EnasYorl
Thieves World
join:2001-12-02
West
 ·Verizon Online DSL
1 edit | reply to CO_Chris
Re: WTF?
said by CO_Chris  :Are thay nuts how can thay patent this? and also who gave it to them in the first place? Someone was smoking Crack that's for sure. Why don't you take time and read the patent instead of taking a WAG?
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What is claimed is:
1. A method for providing integrated voice, video, and data content in an integrated service offering to one or more customer premises, comprising: receiving television programming from a programming source; converting the television programming to a common format for communication over a single network infrastructure using a common communication protocol; receiving data from a data network in the common format of the common communication protocol for communication over the single network infrastructure; receiving telephone communications from a telephone network; converting the telephone communications to the common format for communication over the single network infrastructure using the common communication protocol; communicating the converted television programming, data, and converted telephone communications in the common format over the single network infrastructure using the common communication protocol to one or more customer premises to provide the integrated service offering; and assigning customer premises to multicast domains to support conditional access of the customer premises to content that is selected from the group consisting of selected television programming, video-on-demand, pay-per-view video, near-video-on-demand, audio channels, audio-on-demand, and interactive gaming, wherein the conditional access is implemented using interdiction.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating data from a customer premises to the data network in the common format over the single network infrastructure using the common communication protocol.
3. The method of claim 1, further comprising communicating telephone communications from a customer premises to the telephone network in the common format over the single network infrastructure using the common communication protocol.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the programming source comprises one or more satellite or terrestrial antennas transmitting the content of one or more television channels.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the programming source comprises one or more digital or tape storage systems transmitting audio or video content.
6. The method of claim 1, where the programming source comprises one or more non-broadcast, switched linear video or audio sources.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the data network comprises the Internet.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data network comprises an intranet or an extranet.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the telephone network comprises the Public Switched Telephone Network.
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications protocol comprises a packet-based communications protocol.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the communications protocol comprises Internet Protocol (IP).
12. The method of claim 11, wherein communicating the television programming to the customer premises comprises IP multicasting the television programming to multiple customer premises.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the single network infrastructure comprises an Ethernet network.
14. The method of claim 1, further comprising: providing additional content selected from the group consisting of video-on-demand, pay-per-view video, near-video-on-demand, audio channels, audio-on-demand, interactive games, video including media markup and linking, and audio including media markup and linking; and communicating the selected content in the common format over the single network infrastructure to one or more customer premises using the common communications protocol.
15. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a web page at the customer premises that includes content selected from the group consisting of television programming, video-on-demand, pay-per-view video, near-video-on-demand, audio channels, audio-on-demand, and telephone messaging and configuration information.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein: the data comprises media markup and linking information; and the method further comprises displaying the media markup and linking information in combination with the television programming at the customer premises.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the media markup and linking information comprises a link to content selected from the group consisting of television programming, video-on-demand, pay-per-view video, near-video-on-demand, audio channels, audio-on-demand, and interactive gaming.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein: the data comprises media markup and linking information; and the method further comprises displaying the media markup and linking information in combination with radio programming at the customer premises.
19. The method of claim 1, wherein: the data comprises media markup and linking information; and the method further comprises displaying the media markup and linking information at the customer premises in combination with content selected from the group consisting of video-on-demand, pay-per-view video, near-video-on-demand, audio channels, audio-on-demand, and interactive gaming.
20. The method of claim 19, wherein the media markup and linking information comprises a link to content selected from the group consisting of television programming, video-on-demand, pay-per-view video, near-video-on-demand, audio channels, audio-on-demand, and interactive gaming.
21. The method of claim 1, wherein: the telephone communications comprise caller identification information; and the method further comprises displaying the caller identification and caller labeling information in combination with radio programming at the customer premises.
22. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting the integrated television programming, data, and telephone communications for decryption by selected customer premises.
23. The method of claim 1, further comprising conditioning access to the integrated television programming, data, and telephone communications based on a list of approved customer premises devices.
24. The method of claim 1, further comprising conditioning access to the integrated television programming, data, and telephone communications based on the geographic location of a customer premises device.
