Patent ID: 8387090
Filing Date: 2013-02-26
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method of broadcasting a regional television channel to a user over an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) service from a regional location, said method comprising: a digital subscriber line access multiplex (DSLAM) receiving, from headend equipment at a headend via a network disposed between the headend equipment and the DSLAM, a broadcast of multicast channels intended for delivery to a user, said multicast channels including a plurality of national channels and a first regional channel, said multicast channels having been broadcast simultaneously from the headend being received simultaneously by the DSLAM; said DSLAM broadcasting the multicast channels to the user; said DSLAM receiving, from a Switch Regional Channel Server (SRC Server), a regional channel control signal specifying a broadcast during a specified first period of time of the first regional channel instead of a first national channel previously scheduled to be broadcast to the user during the specified first period of time; and in response to the regional channel control signal, said DSLAM switching the multicast channels broadcasted to the user during the specified first period of time from the first national channel to the first regional channel such that the first regional channel is in a specific channel slot of the first national channel during the specified first period of time during said broadcasting the multicast channels to the user, wherein broadcasting any channel means broadcasting television content on said any channel, wherein receiving a broadcast of said any channel means receiving a broadcast of said television content on said any channel, and wherein the SRC server is located at middleware equipment at an internet service provider, wherein the regional channel control signal is received by the DSLAM from the SRC server via the network, wherein the SRC server is located external to the headend equipment, and wherein the network is disposed between the SRC server and the DSLAM.