Abstract: Most cable television systems in the United States (over 75% as of this application) are structured for one-way only service between the cable headend and the user. With more and more services being introduced that require a two-way connection with the user (e.g. impulse-pay-per-view, home shopping, Internet access), it has become necessary for more and more cable systems to upgrade to a two-way capability at considerable cost and over a fairly long period of time. The typical short-term solution to the lack of two-way capability is to send request backlinks over he user's telephone line. The problem with this solution is that when used, it ties up the telephone line and requires an additional telephone connection to be located near the cable set-top-box or modem. A more practical solution is the hub centered backhaul invention described herein. With this invention, users can operate their cable systems as if they were two-way systems, with all available interactive capabilities available.

Abstract: Most cable television systems in the United States (over 75% as of this application) are structured for one-way only service between the cable headend and the user. With more and more services being introduced that require a two-way connection with the user (e.g. impulse-pay-per-view, home shopping, Internet access), it has become necessary for more and more cable systems to upgrade to a two-way capability at considerable cost and over a fairly long period of time. The typical short-term solution to the lack of two-way capability is to send request backlinks over he user's telephone line. The problem with this solution is that when used, it ties up the telephone line and requires an additional telephone connection to be located near the cable set-top-box or modem. A more practical solution is the hub centered backhaul invention described herein. With this invention, users can operate their cable systems as if they were two-way systems, with all available interactive capabilities available.

Abstract: An information broadcast system having a broadband broadcast system selected from cable and satellite for broadcasting requested information from a selected information source, including the Internet, to one or more selected subscriber stations includes an independent backhaul channel for communicating information request signals from a subscriber station to one or more central processing stations. The system includes a data broadcast station for transmitting requested data from the selected data source and central station via the data broadcast station to the one or more selected subscriber stations. The high-data rate broadcast station forwards requested data from a data source to the data broadcast station. A backhaul satellite communication system, independent of the broadband broadcast system, has a backhaul satellite ground terminal for coupling information request signals from backhaul satellite communication system to high data broadcast station terminal.

Abstract: Interactive internet activities are a very popular means for gathering information for business, personal, medical, entertainment and other purposes. Most internet interaction is asymmetrical in nature in that a client's requests for information are much smaller (in data size) than the resulting information delivered by the server. Although the client/internet link is inherently asymmetrical, there remains a great deal of interaction and overhead required between the client and the server that increases the bandwidth needs for the client's upstream request channel. There are many advantages to reducing this upstream traffic volume and thereby making the internet interaction even more asymmetrical. Such compression of request data could allow more clients to utilize a single upstream data path instead of separate paths.

Abstract: Interactive internet activities are a very popular means for gathering information for business, personal, medical, entertainment and other purposes. Most internet interaction is asymmetrical in nature in that a client's requests for information are much smaller (in data size) than the resulting information delivered by the server. Although the client/internet link is inherently asymmetrical, there remains a great deal of interaction and overhead required between the client and the server that increases the bandwidth needs for the client's upstream request channel. There are many advantages to reducing this upstream traffic volume and thereby making the internet interaction even more asymmetrical. Such compression of request data could allow more clients to utilize a single upstream data path instead of separate paths.