General Instrument Corporation

General Instrument Corporation of Delaware

Marc W Kauffman

Charles Anthony Eldering

Michael R Miller

M Lamine Sylla

William H Blum

Peter Sherlock

Jay W Strater

Clyde N Robbins

Lawrence D Vince

Joseph D Rocci

Jeffrey S Hamilton

Jonathan A Fellows

Stephen E Crook

Michael Miller

An arrangement for inserting advertisement media into a streaming multimedia file destined for an end-user uses a caching inserter including a first cache for storing a loaded advertisement file and a second cache for holding the streaming multimedia file that needs to be buffered as the advertisement file is sent to the end-user. The advertisement file may be inserted at the beginning of the multimedia file, the end, or at any point during the stream. Once the advertisement begins to be sent to the end-user, the incoming multimedia stream is cached and then is played out of the cache once the advertisement has ended. As a result of the time delay associated with the advertisement, the remainder of the multimedia file must be cached then played out until the stream is complete.

Seamless arbitrary data insertion for streaming media

The present invention encompasses a method and apparatus for detecting and characterizing one or more ingress events in the return band and creating a time/frequency map based on the detection of the ingress events. The time/frequency map is further characterized by marking frequency bands with ingress level above a predetermined threshold with a '1'. The time/frequency time map may be used to determine when and which return frequency band has exceeded a predetermined threshold, and to distinguish between a narrowband ingress event and a wideband ingress event. When such characterization has been made, the return path may be attenuated or disconnected at a communications gateway device located at or substantially near the subscriber location. By disconnecting the return path or attenuating the return path signal at or near the subscriber location, the ingress may be reduced and locations which are the cause of severe ingress may be effectively isolated. This allows for a high degree of reliability to be maintained on the return path, and ensures that the critical services such cable telephony may be provided with increased customer satisfaction.

Ingress detection and characterization by time/frequency map

An enhanced telephony services manager is used in a broadband communication environment, such as with a set-top-box coupled to a television monitor. A number of different telephony-based services can be offered and displayed on the television monitor (e.g., voice mail, call logs, Internet access, personal telephone directories, white pages, yellow pages, etc.), where a remote control, keyboard, or any other suitable interface device can be used to access the services. In accordance with the present invention, the GUI of the enhanced services consists of a set of menus that can be displayed concurrently with other video information on the television monitor.

Enhanced broadband telephony services

The present invention encompasses a method and apparatus for ingress detection and attenuation. When a determination is made that the level of ingress in a return frequency band has exceeded a predetermined threshold, the return path is attenuated or disconnected at a communications gateway device located at or substantially near the subscriber location. By disconnecting the return path or attenuating the return path signal at or near the subscriber location, ingress is reduced and locations which are the cause of severe ingress are effectively isolated. This allows for a high degree of reliability to be maintained on the return path, and insures that critical services like cable telephony can be provided.

Ingress detection and attenuation

Secure point-to-point communication of information to specific terminals is provided via a shared network. Far in advance of the establishment of an information session with a particular one of a plurality of terminals, a unique session identifier is securely delivered to the terminal by a highly secure entity. Information to be provided to the terminal is subsequently encrypted under the session identifier of that terminal by an insecure connection manager. The encrypted information is inserted into designated locations in a signal multiplex. The signal multiplex is transmitted over a portion of the network serving the terminal that is to receive the information. The terminal is informed of the designated locations of the encrypted information in the signal multiplex and of a transmission frequency at which the signal multiplex is carried on the network portion. The terminal tunes to the transmission frequency to locate the signal multiplex, recovers the encrypted information from the designated locations in the multiplex, and then decrypts the information using the terminal's unique session identifier.

