Patent Application
20070101380
Communication of content over mediums like the internet, satellite, cable and telephone lines is improving rapidly. Consumers are finding that they often subscribe to a number of different services yet would like to find a way to consolidate services and functions where possible. Some of these services, for example television are not conveniently accessible throughout a home in the sense that to watch programs on multiple televisions, a customer must purchase or lease a set top tuner for each television. As the services converge, customers would like to have the ability to consolidate content delivery and take advantage of local area network technology to provide content deliver in a convenient manner throughout a home or business. Subscribers desire to have full functionality to communicate easily and conveniently over a plurality of mediums to which they may subscribe.
Thus, what it needed is a consolidated content apparatus that permits carriers to supply communication services to customers while also providing customers with the ability to communication over mediums to which they subscribe.
The invention provides a consolidated content apparatus that can be deployed by a customer and communicate with a wide range of mediums to enable the customer to obtain services to which they subscribe. The invention also works in conjunction with a wide range of client devices to provide the customer with a convenient interface in which to operate the system and view content throughout the deployed location.
A consolidated content apparatus comprises a local area network including a plurality of communication ports adapted to connect to a plurality of communication mediums, wherein at least one of the ports is a television tuner port. A television receiver is coupled to the television port and configured to receive a television signal and to convert the television signal into television program packets. A multiport switch having a number of local ports is coupled to the communication ports and the television tuner. A plurality of client devices are coupled to the local area network and configured to communicate with the television receiver to tune at least one television channel and deliver the television program over the network to the client devices.
In one aspect of the invention, the client devices are configured to send commands to the television receiver for tuning and communicating particular television programs to each client. In this aspect, the television receiver comprises a plurality of tuners each configured to tune a television signal and to convert the television signal into television program packets to be sent to the client devices responsive to commands from the respective client devices.
The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:
The present invention is described in detail with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a description of the best mode of the invention. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art, that the present invention may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. For example, while the invention describes internet protocol and Ethernet protocol, other communication protocols are anticipated to work well with the invention.
In one embodiment, the communication port 110b receives a signal from a cable or satellite provider and the provider equipment provides digitally encoded compressed content to the receiver 120 through a digital interface. One aspect of the invention involves the protection of digital rights, wherein television receiver 120 provides digital rights management protection for the satellite content through digital transmission content protection (DTCP), DTCP over internet protocol (DTCP-IP) or similar mechanisms. In such an aspect, the receiver 120 performs content protection for cable television and satellite television. In this case, the television content is delivered to receiver 120 in a digital form and the receiver 120 performs key exchange, digital rights management, content decryption and possibly even re-encryption. It is anticipated that a plurality of digital rights management protection techniques are possible in this interface, receiver structure and invention.
A wireless LAN access point 150 is provided and coupled to port 110a for communicating with wireless devices. The components 120, 14 and 150 are coupled to a multiport switch 160 that provides the connectivity for the local area network. In one embodiment, the LAN is deployed in a residence, and in another embodiment, the LAN is deployed in a business or multi-residential setting. Many variations on customer deployments are anticipated by the invention.
Coupled to the multiport switch are also a number of connectors 170a-170n that provide wire connections to the switch. These can be located at the deployment location for connecting client devices to the network. These client devices can include, for example, computers, music devices, television set top boxes and so forth. One such client is described in greater detail below. Alternately, the clients can communicate with the wireless LAN via port 110a.
Also coupled to the multiport switch is a voice over internet protocol (VOIP) center 180 that provides telephone service to the deployed location. This is done through a number of connectors 182a-182n that support telephone plug in. In one aspect, the VOIP center plugs into a home telephone network and provides dial tone and other features that turn all the existing telephones into internet phones. The VOIP center may include sophisticated functions, for example, private branch exchange or other functions to support multiple telephone numbers, internal conference calling, and so forth at the deployment location.
A storage structure 190 is also coupled to the multiport switch. The storage structure can serve a number of functions in the LAN. In one aspect, the storage structure is a network attached storage (NAS). In another aspect, the storage structure is a digital recorder that provides program storage and access to client devices connected to the LAN. In yet another aspect, the storage structure is a server computer capable of many functions. Since all the clients on the LAN have access to the storage structure, they can all access the programs stored therein. These aspects are described below in more detail.
In one aspect, the television receiver assigns tuners to each client on a predetermined basis. For example, if there are 3 client devices on the LAN that each have dedicated access to a television tuner, the first tuner may be associated with the first client, the second tuner may be associated with the second client and so forth. This maps the client devices to the tuners in a one for one basis, but does not permit the number of client devices to scale beyond the number of tuners.
In another aspect, the television receiver assigns tuners to each client as needed. This provisioning of tuners to client devices is advantageous because it permits a few tuners to service a larger number of client devices. In this manner, as one client desires to have television tuner access, the request is granted so long as there is an available tuner. If there is not an available tuner, a response is generated to the client that no tuner is available. The customer could then disconnect another client to free up an available tuner if so desired.
Advantages of the invention include consolidation of content communications for customers, resulting in more robust and less expensive access to content delivery and communication. In addition, by adding a plurality of tuners to the content receiver, client devices on the LAN can access and use tuners as requested, thereby reducing the hardware requirements while still providing quality service to client devices.
While the invention has been described in terms of several embodiments and the best mode, there are alterations, permutations, and equivalents, which fall within the scope of this invention. It should also be noted that there are many alternative ways of implementing the methods and apparatuses of the present invention. It is therefore intended that the following appended claims be interpreted as including all such alterations, permutations, and equivalents as fall within the true spirit and scope of the present invention.
