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Claims  |
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What is claimed:
1. An interactive information services system for providing at least one of
video, audio, and data programs requested by a customer from a data
service provider (SP) and routing a requested program over a transmission
link having a predetermined bandwidth to a set top terminal (STT)
associated with an information presentation device of said customer, and
for providing said customer with real-time interactive access to said
requested program during presentation of said requested program to said
STT by said SP, comprising:
a unidirectional communication path from said SP to a plurality of STTs
including said customer's STT for providing said requested program to said
customer's STT for presentation of said requested program via said
customer's information presentation device, said unidirectional
communication path including said transmission link; and
a bi-directional communication path between said STT and said SP for
communicating data and presentation control commands between said STT and
said SP during presentation of said requested program to said customer's
information presentation device, said bi-directional communication path
also including said transmission link,
wherein said presentation control commands initiate and control
presentation of said requested program on said information presentation
device in a real-time manner.
2. An interactive information services system as in claim 1, wherein said
transmission link comprises at least one of optical fibers, a satellite
communications link, an over the air communications link, and a cable
connecting said STT to a connection management computer which, in turn,
provides said requested program from said SP via said transmission link to
said customer's STT.
3. An interactive information services system as in claim 1, wherein said
SP comprises means for digitizing and compressing said requested program
into asynchronous data packet streams prior to transmission of said
requested program over said unidirectional communication path to said
customer's STT.
4. An interactive information services system as in claim 3, wherein said
unidirectional communication path comprises:
means for multiplexing said data packet streams into a synchronous data
payload envelope of a predetermined format;
a demultiplexer which demultiplexes said data packet streams from said
synchronous data payload envelope;
modulation means responsive to said demultiplexer for modulating said data
packet streams onto analog video carriers;
a digital network which transmits said synchronous data payload envelope
from said multiplexing means to said demultiplexer; and
said transmission link, where said transmission link transmits said analog
video carriers from said modulation means to said customer's STT.
5. An interactive information services system as in claim 4, wherein said
modulation means scrambles said data packet streams, encodes said
scrambled data packet streams using an error correction algorithm,
interleaves data packets of said encoded data packet streams, and maps
said interleaved data packets into a payload area of a multi-rate
transport (MRT) packet on an analog video carrier.
6. An interactive information services system as in claim 1, wherein said
bi-directional communication path comprises:
said transmission link;
a digital communications link; and
a connection management computer responsive to presentation control
commands from said SP received over said digital communications link and
responsive to presentation control commands from said STT received over
said transmission link for establishing a bi-directional communication
link between said SP and said STT during presentation of said requested
program to said customer's information presentation device.
7. An interactive information services system as in claim 6, wherein said
SP and said STT communicate via said bi-directional communication link
without intervention of said connection management computer once said
bi-directional communication link is established.
8. An interactive information services system as in claim 1, wherein said
bi-directional communication path comprises:
a forward communication path from said SP to said customer's STT comprising
a digital communications link to said SP, means for modulating a message
received from said SP via said digital communications link onto an analog
video carrier, and said transmission link to said customer's STT; and
a reverse communication path from said customer's STT to said SP comprising
said transmission link, means for demodulating a message received from
said customer's STT via said transmission link, and said digital
communications link to said SP.
9. An interactive information services system as in claim 8, further
comprising a connection management computer in said forward and reverse
communication paths for establishing and maintaining said forward and
reverse communication paths between said SP and said customer's STT during
presentation of said requested program to said customer's information
presentation device.
10. An interactive information services system as in claim 8, wherein said
transmission link has a predetermined frequency band, a first portion of
said predetermined frequency band being allocated for providing said
requested program to said customer's STT and for providing said forward
communication path from said SP to said customer's STT, a second portion
of said predetermined frequency band being allocated for providing said
reverse communication path from said customer's STT to said SP, and a
third portion of said predetermined frequency band being allocated between
said first and second portions to provide a guard band therebetween to
minimize cross-talk between said reverse communication path and said
forward communication path and between said reverse communication path and
said requested program.
11. An interactive information services system as in claim 1, wherein a
plurality of customers having STTs concurrently access said bi-directional
communication path between said STT and said SP in accordance with a time
division multiple access (TDMA ) technique in which each STT is assigned
by a connection management computer (CMC) in said bi-directional
communication path at least one time slot in a data stream from said STT
to said SP for transmission of presentation control commands and data to
said SP during presentation of said requested program.
12. An interactive information services system as in claim 11, wherein said
STT and CMC communicate via message cells specifying a unique
communications path and channel address between said STT and said CMC,
whereby a message from said CMC occupying more than one message cell is
given the same communications path and channel address in said more than
one message cell.
