US5359601A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Apparatus providing dynamic virtual service selection in a multi-service communications system
Assignee: Tech 5 Sas
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Filing: 1993-03-08
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Granted: 1994-10-25
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Expires: 2013-03-08
Abstract
Abstract An apparatus providing a dynamic virtual service capability in a multi-service communications system is claimed. A dynamic virtual service comprises an associated group of basic services wherein only one of the basic services in the group is active at any time. Basic services comprise a number of service components which are transmitted to the apparatus on one or more of a plurality of different frequency channels. The apparatus comprises a service selection switch for selecting either one of the basic services directly or one of the dynamic virtual services. A dynamic virtual service map is provided that defines for each dynamic virtual service, on a time-varying basis, the currently active one of the group of basic services that comprise that dynamic virtual service. Means responsive to the service selection switch and to the dynamic virtual service map are provided for automatically selecting the currently active basic service of a subscriber selected dynamic virtual service. Finally, the apparatus provides means for receiving and accessing the service components of a selected basic service from the frequency channel carrying those components. According to one embodiment, dynamic virtual service map definitions are periodically re-transmitted to the apparatus on each frequency channel carrying service components of one of the group of basic services that comprise that dynamic virtual channel. Additionally, a "home" basic service may be defined for each virtual dynamic service. When a dynamic virtual service is initially selected by a subscriber, the apparatus initially "tunes" to the frequency channel carrying the service components of that home basic service.
Inventors
- 👤 Anthony J. Wasilewski
- 👤 William B. Thatcher
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-24 15:23
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04N; H04N21/00; H04N21/40; H04N21/43; H04N21/438; H04N21/4383; H04H; H04H20/00; H04H20/10; H04H20/106; H04H20/26; H04H60/00; H04H60/35; H04H60/38; H04H60/41; H04N21/20; H04N21/23; H04N21/236; H04N21/23614; H04N21/23617; H04N21/2362; H04N21/25; H04N21/262; H04N21/26291; H04N21/41; H04N21/426; H04N21/434; H04N21/4345; H04N21/435; H04N21/47; H04N21/482; H04N21/60; H04N21/61; H04N21/6106; H04N21/6143; H04N7/00; H04N7/08; H04N7/087; H04N7/088; H04N7/16; H04N7/162; H04N7/167; H04N7/1675; H04N7/173; H04N7/17309; H04N7/17318; H04N7/20; H04N7/24; H04N7/52; H04N5/00; H04N5/44; H04N5/50
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 43
Claim 1
Independent Claim
189 words
An apparatus for enabling a subscriber to access different basic services, wherein each of the different basic services comprises a plurality of service components, said service components of each basic service being received in a multiplexed form on one of a plurality of frequency channels, some frequency channels containing multiplexed service components for more than one basic service, said apparatus comprising: a service selection switch for selecting either one of said basic services directly or one of a plurality of dynamic virtual services, each dynamic virtual service comprising an associated group of said basic services wherein only one of said group is active during a given time period; a dynamic virtual service map that defines, on a time-varying basis, for each dynamic virtual service, a currently active one of said group of basic services that comprise that dynamic virtual service; means responsive to the service selection switch and to the dynamic virtual service map for automatically selecting the currently active basic service of a selected dynamic virtual service; and means for receiving and accessing the service components of a selected basic service from the frequency channel carrying those components.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
189 words
An apparatus for enabling a subscriber to access different basic services, wherein each of the different basic services comprises a plurality of service components, said service components of each basic service being received in a multiplexed form on one of a plurality of frequency channels, some frequency channels containing multiplexed service components for more than one basic service, said apparatus comprising: a service selection switch for selecting either one of said basic services directly or one of a plurality of dynamic virtual services, each dynamic virtual service comprising an associated group of said basic services wherein only one of said group is active during a given time period; a dynamic virtual service map that defines, on a time-varying basis, for each dynamic virtual service, a currently active one of said group of basic services that comprise that dynamic virtual service; means responsive to the service selection switch and to the dynamic virtual service map for automatically selecting the currently active basic service of a selected dynamic virtual service; and means for receiving and accessing the service components of a selected basic service from the frequency channel carrying those components.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
73 words
Apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the dynamic virtual service map contains a dynamic virtual service definition for each dynamic virtual service and wherein the definition for each dynamic virtual service is periodically re-transmitted to the apparatus on each frequency channel carrying service components of one of the group of basic services that comprise that dynamic virtual service, said apparatus further comprising means for receiving and processing said transmitted dynamic virtual service definitions.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus recited in claim 2 wherein each dynamic virtual service definition comprises a dynamic virtual service number designation and an active basic service designation that specifies the currently active basic service for the designated dynamic virtual service.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus recited in claim 2 wherein a home basic service is defined for each dynamic virtual service and further wherein said apparatus initially accesses the home basic service when a dynamic virtual service is selected by a subscriber.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus recited in claim 4 wherein the home basic service for a particular dynamic virtual service is selected from one of the group of basic services that comprise that dynamic virtual service.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
38 words
Apparatus recited in claim 5 wherein the basic service selected as the home basic service is the basic service from said group that, on average, is most often the currently active basic service for that dynamic virtual service.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
12 words
Apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the service components comprise digital data.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
138 words
Apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein the means for receiving and accessing the service components of a selected basic service comprises: a tuning map that identifies, for each basic service, which of said frequency channels carries the multiplexed service components that comprise that basic service; a tunable receiver responsive to the tuning map for tuning to the frequency channel carrying the multiplexed service components for a selected basic service and for receiving the multiplexed service components carried on that frequency channel; a service-to-component map that defines, for the selected basic service, which multiplexed service components in the received frequency channel comprise that basic service; and a service component de-multiplexer coupled to the receiver and responsive to the service-to-component map for de-multiplexing the received multiplexed service components and for obtaining those service components that comprise the selected basic service.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus recited in claim 8 wherein the tuning map is reprogrammable, and wherein the tuning-map is reprogrammed by transmitting a modified tuning map on one or more of said frequency channels.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
82 words
Apparatus recited in claim 8 wherein a home basic service is defined for each dynamic virtual service and wherein the tuning map further contains an entry for each dynamic virtual service that specifies the frequency channel carrying the multiplexed service components of the home basic service of that dynamic virtual service, whereby upon selecting a dynamic virtual service, the tunable receiver initially tunes to the frequency channel carrying the service components of the home basic service of that selected dynamic virtual service.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus recited in claim 8 wherein the service-to-component map definition for each service is periodically re-transmitted to the apparatus on the frequency channel carrying the service components of that basic service, said apparatus further comprising means for receiving and processing the transmitted service-to-component map definitions.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
22 words
Apparatus recited in claim 11 wherein each service-to-component map definition comprises a service number designation and at least one service component assignment.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
282 words
An apparatus for enabling a subscriber to access different basic services, wherein each of the different basic services comprises a plurality of service components, said service components of each basic service being received in a multiplexed form on one of a plurality of frequency channels, some frequency channels containing multiplexed service components for more than one basic service, said apparatus comprising: a service selection switch for selecting either one of said basic services directly or one of a plurality of dynamic virtual services, each dynamic virtual service comprising an associated group of said basic services wherein only one of said group is active during a given time period; a dynamic virtual service map that defines, on a time-varying basis, for each dynamic virtual service, a currently active one of said group of basic services that comprise that dynamic virtual service; means responsive to the service selection switch and to the dynamic virtual service map for automatically selecting the currently active basic service of a selected dynamic virtual service; a tuning map that identifies, for each basic service, which of said frequency channels carries the multiplexed service components that comprise that basic service; a tunable receiver responsive to the tuning map for tuning to the frequency channel carrying the multiplexed service components for a selected service and for receiving the multiplexed service components carried on that frequency channel; a service-to-component map that defines, for the selected basic service, which multiplexed service components in the received frequency channel comprise that basic service; and a service component de-multiplexer coupled to the receiver and responsive to the service-to-component map for de-multiplexing the received multiplexed service components and for obtaining those components that comprise the selected service.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
