The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.

The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.

Date of Patent:
Jul. 01, 2008

Filed:

Mar. 29, 2001
Applicants:

Phillip Y. Goldman, Los Altos, CA (US);

J. Wiltse Carpenter, San Francisco, CA (US);

Steven C. Wasserman, Mountain View, CA (US);

Inventors:

Phillip Y. Goldman, Los Altos, CA (US);

J. Wiltse Carpenter, San Francisco, CA (US);

Steven C. Wasserman, Mountain View, CA (US);

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation, Redmond, WA (US);

Attorney:
Primary Examiner:
Int. Cl.
CPC ...
H04N 7/16 (2006.01); H04N 60/33 (2006.01); H04N 7/173 (2006.01);
U.S. Cl.
CPC ...
Abstract

Systems and methods for utilizing a back channel as a feedback system to regulate the quality of broadcast. A signal source transmits a signal corresponding to the broadcast to one or more home entertainment systems. The displaying, recording or utilization of the broadcast is tracked at the individual home entertainment systems. The tracked information is transmitted in either real time or on a deferred basis from home entertainment systems as feedback across a back channel. The quality of the broadcast is regulated and/or optimized as a result of the feedback. As such, the broadcast can be dynamically restructured by modifying the bandwidth of the broadcast, by changing the modulation of the broadcast, by changing the encoding scheme of the broadcast, by varying parameters of the encoding scheme of the broadcast, by redistributing satellite channels to take full advantage of transponders available in a satellite television system, etc. The feedback also informs the operators and broadcasters as to when a disruption can be made on the broadcast so that the effect of the disruption is minimized.


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