Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.p.

Time Warner Cable, a Division of Time Warner Entertainment Company, L.p.

Ericsson Ab

Time Warner Cable Inc.

Ericsson Television Inc.

Time Warner Cable, a Division of Time Warner Enterainment Company, L.p.

Michael B Adams

Louis Dew Williamson

Michael T Hayashi

James Herbert Alexander

Methods of operating a network server device are provided. The methods may include establishing a session with a client device. The methods may also include transmitting a first base segment providing first base content for a first time segment to the client device. The methods may additionally include transmitting a second base segment providing second base content for a second time segment to the client device. The methods may further include transmitting an additive segment including additive content for the second time segment to the client device. Also, the additive content may be synchronized with the second base content. Related methods of operating client devices are also described, as are related network server devices and related client devices.

Methods using base content and additive content and related client devices and network server devices

An improved media server interconnect to subscriber terminals is accomplished with a plurality of media servers at a headend where each media server provides one or more programs for distribution to the subscriber terminals. An array of modulators connects a requested media asset, such as a video program or WEB page, from a media server to a requesting subscriber terminal. A connection manager responds to a media asset request from the requesting subscriber terminal and selects a source server to provide the requested media asset and selects a modulator in the array to send the requested media asset from the source server to the requesting subscriber terminal. The array of modulators acts as a two stage switch between the source server and the requesting subscriber terminal. A selected modulator in said array is the switch point in the two stage switch. The connection manager controls a first stage of the switch by selecting the selected modulator to receive the requested media asset from the source server. The requesting subscriber terminal acts as a second stage of the two stage switch also under the control of the connection manager by tuning to the channel frequency of the selected modulator.

Media server interconnect architecture

A full service network (FSN) provides three communication channels that end between a headend and each set-top within the FSN, namely (1) forward-application-transport (FAT) channels that supply data from the headend to all or to only addressed ones of the set-tops, (2) a forward-data-channel (FDC) that supplies data from the headend to all or to only addressed set-tops, and (3) a reverse-data-channel (RDC) that supplies data from the set-tops to the headend. The FDC carries eight types of traffic, namely (1) conditional access message; (2) entitlement management messages; (3) broadcast data; (4) network management services messages or information; (5) general massaging; (6) application downloading; (7) Internet Protocol external device data services, and (8) VBR downloading. A fixed bandwidth FDC provides a first bandwidth portion for the high priority transmission of items (1), (2) and (3) at a continuous bit rate (CBR). All other items are transmitted over the FDC using at an available bit rate (ABR). A priority system for the selective transmission of these other items is based upon (1) how full a data buffer for an item is, as compared to a fullness reference, (2) how old the oldest data in the data buffer for the item is, as compared to an age reference. The fullness reference and the age reference are usually different for each of these other data items.

Optimum bandwidth utilization in a shared cable system data channel

A system for utilizing the available bit rate in a constrained variable bit rate channel is described. The system receives one or more encoded information streams, each having a variable bit rate. Rate control circuitry controls the rate of transmission of the encoded information streams so that the variable bit rate of the streams is transformed into a constrained variable bit rate, in which the variable bit rate is limited to a predetermined maximum value. A multiplexer multiplexes the encoded information streams for transmission over a channel. The channel may comprise a 6 MHz television channel. The multiplexer also multiplexes the encoded information streams with a secondary information stream for transmission over the channel. For purposes of multiplexer selection of information streams, the secondary information stream is assigned a lower priority than the encoded information streams. The encoded information streams may, for example, carry video data, whereas the secondary information stream may, for example, carry application data. The multiplexer may select from among the encoded information streams according to a round-robin scheme. The rate of the secondary information stream depends upon the rates of the encoded information streams. The rate of the secondary information stream may be controlled by a transmission control protocol, where the rate is adjusted by adjusting a transmit window of the protocol.