282 words
An apparatus for enabling a subscriber to access different basic services, wherein each of the different basic services comprises a plurality of service components, said service components of each basic service being received in a multiplexed form on one of a plurality of frequency channels, some frequency channels containing multiplexed service components for more than one basic service, said apparatus comprising: a service selection switch for selecting either one of said basic services directly or one of a plurality of dynamic virtual services, each dynamic virtual service comprising an associated group of said basic services wherein only one of said group is active during a given time period; a dynamic virtual service map that defines, on a time-varying basis, for each dynamic virtual service, a currently active one of said group of basic services that comprise that dynamic virtual service; means responsive to the service selection switch and to the dynamic virtual service map for automatically selecting the currently active basic service of a selected dynamic virtual service; a tuning map that identifies, for each basic service, which of said frequency channels carries the multiplexed service components that comprise that basic service; a tunable receiver responsive to the tuning map for tuning to the frequency channel carrying the multiplexed service components for a selected service and for receiving the multiplexed service components carried on that frequency channel; a service-to-component map that defines, for the selected basic service, which multiplexed service components in the received frequency channel comprise that basic service; and a service component de-multiplexer coupled to the receiver and responsive to the service-to-component map for de-multiplexing the received multiplexed service components and for obtaining those components that comprise the selected service.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
73 words
Apparatus recited in claim 13 wherein the dynamic virtual service map contains a dynamic virtual service definition for each dynamic virtual service and wherein the definition for each dynamic virtual service is periodically re-transmitted to the apparatus on each frequency channel carrying service components of one of the group of basic services that comprise that dynamic virtual service, said apparatus further comprising means for receiving and processing said transmitted dynamic virtual service definitions.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
37 words
Apparatus recited in claim 14 wherein each dynamic virtual service definition comprises a dynamic virtual service number designation and an active basic service designation that specifies the currently active basic service for the designated dynamic virtual service.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
83 words
Apparatus recited in claim 13 wherein a home basic service is defined for each dynamic virtual service and wherein the tuning map further contains an entry for each dynamic virtual service that specifies the frequency channel carrying the multiplexed service components of the home basic service of that dynamic virtual service, and whereby upon selecting a dynamic virtual service, the tunable receiver initially tunes to the frequency channel carrying the service components of the home virtual service of that selected dynamic virtual service.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
12 words
Apparatus recited in claim 13 wherein the service components comprise digital data.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
26 words
Apparatus recited in claim 13 wherein the tuning map may be reprogrammed by transmitting a modified tuning map on one or more of said frequency channels.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus recited in claim 13 wherein the service-to-component map definition for each service is periodically re-transmitted to the apparatus on the frequency channel carrying the service components of that basic service, said apparatus further comprising means for receiving and processing the transmitted service-to-component map definitions.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
208 words
An apparatus for enabling a subscriber to access different basic services, wherein each of the different basic services comprises a plurality of service components, said service components of each basic service being received in a multiplexed form on one of a plurality of frequency channels, at least some frequency channels containing multiplexed service components for more than one basic service, said apparatus comprising: a service selection switch for selecting either one of said basic services directly or one of a plurality of dynamic virtual services, each dynamic virtual service comprising an associated group of said basic services wherein only one of said group is active during a given time period; first means for receiving a dynamic virtual service map definition for a selected dynamic virtual service, said received definition specifying, for the selected dynamic virtual service, a currently active one of the group of basic services that comprise that dynamic virtual service; second means responsive to a received dynamic virtual service map definition for automatically selecting the currently active basic service specified by the received definition; and third means responsive to the selection switch and to the second means for receiving and accessing the service components of a selected basic service from the frequency channel carrying those components.
