Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC

Tvworks, LLC

Cableshare, Inc.

Liberate Technologies, Inc.

Allan Lodberg

Antoine Boucher

Peter J Coumans

Michael H Pocock

Terrence H Pocock

Rick McNorgan

Vasanthan Gunaratnam

Peter Coumons

Peter Scheyen

James Lee Fischer

Brent Elphick

A system and method for managing bandwidth of an upstream communications channel in a communications system.

Upstream bandwidth management methods and apparatus

A store and forward (S&F) architecture is provided that supports multiple applications within an extensible network to direct information of various formats to any of multiple destinations. In the presently preferred embodiment of the invention, Java applications running on a client send non-priority data to any server on the application network or, alternatively, anywhere on a global telecommunications network such as the Internet, at some time in the future. In the preferred embodiment, S&F allows a client application to send usage statistics to a database on the application network. It also enables T-commerce purchases to be made by the user, where the purchase and other relevant information is sent to a destination web server as if the purchase had taken place on the web via a full web browser on an Internet-connected PC.

Store and forward architecture

A data storage, multiplexing, and distribution method is provided for use in a digital data distribution system. The system provides simultaneous transmission of a plurality of uniquely identified, independent data streams within an assigned channel bandwidth of local, metropolitan and wide area distribution media. The independent data streams can include presentations specifically requested by the receiving user. Upon request from some number of users from their premises, the system assembles a combination of optional image elements such as motion and still frame video, background and descriptive audio, text and graphical overlays into presentation data streams appropriate to the user requests. Individual data streams are multiplexed within a higher bandwidth data stream for simultaneous delivery within the bandwidth assigned for this data transmission. The techniques unique to the system, in regard to storage, timing and synchronization, can be implemented using techniques described within the MPEG profile.

System and method for interactive distribution of selectable presentations

A method and system for providing, in a television system, the combination, transmission, and reception of multiple video presentations over a single channel of a television distribution system. Presentations may be concurrently broadcast for viewing by many users, as well as interactively requested for display by many (potentially a thousand or more) individual users. A presentation consists of a sequence of images which reproduce a full motion, reduced motion, or a still image video presentation for the user when displayed. The signal is transmitted in a standard television format, and consists of a sequence of video images from the various presentations being transmitted. A user terminal receiving the transmitted signal is selectably operable to display one of the multiple transmitted presentations with accompanying audio. The terminal identifies the video images of the selected presentation, stores and displays the images on an associated television receiver. The number of concurrent presentations, and the degree of motion in the presentations are dynamically variable. Interactive instructions between a user at the terminal end and the presentation system are transmitted by an associated telephone line or other communications link.

Television system distributing a dynamically varying number of concurrent video presentations over a single television channel

Television system distributing a dynamically varying number of

An interactive television system employs a telephone connection in a two-way manner to send command signals from a viewer to a central controller to select various presentations and to send the audio portion of such presentations from a central location to individual viewers. When a connection is first established over the telephone lines between a viewer and the central controller, a transmission path identification is sent from the viewer's terminal to the central controller which indicates the particular video transmission path, e.g. trunk line and/or television channel, connecting the viewer to the central location. This path is then used to control the transmission of uniquely addressed viewo presentations from the central location to the viewer's terminal, where they are stored and retransmitted to the viewer's receiver.

Television system for the interactive distribution of selectable video

Growing community of inventors

Port Dover, Canada

Allan Lodberg