公开(公告)号：US20110173304A1

公开(公告)日：2011-07-14

申请号：US13006763

申请日：2011-01-14

申请人： John Schlack ,  Charels A. Hasek, IV

发明人： John Schlack ,  Charels A. Hasek, IV

IPC分类号： G06F15/16 ,  G06F15/177

CPC分类号： H04L65/4084 ,  H04L65/4076

摘要： A configuration as discussed herein includes a content management system. The content management system can reside in a central location or be distributed amongst multiple different locations in a network environment. In general, the content management system keeps track of configuration information for the retrieval of content. For example, the content management system identifies a presence of one or more content delivery sources in the network environment. The content management system utilizes the contact information to communicate with content delivery sources for discovery of configuration information. The configuration information can indicate: i) a respective address of the content delivery source, ii) a type of content outputted by the respective address, iii) a format of the content such as streaming data outputted by the respective address. The configuration information can be used to identify an address in which to retrieve requested content according to a desired format.

摘要翻译： 这里讨论的配置包括内容管理系统。 内容管理系统可以驻留在中央位置，或者分布在网络环境中的多个不同位置之间。 通常，内容管理系统跟踪用于检索内容的配置信息。 例如，内容管理系统识别网络环境中一个或多个内容传递源的存在。 内容管理系统利用联系人信息与内容传递源进行通信，以发现配置信息。 配置信息可以指示：i）内容传送源的相应地址，ii）由相应地址输出的内容的类型，iii）诸如由相应地址输出的流数据之类的内容的格式。 配置信息可以用于根据期望的格式标识在其中检索所请求的内容的地址。

公开(公告)号：US20110131625A1

公开(公告)日：2011-06-02

申请号：US12956236

申请日：2010-11-30

申请人： John Schlack

发明人： John Schlack

IPC分类号： H04N7/173

CPC分类号： H04N21/44209 ,  H04N21/25808 ,  H04N21/6118 ,  H04N21/6338 ,  H04N21/6405 ,  H04N21/6408 ,  H04N21/6582

摘要： A dynamic service group discovery and mapping approach avoids manual assignment of stream channels for transporting video services to the client devices that provide the video services to an end user. Client devices, such as set-top boxes, receive video services such as video on demand (VOD), switched digital video (SDV), pay-per view (PPV) and other narrowcast types of video for selective transmission. Each client device scans for visible stream channels, and sends a report indicative of visible stream channels to a dynamic mapping server. The dynamic mapping server applies aggregation rules for determining, based on the reported stream channels, which client devices are in the same service group. By receiving reports from each client device, the dynamic mapping server identifies groupings of service groups by combining sets of client devices receiving common channels, and “builds” the service groups as additional reports indicate common stream channels visible to multiple set top boxes.

摘要翻译： 动态服务组发现和映射方法避免手动分配用于将视频服务传送到向最终用户提供视频服务的客户端设备的流信道。 诸如机顶盒的客户端设备接收诸如视频点播（VOD），交换数字视频（SDV），付费观看（PPV）等视频服务的视频服务，以及用于选择性传输的其他窄类型的视频。 每个客户端设备扫描可视流信道，并将指示可视流信道的报告发送到动态映射服务器。 动态映射服务器应用聚合规则，用于根据报告的流信道确定哪个客户端设备在同一服务组中。 通过从每个客户端设备接收报告，动态映射服务器通过组合接收公共信道的客户端设备来识别服务组的分组，并且通过附加报告指示多个机顶盒可见的公共流信道来“构建”服务组。

公开(公告)号：US20110106950A1

公开(公告)日：2011-05-05

申请号：US12913260

申请日：2010-10-27

申请人： John Schlack

发明人： John Schlack

IPC分类号： G06F15/16

CPC分类号： G06F11/2046 ,  G06F11/186 ,  G06F11/2035 ,  H04L47/783

摘要： A distributed resource management mechanism allocates transmission resources by distributing the resources among a plurality of service nodes each responsible for a portion of the resources according to a hash function. A data center receives resource allocation requests from applications, such as video services applications, including a computed hash value based on the desired resource and indicative of the service node for providing the requested resource. A remote resource management client identifies the resource and computes the hash based on a request from the application, and transmits the request to a resource management server on the service node having the resource indicated by the hash, thus avoiding centralized queuing or caching of the resource requests and instead delegating to the service nodes. Service nodes may redundantly share responsibility for the resources through a root node or a cluster arrangement, providing failover if a service node becomes inoperational.

