Method and apparatus for seamless connectivity of wide-band networks and narrow-band networks

• US 6,118,472 A
• Filed: 06/05/1996
• Issued: 09/12/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA), Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: OpenTV, Inc. (Kudelski SA), Sun Microsystems Incorporated (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Dureau, Vincent Louis, St. Girons, Regis
• Primary Examiner(s): Peng, John K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lo, Linus H.
• Application Number:
  US08/658,498
• Time in Patent Office: 1,560 Days
• Field of Search: 348/6, 348/7, 348/8, 348/10, 348/12, 348/13, 455/3.1, 455/4.1, 455/4.2, 455/5.1, 455/6.1, 455/6.2, 455/3.2, 379/90.01
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• 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 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

An apparatus for seamless connectivity between a narrow-band network like the Internet and an interactive TV wide-band network and methods of operating the same support on the fly translation and routing of data between the Internet and the interactive TV wide-band network. The apparatus for interfacing between a wide-band network and a narrow-band network comprises a decoder, having a decoder input, a first decoder port, and a second decoder port, which receives wide-band data from the wide-band network via the second decoder port and decodes the wide-band data to provide decoded data in response to decoder requests from the decoder input. A gateway, coupled to the decoder, the narrow-band network, and the wide-band network having a first gateway port to receive the decoder requests from the first decoder port, a second gateway port to interface with the narrow-band network, and a third gateway port to interface with the wide-band network, retrieves requested data from the narrow-band network in response to the decoder requests and transfers the requested data to the wide-band network for transfer to the decoder.

Claims

1. A seamless connection for interfacing between a wide-band network and a narrow-band network comprising:

a decoder, having a decoder input, a first decoder port, and a second decoder port, which receives wide-band data from the wide-band network via the second decoder port and decodes the wide-band data to provide decoded data in response to decoder requests from the decoder input;

a gateway, coupled to the the coder, the narrow-band network, and the wide-band network having a first gateway port to receive the decoder requests from the first decoder port, a second gateway port to interface with the narrow-band network, and a third gateway port to interface with the wide-band network, which retrieves requested data from the narrow-band network in response to the decoder requests and transfers the requested data to the wide-band network for transfer to the decoder; and

a display device having a display input which displays the requested data and wherein the decoder includes a third decoder port coupled to the display input to provide decoded requested data to the display device;

wherein;

the first decoder port includes a bi-directional port;

the first gateway port includes a bi-directional port;

the gateway includes circuitry which parses the requested data to provide narrow-band data and wide-band data and transfers the narrow-band data to the first gateway port for output; and

the decoder receives the narrow-band data via the first decoder port.

2. The seamless connection according to claim 1, wherein:

the gateway transfers the wide-band data to the wide-band network; and

the decoder receives the wide-band data and recombines the wide-band data with the narrow band data for output to the display device.

3. A seamless connection for interfacing between a wide-band network and a narrow-band network comprising:

a decoder, having a decoder input, a first decoder port, and a second decoder port, which receives wide-band data from the wide-band network via the second decoder port and decodes the wide-band data to provide decoded data in response to decoder requests from the decoder input;

a gateway, coupled to the decoder, the narrow-band network, and the wide-band network having a first gateway port to receive the decoder requests from the first decoder port, a second gateway port to interface with the narrow-band network, and a third gateway port to interface with the wide-band network, which retrieves requested data from the narrow-band network in response to the decoder requests and transfers the requested data to the wide-band network for transfer to the decoder; and

a display device having a display input which displays the requested data and wherein the decoder includes a third decoder port coupled to the display input to provide decoded requested data to the display device;

wherein the decoder includes circuitry programmable to execute specified functions receives a browser application from the wide-band network which programs the circuitry in the decoder to receive parsed Internet data from the narrow-band network for output to the display device.

4. The seamless connection according to claim 3, wherein the gateway receives Internet data pertaining to a particular web page and parses the web page to provide the parsed Internet data for transfer to the decoder.

5. The seamless connection according to claim 4, wherein the parsed Internet data includes text and control devices to reconstruct the particular web page.

6. A connection system for a wide-band broadcast network for accessing a narrow-band network to provide Internet access comprising:

a wide-band receiver, coupled to the wide-band network, which receives broadcasts of encoded wide-band broadcast data from the wide-band network;

a decoder, coupled to the wide-band broadcast network having a first decoder input, a second decoder input, a first decoder port, and a second decoder port, responsive to decoder control signals applied to the first decoder input provides decoder requests to the first decoder port and decodes wide-band data received from the second decoder input to provide display data to the second decoder port;

a gateway, coupled to the decoder and the narrow-band network having a first gateway port to receive the decoder requests, a second gateway port to transceive Internet data, and a third gateway port, which retrieves requested Internet data from the narrow-band network in response to the decoder requests and transfers the requested Internet data to the third gateway port;

an encoder, coupled to the third gateway port having an encoder input to receive the requested Internet data and an encoder output, which encodes the requested Internet data and provides the encoded wide-band broadcast data to the encoder output;

a wide-band transmitter, coupled to the wide-band network and the encoder output, which broadcasts the encoded wide-band broadcast data to the wide-band network; and

a display coupled to the second decoder port which receives the display data and provides an visual image in response to the display data;

wherein;

the gateway includes circuitry which parses the requested Internet data to provide narrow-band data and wide-band data and transfers the narrow-band data for output to the first decoder port and the wide-band data to the encoder input; and

the decoder receives the narrow-band data and the encoded wide-band broadcast data and includes circuitry which recombines the narrow-band data and the encoded wide-band broadcast data to provide display data to the second decoder port.

