Strategies for Integrating Plural Modes of Content Delivery

• US 20080086569A1
• Filed: 10/10/2006
• Published: 04/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Arora, Gagan, Panchangam, Prasad V.R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/488 Data services, e.g. news ticker systems specially adapted for using meteorological information in broadcast systems H04H60/71
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

A hybrid system is described which allows an Internet Protocol (IP) set-top box to receive broadcast media content from a broadcast delivery infrastructure and on-demand media content from an IP delivery infrastructure. The broadcast delivery infrastructure can generate a quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) signal, while the IP delivery infrastructure can generate an IP-based signal. The system uses a format converter to convert the QAM signal into a rights-protected signal expressed in an IP-compatible format. The format converter can be implemented as an OpenCable Unidirectional Receiver (OCUR) device.

Claims

1. A system for receiving and processing media content, comprising:

a format converter configured to;

receive broadcast media content from a broadcast delivery infrastructure;

convert the broadcast media content into an Internet Protocol (IP) format; and

apply digital rights management protection to the broadcast media content,

the format converter thereby providing rights-protected media content expressed in the IP format;

a network interface device for receiving on-demand media content from an IP delivery infrastructure, the on-demand media content being expressed in the IP format;

an IP processing device configured to receive and process an output signal generated by the format converter and an output signal generated by the network interface device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the format converter is an OpenCable Unidirectional Receiver (OCUR) device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the broadcast delivery infrastructure is a cable infrastructure or a satellite infrastructure or a terrestrial antennae infrastructure.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the broadcast delivery infrastructure is a cable infrastructure which includes a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) delivery network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the broadcast media content that is received by the format converter is expressed as a quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) signal.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the IP delivery infrastructure comprises one or more servers that are communicatively coupled to an IP-based digital network.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the network interface device comprises a digital subscriber line (DSL) modem.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the IP processing device comprises an IP-enabled set-top box.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the format converter, network interface device, and IP processing device comprise separate units that are communicatively coupled together.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein any two of the format converter, network interface device, and IP processing device are integrated together in a single unit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein at all three of the format converter, network interface device, and IP processing device are integrated together in a single unit.

12. A method for receiving and processing media content, comprising:

receiving broadcast media content from a broadcast delivery infrastructure;

converting the broadcast media content into an Internet Protocol (IP) format and applying digital rights management protection to the broadcast media content, to thereby provide a first IP format output signal;

receiving on-demand media content from an IP delivery infrastructure, the on-demand media content being expressed in the IP format, to thereby provide a second IP format signal; and

supplying the first IP format output signal and the second IP format output signal to an IP processing device for processing.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the format converter is an OpenCable Unidirectional Receiver (OCUR) device.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the broadcast delivery infrastructure is a cable infrastructure or a satellite infrastructure or a terrestrial antennae infrastructure.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the received broadcast media content is expressed as a quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) signal.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the IP delivery infrastructure comprises one or more servers that are communicatively coupled to an IP-based network.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the IP processing device comprises an IP-enabled set-top box.

18. A system for receiving media content, comprising:

a first delivery infrastructure for delivering quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) broadcast media content;

a format converter configured to;

receive the QAM broadcast media content over the first delivery infrastructure;

convert the QAM broadcast media content into an Internet Protocol (IP) format; and

apply digital rights management protection to the QAM broadcast media content,

the format converter thereby providing rights-protected media content expressed in the IP format;

a second delivery infrastructure for delivering on-demand media content expressed in the IP format;

a network interface device for receiving the on-demand IP media content over the second delivery infrastructure;

an IP processing device configured to receive and process an output signal generated by the format converter and an output signal generated by the network interface device.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the format converter is an OpenCable Unidirectional Receiver (OCUR) device.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the first delivery infrastructure is a cable infrastructure or a satellite infrastructure or a terrestrial antennae infrastructure, and the second delivery infrastructure comprises one or more servers that are communicatively coupled to an IP-based digital network.