13. An interactive information services system as in claim 11, wherein each
STT receives a framed bit stream from said connection management computer
over said bi-directional communication path, said framed bit stream
including a frame counter value in each frame of said framed bit stream
which is used by said STT to calculate said at least one time slot in said
data stream from said STT to said SP for transmission of said presentation
control commands and data to said SP during presentation of said requested
program.
14. An interactive information services system as in claim 13, wherein an
interval between respective time slots assigned to a particular STT is
dynamically adjusted by said connection management computer in accordance
with a volume of presentation control commands and data from other STTs
over said bi-directional communication path.
15. An interactive information services system as in claim 11, wherein data
contention among said STTs is resolved using a slotted ALOHA technique
whereby each of said STTs is synchronized to a common clock and each STT
can only begin a transmission of presentation control commands and data at
a boundary between respective time slots.
16. An interactive information services system as in claim 15, wherein each
STT assumes that data collision has occurred if that STT does not receive
an echo signal within a predetermined amount of time after its
transmission of said presentation control commands and data and then
retransmits said presentation control commands and data during a randomly
selected time slot occurring after said predetermined amount of time has
elapsed.
17. An interactive information services system as in claim 15, wherein each
STT assumes that data collision has occurred if that STT does not receive
an echo signal within a predetermined amount of time after its
transmission of said presentation control commands and data and then
retransmits said presentation control commands and data on an alternate
signalling frequency in said bi-directional communication path.
18. An interactive information services system as in claim 15, wherein each
time slot assigned to said STTs includes a guard band which accounts for
propagation time differences of said presentation control commands and
data from said STTs via said transmission link.
19. A method of providing at least one of video, audio, and data programs
requested by a customer from a data service provider (SP) and routing a
requested program over a transmission link having a predetermined
bandwidth to a set top terminal (STT) associated with an information
presentation device of said customer, and for providing said customer with
real-time interactive access to said requested program during presentation
of said requested program to said STT by said SP, comprising the steps of:
establishing a unidirectional communication path from said SP to a
plurality of STTs including said customer's STT for providing said
requested program to said customer's STT for presentation of said
requested program via said customer's information presentation device,
said unidirectional communication path including said transmission link;
establishing a bi-directional communication path between said STT and said
SP for communicating data and presentation control commands between said
STT and said SP during presentation of said requested program to said
customer's information presentation device, said bi-directional
communication path also including said transmission link; and
initiating and controlling presentation of said requested program on said
information presentation device in a real-time manner in response to said
presentation control commands communicated between said STT and said SP
via said bi-directional communication path.
20. A method as in claim 19, comprising the further steps of digitizing
said requested program, compressing the digitized program into
asynchronous data packet streams, and then transmitting the compressed
program over said unidirectional communication path to said customer's
STT.
21. A method as in claim 20, wherein said transmitting step comprises the
further steps of:
multiplexing said data packet streams into a synchronous data payload
envelope of a predetermined format;
transmitting said synchronous data payload envelope to a demultiplexer;
demultiplexing said data packet streams from said synchronous data payload
envelope;
modulating said data packet streams onto analog video carriers; and
transmitting said analog video carriers to said customer's STT.
22. A method as in claim 21, wherein said modulating step comprises the
steps of scrambling said data packet streams, encoding said scrambled data
packet streams using an error correction algorithm, interleaving data
packets of said encoded data packet streams, and mapping said interleaved
data packets into a payload area of a multi-rate transport (MRT) packet on
an analog video carrier.
23. A method as in claim 19, wherein said initiating and controlling step
comprises the step of providing pass-through communication between said SP
and said STT over said bi-directional communication path.
24. A method of establishing an information session connection between a
customer's set top terminal (STT) and a data services provider (SP),
comprising the steps of:
establishing a first bi-directional communications path between said SP and
a connection management computer (CMC);
establishing a second bi-directional communications path between said STT
and said CMC, said second bi-directional communications path including a
information service connection between said STT and said CMC; and
upon request by said STT, said CMC connecting said first and second
bi-directional communications paths to each other to establish said
information session connection between said SP and said STT, said
information session connection permitting presentation control commands
and data to flow from said SP to said STT and from said STT to said SP
during presentation of a data service by said SP to said STT via an
information service communications path, said presentation control
commands initiating and controlling, on a real-time basis, presentation of
said data service to an information presentation device connected to said
STT.