摘要翻译： 分布式资源管理机制根据散列函数，通过在各个负责一部分资源的多个服务节点之间分配资源来分配传输资源。 数据中心从诸如视频服务应用程序的应用程序接收资源分配请求，包括基于所需资源的计算的散列值，并指示用于提供所请求的资源的服务节点。 远程资源管理客户端根据来自应用程序的请求标识资源并计算散列，并将该请求发送到具有由散列表示的资源的服务节点上的资源管理服务器，从而避免资源的集中排队或高速缓存 请求而不是委派给服务节点。 服务节点可以通过根节点或集群安排冗余地分担资源的责任，如果服务节点变得不工作，则提供故障转移。

公开(公告)号：US20070089127A1

公开(公告)日：2007-04-19

申请号：US11559273

申请日：2006-11-13

申请人： Gregory Flickinger ,  John Schlack ,  Charles Eldering

发明人： Gregory Flickinger ,  John Schlack ,  Charles Eldering

IPC分类号： H04N7/10 ,  G06Q30/00

CPC分类号： H04N21/2668 ,  G06Q30/02 ,  G06Q30/0254 ,  G06Q30/0258 ,  G06Q30/0264 ,  G06Q30/0272 ,  G06Q30/0273 ,  H04H60/27 ,  H04H60/37 ,  H04H60/375 ,  H04H60/45 ,  H04H60/65 ,  H04H60/73 ,  H04N5/44543 ,  H04N7/088 ,  H04N7/163 ,  H04N7/165 ,  H04N7/17354 ,  H04N7/17363 ,  H04N21/25883 ,  H04N21/25891 ,  H04N21/26208 ,  H04N21/26233 ,  H04N21/26241 ,  H04N21/42684 ,  H04N21/4331 ,  H04N21/4335 ,  H04N21/4532 ,  H04N21/454 ,  H04N21/478 ,  H04N21/812 ,  H04N21/84 ,  H04N21/8586

摘要： An advertisement storage and filtering system for selectively identifying targeted advertisements to be stored in the memory of the STB. This storing of the selected advertisements can be accomplished in a number of ways. In one embodiment, the advertisements, in real-time and as they are received at the STB, are processed by the STB and only those advertisements with the appropriate characteristics are stored on the hard drive (HD). This may require some buffering of the advertisements in the STB memory as the STB processes and determines whether or not to store the advertisement. The information required to determine whether or not to store the advertisement could also be sent in advance, e.g., as a data service in an advertisement channel. Alternatively, the STB may store incoming advertisements in a memory temporarily and subsequently determine whether or not to retain the stored advertisements.

摘要翻译： 一种用于选择性地识别要存储在STB的存储器中的目标广告的广告存储和过滤系统。 所选择的广告的这种存储可以以多种方式来实现。 在一个实施例中，实时地和在STB处接收到的广告由STB处理，并且仅具有适当特征的那些广告被存储在硬盘驱动器（HD）上。 当STB处理并且确定是否存储广告时，这可能需要STB存储器中的广告的一些缓冲。 确定是否存储广告所需的信息也可以预先发送，例如作为广告信道中的数据服务。 或者，STB可以将传入的广告临时存储在存储器中，随后确定是否保留所存储的广告。

公开(公告)号：US08484354B2

公开(公告)日：2013-07-09

申请号：US12913260

申请日：2010-10-27

申请人： John Schlack

发明人： John Schlack

IPC分类号： G06F15/173

CPC分类号： G06F11/2046 ,  G06F11/186 ,  G06F11/2035 ,  H04L47/783

摘要： A distributed resource management mechanism allocates transmission resources by distributing the resources among a plurality of service nodes each responsible for a portion of the resources according to a hash function. A data center receives resource allocation requests from applications, such as video services applications, including a computed hash value based on the desired resource and indicative of the service node for providing the requested resource. A remote resource management client identifies the resource and computes the hash based on a request from the application, and transmits the request to a resource management server on the service node having the resource indicated by the hash, thus avoiding centralized queuing or caching of the resource requests and instead delegating to the service nodes. Service nodes may redundantly share responsibility for the resources through a root node or a cluster arrangement, providing failover if a service node becomes inoperational.

