Method and apparatus for distributing content in a communication network

• US 9,918,124 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2017
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• 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:
  US15/453,398
• Publication Number:
  US 20170180801A1
• Time in Patent Office: 370 Days
• 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

generating, by a waveguide system comprising a dielectric coupler coupled to a transmission medium, electromagnetic waves that propagate along the transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the transmission medium, wherein the dielectric coupler is not coaxially aligned with the transmission medium, wherein the electromagnetic waves convey the IP formatted content, and wherein the electromagnetic waves are 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 media devices over a distribution network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gateway is communicatively coupled to the waveguide system.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a plurality of processors operating in a distributed processing environment.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium comprises a single wire communication network coupled to residential or commercial establishments where the plurality of media devices is located.

5. 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 provides the IP formatted content as electrical signals that propagate in conducting materials of twisted-pair cables of the network of twisted-pair cables.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gateway comprises a digital subscriber line device for transmitting electrical signals in twisted-pair cables of a network of twisted-pair cables for transporting the IP formatted content.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of media devices retrieves the satellite encoded content from the IP formatted content and processes the satellite encoded content according to the satellite distribution protocol.

8. 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 media device of the plurality of media devices, 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 media device for processing according to the satellite distribution protocol.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the satellite encoded content enables the plurality of media devices to switch between satellite orbit locations utilizing the satellite switching of the satellite distribution protocol.

10. 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 media devices not collocated with 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 waveguide comprising a dielectric coupler coupled to a transmission medium, first electromagnetic waves that propagate along the transmission medium, wherein the dielectric coupler is not coaxially aligned with the transmission medium, wherein the first electromagnetic waves convey the IP formatted content for processing by a gateway for distribution of at least a portion of the IP formatted content to at least one of the plurality of media devices.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the transmission medium comprises a single wire communication network coupled to residential or commercial establishments where the plurality of media devices is located.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the gateway distributes at least the portion of the IP formatted content to the plurality of media devices over a distribution network.

13. The method of claim 12, 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.

14. The method of claim 13, 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.

15. 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 electromagnetic waves via a dielectric coupler coupled to a transmission medium that propagate along the transmission medium, wherein the dielectric coupler is not coaxially aligned with the transmission medium, the electromagnetic waves convey the formatted content for distribution to at least one of the plurality of media processors via the transmission medium.

16. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein a waveguide system receives the electromagnetic waves and converts the electromagnetic waves to electrical signals comprising the formatted content.

17. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the 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.

18. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the electrical signals propagate in conducting materials of twisted-pair cables of the network of twisted-pair cables.

19. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the waveguide system comprises a digital subscriber line device for transmitting the electrical signals.

20. The machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the plurality of media processors retrieves the satellite encoded content from the formatted content and processes the satellite encoded content according to the satellite distribution protocol.