Communications Interface Patents (Class 725/147)
  • Publication number: 20030097662
    Abstract: A master device interactively distributes a television signal to a remote device for remote display with low latency between a user input and a television signal change.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 14, 2002
    Publication date: May 22, 2003
    Inventors: Samuel H. Russ, David B. Lett, Jonathan A. Robinson, Michael A. Gaul
  • Publication number: 20030084457
    Abstract: A system and method for changing a name contained in a TV program being broadcast to a name requested by a TV viewer and providing the TV program containing the changed name are provided. The digital broadcast system includes a digital content receiver belonging to a user requesting a name change service; and a digital broadcast server for broadcasting a TV program to the digital content receiver, and if changing a name contained in the TV program to a different name is requested, providing the TV program containing a changed name to the digital content receiver. The TV viewer can watch a TV program in which original names are replaced by the viewer's name or acquaintances' names.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2002
    Publication date: May 1, 2003
    Applicant: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Gwi-ho Lee, Hee-seon Park, Hye-ju Kim, Young-kyu Jin
  • Publication number: 20030079233
    Abstract: An arrangement is provided for consolidating equipment, services, and information and for distributing information from a consolidated information distribution center (CIDC) to a plurality of head ends using spectrally efficient transport. The CIDC generates an optical signal encoded with information of multiple channels aggregated through a multi-level encoding scheme and sends the optical signal to a plurality of head ends via an optical fiber. When a head end receives the optical signal, it decodes the optical signal in multiple stages to produce information of multiple data streams, from which desired data streams are selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2002
    Publication date: April 24, 2003
    Inventors: Paul J. Matthews, Paul D. Biernacki, Irl N. Duling
  • Publication number: 20030046712
    Abstract: A video data transmission system in which a video signal transmitting apparatus and a plurality of video signal receiving apparatuses are coupled to each other via a network, and the video signal transmitting apparatus has a first memory unit for storing a video signal as digital video data which is sequentially updated a plurality of second memory units to which the digital video data is written at predetermined timings and from which the digital video data is read and a control unit for controlling the first and second memory units and a transmitter for transmitting the digital video data to the network. With the configuration, optimum digital video data is transmitted to the plurality of video signal receiving apparatuses in accordance with the transmission band of the network coupled to the video signal transmitting apparatus.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2002
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Inventor: Koji Masuda
  • Publication number: 20030028895
    Abstract: A system and method for accessing and managing disparate video network devices supports a user interface with an interface protocol communicating through a management adapter. The management adapter communicates with a device access layer that represents video network devices as objects, such as Management Beans, with a class of objects associated with a type of device. The objects translate communications from the management adapter into a protocol and attributes native to the device to allow the management adapter access to device attributes, which are then available to the user interface via the interface protocol. The device access layer thus establishes a proxy relationship so that video network devices are more easily interacted with and managed by applications communicating through the management adapter by a uniform protocol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 1, 2001
    Publication date: February 6, 2003
    Applicant: VTEL Corporation
    Inventors: Mark S. Buehler, Kurtis L. Seebaldt, Victor M. Santiago
  • Publication number: 20020196361
    Abstract: The present invention relates to method and apparatus of recording a multi-channel data stream on a recording medium in such a manner that substreams of digital channels constituting the multi-channel data stream can be distinguished each other in reproduction. The present recording method separates a multi-channel stream composed of substreams belonging to a plurality of channels into individual substreams, records the individual substreams separately by channel in plural stream objects allocated in a recording medium, creates a piece of search information every a substream contained in the recorded multi-channel stream, and records the created plural pieces of search information on the recording medium. The present method makes it possible to selectively search and reproduce each substream among a multi-channel stream recorded on a recording medium, thereby improving use convenience of a recording machine such as a digital video recorder.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2002
    Publication date: December 26, 2002
    Applicant: LG Electronics, Inc.
