Broadcast service system

• US 5,577,032 A
• Filed: 09/10/1993
• Issued: 11/19/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Nagashima, Takashi, Kato, Takashi, Sone, Yukio
• Primary Examiner(s): Hsu, Alpus H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGO, RICKY QUOC
• Application Number:
  US08/120,376
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 370/94.1, 370/58.2, 370/58.3, 370/94.3, 370/18, 370/53, 370/54, 370/58.1, 370/62, 370/105, 370/110.1, 370/60, 370/60.1, 370/94.2, 348/6, 348/7, 348/8, 455/3.1, 455/3.3, 379/93, 379/94, 379/219, 379/220
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5619 Network Node Interface, e.g. tandem connections, transit switching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/563 Signalling, e.g. protocols, reference model
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5642 Multicast/broadcast/point-multipoint, e.g. VOD
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/201 Multicast operation; Broadcast operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/203 ATM switching fabrics with multicast or broadcast capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/254 Centralised controller, i.e. arbitration or scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/30 Peripheral units, e.g. input or output ports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/3081 ATM peripheral units, e.g. policing, insertion or extraction
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

The present invention relates to a broadcast service system where a broadcast transmission terminal is connected to a broadcast reception terminal through a plurality (large number) of switching nodes. The object of the invention is to provide a broadcast service system which has a small number of connection paths between switching nodes and can receive selectively, freely and arbitrarily broadcast program from the broadcast reception terminal. In the broadcast service system where a broadcast transmission terminal is connected to a broadcast reception terminal via a network having plural or many switching nodes, distribution modules, which control distributively input information, are formed so as to arrange to each or some of the switching nodes as an external circuit to an exchange switch in corresponding switching nodes.

Claims

1. A broadcast service system comprising a plurality of switching nodes;

a broadcast transmission terminal and a broadcast reception terminal connected to each other through said plurality of switching nodes, each switching node comprising an exchange switch, and a distribution module for controlling distributively input information and being arranged as an external circuit to the exchange switch of a respective switching node,

said switching nodes and distribution modules thereof being connected such that when broadcasting begins, information is transmitted from said broadcast transmission terminal to a distribution module of the switching node on said transmission side via said switching node on said transmission side accommodating said broadcast transmission terminal, the distribution module of the switching node on said transmission side copying said information, the copied information being transmitted from said distribution module of the switching node on said transmission side to the distribution module of said switching node on said reception side via said switching node on said reception side accommodating said broadcast reception terminal, said information being accessed from said broadcast reception terminal to said distribution module on said reception side via said switching node on said reception side.

2. A broadcast service system according to claim 1, wherein a distribution module of each of said plurality of switching nodes controls distributively broadcast channels.

3. A broadcast service system according to claim 1, wherein control information is transmitted and received between each of said switching nodes and distribution modules in accordance with a subscriber line signal control.

6. A broadcast service system according to claim 1, wherein a connection request from said broadcast transmission terminal or said broadcast reception terminal is performed based on a feature access code including transmission or reception identifying information and channel specifying information to realize a meet-me system, wherein a connection is established to a distribution module of a switching node accommodating said broadcast reception terminal.

4. A broadcast service system

comprising a plurality of switching nodes;

a broadcast transmission terminal and a broadcast reception terminal connected to each other through said plurality of switching nodes, each switching node comprising an exchange switch, and a distribution module for controlling distributively input information and being arranged as an external circuit to the exchange switch of a respective switching node,

said switching nodes and distribution modules thereof being connected such that when broadcasting begins, information is transmitted from said broadcast transmission terminal at a transmission side to a distribution module of the switching node on said transmission side via said switching node on said transmission side, from said distribution module of the switching node on said transmission side to a distribution module of the switching node on a reception side via said switching node on said reception side accommodating said broadcast reception terminal, said information being accessed from said broadcast reception terminal to said distribution module on said reception side via said switching node on said reception side,

wherein said distribution module of each switching node comprises;

a buffer for holding input information from an input path; and

a cell duplicate functioning unit for duplicating cells by the number of that of necessary output paths in response to an output from said buffer;

said cell duplicate functioning unit including a distribution identification (ID) conversion table for storing distribution ID information retrieved in accordance with an input virtual call identifier (VCI), and a distribution ID output and VCI conversion table for storing output VCIs which are retrieved in accordance with a distribution ID in said distribution ID conversion table, said cell duplicate functioning unit searching said distribution ID output and VCI conversion table to obtain a corresponding output VCI and transmits duplicate information to said output path.

5. A broadcast service system comprising;

a plurality of switching nodes;

a broadcast transmission terminal and a broadcast reception terminal connected to each other through said plurality of switching nodes, each switching node comprising an exchange switch, and a distribution module for controlling distributively input information and being arranged as an external circuit to the exchange switch of a respective switching node;

said switching nodes and distribution modules thereof being connected such that when broadcasting begins, information is transmitted from said broadcast transmission terminal at a transmission side to a distribution module of the switching node on said transmission side, from said distribution module of the switching node on said transmission side to a distribution module of the switching node on a reception side via said switching node on said reception side accommodating said broadcast reception terminal, said information being accessed from said broadcast reception terminal to said distribution module on said reception side via said switching node on said reception side; and

permanent virtual connection lines preset respectively between said broadcast transmission terminal and said switching node on said transmission side, between said broadcast reception terminal and said switching node on said reception side, between confronting switching nodes, and between each distribution module and a corresponding switching node wherein said permanent virtual connection lines are connected using said switching node to realize a broadcast service to said broadcast reception terminal from said broadcast transmission terminal via a switching node with a distribution module.

7. A broadcast service system according to claim 5, wherein band widths are allocated to said permanent virtual connection lines when a broadcast service is started.

8. A broadcast service system according to claim 5, further comprising a miscellaneous device connected to each switching node, each said switching node setting each respective one of said permanent virtual connection lines, based on a connection setting information from said miscellaneous device.

9. broadcast service system according to claim 5, further comprising a broadcast service control device connected to each switching node for determining a connection configuration of said broadcast service, said each switching node setting a respective a permanent virtual connection line in accordance with a command from said broadcast service control device when a broadcast service is started.

10. A broadcast service system wherein a broadcast transmission terminal is connected to a broadcast reception terminal through a network including plural switching nodes, comprising:

plural distribution modules for controlling distributively input information, each of said plural distribution modules being used as an external circuit to an exchange switch within each corresponding one of said switching nodes, said distribution modules being arranged to some of said plural switching nodes to arrange distributively within said network,

wherein when broadcasting begins, information is transmitted from said broadcast transmission terminal to a distribution module on a transmission side arranged to a switching node on said transmission side via said switching node on said transmission side accommodating said broadcast transmission terminal, the distribution module on said transmission side copying said information, the copied information being transmitted from said distribution module on said transmission side to said distribution module of the switching node on said reception side via said switching node on said reception side accommodating said broadcast reception terminal, said information being accessed from said broadcast reception terminal to said distribution module on said reception side via said switching node on said reception side.

11. A broadcast service system according to claim 10, wherein said distribution modules control distributively every broadcast channel.

12. A broadcast service system according to claim 10, wherein control information is transmitted and received between each switching node and a corresponding distribution module in accordance with a subscriber line signal control.

13. A broadcast service system according to claim 10, wherein a connection request from said broadcast transmission terminal or said broadcast reception terminal is performed based on a feature access code including transmission/reception identifying information and channel specifying information to realize a meet-me system, wherein a connection is established to a distribution module belonging to a switching node accommodating said broadcast reception terminal.

14. A broadcast service system wherein a broadcast transmission terminal is connected to a broadcast reception terminal through a network including plural switching nodes, comprising:

plural distribution modules for controlling distributively input information, each of said plural distribution modules being used as an external circuit to an exchange switch within each corresponding one of said switching nodes, said distribution modules being arranged to some of said plural switching nodes to arrange distributively within said network,

wherein when broadcasting begins, information is transmitted from said broadcast transmission terminal to a distribution module on a transmission side arranged to a switching node on said transmission side via said switching node on said transmission side accommodating said broadcast transmission terminal, from said distribution module on said transmission side to a distribution module arranged to a switching node on said reception side via said switching node on said reception side accommodating said broadcast reception terminal, said information being accessed from said broadcast reception terminal to said distribution module on said reception side via said switching node on said reception side, and

wherein each of said distribution modules comprises;

a buffer for holding input information from an input path; and

a cell duplicate functioning unit for duplicating cells by the number of that of necessary output paths in response to an output from said buffer;

said cell duplicate functioning unit including a distribution identification (ID) conversion table for storing distribution ID information retrieved in accordance with an input virtual call identifier (VCI), and a distribution ID output and VCI conversion table for storing output VCIs which are retrieved in accordance with a distribution ID in said distribution ID conversion table, said cell duplicate functioning unit searching said distribution ID output and VCI conversion table to obtain a corresponding output VCI and transmits duplicate information to said output path.

15. A broadcast service system wherein a broadcast transmission terminal is connected to a broadcast reception terming through a network including plural switching nodes, the system comprising:

plural distribution modules for controlling distributively input information, each of said plural distribution modules being used as an external circuit to an exchange switch within each corresponding one of said switching nodes, said distribution modules being arranged to some of said plural switching nodes to arrange distributively within said network,

wherein when broadcasting begins, information is transmitted from said broadcast transmission terminal to a distribution module on a transmission side arranged to a switching node on said transmission side via said switching node on said transmission side accommodating said broadcast transmission terminal, from said distribution module on said transmission side to a distribution module arranged to a switching node on said reception side via said switching node on said reception side accommodating said broadcast reception terminal, said information being accessed from said broadcast reception terminal to said distribution module on said reception side via said switching node on said reception side, and

permanent virtual connection lines preset respectively between said broadcast transmission terminal and said switching node connected thereto, between said broadcast reception terminal and said switching node connected thereto, between confronting switching nodes, and between each distribution module and a corresponding switching node, wherein said permanent virtual connection lines are connected using said switching node to realize a broadcast service to said broadcast reception terminal from said broadcast transmission terminal via a switching node with a distribution module.

16. A broadcast service system according to claim 15, wherein bands are allocated to said permanent virtual connection lines when a broadcast service is started.

17. A broadcast service system according to claim 15, wherein each switching node is connected to a miscellaneous device, wherein said switching node sets each of said permanent virtual connection lines, based on a connection setting information from said miscellaneous device.

18. A broadcast service system according to claim 15, further comprising a broadcast service control device connected to said switching node for determining a connection configuration of said broadcast service, whereby said switching node sets a permanent virtual connection line in accordance with a command from said broadcast service control device when a broadcast service is started.