Claim 23
Independent Claim
208 words
An apparatus for enabling a subscriber to access different basic services, wherein each of the different basic services comprises a plurality of service components, said service components of each basic service being received in a multiplexed form on one of a plurality of frequency channels, at least some frequency channels containing multiplexed service components for more than one basic service, said apparatus comprising: a service selection switch for selecting either one of said basic services directly or one of a plurality of dynamic virtual services, each dynamic virtual service comprising an associated group of said basic services wherein only one of said group is active during a given time period; first means for receiving a dynamic virtual service map definition for a selected dynamic virtual service, said received definition specifying, for the selected dynamic virtual service, a currently active one of the group of basic services that comprise that dynamic virtual service; second means responsive to a received dynamic virtual service map definition for automatically selecting the currently active basic service specified by the received definition; and third means responsive to the selection switch and to the second means for receiving and accessing the service components of a selected basic service from the frequency channel carrying those components.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
45 words
Apparatus recited in claim 20 wherein the dynamic virtual service map definition for a selected dynamic virtual service is periodically re-transmitted to the apparatus on each frequency channel carrying service components of one of the group of basic services that comprise that dynamic virtual service.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
43 words
Apparatus recited in claim 21 wherein the dynamic virtual service map definition for a selected dynamic virtual service comprises a dynamic virtual service number designation and an active basic service designation that specifies the currently active basic service for that dynamic virtual service.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
41 words
Apparatus recited in claim 20 wherein a home basic service is defined for each dynamic virtual service and further wherein said apparatus is operative to initially access the home basic service upon selection of a dynamic virtual service by a subscriber.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
31 words
Apparatus recited in claim 23 wherein the home basic service defined for a particular dynamic virtual service is one of the group of basic services that comprise that dynamic virtual service.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
147 words
Apparatus recited in claim 20 wherein the means for receiving and accessing the service components of a selected basic service comprises: a tuning map that identifies, for each basic service, which of said frequency channels carries the multiplexed service components that comprise that basic service; a tunable receiver responsive to the tuning map for tuning to the frequency channel carrying the multiplexed service components of the selected basic service and for receiving the multiplexed service components carried on that frequency channel; means for receiving a service-to-component map definition for the selected basic service that specifies for that basic service which multiplexed service components in the received frequency channel comprise that basic service; and a service component de-multiplexer coupled to the receiver and responsive to the received service-to-component map definition for de-multiplexing the received multiplexed service components and for obtaining the service components specified by the received definition.
Claim 29
Dependent Claim
42 words
Apparatus recited in claim 25 wherein the tuning map contains an entry for each basic service, and further wherein the tuning map is re-programmable and may be reprogrammed by transmitting a modified tuning map on one or more of said frequency channels.
Claim 30
Dependent Claim
89 words
Apparatus recited in claim 26 wherein a home basic service is defined for each dynamic virtual service and wherein the tuning map further contains an entry for each dynamic virtual service that specifies the frequency channel carrying the multiplexed service components of the home basic service of that dynamic virtual service, said tunable receiver, upon selection of a dynamic virtual service by the subscriber, being operative to initially tune to the frequency channel carrying the service components of the home basic service of the subscriber selected dynamic virtual service.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
32 words
Apparatus recited in claim 25 wherein the service-to-component map definition for each basic service is periodically re-transmitted to the apparatus on the frequency channel carrying the service components of that basic service.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
183 words
In a multi-service communications system wherein a plurality of different basic services are transmitted to a subscriber location, each basic service being transmitted to the subscriber location on one of a plurality of different frequency channels, some frequency channels carrying more than one basic service, a method for providing dynamic virtual service selection at the subscriber location comprising the steps of: (a) defining a dynamic virtual service as a group of basic services wherein each basic service of said group is to be broadcast over one of said frequency channels during a different time period than the other basic services; and (b) periodically transmitting to the subscriber location a dynamic virtual service map definition for the defined dynamic virtual service that specifies which of the basic services of said group is currently being broadcast to the subscriber location, whereby upon selection of the defined dynamic virtual service by a subscriber, a decoder at the subscriber location may employ the transmitted dynamic virtual service map definition for the selected dynamic virtual service to determine the currently active basic service for that dynamic virtual service.
Claim 33
Dependent Claim
183 words
In a multi-service communications system wherein a plurality of different basic services are transmitted to a subscriber location, each basic service being transmitted to the subscriber location on one of a plurality of different frequency channels, some frequency channels carrying more than one basic service, a method for providing dynamic virtual service selection at the subscriber location comprising the steps of: (a) defining a dynamic virtual service as a group of basic services wherein each basic service of said group is to be broadcast over one of said frequency channels during a different time period than the other basic services; and (b) periodically transmitting to the subscriber location a dynamic virtual service map definition for the defined dynamic virtual service that specifies which of the basic services of said group is currently being broadcast to the subscriber location, whereby upon selection of the defined dynamic virtual service by a subscriber, a decoder at the subscriber location may employ the transmitted dynamic virtual service map definition for the selected dynamic virtual service to determine the currently active basic service for that dynamic virtual service.
Claim 34
Dependent Claim
25 words
A method according to claim 29 further comprising the step of assigning a unique service number to the dynamic virtual service defined in step (a).