    Inventors: Jang Hui Cho, Jea Yong Yoo, Kang Soo Seo, Byung Jin Kim
  • Patent number: 6477707
    Abstract: A distributed broadcast system for receiving, processing, scheduling and broadcasting a wide variety of media objects is disclosed. The system comprises: a media object tracking system, a channel editing segment, a broadcast facility, and a plurality of end-user PCs. The media object tracking system receives media objects from a plurality of distinct sources and tracks their distribution, modification, and use. Associated with the media-object tracking system are a plurality of editing stations, where received media objects may be processed to create broadcast-ready material. The channel editing segment preferably comprises a plurality of channel editing centers (CECs) and one or more channel management centers (CMCs) which aggregate broadcast-ready media objects and schedule them for broadcast. Each scheduled media object is encoded in accordance with subscription information associated with the service to which the media object belongs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 1998
    Date of Patent: November 5, 2002
    Assignee: Fantastic Corporation
    Inventors: Martin Cranston King, Erik Troelsen, Enrico Gulfi
  • Publication number: 20020138854
    Abstract: Hybrid fiber/coax networks employ the existing cable plant used for cable TV and transmit data signals in a frequency bandwidth above that which is used for cable TV. As this cable plant was deployed in a tree and branch topology, data transmissions may be susceptible to noise, variable transmission loss and frequency dispersion, particularly in the upstream direction. Further, due to the tree and branch topology, homes at the far end of the network experience much greater loss than do the homes that are near to the headend/ONU. The present system, which uses point-to-point data links between intelligent network elements located in the feeder/distribution network to provide reliable, secure, bi-directional broadband access. Digital signals, or messages, are terminated at the intelligent network elements, switched and regenerated for transmission across additional upstream or downstream data links as needed to connect a home to a headend or router.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2001
    Publication date: September 26, 2002
    Applicant: Narad Networks, Inc.
    Inventors: Gautam Desai, Subrahmanyam Dravida, Satya V. Gupta, Kiran M. Rege, Manas Tandon, Ravi S. Kumar, DeQuan Wu
  • Publication number: 20020116717
    Abstract: Electronic billboards, which may be indoor or outdoor are located in various geographical areas. Associated with each billboard is a web address. A client desiring to display information, such as an advertisement, on any selected electronic billboard can upload the information over a digital television broadcast network to the server implementing the billboard website. The client can select the time and duration for the information to be displayed, and can even purchase the display time using a credit card or through the use of some other type of account.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2001
    Publication date: August 22, 2002
    Inventors: Marc Eller, Zvi Yaniv
  • Publication number: 20020104084
    Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for object retransmission in an asynchronous environment without a continuous network connection in a digital media distributor (DMD) system. The method and system include receiving objects in a receiver from a central site, generating a response document in the receiver, and sending the response document asynchronously to the central site. The received response documents are then utilized in the central site to determine which object to retransmit to the receiver. In another aspect of the present invention, the central site manages the inventory of objects in the receiver by instructing the receiver to delete objects not needed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2001
    Publication date: August 1, 2002
    Inventors: Jennie Ching, Eric Hsiao, Peter S. Lee, Warren R. Vollinger
  • Publication number: 20020087976
    Abstract: A system and method are provided for delivering broadcast-quality video with targeted advertising to viewers over the switched communication network, thereby providing a viable alternative to traditional cable, over-the-air, and direct broadcast satellite delivery systems. According to one embodiment, program streams with appropriately inserted splice points are transmitted from a network head end node to one or more egress nodes via a switched network. Demographically-targeted advertising is then inserted into the program streams at the egress nodes for subsequent delivery to individual subscribers. More specifically, targeted advertising is inserted in a program stream using a splicing method that employs adaptive synchronization to align splice points in the program and advertising streams that are being spliced together. By appropriately aligning splice points, broadcast-quality video transmission via switched networks is achieved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 28, 2000
    Publication date: July 4, 2002
    Inventors: Marc P. Kaplan, Richard Mandelbaum, Kim N. Mathews, David Thomas, Christopher C. Yu
  • Patent number: 6414720
    Abstract: A digital broadcasting system capable of causing any of physical channels selected by a broadcaster to be received as one of the channels available to users which is different from the physical channel selected by the broadcaster. For each of programs of each of the channels available to said users, a program information record comprising PSI (program specific information) is stored in a data base. The broadcaster is permitted to include, in the PSI, channel mapping information whose mapping destination is a channel (or a program) to be received instead of the channel for which said program information is intended. The program information records is inserted in broadcast transport streams on schedule and, if necessary, immediately after the broadcaster have included the channel mapping information in the PSI data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2000
