Abstract: Assets, such as content and related data are packaged, transmitted, received and managed in a digital cable television system to standardize the distribution of content and services from a content/service provider to subscribers in the system. The standardized format for packaging content enables the digital cable system to package, transmit, receive and manage diverse types of content, such as MPEGs, executable files, HTML pages, and the like, using standard system components without requiring reprogramming of the system to deploy new services. Service and content providers are freed from having to develop custom formats for delivering content and data to the cable system. Moreover, the standardized bundling of content and related data that is enabled by the invention allows the cable system operator to automate the deployment of services based on specific content and data to select subscribers.

Abstract: The present invention verifies the transmission of a data stream, such as an advertisement, to a receiver in a data network, such as a television set in a cable television network. In particular, the present invention develops and stores a data stream fingerprint prior to transmission of the data stream. During transmission of the data stream, a verifier compiles the fingerprint from the transmitted data stream and compares it to the pre-developed and stored fingerprint. If the fingerprint signal characteristics are within predetermined parameters, the transmission is considered successful.

Abstract: Assets, such as content and related data are packaged, transmitted, received and managed in a digital cable television system to standardize the distribution of content and services from a content/service provider to subscribers in the system. The standardized format for packaging content enables the digital cable system to package, transmit, receive and manage diverse types of content, such as MPEGs, executable files, HTML pages, and the like, using standard system components without requiring reprogramming of the system to deploy new services. Service and content providers are freed from having to develop custom formats for delivering content and data to the cable system. Moreover, the standardized bundling of content and related data that is enabled by the invention allows the cable system operator to automate the deployment of services based on specific content and data to select subscribers.

Abstract: A server provides a database containing information segments, e.g., news video clips. Through a communications network, a user may access the database to retrieve selected video clips for viewing, e.g., on a personal computer, media player, television, etc. After selecting the video clips of interest, the user may manipulate the sequence of the selected video clips to be presented. To that end, the video clips are represented by indicators, and may be selected by storing the corresponding indicators in a buffer, such as a virtual “shopping cart.”The sequence of the indicators in the buffer may be rearranged to affect the order of the selected video clips represented thereby for personal viewing of the video clips.

Abstract: A system for gradually implementing network services to end users includes substantially redundant first and second control networks, connectable to the end users through a routable communications network. The first control network provides a first service capability to all the end users. The second control network provides a second service capability to a first portion of the end users, the second service capability replacing the first service capability of the first portion of the end users. The second control network subsequently provides the second service capability to a second portion of the end users, while continuing to provide the second service capability to the first portion, the second service capability replacing the first service capability of the second portion of the end users. The second service capability provided to the second portion of the end users may include revisions based on feedback from the first portion of end users.

Abstract: A system and method for managing provisioning parameters in a cable network. A dynamic TFTP (DTFTP) server and a CMTS manage the provisioning of devices in a cable network. The DTFTP server and the CMTS share common provisioning parameters. A provisioning parameter has a name and a value. When changes are made in the value of a provisioning parameter that is also used by a CMTSs supported by that DTFTP server, the DTFTP server securely communicates the new provisioning parameter values to each such CMTS. In one embodiment of the present invention, the DTFTP server pushes the new provisioning parameter values to the CMTSs. In another embodiment of the present invention, a poller pulls the provisioning parameters from the DTFTP server to a central datastore where changes in provisioning parameters used by the CMTSs supported by the DTFTP are identified. The changed provisioning parameter values are pushed from the central datastore to the CMTSs.

Abstract: A fault isolation system and method. A hierarchical numbering system is applied to devices within a cable network. Each subscriber is associated with a “last active device” or “LAD” providing service to that subscriber. The numbering system provides “genealogical” information about the subscriber's LAD so that the LAD can be located within the network. By correlating trouble reports from subscribers, a fault in an active device can be isolated to a particular segment of a cascade if not a particular active device. The number system comprises a continuously concatenated string that provides a relative location of each active device with a cable network.

Abstract: In a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) cable system, data is communicated upstream from user terminals to a headend of the system to realize various interactive services. The user terminals generate analog modulated signals representing the user data, which populate different channels in a reverse passband of the system. In accordance with the invention, the analog modulated signals are transformed to the corresponding digital baseband signals containing the data. The resulting digital baseband signals are optically transmitted to the headend, thereby efficiently utilizing the limited capacity of the fiber optical portion of the HFC cable system.

