Diva Systems Corporation

Comcast IP Holdings I, LLC

Sedna Patent Services, LLC

Sedna Patent Serivces, LLC

Christopher Goode

Donald F Gordon

Yong Ho Son

Philip A Thomas

Danny Chin

Mark D Conover

Brooks Cole

Jack Van Der Star

Stanley Knight

Daniel Illowsky

Tobie J LaRocca

Michael Colligan

Phillip A Thomas

Ted Ludvig

Steve Zack

Aidan James Smyth

John Mark Randall

Michael S Gill

Dwight Wesley Fronsdahl

Bradley L Dyer

F Ray McDevitt

Stanley P Knight

Jack Vander Star

Aidan J Smyth

Michael Robert Colligan

An interactive information distribution system for providing secure distribution of video-on-demand content. The interactive information distribution system includes at least one programming source for storing at least one partially encrypted video program, and a distribution center including a remote server. The remote server stores the at least one partially encrypted video program received from the at least one programming source. The remote server also processes the partially encrypted video program corresponding to a subscriber requested video program to produce a fully encrypted video program. A subscriber-side distribution network, coupled to the distribution center, causes transmission of the fully encrypted video program to the requesting subscriber.

Secure distribution of video on-demand

An interactive information distribution system includes service provider equipment for generating an information stream that is coupled to an information channel and transmitted to subscriber equipment. The service provider also generates a command signal that is coupled to a command channel and transmitted to the subscriber equipment. The service provider also receives information manipulation requests from the subscriber via a back channel. A communication network supporting the information channel, command channel and back channel is coupled between the service provider equipment and the subscriber equipment.

System for interactively distributing information services using randomization

System for interactively distributing information services

A method for increasing channel utilization in a video broadcast system includes receiving, at a head-end, a request for a video program from one of a plurality of subscriber stations. Determining whether the requested video program is associated with a first subset of channels representing broadcasted channels having a first subscriber viewership level greater than a threshold level, a second subset of channels representing broadcasted channels having a second subscriber viewership level less than the threshold level, and a third subset of channels representing on-demand channels having a third subscriber viewership. The first subset of broadcast channels is substantially continuously transmitted. The second subset of broadcast channels is transmitted based upon channel availability and programming assignments. The third subset of on-demand channels are transmitted from the head-end to at least one of the plurality of subscriber stations upon assigning video programming corresponding to the requesting subscriber station.

Network bandwidth optimization by dynamic channel allocation

A method and apparatus for providing an interactive menu structure within an interactive information distribution system. The menu structure is embodied in a combination of software, which provides a so-called navigator and a set top terminal that provides certain functionality for the navigator and a video session manager which provides support functionality for the set top terminal. The menu structure has each menu (e.g., menu instructions, graphics and video) contained in downloadable applets which are sent upon request from the service provider equipment to the set top terminal for display. As such, the navigator functions are actually distributed between the service provider equipment and the subscriber's equipment. Such distribution provides an enjoyable, real-time interactive session that allows the user to rapidly navigate through a plethora of menus to find particular information, which they desire to view.

Method and apparatus for providing a menu structure for an interactive information distribution system

A demand television system comprising a broadcast encoder and a storage encoder. The broadcast encoder encodes a real-time video frame sequence to form a broadcast bitstream and broadcasts the broadcast bitstream to a plurality of subscriber equipment, while simultaneously the storage encoder encodes the real-time video frame sequence to form a storage bitstream that is stored in an information server. The subscriber equipment decodes the broadcast bitstream to display the broadcast program. At any time, the subscriber equipment may request to review the information previously displayed in the broadcast bitstream. As such, the storage bitstream is transmitted to the subscriber equipment. The storage bitstream facilitates standard play of the previously broadcast information as well as trick play such as fast forward and fast reverse functions.

Method and apparatus for producing demand real-time television

An information delivery system provides programming, such as video programming, by dynamically allocating the programming to channel slots, based on the availability of the channel slots. Programming with high viewership statistics is transmitted substantially continuously and programming with lower viewership statistics is transmitted &ldquo;on-demand&rdquo; in response to requests by users by way of a subscriber station. The subscriber stations maintain a map, provided by a corresponding session control manager, of currently available and currently transmitted channels. The information delivery system, in a preferred embodiment, takes the form of a Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) system.

