Method and apparatus for distributing content in a communication network

• US 9,628,854 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2014
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gerszberg, Irwin, Barzegar, Farhad, Fuchs, Mitchell Harvey, Medamana, John Babu
• Primary Examiner(s): Sheleheda, James R
• Application Number:
  US14/499,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20160094879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 932 Days
• Field of Search: 725 63, 725 71, 725 74, 725 78, 725 79, 455 7, 455 14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/26 Cell enhancers or enhancement, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system for receiving decoded satellite signals, obtaining media channels from the decoded satellite signals, selecting a portion of the media channels for distribution to a plurality of media processors, encoding the portion of the media channels selected according to a satellite distribution protocol, such as a protocol that facilitates satellite switching, to generate satellite encoded content, formatting the satellite encoded content according to a transport protocol to generate formatted content, and providing the formatted content for distribution to the plurality of media processors via a communication network, such as a single wire communication network or other network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a satellite receiver;

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving content from the satellite receiver;

encoding the content according to a satellite distribution protocol that facilitates satellite switching to generate satellite encoded content;

formatting the satellite encoded content according to an internet protocol (IP) to generate IP formatted content; and

submitting, by a dielectric coupler not coaxially aligned with a transmission line of a wireline communication network, electromagnetic waves that couple to the transmission line, the electromagnetic waves comprising the IP formatted content, and the electromagnetic waves directed to a gateway of a plurality of gateways for distribution of at least a portion of the IP formatted content to a plurality of set-top boxes over a distribution network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmission line of the wireline communication network comprises a portion of a power grid coupled to residential or commercial establishments where the plurality of set-top boxes is located, and wherein the power grid transports the electromagnetic waves that propagate along outer surfaces of power lines of the power grid.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the transmission line comprises a power line of the power lines of the power grid, and wherein the gateway is communicatively coupled to a waveguide system including the dielectric coupler that delivers the electromagnetic waves to the power line of the power grid for transporting the IP formatted content via the power grid to at least one of the plurality of set-top boxes via the distribution network.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the distribution network comprises a network of twisted-pair cables coupled to residential or commercial establishments, and wherein the network of twisted-pair cables transports the IP formatted content as electrical signals that propagate in conducting materials of twisted-pair cables of the network of twisted-pair cables.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the gateway comprises a digital subscriber line device for transmitting electrical signals in the twisted-pair cables of the network of twisted-pair cables for transporting the IP formatted content.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of set-top boxes retrieves the satellite encoded content from the IP formatted content and processes the satellite encoded content according to the satellite distribution protocol.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the portion of the IP formatted content distributed by the gateway is received by an in-building gateway associated with a set-top box of the plurality of set-top boxes, wherein the in-building gateway retrieves the satellite encoded content from the IP formatted content, and wherein the in-building gateway delivers the satellite encoded content to the set-top box for processing according to the satellite distribution protocol.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of set-top boxes comprises a plurality of satellite set-top boxes that processes only satellite signals encoded according to the satellite distribution protocol.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the plurality of satellite set-top boxes cannot process internet protocol television content or broadcast cable television content.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the satellite encoded content enables the plurality of set-top boxes to switch between satellite orbit locations utilizing the satellite switching of the satellite distribution protocol.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a distribution device comprising a processor, satellite signals from a satellite system;

processing, by the distribution device, the satellite signals to retrieve media channels, each media channel comprising digital content;

selecting, by the distribution device, a portion of the media channels for redistribution to a plurality of set-top boxes remotely located from the distribution device;

encoding, by the distribution device, the portion of the media channels selected for redistribution according to a satellite distribution protocol that facilitates satellite switching to generate satellite encoded content;

formatting, by the distribution device, the satellite encoded content according to an internet protocol (IP) to generate IP formatted content; and