25. A method of providing at least one of a video, audio, and information
data service from a data service provider (SP) to a customer's set top
terminal (STT), comprising the step of:
providing said data service from said SP to said STT via a first
communications path;
said STT providing presentation control commands and data to said SP via a
second communications path from said STT to said SP, said first and second
communications paths including a common communications link connecting at
least said STT to a headend, and said presentation control commands
initiating and controlling presentation of said data service from said SP
to said STT; and
said SP varying, on a real-time basis, its presentation of said data
service to said STT via said common communications link in response to
said presentation control commands and data received from said STT via
said common communications link.
26. A method as in claim 25, wherein said step of providing presentation
control commands and data to said SP comprises the steps of assigning, in
accordance with a time division multiple access (TDMA ) technique, said
STT at least one time slot in a data stream transmitted over said common
communications link from said STT to said SP, and inserting said
presentation control commands and data from said STT in said at least one
time slot for transmission in said data stream over said common
communications link from said STT to said SP.
27. A method as in claim 26, wherein said STT and SP communicate via
message cells specifying a unique communications path and channel address
between said STT and said SP, whereby a message from said SP occupying
more than one message cell is given the same communications path and
channel address in said more than one message cell.
28. A method as in claim 26, comprising the further steps of transmitting a
framed bit stream from a connection management computer in said second
communications path, said framed bit stream including a frame counter
value in each frame of said framed bit stream, and said STT calculating
said at least one time slot in said data stream in accordance with a
received frame counter value from said connection management computer.
29. A method as in claim 28, wherein said step of providing presentation
control commands and data to said SP comprises the step of dynamically
adjusting an interval between respective time slots assigned to said STT
by said connection management computer in accordance with a volume of
presentation control commands and data from other STTs over said common
communications link.
30. A method as in claim 26, wherein said step of providing presentation
control commands and data to said SP comprises the step of resolving data
contention among a plurality of STTs connected over said common
communications link to said headend in accordance with a slotted ALOHA
technique whereby each of said plurality of STTs is synchronized to a
common clock and each of said plurality of STTs can only begin a
transmission of presentation control commands and data at a boundary
between respective time slots.
31. A method as in claim 30, wherein said step of providing presentation
control commands and data to said SP comprises the steps of sending an
echo signal from said STT when said presentation control commands and data
are transmitted over said common communications link to said headend, said
STT listening for its echo signal for a predetermined amount of time after
its transmission of said presentation control commands and data, and said
STT retransmitting, when said echo signal is not received by said STT
within said predetermined amount of time, said presentation control
commands and data over said common communications link to said headend
during a randomly selected time slot occurring after said predetermined
amount of time has elapsed.
32. A method as in claim 30, wherein said step of providing presentation
control commands and data to said SP comprises the steps of sending an
echo signal from said STT when said presentation control commands and data
are transmitted over said common communications link to said headend, said
STT listening for its echo signal for a predetermined amount of time after
its transmission of said presentation control commands and data, and said
STT retransmitting, when said echo signal is not received by said STT
within said predetermined amount of time, said presentation control
commands and data over said common communications link to said headend on
an alternate signalling frequency.
33. A method as in claim 30, wherein said step of providing presentation
control commands and data to said SP comprises the step of adding a guard
band to each of said time slots which accounts for propagation time
differences of said presentation control commands and data from said
plurality of STTs along said common communications link.
34. A method of transmitting presentation control commands and data from a
customer's set top terminal (STT) to a data service provider (SP) via a
reverse communication path from said STT to said SP, said reverse
communication path connecting at least said STT to a headend and including
a communications link which also transmits a data service from said P to
said STT, and said presentation control commands initiating and
controlling presentation of said data service from said SP to said STT,
comprising the steps of:
assigning each STT connected to said communications link at least one time
slot in a data stream transmitted over said communications link from said
STT to said SP;
inserting said presentation control commands and data from said STT in its
assigned at least one time slot; and
transmitting said data stream via said communications link from said STT to
said SP.
35. A method as in claim 34, wherein said assigning step includes the steps
of transmitting a framed bit stream in a forward communication path from
said SP to said STT, said framed bit stream including a frame counter
value in each frame of said framed bit stream, and said STT calculating
said at least one time slot in said data stream in accordance with a frame
counter value received over said forward communication path.
36. A method as in claim 34, comprising the further step of dynamically
adjusting an interval between respective time slots assigned to said STT
in accordance with a volume of presentation control commands and data from
each other STT connected to said communications link.
