Bell Telephone Laboratories

Lucent Technologies Inc.

At+t Corp.

At&t Bell Laboratories

Alcatel Lucent

American Telephone & Telegraph Co., At&t Bell Laboratories

American Telephone and Telegraph, Co.

Donald E Blahut

Edward Stanley Szurkowski

David H Copp

Daniel C Stanzione

Enrique Hernandez-Valencia

Ronald L Sharp

James A Cooper, Jr

Marc L Harrison

James D Bobeck

Victor K Huang

Robert William Dalton

Thomas D Lovett

Peter David Magill

Guy A Story, Jr

Guy Ashley Story, Jr

Masakazu Shoji

Charles M Lee

Richard L Ukeiley

William M Schell

Mark E Thierbach

Roger Levy

Roger Henry Levy

Brian W Colbry

Walter Hollenberg

Richard L Townsend, Jr

Jonathan A Fields

Michael J Killian

Peter V LaMaster

A user accesses the Internet through a hybrid data communications system architecture in which upstream service is provided via the local loop of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and downstream service is provided via a cable television (CATV) network. The Cable Modem Data Termination system (CMTS) includes a routing table. Upon detection of a CATV service interruption, the CMTS re-routes IP traffic destined for a destination IP address (IP) associated with the user to a different IP address, or endpoint, as a function of the routing table. In this instance, the different IP address is associated with equipment that provides downstream IP service to the user via the local loop of the PSTN.

Internet protocol based network architecture for cable television network access with switched fallback

An out-of-band ranging technique is automatically initiated at a customer premises equipment unit when the equipment is installed, when power is restored after a power failure or interruption, upon verification of the equipment, upon reconnection after a disconnection of the equipment or the like. To this end, an out-of-band tone is employed that is automatically transmitted when the customer premises equipment that transmits the TDMA signal is powered ON, or transmitted in response to a specific command generated locally or remotely. Specifically, when ranging is being effected the customer premises equipment generates and transmits the out-of-band ranging tone until a message is received from a remote terminal indicating that the transmission of the ranging tone be terminated. The loop delay being determined is the delay interval between transmission of the termination message and detection that transmission of the ranging tone has terminated. Then, a message is transmitted to the customer premises equipment that contains the ranging delay interval that is to be used in all future transmissions to the remote terminal.

Ranging arrangement and method for TDMA communications

A single centralized video controller is employed to convert and distribute video channels to one or more analog TVs (i.e., viewing devices or the like). This is realized without the need for changes to either the TVs or the interconnecting COAX. Specifically, the centralized controller includes one or more MPEG2 decoders, the number of which depends on a desired number of active TVs to be used in viewing different programs, and one or more wireless (e.g., radio frequency (RF)) communications links to television controllers (i.e., remote control units) associated on a one-to-one basis with the desired number of TVs. In operation, channel selection for each of the one or more TVs is communicated up-stream from the centralized controller to a remote video server and, therein, to a video services controller. The video services controller causes the video server to transmit only the selected program channels to the local centralized video controller. However, when the video channel is already being supplied from the video server to an optical line terminal and, specifically, to an optical line card to which the requesting centralized controller is connected to, there is no need to communicate the channel request to the video server. The optical line terminal simply supplies the requested channel via an optical line card to the additional requesting centralized controller and, in turn, to the requesting TV.

Centralized video controller for controlling distribution of video signals

In a power splitting passive optical network, TDM/TDMA communication is employed for downstream/upstream transmission over a fiber. A framed structure is used for the downstream transmission from an optical line card (OLC) at the network end to a plurality of optical network units (ONUs), which are each connected to end user equipment. A framed structure is also employed for upstream burst transmission from the plural ONUs to the OLC. In the upstream direction each ONU transmits at most one burst per frame that includes a header and a payload containing a variable number of bytes that is adjustable on a continuum. The length of each payload in a burst transmitted upstream by an ONU is determined as a function of the bandwidth requirements of the end user equipment connected to that ONU as well as the bandwidth requirements of the end user equipment at the other ONUs.

