Paul A Brooks

US Patent:

7231655, Jun 12, 2007

Filed:

Aug 6, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/923038

Inventors:

Paul D. Brooks - Highlands Ranch CO, US

Assignee:

Time Warner Cable - Stamford CT

International Classification:

H04N 7/173
H04N 7/16
H04J 14/00

US Classification:

725114, 725129, 725144, 398 72

Abstract:

In a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) cable system, data is communicated upstream from user terminals to a headend of the system to realize various interactive services. The user terminals generate analog modulated signals representing the user data, which populate different channels in a reverse passband of the system. In accordance with the invention, the analog modulated signals are transformed to the corresponding digital baseband signals containing the data. The resulting digital baseband signals are optically transmitted to the headend, thereby efficiently utilizing the limited capacity of the fiber optical portion of the HFC cable system.

US Patent:

7602820, Oct 13, 2009

Filed:

Feb 1, 2005

Appl. No.:

11/048334

Inventors:

William L. Helms - Longmont CO, US
Paul D. Brooks - Weddington NC, US

Assignee:

Time Warner Cable Inc. - New York NY

International Classification:

H04J 3/04
H04J 3/16
H04J 3/22
H04J 3/18
H04J 3/02

US Classification:

370535, 370465, 370477, 370539

Abstract:

Methods and apparatus for performing multiplexing of video or other content (e. g. , programs) within a network using feed-back from a subsequent digital program insertion stage, and/or feed-forward information from a prior multiplexing stage. In one embodiment, the network comprises a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) cable network having headend and hub-based statistical multiplexing stages, and communication between the two stages is used to improve the visual quality performance and bandwidth utilization of the output multi-program stream during conditions where downstream content is inserted into the transport stream. Business methods associated with the various multiplexing features described above are also disclosed.

US Patent:

7774818, Aug 10, 2010

Filed:

Nov 8, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/983378

Inventors:

William Helms - Longmont CO, US
Michael T. Hayashi - Evergreen CO, US
Paul D. Brooks - Weddington NC, US
Douglas Semon - Denver CO, US

Assignee:

Time Warner Cable, Inc. - Stamford CT

International Classification:

H04N 7/173

US Classification:

725 95, 725 86, 725 87, 725 91, 725 96, 725 98, 725126

Abstract:

To effectively utilize the bandwidth of a cable TV network, which is limited, analog TV program material is digitized and compressed before its transmission over the network. The resulting signals consume only part of the analog TV band traditionally needed for transmission of the analog TV program material. The newly available bandwidth in the analog TV band may be utilized for other cable TV services, e. g. , video-on-demand (VOD) services. A reception gateway is employed at a user location to frequency-translate any VOD signals, transmitted through the analog TV band, to another frequency band, thereby avoiding disturbing the normal operation of a set-top terminal in receiving the analog TV program material through the analog TV band at the user location.

US Patent:

8265104, Sep 11, 2012

Filed:

Oct 12, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/577598

Inventors:

William L. Helms - Longmont CO, US
Paul D. Brooks - Weddington NC, US

Assignee:

Time Warner Cable Inc. - New York NY

International Classification:

H04J 3/04
H04J 3/16
H04J 3/22
H04J 3/18
H04J 3/02

US Classification:

370535, 370465, 370477, 370539

Abstract:

Methods and apparatus for performing multiplexing of video or other content (e. g. , programs) within a network using feed-back from a subsequent digital program insertion stage, and/or feed-forward information from a prior multiplexing stage. In one embodiment, the network comprises a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) cable network having headend and hub-based statistical multiplexing stages, and communication between the two stages is used to improve the visual quality performance and bandwidth utilization of the output multi-program stream during conditions where downstream content is inserted into the transport stream. Business methods associated with the various multiplexing features described above are also disclosed.

US Patent:

20030056217, Mar 20, 2003

Filed:

Sep 20, 2001

Appl. No.:

09/956688

Inventors:

Paul Brooks - Highlands Ranch CO, US

International Classification:

H04N007/10
G06F013/00
H04N005/445
G06F003/00
H04N007/025

US Classification:

725/046000, 725/032000, 725/034000, 725/035000, 725/045000, 725/060000, 725/061000, 725/037000

Abstract:

In a cable television system in accordance with the invention, program materials are made available to subscribers in a neighborhood on an as needed basis. Specifically, when a subscriber at a set-top terminal selects a program channel to watch, the selection request is transmitted to a headend of the system. In response to such a request, a controller in the headend determines whether the material of the selected program channel has been made available to the neighborhood. If it has been made available, the controller identifies to the set-top terminal the carrier which is carrying the requested program material, and to which the set-top terminal tunes to obtain the requested program material. Otherwise, the controller assigns an unused carrier to carry the requested program material, and informs the set-top terminal of the identity of the newly assigned carrier. The controller also retires those carriers assigned for the program channels which are no longer watched by the subscribers in the neighborhood.

US Patent:

20100245669, Sep 30, 2010

Filed:

Jun 14, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/815105

Inventors:

William Helms - Longmont CO, US
Michael T. Hayashi - Aurora CO, US
Paul D. Brooks - Weddington NC, US
Douglas Semon - Denver CO, US

International Classification:

H03M 1/12

US Classification:

348572

Abstract:

To effectively utilize the bandwidth of a cable TV network, which is limited, analog TV program material is digitized and compressed before its transmission over the network. The resulting signals consume only part of the analog TV band traditionally needed for transmission of the analog TV program material. The newly available bandwidth in the analog TV band may be utilized for other cable TV services, e.g., video-on-demand (VOD) services. A reception gateway is employed at a user location to frequency-translate any VOD signals, transmitted through the analog TV band, to another frequency band, thereby avoiding disturbing the normal operation of a set-top terminal in receiving the analog TV program material through the analog TV band at the user location.

US Patent:

20130064253, Mar 14, 2013

Filed:

Sep 10, 2012

Appl. No.:

13/608800

Inventors:

William L. Helms - Longmont CO, US
Paul D. Brooks - Weddington NC, US

International Classification:

H04J 3/06

US Classification:

370503

Abstract:

Methods and apparatus for performing multiplexing of video or other content (e.g., programs) within a network using feed-back from a subsequent digital program insertion stage, and/or feed-forward information from a prior multiplexing stage. In one embodiment, the network comprises a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) cable network having headend and hub-based statistical multiplexing stages, and communication between the two stages is used to improve the visual quality performance and bandwidth utilization of the output multi-program stream during conditions where downstream content is inserted into the transport stream. Business methods associated with the various multiplexing features described above are also disclosed.