Architecture and method for providing interactive broadband products and services using existing telephone plant

Architecture for providing interactive broadband products and services using a Multichannel Multipoint Distribution System (MMDS) and existing telephone plant, comprising:

• an MMDS transmitter;
• a cable head-end in communication with the MMDS transmitter;
• a Gateway in connection with the cable head-end via the cable plant;
• a Central Office Switch (COS) in communication with the MMDS transmitter;
• and
• a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) device in communication with the Gateway via the cable plant for receiving downstream broadcasts and in communication with the COS via the telephone plant for upstream signaling and downstream control messages.

A method for providing interactive broadband products and services using existing cable and telephone plant, comprising:

• providing a head-end server;
• providing a Central Office Switch (COS) in communication with the head-end server;
• providing a set-top terminal in communication with the head-end server via the cable plant and in communication with the COS via an Integrated Services Telephone Network (ISDN) telephone line;
• sending downstream broadcasts and control messages from the head-end server to the set-top terminal via the cable plant;
• sending upstream signals from the set-top terminal to the head-end server via the ISDN telephone line;
• providing a Gateway in communication with the head-end server and the COS;
• processing the control messages at the Gateway to determine which frequency the set-top terminal should tune to;
• and
• generating a corresponding signal at the Gateway for receipt by the set-top terminal.

A method for providing interactive broadband products and services using a Multichannel Multipoint Distribution System (MMDS) and existing telephone plant, comprising:

• providing a MMDS transmitter;
• providing a cable head-end in communication with the MMDS transmitter;
• providing a Gateway in communication with the cable head-end via cable plant;
• providing a Central Office Switch (COS) in communication with the MMDS transmitter;
• providing a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) device in communication with the Gateway via cable plant and in communication with the COS via telephone plant;
• sending downstream broadcasts and control messages from the MMDS transmitter to the CPE device;
• and
• sending upstream signals from the CPE device to the MMDS transmitter via the telephone plant.

An architecture for providing interactive broadband products and services using a telephone plant, comprising:

• a head-end server;
• a wireless broadcast facility in communication with the head-end server;
• a Gateway;
• a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) device in communication with the head-end server via the wireless broadcast facility for downstream broadcasts and in communication with the Gateway via the telephone plant for upstream signaling, wherein the Gateway has processing capability to determine which frequency the CPE device should tune to.

A method for providing interactive broadband products and services using an existing wireless broadcast facility and a telephone plant, comprising:

• providing a head-end server;
• providing a Gateway;
• providing a Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) device in communication with the head-end server via the wireless broadcast facility and in communication with the Gateway via the telephone plant;
• sending downstream broadcasts and control messages from the head-end server to the CPE device via the wireless broadcast facility;
• sending upstream signals from the CPE device to the Gateway via the telephone plant;
• processing the control messages at the Gateway to determine which frequency the CPE device should tune to;
• and
• generating a corresponding signal at the Gateway for receipt by the CPE device.