37. A method as in claim 34, comprising the further step of resolving data
contention among a plurality of STTs connected over said communications
link to said headend in accordance with a slotted ALOHA technique whereby
each of said plurality of STTs is synchronized to a common clock and each
of said plurality of STTs can only begin a transmission of presentation
control commands and data at a boundary between respective time slots.
38. A method as in claim 37, comprising the further steps of sending an
echo signal from said STT when said presentation control commands and data
are transmitted over said communications link to said headend, said STT
listening for its echo signal for a predetermined amount of time after its
transmission of said presentation control commands and data, and said STT
retransmitting, when said echo signal is not received by said STT within
said predetermined amount of time, said presentation control commands and
data over said communications link to said headend during a randomly
selected time slot occurring after said predetermined amount of time has
elapsed.
39. A method as in claim 37, comprising the further steps of sending an
echo signal from said STT when said presentation control commands and data
are transmitted over said communications link to said headend, said STT
listening for its echo signal for a predetermined amount of time after its
transmission of said presentation control commands and data, and said STT
retransmitting, when said echo signal is not received by said STT within
said predetermined amount of time, said presentation control commands and
data over said communications link to said headend on an alternate
signalling frequency.
40. A method as in claim 37, comprising the further step of adding a guard
band to each of said time slots which accounts for propagation time
differences of said presentation control commands and data from said
plurality of STTs along said communications link.
41. A system for transmitting presentation control commands and data from a
customer's set top terminal (STT) to a data service provider (SP) via a
reverse communication path from said STT to said SP, said reverse
communication path connecting at least said STT to a headend and including
a communications link which also transmits a data service from said SP to
said STT, and said presentation control commands initiating and
controlling presentation of said data service from said SP to said STT,
said system comprising:
means for assigning each STT connected to said communications link at least
one time slot in a data stream transmitted over said communications link
from said STT to said SP;
means for inserting said presentation control commands and data from said
STT in its assigned at least one time slot; and
means for transmitting said data stream via said communications link from
said STT to said SP.
42. A system as in claim 41, wherein said assigning means includes means
for transmitting a framed bit stream in a forward communication path from
said SP to said STT, said framed bit stream including a frame counter
value in each frame of said framed bit stream, and said STT includes means
for calculating said at least one time slot in said data stream in
accordance with a frame counter value received over said forward
communication path from said transmitting means.
43. A system as in claim 41, further comprising means for dynamically
adjusting an interval between respective time slots assigned to said STT
in accordance with a volume of presentation control commands and data from
each other STT connected to said communications link.
44. A system as in claim 41, further comprising means for resolving data
contention among a plurality of STTs connected over said communications
link to said headend in accordance with a slotted ALOHA technique whereby
each of said plurality of STTs is synchronized to a common clock and each
of said plurality of STTs can only begin a transmission of presentation
control commands and data at a boundary between respective time slots.
45. A system as in claim 44, further comprising means for sending an echo
signal from said STT when said presentation control commands and data are
transmitted over said communications link to said headend, said STT
listening for its echo signal for a predetermined amount of time after its
transmission of said presentation control commands and data, and said STT
retransmitting, when said echo signal is not received by said STT within
said predetermined amount of time, said presentation control commands and
data over said communications link to said headend during a randomly
selected time slot occurring after said predetermined amount of time has
elapsed.
46. A system as in claim 44, further comprising means for sending an echo
signal from said STT when said presentation control commands and data are
transmitted over said communications link to said headend, said STT
listening for its echo signal for a predetermined amount of time after its
transmission of said presentation control commands and data, and said STT
retransmitting, when said echo signal is not received by said STT within
said predetermined amount of time, said presentation control commands and
data over said communications link to said headend on an alternate
signalling frequency.
47. A system as in claim 44, further comprising means for adding a guard
band to each of said time slots which accounts for propagation time
differences of said presentation control commands and data from said
plurality of STTs along said communications link.
48. A method of providing digital data comprising at least one of digital
video, audio, and information data from a data service provider (SP) to a
communications network for transmission to a customer's set top terminal
(STT), comprising the steps of:
formatting said digital data from said SP into asynchronous data packet
streams having a predetermined packet format;
multiplexing said data packet streams into a synchronous data payload
envelope of a predetermined format;
interleaving error correction data with said data packet streams in said
synchronous data payload envelope;
transmitting said synchronous data payload envelope to a headend over said
communications network;
demultiplexing de-interleaving, and error correcting said data packet
streams from said synchronous data payload envelope at said headend;
modulating, at said headend, said demultiplexed, de-interleaved and error
corrected data packet streams onto analog video carriers corresponding to
predetermined video channels of said STT; and
transmitting said analog video carriers from said headend to said STT.