Method and apparatus for utilizing the available bit rate in a

An apparatus/method for descrambling a TV cable system transmission that been scrambled using an unknown scrambling algorithm. Insertion apparatus inserts a known visual/electrical characteristic into the TV transmission prior to scrambling by the unknown scrambling algorithm. The scrambled TV transmission, the scrambled insert-characteristic, and an encrypted message that defines the unscrambled insert-characteristic, are sent to all set-tops within the cable system. A set-top descrambler at each system-authorized set-top operates to descramble the scrambled insert-characteristic. The encrypted message is decrypted at each system-authorized set-top, to thereby reproduce the unscrambled insert-characteristic. Comparing apparatus compares the reproduced unscrambled insert-characteristic with the descrambled insert-characteristic, and thereby generates a control signal that is used to control the set-top descrambler to descramble the scrambled TV transmission in a manner that is compatible with the unknown scrambling algorithm.

Video inversion detection apparatus and method

A method and apparatus for encoding a serial number into a program event. The encoder embeds the serial number into the program event so that it is imperceptible to the user when the program event is played to the user. The embedded serial number is unique to the user so that any storage medium storing the program event can be traced back to the user. This encoding technique is especially useful in interactive systems where a server at the head end receives subscriber identification numbers along with subscriber requests for program events. Thus, in response to a subscriber request for a program event, the server can generate a serial number unique to the user. The serial number can include a time and date stamp, and a cyclic redundancy check code. In an interactive system, the encoder may be located in a set-top terminal, which receives the serial number from the server in the head end. The encoder can embed each bit of the serial number into at least one field of the program event, where the program event comprises multiple video images, and each image consists of two interlaced television fields. The encoder can differentially encode each serial number bit into alternating fields of the program event by adjusting the luminance level of the fields.

Digital serialization of program events

One embodiment of the invention is an ATM switch comprising a switch fabric, a controller, a buffer, a plurality of input line cards and a plurality of output line cards. The input line cards comprise input connectors and output connectors, with the number of input line card input connectors exceeding the number of input line card output connectors, and the output line cards comprising output connectors and input connectors, with the number of output line card output connectors exceeding the number of output line card input connectors. In another embodiment, the invention is an ATM switch comprising a switch fabric, a controller, a buffer, a plurality of input line cards and a plurality of output line cards, with the input line cards comprising input connectors but no output connectors and the line output line cards comprising output connectors but no input connectors. The invention is also drawn to a line card having either an input switch interface or an output switch interface. The invention also includes communication networks employing these ATM switches together with an application source, information stream carriers and a plurality of user stations. The application source includes circuit for generating a forward ATM information stream intended for at least one of the user stations and circuit for receiving a reverse information stream from the one user station. Each user station comprises circuit for receiving an ATM information stream from the application source and for sending an information stream to the application source.

Asymmetric ATM switch

The present invention is a novel method for addressing processing units in a network where some of the processing units are connected to a shared communications medium. In an embodiment of the present invention, the network comprises a head end, a plurality of modulators connected and addressable by the head end, and a plurality of set-top processors. The set-top processors are partitioned into subsets where each subset is assigned to a modulator. The modulator takes information streams from the head end and multicasts the streams to its assigned subset. In one embodiment, the information streams comprise packets that have address fields for facilitating delivery from the head end to a receiving set-top processor. One address field enables the routing of the packet from the head end to the modulator assigned to the receiving set-top processor. Once the modulator receives and multicasts the packet onto its shared communications medium, each set-top processor in the assigned subset receives the packet and recognizes whether or not the packet is addressed to itself.

Method for message addressing in a full service network

A scalable communications network employing shared logical nodes and a related method are provided. The network includes one or more sources for providing program streams. The program streams may comprise a number of frequency-division multiplexed program streams generated by media servers in an interactive network. Each such source is coupled to a corresponding logical node, which receives a corresponding set of program streams. One or more subscribers are allocated to a logical node according to an expected peak subscriber usage constraint. This constraint is met by allocating subscribers to a node so that an expected maximum number of simultaneously active subscribers within the node substantially avoids exceeding the number of program streams provided by the source corresponding to the node. Each logical node includes at least one physical node. Each physical node includes at least one subscriber. The physical nodes are allocated among the logical nodes so as to satisfy the expected peak subscriber usage constraint. Further, a physical node in one logical node may be shifted to another logical node so as to continue satisfying the expected peak subscriber usage constraints of the logical nodes. A new physical node may also be added to the system and allocated to a logical node so that the peak subscriber usage constraints of the logical nodes are satisfied.

Growing community of inventors

Castle Rock, CO, United States of America

Michael B Adams