25. A method for providing integrated voice, video, and data content in an integrated service offering to one or more customer premises, comprising: receiving television programming from a programming source; converting the television programming to a common format for communication over a single network infrastructure using a common communication protocol; receiving data from a data network in the common format of the common communication protocol for communication over the single network infrastructure; receiving telephone communications from a telephone network, the telephone communications comprising caller identification information; converting the telephone communications to the common format for communication over the single network infrastructure using the common communication protocol; communicating the converted television programming, data, and converted telephone communications in the common format over the single network infrastructure using the common communication protocol to one or more customer premises to provide the integrated service offering; assigning customer premises to multicast domains to support conditional access of the customer premises to content that is selected from the group consisting of selected television programming, video-on-demand, pay-per-view video, near-video-on-demand, audio channels, audio-on-demand, and interactive gaming, wherein the conditional access is implemented using interdiction; and displaying the caller identification and caller labeling information in combination with the content at the customer premises.
26. A system for providing integrated voice, video, and data content in an integrated service offering to one or more customer premises, comprising: a receiver operable to receive television programming; a video encoder operable to convert the television programming into a common format for communication over a single network infrastructure using a common communication protocol; a telecommunication switch coupled to a telephone network and operable to receive telephone communications from the telephone network; a gateway operable to convert the telephone communications into the common format for communication over the single network infrastructure using the common communication protocol; and a router coupled to the video encoder, to the gateway, and to a data network that communicates data in the common format using the common communication protocol, the router operable to: receive the converted television programming, the converted telephone communications, and the data from the data network, all in the common format; communicate the converted television programming, the converted telephone communications, and the data in the common format over the single network infrastructure using the common communication protocol to one or more customer premises to provide the integrated service offering; and assign customer premises to multicast domains to support conditional access of the customer premises to content that is selected from the group consisting of selected television programming, video-on-demand, pay-per-view video, near-video-on-demand, audio channels, audio-on-demand, and interactive gaming, wherein the conditional access is implemented using interdiction.
27. The system of claim 26, further comprising a customer premises operable to receive and communicate data over the single network infrastructure using the common communication protocol.
28. The system of claim 26, wherein the receiver is operable to receive television programming from a satellite dish.
29. The system of claim 26, wherein the receiver is operable to receive television programming from an antenna.
30. The system of claim 26, wherein the receiver is operable to receive television programming from one or more non-broadcast, switched linear video or audio sources.
31. The system of claim 26, wherein the receiver is operable to receive television programming from one or more digital or tape storage systems transmitting audio or video content.
32. The system of claim 26, wherein the data network comprises the Internet.
33. The system of claim 26, wherein the data network comprises an intranet or an extranet.
34. The system of claim 26, wherein the telephone network comprises the Public Switched Telephone Network.
35. The system of claim 26, wherein the communications protocol comprises a packet-based communications protocol.
36. The system of claim 26, wherein the communications protocol comprises Internet Protocol (IP).
37. The system of claim 36, wherein communicating the television programming to the customer premises comprises multicasting the television programming to multiple customer premises.
38. The system of claim 26, wherein the single network infrastructure comprises an Ethernet network.
39. The system of claim 26, further comprising one or more servers operable to communicate additional content in the common format over the single network infrastructure to one or more customer premises using the common communications protocol, the additional content selected from the group consisting of video-on-demand, pay-per-view video, near-video-on-demand, audio channels, audio-on-demand, interactive games, video including media markup and linking, and audio including media markup and linking.
40. The system of claim 26, further comprising one or more servers operable to communicate a web page to the customer premises that includes content selected from the group consisting of television programming, video-on-demand, pay-per-view video, near-video-on-demand, audio channels, audio-on-demand, and telephone configuration information.
41. The system of claim 26, further comprising one or more servers operable to communicate media markup and linking information in combination with the television programming to the customer premises.
42. The system of claim 41, wherein the media markup and linking information comprises a link to content selected from the group consisting of television programming, video-on-demand, pay-per-view video, near-video-on-demand, audio channels, audio-on-demand, and interactive gaming.
43. The system of claim 26, further comprising one or more servers operable to communicate media markup and linking information to the customer premises in combination with content selected from the group consisting of video-on-demand, pay-per-view video, near-video-on-demand, audio channels, audio-on-demand, and interactive gaming.
44. The system of claim 43, wherein the media markup and linking information comprises a link to content selected from the group consisting of television programming, video-on-demand, pay-per-view video, near-video-on-demand, audio channels, audio-on-demand, and interactive gaming.
45. The system of claim 26, further comprising encryption software operable to encrypt the integrated television programming, data, and telephone communications for decryption by selected customer premises.
46. The system of claim 26, wherein the router is further operable to condition access to the integrated television programming, data, and telephone communications based on a list of approved customer premises devices.
47. The system of claim 26, wherein the router is further operable to condition access to the integrated television programming, data, and telephone communications based on the geographic location of a customer premises device.
48. A system for providing integrated voice, video, and data content in an integrated service offering to one or more customer premises, comprising: a receiver operable to receive television programming; a video encoder operable to convert the television programming into a common format for communication over a single network infrastructure using a common communication protocol; a telecommunication switch coupled to a telephone network and operable to receive telephone communications from the telephone network, the telephone communications comprising caller identification information; a gateway operable to convert the telephone communications into the common format for communication over the single network infrastructure using the common communication protocol; and a router coupled to the video encoder, to the gateway, and to a data network that communicates data in the common format using the common communication protocol, the router operable to: receive the converted television programming, the converted telephone communications, and the data from the data network, all in the common format; and communicate the converted television programming, the converted telephone communications, and the data in the common format over the single network infrastructure using the common communication protocol to one or more customer premises to provide the integrated service offering; assign customer premises to multicast domains to support conditional access of the customer premises to content that is selected from the group consisting of selected television programming, video-on-demand, pay-per-view video, near-video-on-demand, audio channels, audio-on-demand, and interactive gaming, wherein the conditional access is implemented using interdiction; and a network appliance operable to display the caller identification information in combination with the content at the customer premises.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates generally to the field of communications and networking, and more particularly to a system and method for providing integrated voice, video, and data to customer premises over a single network infrastructure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Voice, video, and data services are currently provided to customer premises over several different network infrastructures and by several different companies. For example, television programming is typically provided to customer premises through one of many private cable television networks or through satellite transmissions received using personal satellite dishes. Voice and other telephony are also communicated to customer premises over a separate infrastructure, the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The Internet also includes a separate infrastructure of various fiber optic and other data networks, often accessed from the customer premises through a private cable television network or the PSTN. Each of these network infrastructures has its own unique physical architecture, communication protocols, and other characteristics which are typically incompatible with the architectures, protocols, and characteristics of the other network infrastructures.
On occasion these infrastructures may share some components in order to reach the customer premises, but this typically requires layering systems on top of one another or requires translation between the various systems in order to provide the desired collection of services to the customer premises. For example, data may be communicated to the customer premises using a cable television network, in conjunction with a cable modem. However, to communicate this data along with cable television signals, repackaging and translation are required to fit the data into the cable television network's frequency space. Another example is the use of the PSTN to provide data to the customer premises using digital subscriber line (DSL) technology. The inherent incompatibility of traditional telephone and cable television networks with data networks such as the Internet has created many problems for both users and the service providers, preventing service providers from delivering integrated voice, video, and data to customer premises over a single network infrastructure.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to the present invention, disadvantages and problems associated with previous systems and methods for providing voice, video, and data to customer premises have been substantially reduced or eliminated.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for providing integrated voice, video, and data content in an integrated service offering to one or more customer premises includes receiving television programming from a programming source, receiving data from a data network, and receiving telephone communications from a telephone network. The method further includes placing the television programming, data, and telephone communications in a common format for integrated communication over a single network infrastructure using a common communication protocol. In addition, the method includes communicating the integrated television programming, data, and telephone communications in the common format over the single network infrastructure using the common communication protocol to one or more customer premises to provide the integrated service offering.
The system and method of the present invention provide a number of important technical advantages. Rather than attempting to converge the incompatible architectures, protocols, and other characteristics of the various existing voice, video and data network infrastructures, the present invention provides a single fully interoperable network that uses a common standard protocol, such as TCP/IP, to provide integrated voice, video, and data content to customer premises over a single communication link. Since all services are provided to the customer premises using a single network infrastructure, problems associated with delivering incompatible services to the customer premises are eliminated. The single network infrastructure of the present invention also allows for enhanced troubleshooting, fault-tolerance, access restriction, and other important benefits.
Not only does the delivery of voice, video, and data services over a single network infrastructure using a common protocol eliminate many technical problems, it also provides many opportunities to increase customer satisfaction. For example, since a number of services are delivered together by a single entity, customers can be charged for these services using a single bill. This bill may be provided to the user over the network. Furthermore, the use of a common protocol allows devices at the customer premises to be integrated and to provide functionality that is not available when these devices are coupled to and receive content from separate networks. For example, the customer's television may be used to answer video telephone calls and the customer's telephone may be used to change channels on the television. In addition, since various voice, video, and data services are provided using the same network infrastructure, these services may be combined in numerous ways. For example, caller identification information may be displayed over a movie that a customer is viewing on a television or a web link may be provided in association with a television commercial. A variety of other service combinations are similarly enabled. Other important technical advantages are readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following figures, descriptions and claims.
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The whole Patent looks like a new protocol. |
