Networked subscriber television distribution

• US 7,849,486 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2002
• Issued: 12/07/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta LLC (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Robinson, Jonathan A., Russ, Samuel H., Gaul, Michael A., Lett, David B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl; Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): PENG, FRED H
• Application Number:
  US10/294,947
• Publication Number:
  US 20030097662A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,945 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/74
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1106 Call signalling protocols; H.323 and related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4113 PC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440254 by altering signal-to-noise parameters, e.g. requantization
• 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 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A master device interactively distributes a television signal to a remote device for remote display with low latency between a user input and a television signal change.

Claims

1. A system for transmitting from a headend facility a plurality of audio/video signals, the system comprising:

a master set top for receiving the plurality of audio/video signals, the master set top comprising a plurality of tuners, each tuner for filtering and providing a portion of the plurality of audio/video signals to one of a viewing device and a remote device the remote device being controllable via a remote control device associated with, but separate from, the remote device; and

the remote device in communication with the master set top for receiving the portion of the plurality of audio/video signals from one of the plurality of tuners of the master set top, wherein when the portion of the plurality of audio/video signals received from the master set top includes more than one program, a demultiplexer operates to demultiplex a selected audio/video signal,

wherein one of the plurality of tuners is responsive to one of the at least one remote device by receiving control information directly from the remote control device, without the control information being relayed by the remote device,

wherein when the control information comprises a request for a channel change that encompasses a different portion of the plurality of audio/video signals, the master set top is configured to, initially, transmit the different portion encoded at a first low bit rate, and then subsequently encoded at second higher bit rate to the remote device upon a predetermined period of time passing without a channel change, wherein the encoding parameters are gradually changed to meet the encoding parameters of the second higher bit rate; and

wherein the control information further comprises a flag, wherein the flag comprises the decoding parameters of the second higher bit rate, and the predetermined bit pattern appended to the front and back of the decoding parameters.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote device is coupled to the master set top via a wired medium.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the remote device is configured to output a selected audio/video signal to a coupled display.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote device receives a selected audio/video signal from the master set top via wireless devices.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the remote device includes a computer.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of audio/video signals received by the master set top is an analog signal, the master set top further comprising an encoder for encoding the analog signals and for providing digital signals.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the remote device further comprises a decoder for decoding the digital signals prior to outputting to a coupled display.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of audio/video signals received by the master set top is a digital signal.

9. A subscriber network for distributing a plurality of media content signals to a master set top and a plurality of remote devices, the subscriber network comprising:

a master set top for receiving the plurality of media content signals, the master set top including a plurality of tuners, each tuner for providing a tuned media content signal to at least one of a television and remote devices;

a first remote control device, associated with a first remote device, for controlling one of the plurality of tuners in the master set top, the first remote device receiving the tuned media content signal or the plurality of media content signals from the subscriber network and including a demultiplexer for selecting a program of one of the tuned media content signal or the plurality of media content signals when more than one program is present; and

a second remote control device, associated with a second remote device, for controlling another one of the plurality of tuners in the master set top, the second remote device receiving the tuned media content signal or the plurality of media content signals from the subscriber network and including a demultiplexer for selecting a program of one of the tuned media content signal or the plurality of media content signals when more than one program is present,

wherein the master set top, upon receipt of respective commands from the first and second remote control devices, selects respective tuned media content signals and forwards the tuned media content signals to the first and second remote devices wherein the command is received directly from the first and second remote control devices without the command being relayed by the first or second remote devices,

wherein when a command comprises a request for a channel change that encompasses different tuned media content, the master set top is configured to, initially, transmit the different tuned media content encoded at a first low bit rate, and then subsequently encoded at second higher bit rate to at least one of the first or second remote devices upon a predetermined period of time passing without a channel change, wherein the encoding parameters are gradually changed to meet the encoding parameters of the second higher bit rate; and

wherein the command creates control information comprising a flag, wherein the flag comprises the decoding parameters of the second higher bit rate, and the predetermined bit pattern appended to the front and back of the decoding parameters.

10. The subscriber network of claim 9, wherein the first remote device includes one of a remote set top, a television, a computer, and a personal digital assistant.

11. The subscriber network of claim 9, wherein the first and second remote devices are remote set tops.

12. The subscriber network of claim 11, wherein the first and second remote set tops are coupled to the master set top and the subscriber network via a wired medium.

13. The subscriber network of claim 11, wherein the first and second remote set tops receive the respective tuned media content signals from the master set top via wireless devices and receive the plurality of media content signals from the subscriber network.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of media content signals are a compressed digital signal.

15. The system of claim 9, the master set top further including an encoder coupled to the plurality of tuners for receiving the tuned media content signal and digitally encoding the tuned media content signal into a digital signal.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second remote device comprises a decoder for decoding the encoded digital signal.