Coax server acting as proxy between coax transmission infrastructure and internet protocol (IP) transmission infrastructure for media on demand content

• US 9,912,993 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2015
• Issued: 03/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Guest-tek Interactive Entertainment Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Guest-tek Interactive Entertainment Ltd.
• Inventors: Hulse, David Andrew, Nicol, David, Clark, Stuart, Bryars, Mark Howard
• Primary Examiner(s): SHEPARD, JUSTIN E
• Application Number:
  US14/754,228
• Publication Number:
  US 20150304723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 981 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/77 using carrier waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/238 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for downstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• 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 21/239 Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. prioritizing client content requests hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for upstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in data networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/24 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth, upstream requests monitoring of server performance or load G06F11/34; arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26216 involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26616 for merging a unicast channel into a multicast channel, e.g. in a VOD application, when a client served by unicast channel catches up a multicast channel to save bandwidth data multicast over packet-switching network H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6168 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64738 Monitoring network characteristics, e.g. bandwidth, congestion level data switched network analysis H04L41/14; monitoring functioning in data switched networks H04L43/0817; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/10 Adaptations for transmission by electrical cable H04N7/12 takes precedence
• 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 coax server acts as a proxy between a coax transmission infrastructure and an Internet Protocol (IP) transmission infrastructure. An incoming request is received from a particular one of a plurality of coax client devices on the coax infrastructure. A request for specific media content is transmitted to a media-on-demand server in response to receiving the incoming request. A media stream is received over the IP infrastructure from the media-on-demand server, the media stream corresponding to the specific media content, and the coax server allocates a coax channel of sufficient bandwidth on the coax infrastructure and transmits the media stream on the coax channel utilizing the RF modulation scheme. A pointer indicating the coax channel on which the media stream is being transmitted is sent to the particular coax client device. The coax channel is unknown to other of the coax client devices besides the particular coax client device.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a coax transmission infrastructure formed by coaxial cable over which data are transmitted using a radio frequency (RF) modulation scheme;

a plurality of coax client devices each including an RF tuner supporting the RF modulation scheme connected to the coax transmission infrastructure;

an Internet Protocol (IP) transmission infrastructure formed by twisted pair wire over which data are transmitted using IP;

a media on demand server connected to the IP transmission infrastructure; and

a coax server coupled to both the coax transmission infrastructure and the IP transmission infrastructure for acting as a proxy between these two infrastructures;

wherein, when acting as the proxy between the coax transmission infrastructure and the IP transmission infrastructure, the coax server is operable to;

provide a real time streaming protocol (RTSP) proxy operable to a) communicate with an RTSP client in a particular one of the coax client devices via an RTSP connection utilizing an IP-over-coax modulation scheme over the coax transmission infrastructure and b) communicate with the media on demand server via the IP transmission infrastructure;

receive by the RTSP proxy an incoming request from the particular one of the coax client devices;

transmit by the RTSP proxy a request for specific media content to the media on demand server in response to receiving the incoming request from the particular one of the coax client devices;

receive by the RTSP proxy a media stream over the IP transmission infrastructure from the media on demand server, the media stream corresponding to the specific media content;

allocate a coax channel of sufficient bandwidth on the coax transmission infrastructure and transmit the media stream on the coax channel utilizing the RF modulation scheme; and

send to the particular one of the coax client devices by the RTSP proxy via the RTSP connection a pointer indicating the coax channel on which the media stream is being transmitted;

wherein the coax channel on which the media stream is transmitted is different than the RTSP connection.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the RF modulation scheme comprises either quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) or quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK).

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the media stream received by the coax server over the IP transmission infrastructure from the media on demand server is a unicast stream.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the media stream received over the IP transmission infrastructure from the media on demand server is a multicast stream.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an IP-coax modem facilitating transmission of the RTSP connection between the particular one of the coax client devices and the coax server via the coax transmission infrastructure using the IP-over-coax modulation scheme.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the coax server is further operable to provide metadata in association with the media stream transmitted to the particular one of the coax client devices via the coax transmission infrastructure.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wireless access point facilitating transmission of the RTSP connection between the particular one of the coax client devices and the coax server using an IP-over-WiFi path.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the coax transmission infrastructure is installed in a first part of a hospitality establishment; and

the IP transmission infrastructure is installed in a second part of the hospitality establishment.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the coax client devices are set top boxes (STBs) configured to control operation of associated televisions located in guest rooms in the first part the hospitality establishment.

