Gateway apparatus and methods for providing content and data delivery in a fiber-based content delivery network

• US 8,863,201 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2012
• Issued: 10/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brooks, Paul D., Harris, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): IDOWU, OLUGBENGA O
• Application Number:
  US13/361,856
• Publication Number:
  US 20130198796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 725/78
• US Class Current: 725/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0298 with sub-carrier multiplexing [SCM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/436 Interfacing a local distribution network, e.g. communicating with another STB or one or more peripheral devices inside the home
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for the delivery of content in a network via a user premises gateway device in communication with one or more user devices. The gateway device receives content from an optical network (e.g., EPON), processes the content onto one or more communication channels, and delivers it to the user devices. In one variant, the gateway includes switching functionality to receive all available programs, or only a portion thereof, and providing specific ones on an as-needed basis to the user device(s) via the channels. Video on Demand (VOD) and pay-per-view (PPV) as well as other unicast services may also be provided by the gateway apparatus. A DOCSIS or other data channel, as well as a dedicated guide data channel, may be among the provided channels.

Claims

1. A method of providing content to a plurality of client devices in a content delivery network via a gateway apparatus, said gateway apparatus being configured to modulate content onto one or more of a plurality of available quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) radio frequency (RF) channels, said method comprising:

receiving a plurality of content at said gateway apparatus located at a user premises;

assigning a first one of said plurality of available QAM channels to provide to said plurality of client devices a list of said plurality of content, said plurality of client devices also located at said user premises;

receiving a signal from a network entity, said signal indicating receipt at said network entity of a request for first content from a first one of said plurality of client devices;

in response to receiving said signal, determining whether said first content is allocated to at least one of said plurality of available QAM channels;

when said first content is allocated to at least one of said plurality of available QAM channels, notifying said network entity of said at least one QAM on which said first content is allocated; and

when said first content is not allocated to at least one of said plurality of available QAM channels, allocating said first content thereto and notifying said network entity of said allocated one of said plurality of available QAM;

wherein said network entity notifies said first one of said plurality of client devices of said at least one QAM on which said first content is allocated based at least in part on said notifications received from said gateway apparatus.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said plurality of client devices are in communication with said network entity via upstream DOCSIS communication thereto.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of receiving said plurality of content at said gateway further comprises receiving said content from at least one network entity via at least one optical fiber of an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON) network.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing said plurality of content at said gateway apparatus located at said user premises; and

modulating said plurality content onto one or more QAM channels for delivery to said plurality of client devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said signal comprises a switching control signal indicating said first content to be switched into delivery using a switched digital video (SDV) delivery mechanism.

6. Premises gateway apparatus configured to deliver content to at least one consumer premises equipment (CPE) in said premises, said apparatus comprising:

at least one first interface for communication to at least one entity of a content delivery network;

a storage device;

at least one second interface for communication to said at least one CPE; and

a processor, said processor configured to run at least one computer program thereon, said at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed, cause said gateway apparatus to;

receive at least one signal configured to indicate particular content to be provided to said at least one CPE;

determine whether said particular content is among a plurality of content currently delivered to said at least one CPE;

when said particular content is determined to be among said plurality of content, provide tuning information to said CPE configured to indicate a quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) channel on which said particular content may be received; and

when said particular content is determined not to be among said plurality of content currently delivered to said at least one CPE, initiate a new stream for said delivery thereof on one or more available QAM channels.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said at least one CPE is configured to receive said QAM channels via one or more radio frequency (RF) tuners.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said signal comprises a switching control signal configured to indicate said particular content to be switched into delivery via switched digital video (SDV) delivery mechanisms.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to cause said gateway apparatus to receive a plurality of available content, said particular content being among said plurality of available content, and said plurality of available content being provided to said gateway apparatus prior to said network receiving any requests for any one of said plurality of available content.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein said signal is received at least in response to said one or more of said plurality of CPE configured to request said particular content from said network.

11. A method for providing content in a content delivery network to a plurality of client devices located within a subscribers premises via a premises gateway device, said method comprising:

receiving at least a signal indicating a request for items of available content being broadcast by said content delivery network to be delivered to at least one client device;

determining whether at least one of a plurality of quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) radio frequency (RF) communication channels generated by a modulator apparatus of said gateway device is currently assigned to provide said items of available content to said at least one client device;

when said at least one of said plurality of QAM RF communication channels is currently assigned based on said act of determining, providing tuning information to said at least one client device, indicating a QAM channel on which said items of available content may be received;

when at least one of said plurality of QAM communication channels is not currently assigned based on said act of determining, said gateway device assigning at least one of said plurality of QAM communication channels to provide said items of available content to enable delivery thereof to said at least one client device; and

distributing said items of available content via said at least one QAM communication channels generated by said gateway device to said at least one client device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said signal indicates that said request is received from a client device.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said signal indicates that said request is received from a network entity with which said at least one client device is in communication.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said at least one client device is in communication with said network entity via upstream DOCSIS communication thereto.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving said items of said available content from at least one network entity via at least one optical fiber of an Ethernet passive optical network (EPON) network.

16. Gateway apparatus for use within a user premises and configured to deliver content to a plurality of user devices connected thereto over one or more quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) radio frequency (RF) channels, said apparatus comprising:

an optical interface configured to receive a plurality of content from an optical network;

a non-optical interface configured to provide individual ones of said received plurality of content to said plurality of user devices via one or more communication channels; and

a processor, said processor configured to run at least one computer program thereon, said at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed, cause said gateway apparatus to;

receive at least one request configured to indicate particular content to be provided to said at least one client device;

determine whether said particular content is among a plurality of content currently delivered to said at least one client device;

when said particular content is determined to be among said plurality of content, provide tuning information to said at least one client device configured to indicate said RF channel on which said particular content may be received directly or indirectly to said at least one client device; and

when said particular content is determined not to be among said plurality of content currently delivered to said at least one client device, instantiate a new stream for said delivery thereof on one or more available RF channels.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said optical interface comprises an optical fiber in communication with a point-to-multipoint baseband digital optical network and said non-optical interface comprises a radio frequency (RF) transmitter for transmitting RF signals to said plurality of user devices.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said indirect communication of said tuning information is provided to said at least one of said plurality of user devices via a network entity.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said optical interface is further configured to receive a signal configured to indicate a request for a first one of said plurality of content was received at a network entity from at least one of said plurality of user devices.

20. A method of delivering content to a user at a premises, comprising:

determining whether a particular content is among a plurality of content currently delivered to said premises;

when said particular content is determined to be among said plurality of content, providing tuning information to said premise configured to indicate a quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) radio frequency (RF) channel on which said particular content may be received;

when said particular content is determined not to be among said plurality of content currently delivered to said premises, delivering content over a fiber-based distribution network to said premises;

causing a gateway at said premises to generate QAM RF channels for distribution of said particular content within said premises; and

causing said gateway to allocate said particular content to at least one of said QAM RF channels.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said act of distributing comprises distribution of said QAM channels over coaxial cable indigenous to said premises.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said act of delivering content comprises delivering a plurality of content elements generated by a switched network server simultaneously to said gateway.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said act of delivering content comprises delivering a content element generated by an on-demand network server to said gateway, said content element being used to generate an on-demand program stream within said premises.