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
60 words
A method according to claim 30 wherein a dynamic virtual service map definition transmitted in step (c) for the defined dynamic virtual service contains a dynamic virtual service number designation that specifies the unique service number assigned to that dynamic virtual service, and an active basic service designation that specifies the currently active basic service for that dynamic virtual service.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method according to claim 29 wherein the dynamic virtual service map definitions for the defined dynamic virtual service are periodically transmitted to the subscriber location on each frequency channel that carries one of the basic services of the group that comprise that dynamic virtual service.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
82 words
A method according to claim 29 further comprising the step of designating one of the basic services from the group of basic services that comprise the defined dynamic virtual service as a home basic service, and wherein upon selection of the dynamic virtual service by a subscriber, a decoder at the subscriber location may initially tune to the frequency channel carrying the home basic service in order to receive one of the dynamic virtual service map definitions transmitted on that frequency channel.
Claim 38
Independent Claim
217 words
A method for providing dynamic virtual service selection in a multi-service communications system wherein a plurality of different basic services are transmitted from a transmission site to a subscriber location, each of the different basic services comprising a plurality of service components, the service components of each basic service being transmitted to the subscriber location in multiplexed form on one of a plurality of different frequency channels, some frequency channels carrying multiplexed service components for more than one basic service, said method comprising the steps of: (a) defining a plurality of dynamic virtual services, each dynamic virtual service comprising an associated group of basic services, only one of which is active at any given time; (b) for each dynamic virtual service defined in step (a), periodically generating at the transmission site a dynamic virtual service map definition that specifies the currently active basic service of the group comprising that dynamic virtual service; and (c) periodically transmitting the dynamic virtual service map definitions for each dynamic virtual service to the subscriber location, whereby upon selection of one of the dynamic virtual services by a subscriber, a decoder at the subscriber location may employ the transmitted dynamic virtual service map definition for the selected dynamic virtual service to determine the currently active basic service for that dynamic virtual service.
Claim 39
Independent Claim
217 words
A method for providing dynamic virtual service selection in a multi-service communications system wherein a plurality of different basic services are transmitted from a transmission site to a subscriber location, each of the different basic services comprising a plurality of service components, the service components of each basic service being transmitted to the subscriber location in multiplexed form on one of a plurality of different frequency channels, some frequency channels carrying multiplexed service components for more than one basic service, said method comprising the steps of: (a) defining a plurality of dynamic virtual services, each dynamic virtual service comprising an associated group of basic services, only one of which is active at any given time; (b) for each dynamic virtual service defined in step (a), periodically generating at the transmission site a dynamic virtual service map definition that specifies the currently active basic service of the group comprising that dynamic virtual service; and (c) periodically transmitting the dynamic virtual service map definitions for each dynamic virtual service to the subscriber location, whereby upon selection of one of the dynamic virtual services by a subscriber, a decoder at the subscriber location may employ the transmitted dynamic virtual service map definition for the selected dynamic virtual service to determine the currently active basic service for that dynamic virtual service.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
27 words
A method according to claim 34 further comprising the step of assigning a unique service number to each of the dynamic virtual services defined in step (a).
Claim 41
Dependent Claim
61 words
A method according to claim 35 wherein the dynamic virtual service map definitions generated in step (b) for a given dynamic virtual service each contain a dynamic virtual service number designation that specifies the unique service number assigned to that dynamic virtual service, and an active basic service designation that specifies the currently active basic service for that dynamic virtual service.
Claim 42
Dependent Claim
53 words
A method according to claim 34 wherein, in said transmitting step, the dynamic virtual service map definitions for a given dynamic virtual service are periodically transmitted to the subscriber location on each frequency channel that carries the service components of one of the group of basic services that comprise that dynamic virtual service.
Claim 43
Dependent Claim
101 words
A method according to claim 34 wherein for each dynamic virtual service, one of the basic services from the group of basic services that comprise that dynamic virtual service is defined as a home basic service, and wherein upon selection of one of the dynamic virtual services by a subscriber, a decoder at the subscriber location may initially tune to the frequency channel carrying the service components of the home basic service for the selected dynamic virtual service in order to receive one of the dynamic virtual service map definitions transmitted on that frequency channel for the selected dynamic virtual service.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1997-10-24 | 1998-04-25 | 1998-10-25 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2001-10-24 | 2002-04-25 | 2002-10-25 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2005-10-24 | 2006-04-25 | 2006-10-25 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |