Multi-stream premises apparatus and methods for use in a content delivery network
First Claim
1. A premises network resource management apparatus configured to manage a plurality of tuner resources within a plurality of premises devices, said resource management apparatus comprising:
- processing apparatus; and
storage apparatus in data communication with said processing apparatus and comprising at least one computer program, said at least one program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by said processing apparatus;
receive a request for content from a first one of said plurality of premises devices;
obtain information regarding said plurality of tuner resources of said plurality of premises devices;
determine that no tuner resources of said first one of said plurality of premises devices are available to access said requested content based on said information regarding said plurality of tuner resources of said plurality of premises devices;
in response to said determination that no tuner resources of said first one of said plurality of premises devices are available to access said requested content, identify, from among said plurality of tuner resources of said plurality of premises devices based on said information regarding said plurality of tuner resources, a tuner resource of a second one of said plurality of premises devices available to access said requested content;
maintain a content routing table, said content routing table comprising information at least relating to a plurality of programs and respective routing thereof;
update said content routing table to reflect routing of said requested content to said available tuner resource of said second one of said plurality of premises devices;
cause said available tuner resource of said second one of said plurality of premises devices to tune to said requested content; and
provide said requested content to said first one of said plurality of premises devices.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus and methods for enhanced tuner efficiency, wherein tuner resources function to permit multiple content streams to be demultiplexed and thus made available for subsequent display. In one embodiment, Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) comprises a resource manager on which a guide application is run to control the tuning of an available tuner resource. This approach obviate reliance on OCAP or other proprietary vendor architecture applications. In another variant, the CPE is adapted to receive RF source data from a wideband tuner, or multiple tuners. The CPE may also be utilized in conjunction with other system configurations designed to enforce a security or other policies within a premises network. The CPE may also employ ‘look ahead’ capabilities to anticipate a QAM stream content before it is received.
136 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A premises network resource management apparatus configured to manage a plurality of tuner resources within a plurality of premises devices, said resource management apparatus comprising:
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processing apparatus; and storage apparatus in data communication with said processing apparatus and comprising at least one computer program, said at least one program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by said processing apparatus; receive a request for content from a first one of said plurality of premises devices; obtain information regarding said plurality of tuner resources of said plurality of premises devices; determine that no tuner resources of said first one of said plurality of premises devices are available to access said requested content based on said information regarding said plurality of tuner resources of said plurality of premises devices; in response to said determination that no tuner resources of said first one of said plurality of premises devices are available to access said requested content, identify, from among said plurality of tuner resources of said plurality of premises devices based on said information regarding said plurality of tuner resources, a tuner resource of a second one of said plurality of premises devices available to access said requested content; maintain a content routing table, said content routing table comprising information at least relating to a plurality of programs and respective routing thereof; update said content routing table to reflect routing of said requested content to said available tuner resource of said second one of said plurality of premises devices; cause said available tuner resource of said second one of said plurality of premises devices to tune to said requested content; and provide said requested content to said first one of said plurality of premises devices. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. An apparatus configured to manage a plurality of tuner resources of a plurality of client devices in a premises network, said apparatus comprising:
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a first interface configured to receive, over said premises network, information regarding said plurality of tuner resources of said plurality of client devices, each of said tuner resources being associated with an individual one of said plurality of client devices; a first tuner resource configured to receive at least one multiplexed transport stream from a content delivery network; a demultiplexer configured to demultiplex a plurality of program streams from said at least one multiplexed transport stream; and a processor apparatus configured to; control distribution of said plurality of program streams to respective ones of said plurality of client devices in communication with said apparatus according to a security policy configured to identify, based on a security level associated with each of said ones of said plurality of client devices, whether to distribute said plurality of program streams to said respective ones of said client devices as decrypted program streams or encrypted program streams; according to said identification, distribute encrypted program streams to first ones of said respective ones of said client devices, and distribute decrypted program streams to second ones of said respective ones of said client devices; determine that said first tuner resource is unavailable to receive an additional multiplexed transport stream from said content delivery network; in response to said determination that said first tuner resource is unavailable to receive said additional multiplexed transport stream, identifying a second tuner resource of a first one of said plurality of client devices available to receive said additional multiplexed transport stream based on said information regarding said plurality of tuner resources; and control distribution of a plurality of program streams demultiplexed by said first one of said plurality of client devices from said additional multiplexed transport stream according to said security policy. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A method of managing a plurality of tuner resources within a plurality of premises devices via a network resource manager, said method comprising:
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receiving a request for content from a first one of said plurality of premises devices; obtaining information regarding said plurality of tuner resources; determining that no tuner resources of said first one of said plurality of premises devices are available to access said requested content based on said information regarding said plurality of tuner resources; in response to determining that no tuner resources of said first one of said plurality of premises devices are available to access said requested content, reserving a tuner resource of another one of said plurality of premises devices for receiving said requested content; determining a security level of said first one of said plurality of premises devices, said security level indicating whether said first one of plurality of premises devices is to receive said requested content as decrypted content or as encrypted content, said security level comprising a trusted domain formed between said network resource manager and said first one of said plurality of premises devices; and distributing said requested content received at said tuner resource of said another one of said plurality of premises devices to said first one of said plurality of premises devices, said distribution thereof comprising a decrypted or an encrypted content stream based on said security level. - View Dependent Claims (24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A premises network resource management apparatus configured to manage a plurality of tuner resources within a plurality of premises devices, comprising:
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processing apparatus; and storage apparatus in data communication with said processing apparatus and comprising at least one computer program, said at least one program comprising a plurality of instruction which are configured to, when executed; maintain a local content routing table, said content routing table comprising information at least relating to a plurality of programs and respective routing thereof; receive a request for content from a first one of said plurality of premises devices; obtain information regarding said plurality of tuner resources; determine that no tuner resources of said first one of said plurality of premises devices are available to access said requested content based on said obtained information; based at least on said determination and using at least a portion of said obtained information, identify a tuner resource of a second one of said plurality of premises devices available to access said requested content; update said local content routing table to reflect routing of said requested content to said available tuner resource of said second one of said plurality of premises devices; cause said available tuner resource of said second one of said plurality of premises devices to tune to said requested content; and provide said requested content to said first one of said plurality of premises devices. - View Dependent Claims (33)
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Specification