Method and apparatus for identifying a signal route for delivery of video-on-demand to a subscriber terminal

• US 9,781,480 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2015
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Schiller, Jay B., Poole, Andrew J. B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US14/812,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20150334427A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 725 93- 98, 725118, 725120
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• 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 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64 Addressing network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00; support for multicast or broadcast of one-way stream services H04L65/611
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A set top box includes an interface to a video system configured to deliver data to an individual subscriber or subset of subscribers that are part of a larger group of subscribers, wherein the data is not delivered to the other subscribers of the larger group, the interface adapted to receive communications from one or more modulators of a modulator group of the video system. The set top further includes a decoder configured to extract a modulator group identifier periodically inserted into communications directed to the set top box from the one or more modulators, the modulator group identifier unique to a physical transmission path from a headend of the video system to the one or more modulators. The set top includes a video request interface to the video system, the video request interface configured to output a request for video data including the modulator group identifier.

Claims

1. A set top box, comprising:

a video receiver interface to a video-on-demand system, the video receiver interface adapted to receive communications from a modulator group of the video-on-demand system;

a decoder configured to extract a modulator group identifier periodically inserted into communications directed to the set top box from one or more modulators of the modulator group, the modulator group identifier unique to a physical transmission path from a headend of the video-on-demand system to the one or more modulators of the modulator group; and

a video request interface to the video-on-demand system, the video request interface configured to output a request for video-on-demand data including the modulator group identifier.

2. The set top box of claim 1, further comprising:

the decoder configured to receive, via the video receiver interface, a program slot associated with the one or more modulators and assigned to video-on-demand data received in response to the request for video-on-demand data including the modulator group identifier, and an identification of a modulator of the modulator group selected to deliver the video-on-demand data; and

the decoder configured to cause the set top box to tune to the program slot associated with the one or more modulators and to the modulator of the modulator group selected to deliver the video-on-demand data.

3. The set top box of claim 1, wherein the decoder is configured to extract the modulator group identifier from the program streams directed to the set top box from the one or more modulators.

4. The set top box of claim 3, wherein the decoder is configured to extract the modulator group identifier from MPEG streams directed to the set top box from the one or more modulators of the modulator group.

5. A computer implemented method to request video-on-demand data, comprising:

extracting, from a data stream received from a video distribution network, a periodically recurring modulator group identifier for one or more modulators forming a modulator group that services a plurality of subscriber terminals, the modulator group identifier unique to a physical transmission path from a headend to the one or more modulators;

transmitting to the video distribution network a request for video-on-demand data, the request for the video-on-demand data including the modulator group identifier; and

receiving the video-on-demand data from an assigned modulator of the physical transmission path associated with the modulator group.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

receiving from the video distribution network a program slot number and an identifier of the assigned modulator of the physical transmission path; and

tuning to the program slot number and the assigned modulator of the physical transmission path to receive the video-on-demand data.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising extracting the modulator group identifier from program streams received from the video distribution network.