10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of second client devices coupled to the IP transmission infrastructure;

wherein the second client devices are operable to request and receive media content directly from the media on demand server via the IP transmission infrastructure without involvement of the coax server.

11. A method of acting as a proxy between a coax transmission infrastructure and an Internet Protocol (IP) transmission infrastructure, the method comprising:

providing a real time streaming protocol (RTSP) proxy operable to a) communicate via an RTSP connection with an RTSP client in a particular one of a plurality of coax client devices utilizing an IP-over-coax modulation scheme over the coax transmission infrastructure and b) communicate with a media on demand server via the IP transmission infrastructure;

wherein the coax transmission infrastructure is formed by coaxial cable over which data are transmitted using a radio frequency (RF) modulation scheme, and the coax client devices each include an RF tuner supporting the RF modulation scheme;

receiving by the RTSP proxy an incoming request from the particular one of the coax client devices;

transmitting by the RTSP proxy a request for specific media content to the media on demand server in response to receiving the incoming request from the particular one of the coax client devices;

wherein the IP transmission infrastructure is formed by twisted pair wire over which data are transmitted using IP, and the media on demand server is connected to the IP transmission infrastructure;

receiving by the RTSP proxy a media stream over the IP transmission infrastructure from the media on demand server, the media stream corresponding to the specific media content;

allocating a coax channel of sufficient bandwidth on the coax transmission infrastructure and transmitting the media stream on the coax channel utilizing the RF modulation scheme; and

sending to the particular one of the coax client devices by the RTSP proxy via the RTSP connection a pointer indicating the coax channel on which the media stream is being transmitted;

wherein the coax channel on which the media stream is transmitted is different than the RTSP connection.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the coax transmission infrastructure is installed in a first part of a hospitality establishment; and

the IP transmission infrastructure is installed in a second part of the hospitality establishment.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the coax client devices are set top boxes (STBs) configured to control operation of associated televisions located in guest rooms in the first part the hospitality establishment.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the RF modulation scheme comprises either quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) or quadrature phase shift keying (QPSK).

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the media stream received over the IP transmission infrastructure from the media on demand server is a unicast stream.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the media stream received over the IP transmission infrastructure from the media on demand server is a multicast stream.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising facilitating by an IP-coax modem transmission of the RTSP connection between the particular one of the coax client devices and the coax server via the coax transmission infrastructure using the IP-over-coax modulation scheme.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing metadata in association with the media stream transmitted to the particular one of the coax client devices via the coax transmission infrastructure.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising facilitating by a wireless access point transmission of the RTSP connection between the particular one of the coax client devices and the coax server using an IP-over-WiFi path.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing a plurality of second client devices coupled to the IP transmission infrastructure; and

requesting and receiving media content by the second client devices directly from the media on demand server via the IP transmission infrastructure without involvement of the coax server.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform a plurality of steps for acting as a proxy between a coax transmission infrastructure and an Internet Protocol (IP) transmission infrastructure, the steps comprising:

providing a real time streaming protocol (RTSP) proxy operable to a) communicate via an RTSP connection with an RTSP client in a particular one of a plurality of coax client devices utilizing an IP-over-coax modulation scheme over the coax transmission infrastructure and b) communicate with a media on demand server via the IP transmission infrastructure;

wherein the coax transmission infrastructure is formed by coaxial cable over which data are transmitted using a radio frequency (RF) modulation scheme, and the coax client devices each include an RF tuner supporting the RF modulation scheme;

receiving by the RTSP proxy an incoming request from the particular one of the coax client devices;

transmitting by the RTSP proxy a request for specific media content to the media on demand server in response to receiving the incoming request from the particular one of the coax client devices;

wherein the IP transmission infrastructure is formed by twisted pair wire over which data are transmitted using IP, and the media on demand server is connected to the IP transmission infrastructure;

receiving by the RTSP proxy a media stream over the IP transmission infrastructure from the media on demand server, the media stream corresponding to the specific media content;

allocating a coax channel of sufficient bandwidth on the coax transmission infrastructure and transmitting the media stream on the coax channel utilizing the RF modulation scheme; and

sending to the particular one of the coax client devices by the RTSP proxy via the RTSP connection a pointer indicating the coax channel on which the media stream is being transmitted;

wherein the coax channel on which the media stream is transmitted is different than the RTSP connection.