摘要翻译： 分布式资源管理机制根据散列函数，通过在各个负责一部分资源的多个服务节点之间分配资源来分配传输资源。 数据中心从诸如视频服务应用程序的应用程序接收资源分配请求，包括基于所需资源的计算的散列值，并指示用于提供所请求的资源的服务节点。 远程资源管理客户端根据来自应用程序的请求标识资源并计算散列，并将该请求发送到具有由散列表示的资源的服务节点上的资源管理服务器，从而避免资源的集中排队或高速缓存 请求而不是委派给服务节点。 服务节点可以通过根节点或集群安排冗余地分担资源的责任，如果服务节点变得不工作，则提供故障转移。

公开(公告)号：US20120102531A1

公开(公告)日：2012-04-26

申请号：US13276703

申请日：2011-10-19

申请人： John Schlack

发明人： John Schlack

IPC分类号： H04N21/20

CPC分类号： H04N21/47202 ,  H04N21/4227 ,  H04N21/6125

摘要： A video server delivers video on demand (VOD) and other video services responsive to a remote selection application over an IP network from a personal communication device of a user, such as a cellphone or smartphone. The remote selection application drives a user interface of available content, and transmits a user selection request to the video delivery server via a public access network such as the Internet. The video server correlates the identity of the requesting user with a video services channel in communication with a settop box or similar device of the user, and delivers the content to the client video device for rendering. In contrast to conventional VOD, in which the video services request emanates from the settop box on the same communication path (QAM channel) as the downstream signals containing the VOD content, the remote selection application is independent of the client device on an HFC network.

摘要翻译： 视频服务器通过IP网络从诸如手机或智能电话的用户的个人通信设备响应于远程选择应用来提供视频点播（VOD）和其他视频服务。 远程选择应用程序驱动可用内容的用户界面，并且经由诸如因特网的公共接入网络向视频传递服务器发送用户选择请求。 视频服务器将请求用户的身份与与用户的机顶盒或类似设备通信的视频服务信道相关联，并将内容传送到客户端视频设备进行呈现。 与在与包含VOD内容的下行信号相同的通信路径（QAM信道）上的机顶盒发出视频业务请求的传统VOD相反，远程选择应用独立于HFC网络上的客户端设备。

公开(公告)号：US20090025052A1

公开(公告)日：2009-01-22

申请号：US11779297

申请日：2007-07-18

申请人： John Schlack ,  Fred J. Allegrezza ,  Ludwig Cliff Lewis

发明人： John Schlack ,  Fred J. Allegrezza ,  Ludwig Cliff Lewis

IPC分类号： H04N7/173

CPC分类号： H04N21/6377 ,  H04L65/4076 ,  H04L65/80 ,  H04N21/23805 ,  H04N21/2385 ,  H04N21/2402 ,  H04N21/658

摘要： A switched digital video (SDV) system is provided that includes an SDV manager for coordinating SDV sessions requested by subscriber terminals associated with a service group. An input is provided for receiving content to be broadcast during the SDV sessions. At least one edge device is provided for receiving transport streams that include SDV programming provided by the input and for transmitting each transport stream over an access network to at least one of the subscriber terminals on one of a plurality of SDV channels. The SDV manager is configured to (i) monitor bandwidth used by the edge device to provide the SDV programming to the service group and (ii) cause a bit rate of at least one SDV program supplied to the edge device to be adjusted based on the monitored bandwidth usage.

摘要翻译： 提供了一种交换数字视频（SDV）系统，其包括用于协调与服务组相关联的用户终端请求的SDV会话的SDV管理器。 提供输入以在SDV会话期间接收要广播的内容。 提供至少一个边缘设备用于接收包括由输入提供的SDV编程的传输流，并且用于通过接入网络将每个传输流发送到多个SDV信道之一中的至少一个用户终端。 SDV管理器被配置为（i）监视边缘设备使用的带宽以向服务组提供SDV编程，以及（ii）基于所述边缘设备调整提供给边缘设备的至少一个SDV节目的比特率 监控带宽使用情况。

公开(公告)号：US09137575B2

公开(公告)日：2015-09-15

申请号：US13276703

申请日：2011-10-19

申请人： John Schlack

发明人： John Schlack

IPC分类号： H04N21/472 ,  H04N21/4227 ,  H04N21/61

CPC分类号： H04N21/47202 ,  H04N21/4227 ,  H04N21/6125

摘要： A video server delivers video on demand (VOD) and other video services responsive to a remote selection application over an IP network from a personal communication device of a user, such as a cellphone or smartphone. The remote selection application drives a user interface of available content, and transmits a user selection request to the video delivery server via a public access network such as the Internet. The video server correlates the identity of the requesting user with a video services channel in communication with a settop box or similar device of the user, and delivers the content to the client video device for rendering. In contrast to conventional VOD, in which the video services request emanates from the settop box on the same communication path (QAM channel) as the downstream signals containing the VOD content, the remote selection application is independent of the client device on an HFC network.

