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US 6,317,884 B1Granted
Video, data and telephony gateway
AssigneeNext Level Communications
InventorsThomas R. Eames, Charles A. Eldering
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A residential gateway for distributing video, data and telephony services is disclosed. The gateway has a MPEG bus connected from a network interface module to a first and a second video processors. A microprocessor controls the first and second video processors by sending control signals across a control bus.
Claims16
A method of distributing signals from a residential gateway comprising:
- receiving asynchronous transfer mode cells at said residential gateway, wherein the asynchronous transfer mode cells are received via a twisted wire pair cable connecting said residential gateway to a telecommunications network;
- extracting a series of MPEG video packets from the asynchronous transfer mode cells;
- transmitting the series of MPEG video packets over an MPEG bus to each of a plurality of video decoders;
- receiving the series of MPEG video packets at each of the plurality of video decoders;
- decoding the series of MPEG video packets at a first video decoder in the plurality of video decoders to produce a first analog television signal compatible with a first analog television set;
- and
- decoding the series of MPEG video packets at a second video decoder in the plurality of video decoders to produce a second analog television signal compatible with a second analog television set.
4 more elements
A residential gateway for distributing signals comprising:
- a microprocessor;
- memory connected to said microprocessor;
- a network interface module, connected to a telecommunications network via a twisted wire pair cable, for receiving asynchronous transfer mode cells and extracting a series of MPEG video packets from the asynchronous transfer mode cells;
- an MPEG bus for transporting the series of MPEG video packets from said network interface module to a first video processor and from said network interface module to a second video processor;
- wherein the first video processor processes the series of MPEG video packets and creates a first analog signal for a first television set;
- wherein the second video processor processes the series of MPEG video packets and creates a second analog signal for a second television set;
- and
- a control bus connected to the microprocessor, the first video processor and the second video processor.
5 more elements
A residential gateway for distributing signals comprising:
- a microprocessor;
- memory connected to said microprocessor;
- a network interface module, connected to a telecommunications network via a twisted wire pair cable, for receiving asynchronous transfer mode cells and capable of extracting MPEG video packets, digital data signals and digital voice signals from the asynchronous transfer mode cells;
- a plurality of video processors, associated with a plurality of televisions, for processing the MPEG video packets and creating analog video signals for the associated televisions;
- an MPEG bus for transporting the MPEG packets from said network interface module to said plurality of video processors;
- a telephony module for converting the digital voice signals to analog voice signals;
- a time division multiplex bus for transmitting the digital voice signals from said network interface module to said telephony module;
- an Ethernet module for transmitting the digital data signals to equipment associated with the residential gateway;
- a receiver for receiving channel change commands from remote controls associated with the plurality of televisions, wherein the channel change commands trigger a change in the contents of the asynchronous transfer mode cells received via the twisted wire pair cable;
- and
- a control bus, connected to said microprocessor, said plurality of video processors, said Ethernet module and said telephony module.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.