At&t Intellectual Property I, L.p.

Sbc Properties, L.p.

Att Knowledge Ventures, L.p.

Sbc Technologies Resources, Inc.

Brad Medford

Ahmad C Ansari

Pierre Costa

Dinesh Nadarajah

Michael F Grannan

David Hartman

John Robert Erickson

Vernon Daniel Reed

Debra Phillips

Russell William White

Thomas Scott Webster

Kevin B Walker

Robert B Hill

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to broadcast advanced television system committee (ATSC) video in switched digital video (SDV) systems. An example SDV broadcast method includes accessing an instruction to de-multiplex at least one of a plurality of multiple program transport streams, the instruction identifying a first program stream of the plurality of program streams for inclusion and a second program stream of the plurality of program streams for exclusion based on a rating region table (RRT). The plurality of program streams are de-multiplexed according to the instruction.

Methods and apparatus to broadcast advanced television system committee video in switched digital video systems

A system includes a converter to receive a receiving a satellite signal at first transport frequencies and to convert the satellite signal to second transport frequencies and a processor. The processor removes a radio frequency portion from the satellite signal without altering a sequence of media contents of a moving picture experts group portion of the satellite signal and without altering a quality of the media contents of the moving picture experts group portion. The processor determines whether the media contents include an error and corrects the error in the moving picture experts group portion with error correction data of the satellite signal. The processor encrypts the media contents to produce an encrypted digital moving picture experts group transport stream signal. The processor also sends the encrypted digital moving picture experts group transport stream signal to a modulator.

System and method of processing a satellite signal

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to broadcast advanced television system committee (ATSC) video in switched digital video (SDV) systems. An example SDV broadcast method includes configuring a de-multiplexer to de-multiplex at least one of the plurality of MPTSs into a plurality of program streams, the at least one of the plurality of program streams comprising a first program stream and a second program stream, wherein the first program stream is selected and the second program stream is excluded based on a rating region table (RRT), independent of any user provided program stream request, and independent of any contractual commitment associated with any user. The example method includes configuring a switch to deliver the first program stream to an SDV broadcast engine.

A system for transporting content to subscriber premises includes a centralized content repository, a subscriber unit, and a network connecting the subscriber unit and repository. The content can be video, image, or other files and the network can include a digital subscriber line (DSL) link. The repository stores higher quality parts of decomposed content files. The subscriber unit locally stores lower quality parts of the content files corresponding to the higher quality parts in the repository. The lower quality parts can be downloaded to the subscriber unit during off-peak hours. During operation, a subscriber selects a locally stored file. In response to the selection, the repository downloads at least one of the higher quality parts corresponding to the selected file to be combined with one of the lower quality parts stored by the subscriber unit for real-time presentation of the content.

Method and system for transferring content to a networked unit

Systems and methods for providing direct broadcast satellite (DBS) and digital subscriber line (DSL) video services to multiple display devices are disclosed. Generally the disclosed system receives a plurality of DBS channels and DSL content. The system receives a first user-initiated video selection and generates a first television signal based on the first user-initiated video selection. The first television signal combines video from at least one DBS channel and video from DSL content for simultaneously displaying at least a portion of the video from at least one DBS channel and at least a portion of the video from the DSL content on a display device. The first television signal is then transmitted to a first display device. Additionally, the system receives a second user-initiated video selection, generates a second television signal based on the second user-initiated video selection, and transmits the second television signal to a second display device.

System for providing DBS DSL video services to multiple display devices

A method includes recording multimedia content at a server and receiving, at the server while the multimedia content is being recorded at the server, a request from a customer premise equipment device to initiate transmission of a stream of the multimedia content. The method also includes granting the request from the customer premise equipment device and providing the customer premise equipment device access to the multimedia content.

System and method of recording and accessing multimedia data

A single compression engine transmits first and second discrete cosine transform (DCT)-encoded signals. The first DCT-encoded signal uses at most t coefficient bits to represent each of a plurality of DCT coefficients. The second DCT-encoded signal uses at most u coefficient bits, where u is less than t, to represent each of the plurality of DCT coefficients.

Multilevel data compression using a single compression engine

A method and system for multicasting video signals over a network. A standard definition picture-in-picture multicast video signal is encoded from a video signal. A common network address is assigned to the standard definition picture-in-picture multicast video signal for both standard definition picture-in-picture video content and high definition video content.

Picture-in-picture video content distribution

Provided are a method and a system for recording a video broadcast using a video recording device. A system can extract in-band scheduling data and generate scheduling information based on the extracted in-band scheduling data, received scheduling data, and transactional scheduling update. The system can update a recording schedule for a broadcast in response to a determined scheduling update.

Method and system for updating recording schedules

A system and method for providing Emergency Alert System (EAS) notifications over Internet Protocol (IP) delivery platforms, including a proxy server coupled to an emergency alert system receiver, a subscriber management database coupled to the proxy server, and an instant messaging server coupled to the proxy server and to the subscriber management server.

Emergency alert systems and methods

A system and method of processing a satellite signal is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method includes receiving a satellite signal at a receiver, where the satellite signal includes a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) portion and a radio frequency (RF) portion. The method also includes decoding the satellite signal to produce a digital MPEG transport stream signal that includes the MPEG portion, by removing the RF portion from the satellite signal without substantially altering the MPEG portion. The method also includes transmitting the digital MPEG transport stream signal to a vestigial sideband (VSB) modulator, where the VSB modulator transmodulates the digital MPEG transport stream signal to a VSB signal.

A method and system for multicasting video signals over a network. A standard definition (SD) picture-in-picture (PIP) multicast video signal is encoded from a video signal. A common network address is assigned to the SD PIP multicast video signal for both SD PIP video content and high definition (HD) video content.

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to broadcast advanced television system committee (ATSC) video in switched digital video (SDV) systems. An example SDV broadcast method includes de-multiplexing at least one program stream from at least one of a plurality of multiple program transport streams (MPTSs), and connecting at least one program stream to a SDV broadcast engine.

Provided are a method and a system for recording a video broadcast using a video recording device. A scheduling update is obtained for the video broadcast over a network. A recording schedule is updated for the video broadcast in response to the obtained scheduling update. The video broadcast is recorded according to the updated recording schedule.

Method and system for updating digital video recorder scheduling

The disclosure is directed to a system and method for recording and accessing multimedia data. In a particular embodiment, a method includes determining a first number of requests to record specific multimedia content at a first server supporting a multimedia content distribution service. The first server may be configured to transmit multimedia data to multiple customer premises equipment (CPE). The method may also include recording the specific multimedia content at a second server when the first number of requests is greater than or equal to a threshold. The second server may be configured to transmit the multimedia data to the first server.

Growing community of inventors

Austin, TX, United States of America

Brad Medford