Method and apparatus for TDM/TDMA communications

A user accesses the Internet through a hybrid data communications system architecture in which upstream service is provided via the local loop of the public switched telephone network (PSTN) and downstream service is provided via a cable television (CATV) network. The Cable Modem Data Termination system (CMTS) includes a routing table. Upon detection of a CATV service interruption, the CMTS re-routes IP traffic destined for a destination IP address (IP1) associated with the user to a different IP address, or endpoint, as a function of the routing table. In this instance, the different IP address is associated with equipment that provides downstream IP service to the user via the local loop of the PSTN.

Internet protocol based network architecture for cable television access

A device for restricting access to certain programs. The RCU comprises an entry pad, a controller, a read-only-memory ('ROM'), and an transmission system.

Restricted access remote control unit

A system for composing multimedia signals from various source signals, such as still-frame video signals, full motion video signals and audio signals includes a plurality of composing units, each of which is capable of composing a multimedia signal from selected source signals. One of such composing units is assigned for each multimedia signal to be composed. Each composing unit accepts parameters specifying various properties for each element of the multimedia signal, such as size, position and precedence for each video element and gain for each audio element. The composing units can include decompressors for decompressing source signals furnished in compressed form and a compressor to compress the multimedia signal to be transmitted to a user. The source signals can be received from a packet network and the resulting multimedia signals transmitted to the respective users via the same packet network.

System for composing multimedia signals for interactive television

Signal distribution systems, such as interactive cable television systems, wherein a central server that communicates with remote terminals wherein the server assigns a specific address to each newly-connected terminal for control messages and polls. In the case of an interactive cable television system, such terminal is the set-top box or converter connected between the cable system and the television receiver. Periodically, the server broadcasts a control message containing a tentative address, and polls the tentative address. Upon receiving such a message, a newly-connected converter stores the tentative address and responds to the poll with an uplink message. After receiving the uplink message, the server inserts the tentative address in its polling list in accordance with the transmission delay measured from sending the poll to receiving the uplink message and selects a new tentative address to use in subsequent broadcast control messages. Uplink messages are echoed by the server and verified by the converter. If the converter cannot verify an echoed uplink message, which can occur if more than one newly-connected converter responds to the same broadcast control message, the converter repeats its initialization procedure to acquire a new address. After the initialization is complete, system software can be downloaded from the server to the converter and the converter placed in service.

Communications device for initializing terminals in a signal

A system is disclosed for delivering audio and/or video signals to users in connection with the provision of interactive television services. Various sources of such signals are connected to a digital network, such as a packet network. Also connected to such network are control and application processors and interfaces to distribution arrangements such as cable television systems and telephone subscriber loops. Each user has a signal converter for receiving a digital signal from the distribution arrangement, converting such signal for viewing on a conventional television receiver and transmitting control packets to other elements of the system. The signal sources can include a data cache for storing recorded video and audio materials, a broadcast source for receiving broadcast signals, apparatus for composing multimedia signals from multiple sources and apparatus for running games. The various elements of the system can be situated at different geographical locations and operated by the control and/or application processors under software control to provide a variety of interactive television services.

Integrated television services system

Described is a technique for an interactive television ('ITV') system wherein viewers are allowed to select a desired level of advertisements with which they are provided. The technique comprises transmitting to a interactive services subscriber location a program and a set of advertisements (collectively referred to as a 'show'). The set of advertisements is selected based upon an input from a user associated with the interactive services subscriber location. The input comprises an indicator of an amount of advertisements in the set of advertisements. Another feature of the ITV system described is that it allows for adjusting an amount of a bill of a subscriber to interactive television services based upon the amount of advertisements viewed in a show.

