Multimedia system with selectable protocol module including MPEG logic and docsis logic sharing a single tuner

• US 6,813,643 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2001
• Issued: 11/02/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Digeo Incorporated (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Perlman, Stephen G.
• Primary Examiner(s): EL HADY, NABIL M
• Application Number:
  US09/755,517
• Publication Number:
  US 20020091866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 709/100, 709/104, 709/238, 709/241, 709/247, 709/232, 370/351, 370/422, 370/431, 348/731, 348/732
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4181 for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/437 Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• 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

Abstract

A multimedia apparatus is described comprising: a tuner for tuning to a carrier frequency and down-converting a frequency-modulated multimedia signal to a baseband multimedia signal; a selectable protocol module including QAM/MPEG logic and Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (“DOCSIS”) logic configured to receive the baseband multimedia signal; and selection logic configured to select the QAM/MPEG logic for processing a first signal having a first signal format to produce a first processed signal, the selection logic further configured to select the DOCSIS logic for processing a second signal having a second signal format to produce a second processed signal.

Claims

1. A multimedia apparatus comprising:

a tuner for tuning to a carrier frequency and down-converting a frequency-modulated multimedia signal to a baseband multimedia signal;

a selectable protocol module including QAM/MPEG logic and Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (“

DOCSIS”

) logic each configured to share said tuner to receive said baseband multimedia signal; and

selection logic configured to select said QAM/MPEG logic for processing a first signal having a first signal format to produce a first processed signal, said selection logic further configured to select said DOCSIS logic for processing a second signal having a second signal format to produce a second processed signal wherein said selection logic is further configured to cause said second processed signal to bypass a conditional access (“

CA”

) subsystem communicatively coupled to said selectable protocol module.

2. The multimedia apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said CA subsystem is configured to receive said first processed signal and to determine if a user should be permitted to receive said first processed signal.

3. The multimedia apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising:

a second tuner for tuning to a carrier frequency and down-converting a second frequency-modulated multimedia signal to a second baseband multimedia signal;

a QAM module for demodulating said second baseband signal; and

a second CA subsystem for demodulating said second baseband signal.

4. The multimedia apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising:

a second tuner for tuning to a carrier frequency and down-converting a second frequency-modulated multimedia signal to a second baseband multimedia signal; and

a QAM module for demodulating said second baseband signal, wherein a second CA subsystem demodulates said second baseband signal.

5. The multimedia apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said first signal is a multimedia signal transmitted from a cable provider.

6. The multimedia apparatus as in claim 3 wherein said second signal is a data signal transmitted from a server on the Internet.

7. The multimedia apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said DOCSIS logic is further configured to transmit data over a network using a modulator/transmitter unit.

8. The multimedia apparatus as in claim 7 wherein said data signal includes a Web page.

9. A multimedia communication system comprising:

a communication channel configured to switch between a first mode in which said communication channel receives from a tuner and decodes a first multimedia signal using MPEG logic, and a second mode in which said communication channel receives from the same turner and transmits data and/or multimedia content according to the Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (“

DOCSIS”

) standard wherein a selection logic configured to select MPEG logic for producing a first processed signal and configured to select said DOCSIS logic for producing a second processed signal, and wherein said selection logic is further configured to cause said second processed signal to bypass a conditional access (“

CA”

) module communicatively coupled to said switch communication channel.

10. The multimedia communication system as in claim 9 wherein said MPEG logic is MPEG-2 decode logic.

11. The multimedia communication system as in claim 9 further comprising:

a second communication channel configured to switch between a first mode in which said second communication channel receives and decodes a first multimedia signal using MPEG logic, and a second mode in which said second communication channel transmits and receives data and/or multimedia content according to the DOCSIS standard.

12. The multimedia communication system as in claim 11 wherein comprising:

said CA module module shared between said first communication channel and said second communication channel.

13. The multimedia communication system as in claim 9 further comprising:

a mass storage device for storing said data and/or said multimedia content.

14. The multimedia communication system as in claim 9 further comprising:

selection logic configured to select between said first mode and said second mode.

15. The multimedia communication system as in claim 14 wherein said selection logic is software executed by a central processing unit.

16. A method implemented by a multimedia service provider for transitioning to a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (“

DOCSIS”

) communication standard comprising;

providing subscribers with a first type of multimedia system having one or more selectable protocol modules, said selectable protocol modules each receiving baseband multimedia signals from a single tuner and being capable of selecting between a legacy communication standard and a DOCSIS communication standard for transmitting/receiving data and/or multimedia content; and

switching from said legacy communication standard to a DOCSIS-only communication standard to transmit/receive multimedia content and/or data; and

providing new subscribers with a second type of multimedia system having one or more DOCSIS modules capable of transmitting/receiving data and/or multimedia content according to the DOCSIS standard wherein multimedia content and/or data is transmitted to end users using a secure point-to-point transmission standard rather than using a conditional access (“

CA”

) module.

17. The method as in claim 16 wherein said secure point-to-point transmission standard is Secure Sockets Layer (“

SSL”

) encryption.

18. The method as in claim 16 wherein said legacy communication standard is quadrature amplitude modulation (“

QAM”

) and MPEG-2 compression.