A method and apparatus for providing subscription-on-demand (SOD) services for a interactive information distribution system, where a consumer may subscribe to packages of on-demand programs for a single price and view the programs in the subscribed package at any time for no additional cost. The apparatus and method are embodied in a combination of software, which provides a so called navigator, and hardware, including a subscriber terminal that provides certain functionality for the navigator and service provider equipment that supports the functionality of the terminal. As such, graphical user interface functionality is distributed between the service provider equipment and subscriber equipment (subscriber terminal). Such distribution provides an enjoyable, real time interactive process for accessing SOD services that allows the subscriber to rapidly identify and access a subscription service. In addition, a non-subscriber of a particular service is quickly identified and provided the opportunity to, through the use of a graphical user interface, subscribe to the programming provided by the system.

Method and apparatus for providing dynamic pricing services for an interactive information distribution system

In accordance with a first aspect, a remote server receives video programming in a first encrypted form and stores the video programming. After the remote server receives a request from a subscriber station for transmission of the video programming, the remote server decrypts the video programming, re-encrypts the video programming into a second encrypted form, and then transmits the video programming to the subscriber station. In accordance with a second aspect, a remote server receives video programming in a first encrypted form, decrypts the video programming, re-encrypts the video programming into a second encrypted form, and then stores the video programming. After the remote server receives a request from a subscriber station, the remote server simply transmits the video programming. In accordance with a third aspect, a remote server receives video programming in a first encrypted form and stores the video programming. After the remote server receives a request from a subscriber station, the remote server passes through the video content by transmitting the video programming. In accordance with a fourth aspect, a remote server receives pre-encrypted video programming and stores it. After the remote server receives a request from a subscriber station, the remote server completes encryption of the video programming and then transmits the video programming.

An interactive information distribution system according to the present invention includes a session control manager having a defective channel detection module, a channel re-allocation module, and a replacement-signaling module. The session control manager is coupled to receive signals from the plurality of set top boxes, and coupled to control the digital video modulators and the assignment of communication channels to nodes. The defective channel detection module receives signals from the plurality of set top boxes, and based on the error rate and other factors determines if any of the communication channels used by the digital video modulators are defective. Upon determining that a particular communication channel is defective, the defective channel detection module signals the channel re-allocation module. The channel re-allocation module re-allocates the streams being transmitted over the defective communication channel so that they are transmitted over the other unaffected and non-defective communication channels. The replacement signaling module also identifies the defective digital video modulator and transmits this information to the network management system which in response follows a pre-defined procedure such as paging service personnel to replace the defective digital video modulator. A method for detecting and correcting a defective transmission channel is also part of the present invention.

System and method for detecting and correcting a defective transmission channel in an interactive information distribution system

Selective encryption is provided in a process which includes: determining whether a predetermined criterion is satisfied; setting a selective encryption status field if the predetermined criterion is satisfied; and encrypting an unencrypted payload to generate an encrypted payload, and constructing a packet with the encrypted payload, if the predetermined criterion is satisfied. The predetermined criterion may be one of several criteria, each of which reduce the required amount of encryption and decryption while maintaining a high level of security. Renewable encryption is provided in a process which includes: copying a first encrypted digital video program from a remote server to a video source; decrypting the first encrypted digital video program using a first key to generate an unencrypted digital video program; encrypting the unencrypted digital video program using a second key to generate a second encrypted digital video program; transmitting the second encrypted digital video program from the video source to the remote server; and deleting the first encrypted digital video program from the remote server.

Selective and renewable encryption for secure distribution of video on-demand

An interactive information distribution system includes service provider equipment for generating an information stream that is coupled to an information channel and transmitted to subscriber equipment. The service provider also generates a command signal that is coupled to a command channel and transmitted to the subscriber equipment. The service provider also receives information manipulation requests from the subscriber via a back channel. A communication network supporting the information channel, command channel and back channel is coupled between the service provider equipment and the subscriber equipment. The service provider equipment contains two geographically distributed components: central server equipment and a remote video session manager. The central server equipment provides information streams to the remote video session manager in response to information manipulation commands. The remote video session manager monitors and controls distribution of the information stream's substreams to a plurality of subscriber terminals.

Growing community of inventors

Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Christopher Goode