Data security scheme for point-to-point communication sessions

Specific text and/or graphic messages for individual subscribers or groups of subscribers are distributed on a communications network such as a cable television system. An addressable controller communicates with a plurality of subscriber terminals served by the network. Each subscriber terminal is assigned to a primary message group and may be assigned to one or more message subgroups. Messages are input to the addressable controller for subsequent transmission to a subscriber terminal for display. The messages are tagged with distribution data defining at least one primary message group or message subgroup to receive the message. The tagged text messages are transmitted over the network together with signals from network service providers. Global messages can be sent by leaving the distribution data field blank, or filling it with a special code such as a string of zeros. Wild card tags are also permitted. A subscriber terminal for receiving the messages has a first path for processing a service signal received from the network and a second path for processing a message signal received from the network. The distribution data is retrieved from a received message and used to determine if the message is targeted to the subscriber terminal. If so, the message is processed for display. The message can be displayed alone or overlaid on a video program signal being viewed.

Apparatus for selective distribution of messages over a communications

A system for transmitting different categories of data in a single data stream generates program data, receiver control data, and program specific tag data for insertion into a single data stream. Program data is combined with receiver control data to form data groups. Headers are generated containing tag data. Each successive header is combined with a plurality of data groups to form a plurality of units. The data stream is constructed by joining successive units for transmission. A receiver for receiving the data stream detects the receiver control data and the tag data, and recovers the program data in response thereto. A program is reproduced from the recovered program data. The system runs off a master clock having a fixed frequency. Program data is sampled at a first rate that is a function of the master clock frequency. The receiver control data is sampled at a second rate that is a function of the first sampling rate. The tag data is sampled at a third rate that is a function of the second sampling rate. Preferably, the first sampling rate will be an integer factor of the master clock frequency, the second sampling rate will be an integer factor of the first rate and the third sampling rate will be an integer factor of the second rate.

Method and apparatus for communicating different categories of data in a

A cable television converter with remotely modifiable functionality receives firmware downloaded over a cable television network. The integrity of the firmware is verified, and if valid, the firmware is executed to provide one or more converter functions. If the firmware is invalid, default operation software contained in ROM is executed instead of the firmware to return the converter to baseline operation. In one embodiment, the converter includes a frequency agile data receiver to receive control instructions on a first data channel and firmware on a second data channel. The receiver is forced back to the first channel if a successful firmware download does not occur on the second channel within a predetermined time period. The firmware is continuously transmitted in short segments, and the converter can continue to receive segments until all the segments of a designated firmware package have been successfully downloaded, unless the predetermined time limit expires sooner.

Functionally modifiable cable television converter system

A method and apparatus to enable billing of subscribers of pay-per-view television systems or the like on a non-real-time basis. A scrambled television signal is received at a subscriber terminal from a headend. The received signal is selectively descrambled in response to subscriber action indicating acceptance for viewing of a program contained in the signal. A record is maintained at the subscriber terminal of the billable programs accepted for viewing by the subscriber. The signal received from the headend is monitored by the subscriber terminal for a call-in command which instructs the subscriber terminal to forward the record of billable programs to the headend. A telephone communication path is established between the subscriber terminal and the headend in response to the call-in command. The record of billable programs is transmitted to the headend over the telephone communication path, and the subscriber is billed in accordance therewith. A plurality of transaction credits can be downloaded from the headend to the subscriber terminal, stored therein, and debited in response to the acceptance by a subscriber of a billable program for viewing. The descrambling of a program is prevented if there are not sufficient stored transaction credits available to pay for the program. A time-out count can be maintained in the subscriber terminal and reinitialized in response to a signal received from the headend. Descrambling of billable programs is prevented at the subscriber terminal if the time-out count expires.

Cable television system with two-way telephone communication path

A cable TV security system utilizes three radio frequency signals as three data communication channels: one downstream channel and two upstream channels. A headend alarm processor transmits system commands on the downstream channel. A plurality of subscriber alarm units, connected to the cable TV system, transmit messages on the upstream channels to the headend alarm processor. The respective center frequency of both upstream channels is selectable by command on the downstream channel transmitted from the headend. In the event that one subscriber's alarm unit malfunctions whereby a continuous stream of upstream transmission jams one of the upstream channels, the headend alarm processor changes the respective transmitter frequency of the remaining subscriber alarm units to a clear channel frequency. Alternatively, the frequency or frequencies of the malfunctioning unit may be changed. In either case, system security coverage is rapidly restored.

Growing community of inventors

Fort Washington, PA, United States of America

Marc W Kauffman