Digital domain content processing and distribution apparatus and methods
First Claim
1. A computerized method of providing a plurality of digitally rendered on-demand content to a plurality of users of a content distribution network, the method comprising:
- receiving data representative of one or more requests from respective ones of the plurality of users for the plurality of digitally rendered on-demand content, the plurality of digitally rendered on-demand content being characterized by a proportion of one or more narrowcast programs to other content;
accessing the plurality of digitally rendered on-demand content at a computerized on-demand server apparatus;
transmitting the plurality of accessed digitally rendered on-demand content as part of a single program transport stream (SPTS) to a programmable Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) apparatus;
assigning, via the programmable IFFT apparatus, individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered on-demand content to one or more radio frequency carriers as a function of time, thereby providing time and frequency diversity;
dynamically adjusting, via the programmable IFFT apparatus, the proportion of one or more narrowcast programs to the other content responsive to a change in a number of the plurality of users; and
transmitting the plurality of digitally rendered on-demand content to the plurality of users over the one or more radio frequency carriers.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for distributing content using a spectrum generation device. In one embodiment, digital content is received via a time-multiplexed network transport (such as Gigabit Ethernet), and converted to frequency channels suitable for transmission over a content distribution (e.g., Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC)) network. In one variant, the conversion is performed using digital domain processing performed by a full spectrum generation device. Additionally, methods and apparatus for selectively adding, removing, and/or changing digital content from the full spectrum device are also disclosed. Various aspects of the present invention enable physical (infrastructure) consolidation, and software-implemented remote management of content distribution.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A computerized method of providing a plurality of digitally rendered on-demand content to a plurality of users of a content distribution network, the method comprising:
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receiving data representative of one or more requests from respective ones of the plurality of users for the plurality of digitally rendered on-demand content, the plurality of digitally rendered on-demand content being characterized by a proportion of one or more narrowcast programs to other content; accessing the plurality of digitally rendered on-demand content at a computerized on-demand server apparatus; transmitting the plurality of accessed digitally rendered on-demand content as part of a single program transport stream (SPTS) to a programmable Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) apparatus; assigning, via the programmable IFFT apparatus, individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered on-demand content to one or more radio frequency carriers as a function of time, thereby providing time and frequency diversity; dynamically adjusting, via the programmable IFFT apparatus, the proportion of one or more narrowcast programs to the other content responsive to a change in a number of the plurality of users; and transmitting the plurality of digitally rendered on-demand content to the plurality of users over the one or more radio frequency carriers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computerized method of providing digitally rendered on-demand content to a plurality of users of a content distribution network, the digitally rendered on-demand content having a broadcast-related start time associated therewith, the computerized method comprising:
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receiving a broadcast comprising a plurality of digital content elements; processing at least a portion of the broadcast to obtain the plurality of digital content elements for storage on a storage device associated with an on-demand server; receiving data representative of one or more requests from one or more respective users of the plurality of users for individual ones of the plurality of digital content elements, the one or more requests originated after the broadcast-related start time and causing creation of at least one session for the one or more requesting users; accessing the requested ones of the plurality of digital content elements at the storage device; transmitting the accessed ones of the plurality of digital content elements as part of a unicast single program transport stream (SPTS) to an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) apparatus; allocating the accessed ones of the plurality of digital content to one or more frequency carriers in data communication with the one or more users, the allocating;
(i) comprising a range of reserved bandwidth configured to allow a downstream hub to insert content, and (ii) being conducted as a function of time so that the allocated ones of the plurality of digital content possess both time and frequency diversity;performing an IFFT process via the IFFT apparatus on the accessed ones of the plurality of digital content to effect the allocating, the IFFT process comprising converting the accessed ones of the plurality of digital content into a plurality of time domain content comprising a multiplexed data stream suitable for transmission to the one or more requesting users; transmitting the plurality of time domain content to the one or more requesting users over one or more radio frequency carriers, the transmitting commencing after the broadcast-related start time and the receiving of the data representative of the one or more requests. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computerized network apparatus configured to deliver digitally rendered content from an on-demand digital content source to a plurality of users associated with a content distribution network, the computerized network apparatus comprising:
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a first interface configured to access the on-demand digital content source, the on-demand digital content source in communication with the content distribution network; a storage apparatus in data communication with the first interface and configured to at least temporarily store at least accessed digital content obtained from the on-demand digital content source; a programmable Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) apparatus configured to; receive the accessed digital content, the accessed digital content comprising a plurality of packetized program streams; select one or more of the plurality of packetized program streams to create targeted narrowcast digitally rendered content for a subset of the plurality of users; generate a service group for the subset of the plurality of users with the selected one or more packetized program streams; and convert the selected one or more packetized program streams using an Inverse Fast Fourier Transform (IFFT) into a digital data stream suitable for transmission to the service group, the digital data stream comprising a radio frequency spectrum for supporting one or more subscriber services, wherein each one of the one or more subscriber services is allocated to one radio frequency carrier of one or more radio frequency carriers as a function of time; and a second interface configured to transmit the digital data stream to the service group over the one radio frequency carrier. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification