Patent Application
20220103777
The delivery of information and entertainment to consumers via broadband networks continues to expand. Consequently, consumers have come to rely upon a dependable bidirectional connection between their residences and the broadband network provider. For many consumers the primary device providing this connection is a media gateway appliance (“MGA”), such as a set-top box. Typically, such devices offer bidirectional communication with a cable, fiber or satellite multi-service operator (“MSO”). It is not unusual for a given MGA to include multiple tuners, each capable of tuning to an independent program (commercial television, streaming video, audio programming, graphics, etc.).
The multiple tuners permit a single MGA to concurrently receive multiple programs. Typically, the multiple tuners are utilized to enable a consumer to watch or view a single program, while recording one or more others, or to enable a picture-picture function where one video program appears as an inset window superimposed upon a separate full-screen video program.
Although MGAs usually provide multiple output ports (Coaxial Cable, Component Video, Composite Video, Digital Video Interface (DVI), High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI), S-Video, etc.), all of these ports typically deliver identical content. The multiplicity of outputs enables a wide variety of devices to be mated with the MGA, but fails to provide a consumer with the ability to connect multiple devices (displays, audio systems, etc.) to the MGA and direct a different and independent program to each of the devices. The simultaneous provision of multiple, independent programs, each upon a separate device, would require the use of multiple MGAs, wherein each MGA was connected to a single dedicated device adapted to display or play one of the independent programs.
Consequently, it would be advantageous to provide for a single MGA, having multiple tuners, wherein a consumer could readily direct the output of each tuners to a separate output upon the MGA, and thereby enable the simultaneous output of multiple, independent programs, each upon a separate device.
A system and method for dynamically routing each of multiple independent content streams from a single media gateway appliance to specific output ports. The particular content and the identity of the port or ports to which it will be routed are defined by the contents of user commands received by media gateway appliance. The disclosed technology enables a single appliance to simultaneously route independent content to particular identified displays, thereby providing independent viewing experiences to multiple users.
The aspects, and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with regard to the following description, appended claims, and accompanying drawings in which:
The system shown in
A user wishing to access a specific program on television 120 would employ remote control 124 to wirelessly transmit one or more commands (modulated at frequency f1) to wireless command receiver 120 upon MGA 102. Upon receipt of the wireless command, processor 102 determines if the received command is a request for accessing particular program content among the multiple program signals that comprise the signal received via broadband link 118. (steps 202 and 204 of
However, if it is determined that the received command was indeed a request to access particular content, the process proceeds to step 208 and the processor determines the modulation frequency of the command. Processor 104 then queries memory 106 to access information that associates the detected frequency with a specific output port upon MGA 102 (step 210). Table A below provides an illustration of the type of information stored in memory 106:
As shown above, frequency f1, emitted by remote-control 126, is associated with output port 112. Utilizing this information, processor 104 would then instruct an available tuner within MGA 102 (in this example, tuner 108) to tune to proper band to capture and demodulate the signal carrying the requested program content (step 212). Information associating a particular channel, network or content provider with a given frequency or bandwidth within the signal carried upon broadband link 118 can also be stored within memory 106 and accessed by processor 104 as needed.
Finally, processor 104 causes switching fabric 116 to provide a connection between the output of tuner 108 and MGA output port 112 (step 214). This enables the requested program content (136) to be delivered to television 126. The process would then revert back to step 202 and await the reception of a new wireless command.
A similar process of issuing a command requesting access to particular program content could be accomplished using remote-control 128, which produces commands modulated at frequency f1. The process would be very similar to that described above for remote-control 126, but it would utilize tuner 110 (tuner 108 is already in use) and direct the demodulated content to MGA output port 114. This would result in the content (138) being displayed on television 124.
Although differentiation between the wireless commands emitted by the multiple remote-control devices is described above as being accomplished by having each individual remote-control devices modulate it's emissions at a particular, exclusive frequency, this differentiation could also be enabled by embedding an identification code, exclusive to a particular remote-control device, within the signals produced by the remote-controls (such as in a header or prefix to the actual command information being transmitted). All the remote-controls could generate signals modulated at the same frequency, but the exclusive code for each individual remote-control device would be recognized by processor 104 based upon code information stored in memory 106. Memory 106 would also store information associating each exclusive identifier with a particular output port. See Table B below:
It should be noted, that although wireless command receiver 120 is depicted as being integral to MGA 102, such a receiver could be a separate, stand-alone device, such as a Bluetooth® of Wi-Fi transceiver, or an infrared optical receiver. The wireless command receiver could also be integrated into a television or other device adapted for playing or viewing content. The device would then be adapted to transmit any received commands to MGA 102 for processing and implementation.
The system and process described above can be readily applied to larger systems wherein an MGA (or a linked system of multiple MGAs) provides for a larger number of tuners and a larger number of output ports. A depiction of an embodiment (300) providing n tuners and m output ports is shown in
As shown, MGA 302 includes tuners 308, 310 . . . n, each of which is capable of independently tuning to a particular frequency or bandwidth to capture content received via broadband link 318. MGA 302 is also shown to include output ports 312, 314 . . . m. Each of these output ports is connected to a television to permit the output content to be viewed or played (televisions 322, 324 . . . k, where k=m). Wireless remote controls 326, 328 . . . p, where p=k, are each paired with a particular television. Each of the wireless remote-controls also transmits emit wireless signals (optical, radio, ultrasonic) modulated on an exclusive carrier frequency (f1, f2 . . . fp) Processor 304 is adapted to utilize information stored in memory 306 to associate the frequency of each received wireless remote signal with a particular output port and instruct switching fabric 316 to direct requested content accordingly. In the embodiment of
It should also be evident that in MGAs or MGA systems wherein the number of tuners is greater than the number of output ports, the processor and switching fabric could be adapted to direct the output of more than one tuner to a single output port. This could support the concurrent display of multiple tuner outputs in a picture-in-picture format, or a split screen arrangement. Formatting and blending two or more tuner outputs into a single picture-in-picture or single split screen display can be accomplished by utilizing a video compositor. Video compositors and the process of utilizing such to combine multiple video outputs into a single composite video is well known in the art.
Although the invention herein has been described with reference to particular embodiments, it is to be understood that these embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and applications of the present invention. For example, the links between the MGA and the televisions could be wireless or wired. The devices utilized to view or play requested content could include any suitable device including televisions, tablets, computer displays, smartphones, projectors, an audio system, a smart speaker, a digital assistant, etc. The content capable of being displayed is not limited to video or graphics, but rather could be any single or multimedia content including images (still or moving) without an associated soundtrack, audio without associated visual content, both live and recorded programming, including programming stored upon a memory within or co-located with an MGA, live video conferencing, streaming media and broadcast media. The headend and external network can be network can be linked to one or more MGAs via wired and/or wireless connections. In addition, the processing described as being performed within a given MGA could also be performed at a remote server or headend linked to one or more MGAs by a broadband connection (wired or wireless). The disclosed systems could also be adapted to concurrently route the output of single tuner to a plurality of output ports in response to a received wireless command. All of the above variations and reasonable extensions therefrom could be implemented and practiced without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/083,235, filed Sep. 25, 2020, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63083235 | Sep 2020 | US |
