Nova Patents
CA2460634A1

Digital cable headend for cable television delivery system

Abstract

Several cable headend configurations that utilize digital technology ar e disclosed. The present invention provides greater capability and flexibility than existing cable headends. Specifically, a modular design for a cable headend and a combiner component for cable headends are disclosed. The invention is particularly useful in cable television program delivery systems transpondin g large numbers of digitally compressed program signals. The combiner disclose d allows cherry-picking of programs from transponded signals.

CA2460634A1, drawing sheet 1
Sheet 1 of 18

Term

Term ended

Projected expiry passed 2 December 2013, 12.8 years ago.

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27 claims: 15 independent, 12 dependent

  1. 1
    CA 02460634 2004-04-01 The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:1. An apparatus for use in a cable television system headend characterized by: a first set of signal processing equipment (72) comprising: means (94) for receiving program signals for processing;and means (96) for processing the program signals into a first processed signal, wherein the processing involves assigning a priority level to the program signals to be distributed to a plurality of set top terminals;a second set of signal processing equipment (42) comprising: means (70) for receiving program signals with digitized programs;and means (86) for processing the digitized programs into a second processed signal, wherein the processing involves assigning a priority level to the program signals to be distributed to the plurality of set top terminals;means (142), connected to the first set of signal processing equipment and the second set of signal processing equipment, for adding the first processed signal to the second processed signal to produce an added signal containing more programs than either processed signal;and means (50, 102) for distributing the added signal to the plurality of set top terminals.
  2. 4
    A system for cherry-picking desired digital programs or channels from one or more multiplexed signals comprising:a CPU, wherein the CPU manages, monitors, ensures that the desired digital programs or channels are selected, and sends instructions;a demultiplexer, wherein the demultiplexer receives the signals, performs selection of the desired programs or channels according to instructions sent from the CPU, and outputs the selected programs or channels;a combiner, wherein the combiner accepts the outputted selected programs or channels from the demultiplexer, processes the selected programs or channels, and combines the selected programs or channels into a combined signal for transmission according to instructions sent from the CPU;and wherein the CPU manages and monitors the demultiplexer and the combiner.
  3. 8
    The system of any of claims 4 to 7, wherein analog program signals are received, the system further comprising:a digital encoder, wherein the digital encoder digitizes the received analog signals and outputs the digitized signals to the combiner, wherein the combiner combines the digitized signals with the selected programs or channels.
  4. 9
    The system of any of claims 4 to 8, wherein the received signals are encrypted, the system further comprising:decryption equipment, wherein the decryption equipment removes the encryption from the received signals.
  5. 10
    The system of any of claims 4 to 9, further comprising:encryption equipment, wherein the encryption equipment adds encryption to the combined signal.
  6. 11
    The system of any of claims 4 to 10, further comprising:error correction equipment, wherein the error correction equipment performs error correction on the signals.
  7. 12
    The system of any of claims 4 to 11, further comprising:a receiver;and a modulator, wherein the modulator modulates the combined signal for transmission.
  8. 13
    The system of any of claims 4 to 12, wherein the instructions comprise control signals. CA 02460634 2004-04-01
  9. 14
    A system for cherry-picking desired digital programs or channels from one or more received digital multiplexes comprising:a CPU, wherein the CPU manages and monitors the system, ensures that the desired digital programs or channels are selected, and sends instructions;a digital logic component, wherein the digital logic component selects the desired digital programs or channels according to instructions sent by the CPU and outputs the selected digital programs or channels;and a serializer, wherein the serializer combines the selected programs or channels into one signal for transmission according to instructions sent by the CPU.
  10. 18
    The system of any of claims 14 to 17, wherein analog program signals are received, the system further comprising:a digital encoder, wherein the digital encoder digitizes the received analog signals and outputs the digitized signals to the serializer, wherein the serializer combines the digitized signals with the selected programs or channels. CA 02460634 2004-04-01
  11. 20
    The system of any of claims 14 to 19, further comprising:encryption equipment, wherein the encryption equipment adds encryption to the signal for transmission.
  12. 21
    The system of any of claims 14 to 20, further comprising:error correction equipment, wherein the error correction equipment performs error correction on the signals.
  13. 22
    The system of any of claims 14 to 21, further comprising:a receiver;and a modulator, wherein the modulator modulates the combined signal for transmission.
  14. 23
    The system of any of claims 14 to 22, wherein the instructions comprise control signals.
  15. 24
    A method for filtering unwanted digital programs or channels from one or more multiplexed signals, comprising the steps of:receiving information and one or more multiplexed signals containing a plurality of digital programs or channels, wherein the information includes data on identities of the digital programs or channels;generating instructions regarding the digital programs or channels, wherein the instructions are based on the received information;removing unwanted digital programs or channels using the generated instructions, wherein the unwanted digital programs or channels are a subset of CA 02460634 2004-04-01 the plurality of digital programs or channels contained in the multiplexed signals and whereby removing the unwanted digital programs or channels leaves the remaining plurality of digital programs or channels contained in the multiplexed signals;and combining the remaining plurality of digital programs or channels into a combined signal for transmission.
Independent claims15