7. A connection system for a wide-band broadcast network for accessing a narrow-band network to provide Internet access comprising:

a wide-band receiver, coupled to the wide-band network, which receives broadcasts of encoded wide-band broadcast data from the wide-band network;

a decoder, coupled to the wide-band broadcast network having a first decoder input, a second decoder input, a first decoder port, and a second decoder port, responsive to decoder control signals applied to the first decoder input provides decoder requests to the first decoder port and decodes wide-band data received from the second decoder input to provide display data to the second decoder port;

a gateway, coupled to the decoder and the narrow-band network having a first gateway port to receive the decoder requests, a second gateway port to transceive Internet data, and a third gateway port, which retrieves requested Internet data from the narrow-band network in response to the decoder requests and transfers the requested Internet data to the third gateway port;

an encoder, coupled to the third gateway port having an encoder input to receive the requested Internet data and an encoder output, which encodes the requested Internet data and provides the encoded wide-band broadcast data to the encoder output;

a wide-band transmitter, coupled to the wide-band network and the encoder output, which broadcasts the encoded wide-band broadcast data to the wide-band network; and

a display coupled to the second decoder port which receives the display data and provides an visual image in response to the display data;

wherein;

the decoder includes circuitry programmable to execute specified functions receives a browser application from the wide-band network which programs circuitry in the decoder to receive parsed Internet data from the narrow-band network for output to the display device.

8. The connection system according to claim 7, wherein the gateway includes circuitry which provides internet browsing to retrieve the requested Internet data from the narrow-band network and parse the requested Internet data to provide the parsed Internet data to the decoder.

9. The connection system according to claim 8, wherein the gateway requested Internet data includes a particular web page and the parsed Internet data includes text and control devices to reconstruct the particular web page.

10. A connection system for a wide-band broadcast network for accessing a narrow-band network to provide Internet access comprising:

a wide-band receiver, coupled to the wide-band network, which receives broadcasts of encoded wide-band broadcast data from the wide-band network;

a decoder, coupled to the wide-band broadcast network having a first decoder input, a second decoder input, a first decoder port, and a second decoder port, responsive to decoder control signals applied to the first decoder input provides decoder requests to the first decoder port and decodes wide-band data received from the second decoder input to provide display data to the second decoder port;

a gateway, coupled to the decoder and the narrow-band network having a first gateway port to receive the decoder requests, a second gateway port to transceive Internet data, and a third gateway port, which retrieves requested Internet data from the narrow-band network in response to the decoder requests and transfers the requested Internet data to the third gateway port;

an encoder, coupled to the third gateway port having an encoder input to receive the requested Internet data and an encoder output, which encodes the requested Internet data and provides the encoded wide-band broadcast data to the encoder output;

a wide-band transmitter, coupled to the wide-band network and the encoder output, which broadcasts the encoded wide-band broadcast data to the wide-band network; and

a display coupled to the second decoder port which receives the display data and provides an visual image in response to the display data;

wherein;

the gateway retrieves a plurality of web pages from the narrow-band network and transfers the plurality of web pages to the encoder;

the encoder encodes the plurality of web pages and provides encoded wide-band web page broadcast data to the wide-band transmitter; and

the wide-band transmitter transmits the wide-band web page broadcast data to the wide-band network.

11. The connection system according to claim 10, wherein the decoder includes circuitry programmed to select particular web pages from the wide-band web page broadcast data for decoding to provide display data for output.

12. A method of seamless connectivity on a hybrid network for interfacing between a wide-band network and a narrow-band network comprising the steps:

interfacing to the narrow-band network to retrieve narrow-band data in response to decoder requests;

encoding the narrow-band data for transfer to the wide-band network;

decoding wide-band data from the wide-band network to provide display data; and

parsing the narrow-band data to provide low bit rate data and wide-band data.

13. A method of seamless connectivity on a hybrid network for interfacing between a wide-band network and a narrow-band network comprising the steps:

interfacing to the narrow-band network to retrieve narrow-band data in response to decoder requests;

encoding the narrow-band data for transfer to the wide-band network;

decoding wide-band data from the wide-band network to provide display data;

parsing the narrow-band data to provide low bit rate data and wide-band data;

transferring the low bit rate data to a low bit rate link;

receiving the low bit rate data from the low bit rate link; and

recombining the low bit rate data with the wide-band data to provide the display data.

14. A method of seamless connectivity on a hybrid network for interfacing between a wide-band network and a narrow-band network comprising the steps:

interfacing to the narrow-band network to retrieve narrow-band data in response to decoder requests;

encoding the narrow-band data for transfer to the wide-band network;

decoding wide-band data from the wide-band network to provide display data;

parsing the narrow-band data to provide low bit rate data and wide-band data;

downloading a client browser application from the wide-band network;

parsing the narrow-band data to provide low bit rate data to the client browser application; and

processing the low bit rate data to provide the display data.

15. The method of seamless connectivity according to claim 14, wherein:

the low bit rate data includes image rectangles representing optional wide-band data;

transferring the optional wide-band data to the wide-band network; and

recombining the optional wide-band data with the low bit rate data of the client browser application to display the optional wide-band data in response to a decoder request.