 wherein:

the encoded telecommunication information comprises encoded IP telecommunication information; and

the addressable external set-top box comprises an IP decoder adapted to decode the encoded IP telecommunication information.

9. The network interface device recited in claim 1 wherein the addressable external set-top box comprises a buffer data store.

10. The network interface device recited in claim 1 wherein:

the internal transport medium comprises a plurality of transport media internal to a plurality of respective customer premises;

the second interface comprises a plurality of second interfaces coupled with the isolation device, each of the plurality of second interfaces being adapted to communicate with a respective one of the internal transport media; and

the addressable external set-top box comprises a plurality of addressable external set-top boxes, each of which is coupled with the first interface and with a respective one of the second interfaces, wherein each such addressable external set-top box is adapted to receive encoded telecommunication information from the external transport medium and to generate television signals from the encoded telecommunication information for transmission over the respective one of the internal transport media.

11. The network interface device recited in claim 10 wherein the plurality of respective customer premises are located within a common physical structure.

12. The network interface device recited in claim 11 wherein the network interface device is disposed on an exterior wall of the common physical structure.

13. The network interface device recited in claim 11 wherein the network interface device is disposed within the common physical structure but external to each of the respective customer premises.

14. The network interface device recited in claim 1 wherein the first transport medium and the second transport medium are different transport mediums chosen from a list consisting of:

a satellite link, wireless transmissions, coaxial cable, and ADSL.

15. A method for providing television signals, the method comprising:

isolating a transport medium internal to a customer premises from a transport medium external to the customer premises with an isolation device such that operational changes to one of the internal and external transport media do not affect the other of the internal and external transport media, wherein the isolation device includes a customer area accessible to a customer of a telecommunication service provider and a network area inaccessible to the customer of the telecommunication service provider;

receiving encoded telecommunication information from the external transport medium, receiving instructions from a remote control device via the internal transport medium, the remote control device being disposed within the customer premises; and

decoding, as a function of the instructions received from the remote control device, the encoded telecommunication information with an addressable external set-top box (ESTB) disposed within the network area of the isolation device and external to the customer premises;

generating television signals from the decoded telecommunication information; and

transmitting the television signals to the internal transport medium for display on a television within the customer premises; and

providing, with a digital video recorder application, disposed within the network area of the isolation device video storage capability.

16. The method recited in claim 15 further comprising:

receiving an instruction to change a state of the addressable external set-top box; and

changing the state of the addressable external set-top box in accordance with the received instruction.

17. The method recited in claim 15 further comprising implementing a supplementary application over the internal transport medium with telecommunication information received from the external transport medium.

18. The method recited in claim 15 further comprising:

receiving telecommunication information from a second transport medium external to the customer premises; and

implementing a supplementary application over the internal transport medium with the telecommunication information received from the second external transport medium.

19. The method recited in claim 15 wherein:

the encoded telecommunication information comprises encoded digital telecommunication information; and

decoding the encoded telecommunication information comprises decoding the encoded digital telecommunication information.

20. The method recited in claim 15 wherein:

the encoded telecommunication information comprises encoded IP telecommunication information; and

decoding the encoded telecommunication information comprises decoding the encoded IP telecommunication information.

21. The method recited in claim 15 further comprising storing the television signals with a buffer data store comprised by the external set-top box.

22. The method recited in claim 21 wherein transmitting the television signals comprises transmitting the stored television signals in response to instructions received from the internal transport medium.

23. The method recited in claim 21 wherein transmitting the television signals comprises transmitting the stored television signals in response to instructions received from a remote-controlled transmitter.

24. The method recited in claim 23 wherein the instructions comprise an identification of one of a plurality of remote-controlled transmitters.

25. The method recited in claim 15 wherein:

decoding the encoded telecommunication information with the addressable external set-top box comprises decoding the encoded telecommunication information with a plurality of addressable external set-top boxes; and

transmitting the television signals to the internal transport medium comprises transmitting television signals generated from respective ones of the plurality of addressable external set-top boxes to respective ones of a plurality of internal transport media for display on respective televisions within respective ones of a plurality of customer premises.

26. The method recited in claim 25 wherein the plurality of customer premises are located within a common physical structure.

27. A network interface device comprising:

means for isolating a transport medium internal to a customer premises from a transport medium external to the customer premises such that operational changes to one of the internal and external transport media do not affect the other of the internal and external transport media, wherein the means for isolating include a customer area accessible to a customer of a telecommunication service provider and a network area inaccessible to the customer of the telecommunication service provider;

means for receiving encoded telecommunication information from the external transport medium;

means for decoding the encoded telecommunication information, wherein such means for decoding is disposed within the network area of the means for isolating and external to the customer premises;

means for receiving instructions from a remote control device via the internal transport medium, the remote control device being disposed internal to the customer premises;

means for generating television signals from the decoded telecommunication information as a function of the instructions received from the remote control device;

means for transmitting the television signals to the internal transport medium for display on a television within the customer premises; and

means for providing, with a digital video recorder application, disposed within the network area of the isolation device video storage capability.

28. The network interface device recited in claim 27 further comprising:

means for receiving telecommunication information from a second transport medium external to the customer premises; and

means for implementing a supplementary application over the internal transport medium with the telecommunication information received from the second external transport medium.

29. The network interface device recited in claim 27 further comprising means for storing the television signals.