Coax and IP hybrid digital TV and VOD system
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system comprising:
- one or more data servers configured to provide data services including both digital television services and video-on-demand services to end users; and
a hybrid network infrastructure comprising;
a first transmission infrastructure comprising coaxial cable over which data are transmitted using a radio frequency (RF) modulation scheme;
a second transmission infrastructure over which data are transmitted using the Internet Protocol (IP); and
one or more coax servers configured to receive via the second transmission infrastructure first data transmissions originating from the one or more data servers and intended for first client devices connected to the first transmission infrastructure and associated with first ones of the end user,wherein the one or more coax servers are further configured to convert the first data transmissions for transmission to the first client devices over the first transmission infrastructure using the RF modulation scheme;
each of the one or more coax servers is further configured to operate as a proxy for each of selected ones of the first client devices to which corresponding ones of the first data transmissions are directed by mediating requests from each of the selected ones of the first client devices for unicast content from the one or more data servers;
the one or more data servers provide the data services to the first client devices via the second transmission infrastructure, the one or more coax servers, and the first transmission infrastructure;
the one or more data servers provide the data services to second client devices associated with second ones of the end users, the second client devices receiving the data services via the second transmission infrastructure without using the first transmission infrastructure; and
at least one coax server operates as a proxy by including a real time streaming protocol (RTSP) proxy configured to communicate with a RTSP client in at least one of the first client devices.
6 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus are described for providing digital information and/or data services over hybrid network infrastructures including both IP and coax transmission media.
24 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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one or more data servers configured to provide data services including both digital television services and video-on-demand services to end users; and a hybrid network infrastructure comprising; a first transmission infrastructure comprising coaxial cable over which data are transmitted using a radio frequency (RF) modulation scheme; a second transmission infrastructure over which data are transmitted using the Internet Protocol (IP); and one or more coax servers configured to receive via the second transmission infrastructure first data transmissions originating from the one or more data servers and intended for first client devices connected to the first transmission infrastructure and associated with first ones of the end user, wherein the one or more coax servers are further configured to convert the first data transmissions for transmission to the first client devices over the first transmission infrastructure using the RF modulation scheme; each of the one or more coax servers is further configured to operate as a proxy for each of selected ones of the first client devices to which corresponding ones of the first data transmissions are directed by mediating requests from each of the selected ones of the first client devices for unicast content from the one or more data servers; the one or more data servers provide the data services to the first client devices via the second transmission infrastructure, the one or more coax servers, and the first transmission infrastructure; the one or more data servers provide the data services to second client devices associated with second ones of the end users, the second client devices receiving the data services via the second transmission infrastructure without using the first transmission infrastructure; and at least one coax server operates as a proxy by including a real time streaming protocol (RTSP) proxy configured to communicate with a RTSP client in at least one of the first client devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer-implemented method for providing data services in a hybrid network infrastructure including a first transmission infrastructure comprising coaxial cable over which data are transmitted using a radio frequency (RE) modulation scheme, and a second transmission infrastructure over which data are transmitted using the Internet Protocol (IP), the hybrid network infrastructure further including one or more data servers configured to provide the data services to end users, the method comprising:
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receiving first data transmissions originating from the one or more data servers and intended for first client devices connected to the first transmission infrastructure and associated with first ones of the end users; converting the first data transmissions for transmission to the first client devices over the first transmission infrastructure using the RF modulation scheme; providing coax channel mapping information to at least one of the one or more data servers, the coax channel mapping information including coax channel tuning information for specific program streams generated by the one or more data servers, the coax channel mapping information configured to enable the first client devices to receive selected ones of the specific program streams; operating as a proxy for each of selected ones of the first client devices to which corresponding ones of the first data transmissions are directed by mediating requests from each of the selected ones of the first client devices for program streams from the one or more data servers, thereby using the one or more data servers to provide the data services to the first client devices via the second transmission infrastructure and the first transmission infrastructure; providing the data services to second client devices associated with second ones of the end users via the second transmission infrastructure without using the first transmission infrastructure; and operating as a proxy by including a real time streaming protocol (RTSP) proxy configured to communicate with a RTSP client in at least one of the first client devices. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A system comprising:
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one or more data servers configured to provide data services including both digital television services and video-on-demand services to end users; and a hybrid network infrastructure comprising; a first transmission infrastructure comprising coaxial cable over which data are transmitted using a radio frequency (RF) modulation scheme; a second transmission infrastructure over which data are transmitted using the Internet Protocol (IP); and one or more coax servers configured to receive via the second transmission infrastructure first data transmissions originating from the one or more data servers and intended for first client devices connected to the first transmission infrastructure and associated with first ones of the end user, wherein the one or more coax servers are further configured to convert the first data transmissions for transmission to the first client devices over the first transmission infrastructure using the RF modulation scheme; each of the one or more coax servers is further configured to operate as a proxy for each of selected ones of the first client devices to which corresponding ones of the first data transmissions are directed by mediating requests from each of the selected ones of the first client devices for unicast content from the one or more data servers; the one or more data servers provide the data services to the first client devices via the second transmission infrastructure, the one or more coax servers, and the first transmission infrastructure; the one or more data servers provide the data services to second client devices associated with second ones of the end users, the second client devices receiving the data services via the second transmission infrastructure without using the first transmission infrastructure; a stream pump of at least one of the coax servers operates to place unicast content destined for a requesting one of the first client devices on a coax channel known by the requesting one of the first client devices; and the at least one of the coax servers instructs the stream pump to allocate the coax channel with sufficient bandwidth to suit the unicast content destined for the requesting one of the first client devices. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
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20. A computer-implemented method for providing data services in a hybrid network infrastructure including a first transmission infrastructure comprising coaxial cable over which data are transmitted using a radio frequency (RE) modulation scheme, and a second transmission infrastructure over which data are transmitted using the Internet Protocol (IP), the hybrid network infrastructure further including one or more data servers configured to provide the data services to end users, the method comprising:
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receiving first data transmissions originating from the one or more data servers and intended for first client devices connected to the first transmission infrastructure and associated with first ones of the end users; converting the first data transmissions for transmission to the first client devices over the first transmission infrastructure using the RF modulation scheme; providing coax channel mapping information to at least one of the one or more data servers, the coax channel mapping information including coax channel tuning information for specific program streams generated by the one or more data servers, the coax channel mapping information configured to enable the first client devices to receive selected ones of the specific program streams; operating as a proxy for each of selected ones of the first client devices to which corresponding ones of the first data transmissions are directed by mediating requests from each of the selected ones of the first client devices for program streams from the one or more data servers, thereby using the one or more data servers to provide the data services to the first client devices via the second transmission infrastructure and the first transmission infrastructure; providing the data services to second client devices associated with second ones of the end users via the second transmission infrastructure without using the first transmission infrastructure; placing unicast content destined for a requesting one of the first client devices on a coax channel known by the requesting one of the first client devices according to input from a proxy of at least one of the coax servers and at least one of the data servers; and allocating the coax channel with sufficient bandwidth via a stream pump to suit the unicast content destined for the requesting one of the first client devices. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22)
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Specification