Audio/video and data signal redistribution system

• US 9,078,018 B2
• Filed: 07/08/2013
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Northvu Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Northvu Incorporated
• Inventors: Jeffery, Ross A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEPARD, JUSTIN E
• Application Number:
  US13/936,316
• Publication Number:
  US 20140165081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0003 by switching between different modulation schemes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• 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 2012/2845 Telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/2849 Audio/video appliances
• 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: H04M 11/062 using different frequency bands for speech and other data
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/08 specially adapted for optional reception of entertainment or informative matter
• 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 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• 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 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25435 involving characteristics of content or additional data, e.g. video resolution or the amount of advertising
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4382 Demodulation or channel decoding, e.g. QPSK demodulation analog front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 : End-user applications
• 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 21/6137 : involving transmission via a telephone network, e.g. POTS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 : Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 : involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• 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 7/163 : by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 : Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A system and method for routing an output signal comprising at least one channel carrying a selected program to the user selecting the selected program. Based on information relating to the user, a server inserts or substitutes, or both, remotely from the user'"'"'s premises, programming other than the selected program into the channel carrying the selected program. The system transmits the other programming to the user, in addition to or in place of the selected program, for the duration of the other programming.

Claims

1. A system for routing an output containing a user-selected program to at least one of a plurality of units, each unit having at least one communications interface, the system comprising

at least one demodulator for demodulating at least one input signal,

at least one processor for processing the at least one input signal by one or more of matching an impedance of the input signal to an output impedance, raising a baseband of the input signal, equalizing high frequency components, increasing a level of chroma, converting a plurality of signal formats into a common format for routing, optimizing frequency allocation, and selecting an appropriate modulation technique,

a server inserting or substituting, or both, programming other than a user-selected program into the output containing the user-selected program, based on information relating to the user, to thereby transmit in the output said programming other than the user-selected program to the user before, during or after the user-selected program, or any combination thereof, and

at least one device for routing the user-selected program in Internet protocol to the at least one communications interface within the one of the plurality of units, wherein the at least one communications interface receives the user-selected program and the programming other than the user-selected program for transmission to at least one receiving device in the one of the plurality of units.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the information relating to the user is stored in a database associated with the server.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the information relating to the user comprises user program selections.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the information relating to the user is used for billing.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the user-selected program comprises one or more of Internet, television, video-on-demand, telephony, data transfer, gaming, music-on-demand, T-commerce, or an informational message.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the programming other than the user-selected program comprises one or more of a commercial message or other informational message, or a selectable command option.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the programming other than the user-selected program comprises a selectable command option which can be accessed by the user remotely.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the programming other than the user-selected program can be accessed by the user through a command-providing device.

9. A method of routing an output containing a user-selected program to at least one of a plurality of units, each unit having at least one communications interface, the method comprising the steps of:

a. receiving at least one input signal containing a program,

b. demodulating the at least one input signal,

c. processing the at least one input signal by one or more of matching an impedance of the input signal to an output impedance, raising a baseband of the signal, equalizing high frequency components, increasing a level of chroma, converting a plurality of signal formats into a common format for routing, optimizing frequency allocation, and selecting an appropriate modulation technique,

d. inserting or substituting, or both, programming other than the user-selected program into the output containing the user-selected program, based on information relating to the user, and

e. sending the output containing the user-selected program to the at least one communications interface within the one of the plurality of units in Internet protocol, to thereby transmit in the output said programming other than the user selected program to the user before, during or after the user-selected program, or any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 9 comprising, at any time, the step of storing the information relating to the user.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the information relating to the user comprises user program selections.

12. The method of claim 11 comprising, at any time, the step of billing based on the stored information relating to the user.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the user-selected program comprises one or more of Internet, television, video-on-demand, telephony, data transfer, gaming, music-on-demand, T-commerce, or an informational message.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the programming other than the user-selected program comprises one or more of a commercial message or other informational message, or a selectable command option.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the programming other than the user-selected program comprises a selectable command option which can be accessed by the user remotely.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the programming other than the user-selected program can be accessed by the user through a command-providing device.