System and method for customer premises broadband interface with on-hook alerting

An interface device for video or data display devices for controlling broadband information delivery, comprising:

• input/output ports for connecting the interface device to one or more video or data display devices;
• first channel means for communicating with a telephone network;
• second channel means for communicating with a broadband network;
• means for generating control signals and sending the control signals to a broadband information provider via the telephone network;
• means for receiving and processing the broadband information received via the broadband network;
• and
• routing means including an ADSI standard on-hook alerting circuitry for alerting the video or data display devices to go off-hook without ringing the video or data display devices.

A system for delivering broadband information to a remote device, comprising:

• a telephone network;
• a broadband network;
• a broadband information provider connected to the telephone network and the broadband network;
• and
• an interface device connected to the remote device, the telephone network and the broadband network via separate connections, the interface device including
• means to transmit control signals from the remote device to the broadband information provider via the telephone network, and
• means to deliver broadband information from the broadband information provider to the remote device via the broadband network, including
• analog display services interface ("ADSI") standard on-hook alerting ("AOHA") circuitry to alert the remote device to go off-hook without ringing the remote device.

A method of providing information to a customer premises equipment ("CPE"), comprising the steps of:

• sending programming information to the CPE via a broadband network;
• storing the programming information at an interface device, connected to the CPE which is separate from the broadband network,
• determining whether the CPE is idle;
• requesting the CPE to go off-hook at times when the CPE is idle;
• and
• routing the programming information to the CPE after the CPE goes off-hook.

A method of controlling the delivery of broadband information to a remote device, comprising the steps of:

• receiving from a broadband information provider, at an interface device associated with the remote device, a first set of control signals for controlling broadband information being delivered to the remote device;
• routing a second set of control signals from the interface device to the broadband information provider via a telephone communication link through a telephone network;
• and
• delivering broadband information to the interface device via a broadband communication link through a broadband network in response to the second set of control signals, including the substeps of
• sending programming information from a broadband information provider to the remote device via the broadband network,
• storing the programming information at an interface device, connected to the remote device which is separate from the broadband network, and
• routing the programming information to the remote device by alerting the remote device to go off-hook without ringing the remote device.