摘要翻译： 视频服务器通过IP网络从诸如手机或智能电话的用户的个人通信设备响应于远程选择应用来提供视频点播（VOD）和其他视频服务。 远程选择应用程序驱动可用内容的用户界面，并且经由诸如因特网的公共接入网络将视频传送服务器发送用户选择请求。 视频服务器将请求用户的身份与与用户的机顶盒或类似设备通信的视频服务信道相关联，并将内容传送到客户端视频设备进行呈现。 与在与包含VOD内容的下行信号相同的通信路径（QAM信道）上的机顶盒发出视频业务请求的传统VOD相反，远程选择应用独立于HFC网络上的客户端设备。

公开(公告)号：US08793349B2

公开(公告)日：2014-07-29

申请号：US13006763

申请日：2011-01-14

申请人： John Schlack ,  Charles A. Hasek, IV

发明人： John Schlack ,  Charles A. Hasek, IV

IPC分类号： G06F15/177 ,  H04N7/173

CPC分类号： H04L65/4084 ,  H04L65/4076

摘要： A configuration as discussed herein includes a content management system. The content management system can reside in a central location or be distributed amongst multiple different locations in a network environment. In general, the content management system keeps track of configuration information for the retrieval of content. For example, the content management system identifies a presence of one or more content delivery sources in the network environment. The content management system utilizes the contact information to communicate with content delivery sources for discovery of configuration information. The configuration information can indicate: i) a respective address of the content delivery source, ii) a type of content outputted by the respective address, iii) a format of the content such as streaming data outputted by the respective address. The configuration information can be used to identify an address in which to retrieve requested content according to a desired format.

摘要翻译： 这里讨论的配置包括内容管理系统。 内容管理系统可以驻留在中央位置或者分布在网络环境中的多个不同位置之间。 通常，内容管理系统跟踪用于检索内容的配置信息。 例如，内容管理系统识别网络环境中一个或多个内容传递源的存在。 内容管理系统利用联系人信息与内容传递源进行通信，以发现配置信息。 配置信息可以指示：i）内容传送源的相应地址，ii）由相应地址输出的内容的类型，iii）诸如由相应地址输出的流数据之类的内容的格式。 配置信息可以用于根据期望的格式标识在其中检索所请求的内容的地址。

公开(公告)号：US08739233B2

公开(公告)日：2014-05-27

申请号：US12039809

申请日：2008-02-29

申请人： John Schlack

发明人： John Schlack

IPC分类号： H04N7/173

CPC分类号： H04N7/173 ,  H04N21/234309 ,  H04N21/25833 ,  H04N21/25858 ,  H04N21/6405 ,  H04N21/643

摘要： A method, system and devices for delivering a switched digital video (SDV) channel to a network element, such as an end user set-top box, based on the decoding capabilities of the network element. The system determines whether to deliver the SDV channel in a first format, such as MPEG-4, or a second format, such as MPEG-2. When only network elements capable of decoding MPEG-4 content are tuned to the SDV channel, the system can realize bandwidth savings by delivering only the MPEG-4 version of the SDV channel. When legacy network elements capable of decoding only MPEG-2 content tune to a particular SDV channel, the system delivers only the MPEG-2 version of the SDV channel. The methods and devices can be used in headends, including those that deploy switched digital video, and other appropriate locations within the content distribution system, such as within the edge devices in the distribution hub.

摘要翻译： 一种用于基于网络元件的解码能力将交换数字视频（SDV）信道传送到诸如最终用户机顶盒的网络元件的方法，系统和设备。 该系统确定是否以诸如MPEG-4之类的第一格式或诸如MPEG-2的第二格式传送SDV信道。 当只有能够解码MPEG-4内容的网络元件被调谐到SDV信道时，系统才能通过仅提供MPEG-4版本的SDV信道来实现带宽节省。 当能够仅解码MPEG-2内容的传统网络元件调谐到特定的SDV信道时，系统仅传送MPEG-2版本的SDV信道。 方法和设备可用于头端，包括部署切换数字视频的方法和设备以及内容分发系统内的其他适当位置，例如分发集线器中的边缘设备内的方法和设备。