The Directv Group, Inc.

Hughes Electronics Corporation

Movielink, LLC

John P Godwin

Ernest C Chen

Robert G Arsenault

Stephen P Dulac

Kesse Ho

Patrick J Loner

Jim C Williams

Robert H Plummer

Luan Le-Chau

Bryan Gentry Spaulding

Kenneth Goeller

Bruce Anderson

A nodal division multiple access technique for multiple access to a communications channel such as a satellite transponder. The present invention provides multiple access into a communications channel where each accessing site utilizes one signal from a composite amplitude/phase digital signal constellation, such that demodulators receive the composite signal without changes in the system design related to the multiple access operation.

Device and method for nodal multiple access into communications channels

A predefined advertising service identifier, or trigger code, is broadcast along with the digital media in a media distribution system, to give explicit insert triggers to re-distributors in a multi-tiered distribution system. These service identifiers are encrypted so that other parties without access to the triggers that are receiving the broadcast cannot identify ad insert time slots and therefore cannot insert ads without prior agreement. In one embodiment, the triggers are contained within pre-existing conditional access control word packets.

System and method for media inserts in a media distribution system

A method and apparatus for providing an integrated presentation of existing media program services and secondary media program services is described. The method comprises the steps of accepting a election of a secondary media program transmitted on a secondary media program channel; accessing a mapping to determine a primary media program channel associated with the selected secondary media program channel; commanding a first tuner module to receive conditional access information associated with the primary media program channel from the primary service provider; evaluating the conditional access information to determine if a second tuner is authorized to receive the secondary media program channel; and commanding a second tuner module to receive the secondary media program if the second tuner is authorized to receive the secondary media program channel.

Device and method to improve integrated presentation of existing radio services and advanced multimedia services

A system and method for applying quality assurance methods in the determination of whether or not to present previously recorded digital content as available to a viewer at a customer site. The present invention checks the digital content and makes a quality assurance comparison in determining whether to add content to an electronic program guide for selection by a customer. The present invention presents acceptable recorded content as available, and withholds unacceptable content as a means of quality assurance.

Media delivery assurance in broadcast distribution services

A method and system for dial-up device () connection to a broadband facility () by way of a home gateway (). The microcomputer () causes the dial-up modem () in the home gateway to serve as a host modem. The microcomputer () also implements the host portion of a log-in protocol that is expected by the dial up device, in this example the IRD's (). Within the IRD () itself, a software download causes the dial-up modem in the IRD () to not go 'off-hook' when starting a callback. The local office, i.e. the PSTN, will not recognize the start of a dial-up session and will not issue a dial tone. The home gatewayand the IRD's () will carry out a protocol that does not require the recognition of 'off-hook'.

Adaptation of dial-up devices to broadband facilities

A method and system for efficiently delivering messages from a service provider to individual receiving devices in a unidirectional, multi-channel communications system that provides parallel distribution of information from the service provider to the receiving devices. The messages are transferred from the service provider to the receiving device only on an agreed-upon channel at an agreed-upon time, wherein each message is tagged with an address corresponding to the receiving device by the service provider and then transmitted by the service provider to the receiving device on the agreed-upon channel with the receiving device filtering the agreed-upon channel to detect the address and decode its messages. The agreed-upon channel and the agreed-upon time of message transfers are coordinated between the service provider and the receiving device prior to transferring the message from the service provider to the receiving device.

Efficient message delivery in a multi-channel uni-directional communications system

A system and method for activating telephony service for a telephone coupled to a personal computer coupled to a high-bandwidth digital capacity. The system and method provides instantaneous activation and deactivation of a pre-established service agreement upon demand by a customer. In particular, the invention provides a system and method for service activation for Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP).

Customer activation of telephony services in integrated digital networks

A method and system for dial-up device connection to a broadband facility by way of a home gateway. The microcomputer causes the dial-up modem in the home gateway to serve as a host modem. The microcomputer also implements the host portion of a log-in protocol that is expected by the dial up device, in this example the IRD's. Within the IRD itself, a software download causes the dial-up modem in the IRD to not go 'off-hook' when starting a callback. The local office, i.e. the PSTN, will not recognize the start of a dial-up session and will not issue a dial tone. The home gateway and the IRD's will carry out a protocol that does not require the recognition of 'off-hook'.

Systems and methods for transmitting and receiving diverse signals across regions using a minimum of frequency capacity and maintaining compatibility with the heritage system. A system of the invention comprises at least one broadcast transmitter for transmitting a broadcast signal in a first frequency band to a receiver, at least one gapfiller transmitter for transmitting a gapfiller signal in a second frequency band to the receiver and at least one set of reuse transmitters for transmitting a plurality of spotbeam signals in the first frequency band to define coverage regions and at least one coverage gap where the spotbeam signals are not transmitted. A method of the invention comprises receiving a first signal, receiving a second signal, generating a first intermediate frequency (IF) signal from the first signal, generating a second IF signal from the second signal, filtering the second IF signal to produce a filtered second IF signal and combining the filtered second IF signal and the first IF signal.

Device and method to locally fill gaps in spotbeam satellite systems with frequency re-use

A method and apparatus of broadcasting is provided that has a geographic identifier memory, an overlay memory storing an overlay, a receiver circuit for receiving a broadcast signal and a control circuit. The control circuit displays the overlay on the broadcast signal in response to the geographic identifier.

Device and method for efficient delivery of redundant national television signals

A method for accurately determining the geographic location of a PC or other networked device on the Internet. Client software furnished by a service provider performs trace-route or other network analysis commands to known servers (e.g., eBay, Yahoo, Amazon) or even servers at random locations. The client collects an array of IP address and other network information as a result of the trace-routes, and the trace-route IP information is then transmitted to the service provider that is trying to identify the geographic location of the client. Using the array of IP addresses thus generated, the Internet server software can analyze location information of each Internet hop within each trace-route. For example, the server might look at the first five hops from the client to the server. If four of the five routers have addresses within the geographic area of interest, the server can conclude that the client is probably within the geographic area.

Growing community of inventors

Los Angeles, CA, United States of America

John P Godwin