providing, by a dielectric coupler of the distribution device that is not coaxially aligned with a transmission line of a communication network, first electromagnetic waves that couple to the transmission line, the first electromagnetic waves comprising the IP formatted content for processing by a gateway for distribution of at least a portion of the IP formatted content to the plurality of set-top boxes.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the communication network comprises a portion of a power grid coupled to residential or commercial establishments where the plurality of set-top boxes is located, and wherein the power grid transports the first electromagnetic waves that propagate along surfaces of power lines of the power grid.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the gateway comprises a waveguide for transmitting second electromagnetic waves that propagate on a power line of power lines of the power grid, and wherein the second electromagnetic waves transport the IP formatted content to at least one of the plurality of set-top boxes.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the gateway distributes at least the portion of the IP formatted content to the plurality of set-top boxes over a distribution network, wherein the distribution network comprises a network of twisted-pair cables coupled to residential or commercial establishments, and wherein the network of twisted-pair cables transports at least the portion of the IP formatted content as electrical signals that propagate in conducting materials of twisted-pair cables of the network of twisted-pair cables.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the gateway comprises a digital subscriber line device for transmitting the electrical signals in the twisted-pair cables of the network of twisted-pair cables for transporting at least the portion of the IP formatted content.

16. A machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a distribution device, facilitate performance of operations, comprising:

receiving decoded satellite signals;

obtaining media channels from the decoded satellite signals, each media channel comprising digital content;

selecting a portion of the media channels for distribution to a plurality of media processors remotely located from the distribution device;

encoding the portion of the media channels selected according to a satellite distribution protocol to generate satellite encoded content;

formatting the satellite encoded content according to a transport protocol to generate formatted content, wherein the transport protocol differs from the satellite distribution protocol; and

transmitting, by a dielectric coupler that is not coaxially aligned with a transmission line of a communication network, electromagnetic waves that couple to the transmission line and propagate over a surface of the transmission line, the electromagnetic waves comprising the formatted content for distribution to the plurality of media processors via the transmission line.

17. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the transmission line comprises a power line of a power grid, and wherein the transmitting comprises providing the formatted content to a first waveguide system that delivers the electromagnetic waves to the power line of the power grid for transporting the formatted content via the power grid to at least one of the plurality of media processors.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein a second waveguide system receives the electromagnetic waves supplied by the first waveguide system and converts the electromagnetic waves to electrical signals comprising the formatted content, and wherein the second waveguide system is coupled to a network of twisted-pair cables that transports the electrical signals that include the formatted content for delivery to the at least one of the plurality of media processors.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the transmitting comprises providing the formatted content to a gateway that transmits the formatted content as electrical signals, wherein the gateway converts the electromagnetic waves from the power line of the communication network to the electrical signals for delivery to a network of twisted-pair cables coupled to residential or commercial establishments, and wherein the network of twisted-pair cables transports the formatted content as electrical signals that propagate in conducting materials of twisted-pair cables of the network of twisted-pair cables.

20. An apparatus, comprising:

a satellite receiver;

a dielectric coupler;

a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, comprising;

receiving content from the satellite receiver;

encoding the content according to a satellite distribution protocol to generate satellite encoded content;

formatting the satellite encoded content according to an internet protocol (IP) to generate IP formatted content; and

submitting, by the dielectric coupler not coaxially aligned with a single wire communication network, electromagnetic waves that propagate along the single wire communication network to a gateway of a plurality of gateways for distribution of at least a portion of the IP formatted content to a plurality of set-top boxes.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the single wire communication network comprises a portion of a power grid coupled to residential or commercial establishments where the plurality of set-top boxes is located, and wherein the power grid transports the IP formatted content via the electromagnetic waves that propagate along outer surfaces of power lines of the power grid.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the gateway is communicatively coupled to a waveguide system that delivers the electromagnetic waves to a power line of the power lines of the power grid for transporting the IP formatted content via the power grid to at least one of the plurality of set-top boxes.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the gateway converts the electromagnetic waves from the single wire communication network to electrical signals for delivery to a network of twisted-pair cables coupled to residential or commercial establishments, and wherein the network of twisted-pair cables transports at least the portion of the IP formatted content as electrical signals that propagate in conducting materials of twisted-pair cables of the network of twisted-pair cables.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the gateway comprises a digital subscriber line device for transmitting the electrical signals in the twisted-pair cables of the network of twisted-pair cables for transporting at least the portion of the IP formatted content.

25. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the plurality of set-top boxes retrieves the satellite encoded content from the IP formatted content and processes the satellite encoded content according to the satellite distribution protocol.

26. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the portion of the IP formatted content distributed by the gateway is received by an in-building gateway associated with a set-top box of the plurality of set-top boxes, wherein the in-building gateway retrieves the satellite encoded content from the portion of the IP formatted content, and wherein the in-building gateway delivers the satellite encoded content to the set-top box for processing according to the satellite distribution protocol.