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United States Patent
5650994
Daley
July 22, 1997
Title
Operation support system for service creation and network provisioning for video dial tone networks
Abstract
An operational support system includes service creation, service activation and service control functions to provide on-line service activation for video information providers (VIPs) and video information users (VIUs) on a video dial tone network. The operational support system provides an open interface for VIPs to remotely provision network resources by remotely accessing and requesting changes in corresponding VIP profiles, stored in the operational support system, in order to add/delete VIP subscribers, update event schedules, and/or to download billing and usage statistics. The operational support system processes the remote request by verifying the request data with internal subscriber databases, comparing the request with available network inventory, and provisioning network resources by generating requests to network elements to establish the new service. The operational support system also is adapted to perform network creation functions including initial network configuration, logical assignment of network elements, initializing network element systems, assignment of work orders for physical interconnections, and performance verification of installed systems.
Inventors:
Daley; Kathleen
(Manassass,
VA
)
Assignee:
Bell Atlantic Network Services, Inc.
(Arlington,
VA
)
Appl. No.:
441590
Filed:
May 16, 1995
Current U.S. Class:
370/259
370/401
709/220
Field of Search:
370/259,271,395,401 348/6,7,9,10,12,13,434,435,465,467,468 364/514A 395/200.1 455/3.1,4.1,4.2,5.1,6.3,15
U.S. Patent Documents
4965825
October 1990
Harvey et al.
5231494
July 1993
Wachob
5247347
September 1993
Litteral et al.
5568489
October 1996
Yien et al.
5581552
December 1996
Civanlar et al.
Primary Examiner:
Marcelo; Melvin
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
Lowe, Price, LeBlanc & Becker
Claims
I claim:
1. A communication network for transporting information for subscribers including a plurality of information providers and a plurality of information users, the communication network comprising:
a backbone subnetwork capable of providing point-to-point two-way communication for interactive data along assigned virtual paths;
an access subnetwork for distributing interactive and broadcast information to said information users, comprising:
(a) a plurality of node hubs, each receiving a consolidated broadcast signal and comprising first means for integrating said received broadcast signal with a corresponding local-source broadcast signal in accordance with first provisioning data and outputting a localized broadcast signal,
(b) a plurality of end offices arranged in groups, each of said groups receiving said localized broadcast signal from a corresponding one of said node hubs, each one of said end offices comprising second means for integrating said received localized broadcast signal with interactive data designated for a specified subscriber served by said corresponding end office and being supplied to said one end office by said backbone subnetwork, said second means outputting said designated interactive data on an assigned local transmission path corresponding to said specified subscriber, said integrated localized broadcast signal and said designated interactive data on said assigned local transmission path being output as a local distribution signal generated in accordance with end office provisioning data,
(c) means for distributing said local distribution signal including said designated interactive data to terminal devices of said information users served by said one end office, and
(d) an access subnetwork controller controlling routing of said integrated localized broadcast signal and said designated interactive data throughout said access subnetwork, said access subnetwork controller assigning said assigned local transmission path in response to a session request and in accordance with access subnetwork provisioning data including said first provisioning data and said end office provisioning data;
a broadcast subnetwork comprising:
(1) a broadcast consolidation section for consolidating incoming data streams from respective information providers, in accordance with a translation table, into the consolidated broadcast signal, and
(2) fiber optic means for transporting said consolidated broadcast signal to said node hubs;
a control subnetwork for controlling said transport of said information for said subscribers in accordance with said provisioning of network resources, said control subnetwork outputting control signals to said access subnetwork controller and said backbone subnetwork in response to subscriber service requests; and
an operational support system, interfaced at least to the control subnetwork, for provisioning network resources in accordance with activation requests from said subscribers to obtain said assigned virtual paths, said first provisioning data, said subnetwork provisioning data, and said translation table.
2. A network as recited in claim 1, wherein said backbone subnetwork comprises a PVC controller storing data defining said assigned virtual paths, said assigned virtual paths comprising dedicated virtual paths to each of said node hubs, each of said end offices, said access subnetwork controller, said broadcast consolidation section and said control subnetwork, said dedicated virtual paths being provisioned by said operational support system.
3. A network as recited in claim 1, wherein said operational support system generates a profile of each of said subscribers in response to corresponding service requests.
