Network providing signals of different formats to a user by multplexing compressed broadband data with data of a different format into MPEG encoded data stream

A network for transporting non-video signals of any format from a plurality of information providers to a plurality of video information users having digital entertainment terminals adapted to decode compressed data streams, the network comprising:

• an ATM backbone subnetwork for receiving a plurality of ATM data signals from a plurality of information providers and for combining a first group of said ATM data signals into a consolidated broadband signal output as ATM cell streams, each cell having a specified VPI/VCI value;
• a source of a second group of digital data signals;
• an access subnetwork for receiving said consolidated broadband signal output as ATM cell streams and said digital data signals and outputting corresponding data packets to said digital entertainment terminals, said access subnetwork comprising:
• an ATM demultiplexer for recovering said first group of said ATM data signals from said ATM cell streams in accordance with said specified VPI/VCI values and outputting the recovered ATM data signals as a plurality of MPEG encoded packet data streams, each of said packet data streams being arranged on the basis of data packets having an identifier address controlled by an ATM-to-MPEG processor on the basis of the VPI/VCI of corresponding ATM cells and format identifying information corresponding to the format of said non-video signal, over a dedicated bandwidth transport,
• a router for receiving said second group of digital data signals and forwarding said second group of digital data signals over a shared bandwidth transport, and
• a plurality of network interface modules, respectively corresponding to the digital entertainment terminals, for receiving said MPEG encoded data outputted by said ATM demultiplexer over said dedicated bandwidth transport, said second group of digital data signals forwarded by said router over said shared bandwidth transport, said identifier address and said format identifying information, each one of said plurality of network interface modules outputting data extracted from said MPEG encoded data and said second group of digital data signals to a corresponding digital entertainment terminal in accordance with said identifier address and said format identifying information.

In a network providing communications services to a plurality of information users distributed throughout a serving area and comprising a network interface for receiving broadband data of any format from a plurality of information providers, an access subnetwork for distributing said broadband data of any format to a plurality of video end offices, said information users being arranged in groups served by a corresponding one of said video end offices, a method for transporting data of any format to said information users, comprising the steps of:

• grooming a first group of received broadband data carried as ATM cell streams from said information providers to obtain groomed ATM data streams;
• combining said groomed ATM data streams with a second group of received data to obtain a consolidated broadband data stream;
• outputting said consolidated broadband data stream from said broadcast network interface to said access subnetwork;
• in said access subnetwork:
• transparently recovering said data from said groomed ATM data streams carried by said consolidated broadband data stream, and
• outputting said recovered data as a stream of MPEG encoded data packets over a dedicated bandwidth transport to a plurality of network interface modules;
• in each of said network interface modules:
• (1) separating MPEG encoded packets from the output stream into a first packet data stream corresponding to broadband data in an MPEG format and a second packet data stream corresponding to data in a format other than MPEG format,
• (2) selectively outputting at least a portion of said first packet stream to an associated digital entertainment terminal on the basis of an assigned PID value,
• (3) selectively supplying the second packet data stream based on an assigned PID value for processing payload data in a format other than MPEG format.

A multi-format data communication method comprising:

• encoding broadband compressed data in packets of a standardized format;
• adapting the standardized format packets into a first set of ATM cells having a first VPI/VCI value;
• transporting first set of ATM cells through a switched backbone subnetwork to a port of an access subnetwork;
• adapting data in any format other than the standardized format into a second set of ATM cells having a second VPI/VCI value;
• transporting a second set of ATM cells through the switched backbone subnetwork to the port of an access subnetwork;
• capturing the standardized format packets from the first set of ATM cells and mapping the first VPI/VCI value into a first packet identifier added to the standardized format packets;
• capturing the any format data from the second set of ATM cells;
• encapsulating the captured any format data into at least one packet of the standardized format;
• mapping the second VPI/VCI value into a second packet identifier;
• inserting the second packet identifier into said at least one packet of the standardized format;
• combining the standardized format packets containing the first packet identifier and the at least one standardized packet containing the second packet identifier into a multiplexed packet stream;
• and
• broadcasting the multiplexed packet stream.