49. A method as in claim 48, wherein said modulating step comprises the
steps of scrambling said data packet streams, encoding said scrambled data
packet streams using an error correction algorithm, interleaving data
packets of said encoded data packet streams, and mapping said interleaved
data packets into a payload area of a multi-rate transport (MRT) packet on
an analog video carrier.
50. A method as in claim 49, wherein said mapping step comprises the step
of Quaternary Amplitude Modulating (QAM) said interleaved data packets
onto said analog video carrier.
51. A method as in claim 48, comprising the further step of compressing
said digital data from said SP prior to said formatting step.
52. A system for providing digital data comprising at least one of digital
video, audio, and information data from a data service provider (SP) to a
communications network for transmission to a customer's set top terminal
(STT), comprising:
means under control of said SP for formatting said digital data from said
SP into asynchronous data packet streams having a predetermined packet
format;
means for multiplexing said data packet streams into a synchronous data
payload envelope of a predetermined format;
means for interleaving error correction data with said data packet streams
in said synchronous data payload envelope;
means for transmitting said synchronous data payload envelope to a headend
over said communications network;
means for demultiplexing, de-interleaving, and error correcting said data
packet streams from said synchronous data payload envelope;
means for modulating said demultiplexed, de-interleaved and error corrected
data packet streams onto analog video carriers corresponding to
predetermined video channels of said STT; and
means for transmitting said analog video carriers from said headend to said
STT.
53. A system as in claim 51, wherein said modulating means scrambles said
data packet streams, encodes said scrambled data packet streams using an
error correction algorithm, interleaves data packets of said encoded data
packet streams, and maps said interleaved data packets into a payload area
of a multi-rate transport (MRT) packet on an analog video carrier.
54. A system as in claim 53, wherein said modulating means comprises a
Quaternary Amplitude Modulator (QAM) which modulates said interleaved data
packets onto said analog video carrier.
55. A system as in claim 52, wherein said formatting means comprises means
for compressing said digital data from said SP prior to formatting said
digital data from said SP into said data packet streams.
56. A method of establishing a bi-directional connection between a data
services provider (SP) and a customer's set top terminal (STT) for passage
of presentation control commands and data between said SP and said STT
during the presentation of a data service from said SP to said STT, said
presentation control commands initiating and controlling presentation of
said data service from said SP to said STT, said method comprising the
steps of:
said STT sending to a connection management computer (CMC), via an
information service connection connecting said STT to said connection
management computer, a request for a connection to a particular data
service provided by said SP;
said CMC sending, via a communications link with said SP, a request to said
SP indicating that said STT has requested a connection to said particular
data service;
if said SP indicates that said particular data service is available to said
STT, said CMC allocating a portion of a bandwidth of said information
service connection for transmission of said particular data service and
assigning a program number to said particular data service and an input
channel by which said SP is to connect over a digital network to said CMC;
said CMC notifying said SP of said program number and said input channel;
said SP connecting to said CMC over said digital network via said input
channel and notifying said CMC that a connection between said CMC and SP
has been made;
said CMC sending a message to said STT via said information service
connection indicating that said particular data service is available;
said STT sending a request to said CMC requesting a connection to said
connection between said CMC and said SP;
if said request by said STT for connection to said connection between said
CMC and said SP is approved, said CMC allocating time slots during which
said STT may communicate with said SP within said information service
connection; and
said CMC connecting said STT to said connection between said CMC and said
SP so that said STT may send messages to said SP during presentation of
said particular data service.
57. A method as in claim 56, comprising the further step of said STT
sending presentation control commands and data to said SP along a
pass-through communication path without intervention by said CMC.
58. A method as in claim 56, comprising the further step of tearing down
said bi-directional connection between said SP and said STT, said tearing
down step comprising the steps of:
said STT sending a request to said CMC that said connection to said
particular data service be disconnected;
said CMC sending, via said communications link with said SP, a request to
said SP indicating that said STT has requested that said connection to
said particular data service be disconnected;
said SP sending to said STT, via said CMC, an acknowledgement of said
request that said connection to said particular data service be
disconnected;
said CMC sending disconnect commands to said STT and said SP; and
said CMC deallocating said time slots within said information service
connection upon receipt of acknowledgements by said SP and said STT that
said disconnect commands have been received.
59. A method of establishing a bi-directional connection between a data
services provider (SP) and a customer's set top terminal (STT) for passage
of presentation control commands and data between said SP and said STT
during the presentation of a continuous feed data service from said SP to
said ST | | |
