Method and apparatus for distributing content in a communication network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11012741-B2
Application number	US-202016807236-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2020
Priority date	Sep 29, 2014
Publication date	May 18, 2021
Grant date	May 18, 2021

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, a system for receiving decoded satellite signals, obtaining media channels from the decoded satellite signals, selecting a portion of the media channels for distribution to a plurality of media processors, encoding the portion of the media channels selected according to a satellite distribution protocol, such as a protocol that facilitates satellite switching, to generate satellite encoded content, formatting the satellite encoded content according to a transport protocol to generate formatted content, and providing the formatted content for distribution to the plurality of media processors via a communication network, such as a single wire communication network or other network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
a processor; and
a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
obtaining media channels from a signal, each media channel comprising content;
formatting the content according to a transport protocol to generate formatted content; and
generating, via a coupler of a waveguide system, electromagnetic waves that couple onto a transmission medium that comprises a wire, wherein the electromagnetic waves at least partially surround an outer surface of the wire, wherein the electromagnetic waves convey the formatted content, and wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the wire,
wherein the coupler is a dielectric coupler, and wherein the dielectric coupler is not coaxially aligned with the wire.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the formatting of the content according to the transport protocol comprises formatting the content according to an internet protocol (IP), and wherein the formatted content comprises IP formatted content.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic waves are guided by the wire to a gateway for distribution of at least a portion of the formatted content to a media device over a network.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the gateway is communicatively coupled to the waveguide system.

5. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the network comprises a network of twisted-pair cables coupled to residential or commercial establishments, and wherein the network of twisted-pair cables provides the formatted content as electrical signals that propagate in conducting materials of twisted-pair cables of the network of twisted-pair cables.

6. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the network comprises twisted-pair cables.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the gateway comprises a digital subscriber line device for transmitting electrical signals in the twisted-pair cables for transporting the formatted content.

8. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the media device is included in a plurality of media devices, and wherein the plurality of media devices retrieves the content from the formatted content and processes the content according to a distribution protocol.

9. The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the portion of the formatted content distributed by the gateway is received by an in-building gateway associated with the media device.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the in-building gateway retrieves the content from the formatted content.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the in-building gateway delivers the content to the media device for processing according to a distribution protocol.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wire comprises a single wire communication network coupled to residential establishments where a plurality of media devices is located.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the content enables a plurality of media devices to switch between satellite orbit locations utilizing satellite switching of a satellite distribution protocol.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the wire comprises a single wire communication network coupled to commercial establishments where a plurality of media devices is located.

15. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a distribution device comprising a processor, signals;
processing, by the distribution device, the signals to retrieve media channels, each media channel comprising content;
formatting, by the distribution device, the content of the media channels for redistribution according to a transport protocol to generate formatted content; and
generating, via a waveguide comprising a coupler coupled to a transmission medium, electromagnetic waves that propagate along the transmission medium, wherein the transmission medium comprises a wire, wherein the electromagnetic waves at least partially surround an outer surface of the wire, and wherein the electromagnetic waves convey the formatted content,
wherein the coupler is not coaxially aligned with the wire.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the coupler is a dielectric coupler.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the signals comprise satellite signals, and wherein the content comprises digital content.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the formatted content comprises internet protocol (IP) formatted content.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processor of a device, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
obtaining media channels from a signal, each media channel comprising content;
formatting the content of the media channels according to a transport protocol to generate formatted content; and
inducing, by a coupler coupled to a transmission medium, electromagnetic waves that propagate along the transmission medium, wherein the transmission medium comprises a wire, wherein the electromagnetic waves at least partially surround an outer surface of the wire, and wherein the electromagnetic waves convey the formatted content via the wire,
wherein the coupler is a dielectric coupler, and wherein the dielectric coupler is not coaxially aligned with the wire.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein the signal comprises a satellite signal, and wherein the content comprises digital content.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Gerszberg Irwin
• Barzegar Farhad
• Fuchs Mitchell Harvey
• Medamana John Babu

Classifications

• H04N21/6143 Primary

  involving transmission via a satellite · CPC title

• H04N21/440218 Primary

  by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 (conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01) · CPC title

• H04W16/26

  Cell enhancers {or enhancement}, e.g. for tunnels, building shadow · CPC title

• H04N21/6118

  involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem · CPC title

• H04N21/2381

  Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network {(transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601)} · CPC title