Systems and methods for providing video and data services to a customer premises

• US 7,921,443 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2003
• Issued: 04/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Qwest Communications International Incorporated (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Phillips, Bruce A., Casey, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN BA, HOANG VU A
• Application Number:
  US10/377,280
• Publication Number:
  US 20040172657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,959 Days
• Field of Search: 725/80, 725/70, 725/127, 725/131, 725/133, 725/139, 725/141, 725/149, 725/151, 725/153, 725/78, 725/82, 725/85, 725/110, 725/120, 725/147, 379/201.05, 379/220.01, 379/413.03, 379/93.05, 379/90.01, 348/565, 348/552, 370/546
• US Class Current: 725/80
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 27/005 with transmission via computer network
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/542 the information being in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 3/546 Combination of signalling, telemetering, protection circuits for remote indication of supply or distribution network condition H02J13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/02 for separating internal from external traffic, e.g. firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/005 Interface circuits for subscriber lines current supply H04M19/00 and subgroups; supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements H04M3/22 and subgroups; in key telephone systems H04M9/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 2007/1739 the upstream communication being transmitted via a separate link, e.g. telephone line
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234363 by altering the spatial resolution, e.g. for clients with a lower screen resolution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4122 additional display device, e.g. video projector digital output for controlling a plurality of local displays G06F3/1423
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4223 Cameras H04N23/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4316 for displaying supplemental content in a region of the screen, e.g. an advertisement in a separate window
• 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 21/43632 involving a wired protocol, e.g. IEEE 1394 high-speed IEEE 1394 serial bus H04L12/40052
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/478 Supplemental services, e.g. displaying phone caller identification, shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4886 : for displaying a ticker, e.g. scrolling banner for news, stock exchange, weather data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 : directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 : Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 : Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 : Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/106 : for domestic distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/108 : the cable being constituted by a pair of wires
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/141 : between two video terminals, e.g. videophone telephonic communication systems combined with television receiver for reception of entertainment or information matter H04M11/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 : with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods that overcome deficiencies in the prior art. One embodiment of the invention comprises an integrated system for providing video and data services to a customer premises. The integrated system comprises a digital broadcast satellite receiver, a data source, and an integrated network interface device. The integrated network interface device can be coupled to a receiver and/or the data source, and the integrated network interface device can be configured to receive video information from the receiver and data (e.g. Internet Protocol data) from the data source. In certain embodiments, the integrated network interface device can further be configured to distribute the data to the customer premises via a first internal transport medium and/or distribute the video information to the customer premises via a second internal transport medium. In one aspect, network interference devices can be attached to an external wall of customer premises.

Claims

1. An integrated system for providing video and data services to a customer premises, the system comprising:

a digital broadcast satellite receiver;

a data source;

an integrated network interface device coupled to the receiver and to the data source, wherein the integrated network interface device is configured to;

receive video information from the receiver;

receive Internet protocol data from the data source;

distribute the data to the customer premises via a first internal transport medium; and

distribute the video information to the customer premises via a second internal transport medium;

and wherein the integrated network interface device comprises;

a first interface configured to receive data from the data source, wherein the data comprises Internet Protocol data;

a second interface configured to receive video information from the digital broadcast satellite receiver;

a third interface in communication with the first interface and configured to transmit the data to a first internal transport medium;

a fourth interface in communication with the second interface and configured to transmit the video information to a second internal transport medium;

a signal integrator in communication with the first and second interfaces, and wherein the signal integrator is operable to integrate the data and the video information into a combined information set;

wherein the third and fourth interfaces are a single combined interface, wherein the first and second internal transport media are the same internal transport medium, and wherein the signal integrator is coupled to the combined interface;

wherein the combined information set is presented at a user display device as a single transmission medium without the use of multiple tuners at the user display device; and

wherein the network interface device is configured to be attached externally to the customer premises, whereby providing a technician with access to the network interface device without needing to enter the customer premises in order to configure and service the network interface device.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising an off-air television antenna in communication with the network interface device, wherein the video information is a first set of video information and wherein the network interface device is further configured to receive a second set of video information from the off-air antenna and distribute the second set of video information to the customer premises via the second internal transport medium.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the data source is a digital subscriber line.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the network interface device is further configured to receive video provision information from the customer premises and transmit the video provision information via the data source to a telecommunication service provider.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the video provision information is selected from the group consisting of billing information and content request information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the internal transport media is a coaxial cable.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the internal transport media is a twisted pair cable.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the twisted pair cable is the existing telephone wiring at the customer premises.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the twisted pair cable is an Ethernet cable.

10. A method of providing video and data services to a customer premises, the method comprising:

providing an integrated network interface device capable of receiving video information and data;

receiving, at the integrated network interface device, a set of video information from a digital broadcast satellite receiver; and

receiving, at the network interface device, a set of data from a data source; and

wherein the integrated network interface device comprises;

a first interface configured to receive the set of data from the data source, wherein the data comprises Internet Protocol data;

a second interface configured to receive the set of video information from the digital broadcast satellite receiver;

a third interface in communication with the first interface and configured to transmit the set of data to a first internal transport medium;

a fourth interface in communication with the second interface and configured to transmit the set of video information to a second internal transport medium;

a signal integrator in communication with the first and second interfaces, the method further comprising integrating the set of data and the set of video information into a combined information set;

wherein the combined information set is presented at a user display device as a single transmission medium without the use of multiple tuners at the user display device; and

wherein the network interface device is configured to be attached externally to the customer premises, whereby providing a technician with access to the network interface device without needing to enter the customer premises in order to configure and service the network interface device.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

attaching the network interface device to an exterior wall of the customer premises.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of video information is a first set of video information, the method further comprising receiving, at the network interface device, a second set of video information from an off-air antenna.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

combining the first and second sets of video information.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting the set of video information and the set of data from the integrated network interface device to the customer premises.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein transmitting the set of video information and the set of data comprises transmitting the video information and the data on a common internal transport medium.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a set of telecommunication information from a customer premises.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

transmitting the set of telecommunication information via the data source.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the set of telecommunication information comprises video provision information.

19. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

formatting the video information and the data according to a consolidated distribution protocol.

20. The method of claim 10, wherein a video source is a digital broadcast satellite transmission.

21. The method of claim 10, wherein the data source is a digital subscriber line.

22. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

distributing the set of video information to the customer premises via the fourth interface.

23. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

distributing the set of data to the customer premises via the third interface.

24. The system of claim 10, further comprising formatting the combined information set according to a consolidated distribution protocol.

25. The method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting the combined information set to the customer premises via at least one of the third and fourth interfaces.

26. The method of claim 10, wherein the third and fourth interfaces are the same interface.

27. The method of claim 10, wherein the integrated network interface device further comprises a translation device coupled to at least one of the first and second interfaces.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein at least one of the set of data and the set of video information is encoded with a remote transmission algorithm, the method further comprising decoding the remote transmission algorithm.