Abstract: Systems and methods facilitate the provisioning of a new service in a cable system without requiring that server hardware and/or software be changed to implement the service, or that an equivalent session manager be created in a set-top box. Session requests are generated at the STB and transmitted to the service, which then interprets the request, rather than forwarded from the STB to a server implementing the service, as in conventional systems. To effect the routing to the service the session request contains routing information. Servers facilitating the implementation of services do not know details about, or even the existence of, new services added to the system.

Abstract: An enterprise network router interface communicates with a public regional Autonomous System Border Router (ASBR). The ASBR only forwards the enterprise network traffic to the router interface. The router interface redirects data packets to data highly specialized packet processing appliances for parallel processing of VPN and cache application traffic. Policy based routing instructions are imposed on the ASBR for subsequent secure, tunneled transmission. This enterprise routing system and method used within an enterprise imposes routing instructions superseding gateway protocol routing thus allowing VPN and content caching applications to be run efficiently and securely without resort to an enterprise dedicated backbone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for enticing a passive television viewer by automatically playing promotional presentations of selectable options in response to the viewer's inactivity. One embodiment of the invention presents the passive viewer with a set of selectable options. If the viewer does not select an option from the set of selectable options within a predetermined amount of time, the invention then displays a promotional presentation of a first option from the set of selectable options. A more specific embodiment of the invention displays the promotional presentation of the first option by (1) requesting promotional data concerning the first option from a service source through a communication network, and (2) receiving the promotional data from the service source through the communication network.

Abstract: An intelligent asset management system is disclosed which includes a schedule manager for evaluation of predetermined events particular to each asset and predetermined requirements for distribution, updating, and deletion of the asset in view of real time current conditions and constraints; a resource manager for optimizing the utilization of hard disk storage devices on the system as well as optimizing the use of other types of storage devices available; a configuration manager that tracks and provided updated asset Metadata, application information, storage disk topology, bandwidth topology, weighting factors, and timing information for each asset; and a reporting and polling manager which tracks actual activity on the system such as user input and demands, and provides periodic reporting capabilities for the operators of the system.

Abstract: An adaptive multidimensional media asset rating system and method for selective play of a media asset includes an N-dimensional rating vector encoded into the leader portion or meta-data portion of a media asset. This N dimensional rating vector has a magnitude value for each of the N dimensions and is assigned to each asset by the asset producer. A user programmable asset filter system, responsive to the encoded vector, is incorporated into or added on to the media asset playing device. The rating vector is then read from the asset by the filter system in or connected to the media asset playing device such as a TV, videotape recorder/player, radio receiver CD player, or other reception device prior to processing the asset for viewing. The user programs into the filter system coupled to the asset player or reception device a threshold N dimensional preference vector which has a magnitude value for each of the N dimensions.

Abstract: The present invention is a novel method for addressing processing units in a network where some of the processing units are connected to a shared communications medium. In an embodiment of the present invention, the network comprises a head end, a plurality of modulators connected and addressable by the head end, and a plurality of set-top processors. The set-top processors are partitioned into subsets where each subset is assigned to a modulator. The modulator takes information streams from the head end and multicasts the streams to its assigned subset. In one embodiment, the information streams comprise packets that have address fields for facilitating delivery from the head end to a receiving set-top processor. One address field enables the routing of the packet from the head end to the modulator assigned to the receiving set-top processor.

Abstract: The present invention is a novel system and method for supporting the execution of applications of a full service network whereby each application is designed and compiled to execute in a particular execution environment. As the user/subscriber makes a request for a service, the head end accepts the request as one for the downloading of the application associated with the service. The head end downloads the execution environment associated with the particular application. The execution environment is stored in memory at the requesting set-top processor. The application is also downloaded from the head end server to the requesting set-top processor and stored at the set-top processor. The set-top then executes the environment and the application in turn.

Abstract: The present invention is a novel apparatus for amplifying upstream and downstream signals, the signals comprising different portions of a communications spectrum and wherein at least two portions require amplification in opposing upstream and downstream directions.