Patent ID: 6219355
Filing Date: 2001-04-17
Classification: H04L,H04M

Abstract:
A method of providing video and data services to a user for use in a broadband video and data communication system including a headend having a video channel provider and a data service provider, the headend being connected to an asynchronous transfer mode network, the system including a host digital terminal connected to the asynchronous transfer mode network and communicating with the headend, the system including a network interface operative to communicate through the host digital terminal, the method comprising:connecting a video server including a video source to the headend, the video server being connected to the video channel provider by an asynchronous transfer mode network, the video server being connected to the data service provider by a packet network, the video server having a video server address to receive communications from the data service provider;connecting a selection device to the network interface to establish communication with the video channel provider and bidirectional communication with the data service provider;sending a selection device address from the data service provider to the selection device;sending the video server address to the selection device to allow the selection device to communicate with the video server through the data service provider;upon selection of the video server video source with the selection device by the user, sending the video source from the video server, through the video channel provider, to the selection device;sending an identification tag from the host digital terminal to the selection device;sending, from the selection device to the video server at the video server address, the selection device address and the identification tag;at the video server, identifying the selection device based on the identification tag;at the video server, determining programming based on the identification tag; andsending the programming to the selection device, through the data service provider, by utilizing the selection device address.