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2002
    Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Ryota Tsukidate, Kenichi Fujita, Shigeki Kaneko, Yoshiyasu Takeuchi
  • Publication number: 20020083475
    Abstract: A plurality of intelligent device systems for use with a wideband signal distribution network, and methods for transmitting digital information and receiving digital and non-digital information onto and off of an RF carrier through a wideband signal distribution network, are disclosed. The intelligent device systems provide networks of intelligent devices that modulate and demodulate digital video, IP video/data/voice and digital wireless onto, and off of, a wideband signal distribution system, such as an analog carrier system, using existing EIA/TIA 568 standard wiring infrastructure. The methods modulate and demodulate digital video, IP video/data/voice and digital wireless onto, and off of, a wideband distribution system, such as an analog carrier system, and separate IP portions from non-IP portions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 2, 2001
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Inventors: Earl Hennenhoefer, Richard V. Snyder, Robert D. Stine
  • Publication number: 20020083467
    Abstract: An inverting adapter is disclosed that inverts inverted DVB-ASI signals to produce an adapted DVB-ASI signal. This adapted DVB-ASI signal may be used by any DVB-ASI device. The inverting adapter can be contained in one small package and easily connected to any of the various amplification devices that produce inverted DVB-ASI signals. Alternatively, the inverting adapter of the present invention may be integrally formed with an amplification device to automatically provide the adapted DVB-ASI signal.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 27, 2000
    Publication date: June 27, 2002
    Applicant: Philips Electronics North America Corp.
    Inventor: Barry Wynn Albright
  • Publication number: 20020023092
    Abstract: An information delivery system includes an information delivery apparatus installed at a sales company and receiver apparatuses installed at sales shops. A control unit generates program information data from stored program contents including catalog information, and generates delivery schedule information data based on stored delivery information. The program information data and the delivery schedule information data are transmitted by a broadband transmitter unit to the receiver apparatuses. The delivery schedule information is also transmitted to the receiver apparatuses, as required, via a narrowband communication path. In each receiver apparatus, a broadband receiver unit and a narrowband receiver unit receives the program information data and the delivery schedule information data, and the program contents are retrieved as desired and stored. A display unit displays the retrieved catalog information under the control of an information retrieval control unit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2001
    Publication date: February 21, 2002
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Tamura, Masanori Ishigaki, Tetsuya Narita, Takatoshi Kato, Tsuguyo Goto, Kuniko Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20010027564
    Abstract: A cable television distribution system in which the head end substitutes different channels for a plurality of separated geographic zones. The head end creates a plurality of channel spectrums and transmits the spectrums on distribution trunks such that a different spectrum may be present on each distribution trunk. The spectrums on the distribution trunks are connected to zones of the viewer community which have been selected for market research purposes on the basis of demographics.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2001
    Publication date: October 4, 2001
    Applicant: Information Resources, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas M. Cowan, Scott J. Thomas
  • Patent number: 6282715
    Abstract: A user terminal exchanges information with a server through a transmission medium. A coupling unit couples the user terminal to the transmission medium in accordance with information from the server. Likewise, the server is controlled in accordance with information from the user terminal. In this manner, communication is created and performed between the server and the user terminal. The user terminal may be a Set-Top Unit which may be adjusted to the transmission medium by, for example, a physical medium converter or the communication itself between the Set-Top Unit and the server may be adjusted as directed by programs installed in the Set-Top Unit which may originate from the server.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 28, 2001
    Assignee: Sony Europa B.V.
    Inventor: Claude George Barraud
  • Patent number: 6195797
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for enabling multiple users to concurrently access a PC-based server in a home local area network using conventional TVs as display devices. A client system includes a TV, conventional input devices, such as a keyboard and a mouse, and a set top box for interfacing the TV to the network. The server maintains a system work area and multiple processes corresponding to user applications. The system work area is partitioned in the server into multiple independent, simultaneously active desktops, one desktop for each of the client systems. Individual processes are mapped to the appropriate desktop. Multiple frame buffers are maintained in the server, such that a different frame buffer is assigned to each client system. Each desktop is rendered within the server and stored in the corresponding frame buffer. The contents of each frame buffer are transmitted over a transmission medium to the set top box of the corresponding client system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 1998
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2001
    Inventor: Henry R. Williams, Jr.