Communication for one way devices

• US 8,898,719 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2010
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Poder, James, Gilson, Ross
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIERORAZIO, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US12/783,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20110289536A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 725/95, 725/109, 725/119, 725/121, 725/133
• US Class Current: 725/121
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/97 using uplink of the CATV systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4112 having fewer capabilities than the client, e.g. thin client having less processing power or no tuning capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41265 having a remote control device for bidirectional communication between the remote control device and client device unidirectional remote control device H04N21/42204
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• 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 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method of performing data communication upstream to the network central location is provided. A system and method for providing one way devices with video and/or services distributed using switched digital video can be provided. A system may include a one way device, a gateway device, a user operated communication device, and/or a network central location. Such systems and methods allow for greater functionality, customization and/or interactivity to users of one way devices, which do not communicate data from the one way device upstream to a network central location.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network device that is at a network location and from a gateway device that is at a user location, a first message that comprises an indication of whether a one way device at the user location and unable to transmit data to the network location is tuned to an interactive service;

after receiving the first message, transmitting, by the network device and to the gateway device, a second message that comprises information identifying a location of the interactive service; and

receiving, by the network device and from the gateway device, a third message that comprises information specifying a current channel, frequency or program identifier of the one way device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the third message comprises a command for the interactive service, and wherein the method further comprises:

processing the interactive service according to the command;

after the processing, transmitting the interactive service to the one way device;

receiving, at the gateway device, a fourth message comprising data representing input received at a user communication device associated with the one way device and the gateway device; and

transmitting, from the gateway device, the third message, wherein the command corresponds to the data of the fourth message.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one way device is a digital to analog device with only a single tuner, the gateway device is a cable modem, and the user communication device is a remote control, wherein the single tuner is configured to receive signals transmitted from the network location, and wherein the cable modem receives the command from the remote control.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the interactive service is a video-on-demand service, an audio-on-demand service, an Internet browser service, or an electronic program guide service.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the interactive service comprises video for display on a display associated with the one way device.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the location is a channel, frequency or program identifier, and wherein the third message further comprises information specifying an address of the one way device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

allocating, by the network device, resources for the interactive service and determining the location, wherein the location comprises a channel, frequency, or program identifier for transmitting the interactive service; and

transmitting, from the network device, a force tune command to the one way device so the one way device tunes to the location, wherein the force tune command is different from the second message.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein allocating resources for the interactive service comprises allocating resources for a switched digital video channel.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving an initialize session message from the gateway device; and

creating, by the network device, a session for the interactive service.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

in response to receiving the second message at the gateway device, transmitting the location to a user communication device associated with the gateway device and the one way device, wherein transmitting the location causes the user communication device to poll the one way device for information comprising the current channel, frequency, or program identifier of the one way device, and determine whether the session has been initialized by comparing the location to the at least one of the current channel, frequency, or program identifier of the one way device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

in response to being polled, transmitting, from the one way device to the user communication device, data representing the current channel, frequency, or program identifier of the one way device.

12. An apparatus comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing executable instructions configured to, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus, which is located at a network location, to;

receive, from a gateway device that is at a user location, a first message that comprises an indication of whether a one way device at the user location and unable to transmit data to the network location is tuned to an interactive service;

after receiving the first message, transmit, to the gateway device, a second message that comprises information identifying a location of the interactive service; and

receive, from the gateway device, a third message that comprises information specifying a current channel, frequency or program identifier of the one way device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the third message comprises a command for the interactive service, wherein the command comprises data representing user input received at a user communication device located at the user location, and wherein the executable instructions are configured to, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

determine the command from the third message;

process the interactive service according to the command; and

after the processing, transmit the interactive service to the one way device.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the interactive service comprises a video for display on a display associated with the one way device.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the location is a channel, frequency or program identifier, and wherein the third message comprises information specifying an address of the one way device.

16. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the executable instructions are configured to, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

allocate resources for the interactive service and determine the location of a channel, frequency, or program identifier for transmitting the interactive service; and

transmit a force tune command to the one way device so the one way device tunes to the location, wherein the force tune command is different from the second message.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the executable instructions are configured to, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the apparatus to:

receive an initialize session message from the gateway device

create a session for the interactive service.

18. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network device located at a network location, a pre-allocation message from a two-way device that is at a user location;

allocating, in accordance with the pre-allocation message, resources for a switched digital video (SDV) channel that comprise a timeframe for the SDV channel and at least one of a channel, frequency, or program identifier for the SDV channel;

generating, based on the resources for the SDV channel, a SDV channel resource schedule that comprises at least one of the channel, frequency, or program identifier of the SDV channel;

transmitting the SDV channel resource schedule from the network device to a plurality of devices, which comprises the two-way device and one or more one way devices that are at one or more other user locations different from the user location and are unable to transmit data to the network location; and

receiving a message that comprises information specifying a current channel, frequency or program identifier of a first one way device of the one or more one way devices.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein transmitting the SDV channel resource schedule occurs periodically.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining that one or more resources for an allocated SDV channel needs to be changed, and, in response, transmitting a change request message from the network device to one or more two way devices that are part of the plurality of devices;

receiving a response from a first two way device of the one or more two way devices acknowledging the transmitted change request message;

performing a change to the one or more resources of the allocated SDV channel; and

transmitting an updated SDV channel resource schedule from the network device to the plurality of devices, wherein the updated SDV channel resource schedule is in accordance with the change that was performed to the one or more resources of the allocated SDV channel.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining that one or more resources for an allocated SDV channel needs to be changed, and, in response, transmitting a first change request message from the network device to one or more two way devices that are part of the plurality of devices;

receiving a first set of one or more responses from the one or more two way devices acknowledging the first change request message;

in response to receiving the first set of one or more responses, determining that a threshold number of responses has not been received by the network device acknowledging the first change request message, and, in response, selecting a substitute allocated SDV channel to be changed instead;

transmitting a second change request message from the network device to the one or more two way devices;

receiving a second set of one or more responses from the one or more two way devices acknowledging the second change request message;

in response to receiving the second set of one or more responses, determining that the threshold number of responses has been received by the network device acknowledging the second change request message and, in response, changing the one or more resources of the substitute SDV channel; and

transmitting an updated SDV channel resource schedule from the network device to the plurality of devices, wherein the updated SDV channel resource schedule is in accordance with the one or more resources of the substitute SDV channel that were changed.