Patent ID: 6041056
Filing Date: 2000-03-21
Classification: H04H,H04J,H04L,H04N,H04Q

Abstract:
A communication system for transporting compressed digital video data between a plurality of video information providers VIPs and video information users VIUs comprising:a first hub receiving a first ATM cell stream carrying compressed broadcast digital video from the video information providers, the first hub comprising:(1) a first transport multiplexer that receives the first ATM cell stream, and repackets selected ATM cells from said received first ATM cell stream into MPEG format data units assigned PID values based on the VPI/VCI value of the selected ATM cells, the first transport multiplexer outputting a first broadband data stream of the MPEG format data units carrying the compressed broadcast digital video and a first narrowband data stream,(2) a quadrature amplitude modulation QAM modulator for modulating the first broadband data stream into at least one Intermediate Frequency analog IF channel having a prescribed bandwidth,(3) an RF upconverter upconverting the IF analog channel and outputting the upconverted IF analog channel as an RF channel,(4) a QPSK modulator configured for modulating the first narrowband data stream into first modulated narrowband data signals, and(5) an RF combiner combining the RF channel carrying the first broadband data stream and the first modulated narrowband data signals into a first combined RF signal, the RF combiner outputting the first combined RF signal onto an optical fiber;an ATM backbone carrying a second ATM cell stream carrying compressed interactive digital video from the video information providers;a second hub receiving the second ATM cell stream from the ATM backbone and the first combined RF signal, the second hub comprising:(1) a second transport multiplexer that receives the second ATM cell stream, and repackets selected ATM cells from said received second ATM cell stream into MPEG format data units having assigned PID values based on the VPI/VCI value of the selected ATM cells, the second transport multiplexer outputting a second broadband data stream of the MPEG format data units carrying the compressed interactive digital video and a second narrowband data stream,(2) a second quadrature amplitude modulation QAM modulator for modulating the second broadband data stream into at least one secondary Intermediate Frequency IF analog channel having a second prescribed bandwidth,(3) a second RF upconverter upconverting the secondary IF analog channel and outputting the upconverted secondary IF analog channel as a second RF channel, and(4) a second QPSK modulator configured for modulating the second narrowband data stream into second modulated narrowband data signals; anda hybrid fiber coaxial transmission network coupled to the second hub and supplying the first combined RF signal, the second RF channel, and second modulated narrowband data signals to the VIUs.