Method of advertisement selection for interactive service

A method and apparatus for the coding and efficient display of overlapping windows with transparency. Each pixel within a window which is not to be displayed may be coded as a 'transparent' pixel. The method identifies those pixels which have been coded as transparent and displays non-transparent pixels contained in windows of lower display priority in place of the transparent pixels contained in windows of higher display priority. A pixel coded as transparent may have associated with it an integer representative of the number of successive pixels in the window which are also transparent. A pixel may be coded as transparent by assigning to it a preselected data value which is distinct from values otherwise used to indicate, e.g., the color and/or intensity for each displayed pixel. The method and apparatus may include one or more windows which contain full motion video (i.e., television) images, each of which may also contain transparent pixels. A pixel also may be coded as a 'translucent' pixel, whereby a combination of the translucent pixel and a non-translucent pixel contained in a window of lower display priority is displayed. The method may be used to efficiently recognize various conditions in the displayed image, including the collision of objects and the pointing of a displayed cursor to identified 'hot spots.'

Electronic circuits for the graphical display of overlapping windows

Different components of television programs, such as the video and audio components or different time segments of the program, are assigned to different channels transmitted in the form of packetized digital information in at least one of the channels of a multi-channel cable television distribution system. A particular subscriber's converter is configured to receive a particular subset of program components by enabling the converter to receive the virtual channels carrying the components in such subset. An embodiment is disclosed in which different combinations of program segments are enabled for different subscribers. Another embodiment is disclosed in which the viewing of a program by multiple subscribers who begin viewing at different times is synchronized by using 'filler' program segments having different lengths.

Interactive television with tailored programming

The invention relates to a system for transmitting stored programs, such as movies and musical works, to customers via a distribution network, such as a cable television system. The programs are stored in compressed form in a program library, such as a tape cartridge library. On receipt of a request for a program, a request processor sends control messages causing a data block comprising the requested program to be read from the program library at high speed and stored in a large dynamic random access memory (DRAM) in a server. The server then sends the program from DRAM over the distribution system to a customer as a series of digital packets. Each instance of sending a program is managed by a separate command word. The customer can request such operations as 'fast forward' by sending control messages that change pointers in the command word. Command words can be grouped to send multiple audio and/or video overlays simultaneously and linked to send program sequences. The request processor, server, program library and interfaces to distribution networks can be at different locations.

Program server for interactive television system

One or more channels in a multi-channel cable television distribution system is used for the transmission of interactive television (ITV) signals in the form of packetized digital information from the cable system headend to subscribers. A converter at each subscriber location is connected between the cable system and the subscriber's television receiver. Such converter contains a receiver for the ITV channels. Control packets in the ITV signals are addressed to individual converters to enable the receipt of one or more virtual channels by a converter. The converter decodes and expands the packetized digital information in such enabled channels and generates a conventional video signal, which is transmitted to the subscriber's television receiver on one of the channels used for the ITV signal from the headend, replacing the packetized digital information. The remaining channels from the cable system are forwarded to such television receiver unaltered. Thus, all cable-ready features of the subscriber's television receiver are usable. In alternate embodiments of the invention, the video signal generated by the converter is derived from one or more sources. Examples of such sources are an additional receiver adapted to receive a conventional television signal from the cable system and local text or symbol generators.

Multi-channel television converter for conventional and interactive

Signal distribution systems, such as interactive cable television systems, have a central server that communicates with remote terminals wherein the server assigns a specific address to each newly-connected terminal for control messages and polls. In the case of an interactive cable television system, such terminal is the set-top box or converter connected between the cable system and the television receiver. Periodically, the server broadcasts a control message containing a tentative address, and polls the tentative address. Upon receiving such a message, a newly-connected converter stores the tentative address and responds to the poll with an uplink message. After receiving the uplink message, the server inserts the tentative address in its polling list in accordance with the transmission delay measured from sending the poll to receiving the uplink message and selects a new tentative address to use in subsequent broadcast control messages. Uplink messages are echoed by the server and verified by the converter. If the converter cannot verify an echoed uplink message, which can occur if more than one newly-connected converter responds to the same broadcast control message, the converter repeats its initialization procedure to acquire a new address. After the initialization is complete, system software can be downloaded from the server to the converter and the converter placed in service.

Growing community of inventors

Holmdel, NJ, United States of America

Donald E Blahut