4. A network as recited in claim 3, wherein said operational support system comprises a subscriber interface adapted to receive remote provisioning information from said subscribers, said operational support system updating said corresponding subscriber profile in response to said remote provisioning information.
5. A network as recited in claim 4, wherein said operational support system downloads at least a portion of said subscriber profile to said control subnetwork.
6. A network as recited in claim 5, wherein said control subnetwork generates an information provider selection menu in accordance with said downloaded portion of said subscriber profile.
7. A network as recited in claim 6, wherein said downloaded portion of said subscriber profile comprises an events schedule listing future events broadcast by said information providers.
8. A network as recited in claim 7, wherein said control subnetwork outputs an access control setup message to said access subnetwork controller in accordance with said events schedule, said access subnetwork controller in response thereto supplying to said control subnetwork an access acknowledgement signal including connection block descriptors.
9. A network as recited in claim 8, wherein said control subnetwork updates said events schedule with said connection block descriptors and outputs to said operational support system an event setup acknowledgement signal including said connection block descriptors, said operational support system updating said subscriber profile for said information provider with said events schedule including said connection block descriptors.
10. A network as recited in claim 9, wherein said subscriber interface enables access to said profile of said information provider by said information provider to retrieve said connection block descriptors.
11. A network as recited in claim 5, wherein said downloaded portion of said subscriber profile comprises an events schedule listing future events broadcast by said information providers.
12. A network as recited in claim 11, wherein said control subnetwork outputs an access control setup message to said access subnetwork controller in accordance with said events schedule, said access subnetwork controller in response thereto supplying to said control subnetwork an access acknowledgement signal including connection block descriptors.
13. A network as recited in claim 12, wherein said control subnetwork updates said events schedule with said connection block descriptors and outputs to said operational support system an event setup acknowledgement signal including said connection block descriptors, said operational support system updating said subscriber profile for said information provider with said events schedule including said connection block descriptors.
14. A network as recited in claim 13, wherein said subscriber interface enables access to said profile of said information provider by said information provider to retrieve said connection block descriptors.
15. A network as recited in claim 12, wherein said access subnetwork further comprises encryption means, said access subnetwork controller outputting a user decryption signal in response to said access control setup message, said encryption means in response thereto downloading decryption keys to a group of said information users authorized to receive said future events, respectively.
16. A network as recited in claim 11, wherein said downloaded portion of said subscriber profile further comprises an information user profile.
17. A network as recited in claim 16, wherein said information user profile comprises a network address, a digital entertainment terminal address, and subscription information identifying at least one of the information providers.
18. A network as recited in claim 16, wherein said information user profile is updated in response to an on-line service request by said corresponding information user to subscribe to a new information provider, said control subnetwork in response thereto uploading said updated user profile to said operational support system.
19. A network as recited in claim 18, wherein said operational support system supplies said updated user profile to said new information provider via said subscriber interface.
20. A network as recited in claim 4, wherein said control subnetwork uploads billing and usage statistics to said operational support system, said operational support system supplying said billing and usage statistics to said corresponding information providers via said subscriber interface.
21. A network for transporting broadband data for subscribers including a plurality of information providers and plurality of information users each having digital entertainment terminals, comprising:
a control subnetwork for controlling setup and tear-down of broadband communication paths, said control subnetwork adapted to access a level 2 gateway to provide connection requests to said information providers;
a backbone subnetwork for providing point-to-point, two-way communication sessions for broadband interactive multimedia communications signals throughout said network, said backbone subnetwork adapted to provide said broadband communication sessions between at least one of said information users and said level 2 gateway, said backbone subnetwork comprising a virtual circuit controller for maintaining communication paths during said communication sessions;
a broadcast subnetwork for consolidating a plurality of broadcast information signals from information providers and distributing said consolidated broadcast information signals throughout a serving area of said network;
an access subnetwork receiving said consolidated broadcast information signals from said broadcast subnetwork and said broadband interactive multimedia communications signals from said backbone subnetwork for transmission to said digital entertainment terminals, and transmitting signals from said digital entertainment terminals to said backbone subnetwork, said access subnetwork comprising an access subnetwork controller controlling the access subnetwork in response to an access control message from said control subnetwork, to provide two-way communications between said at least one information user and said level 2 gateway and to control access by the digital entertainment terminals to the consolidated broadcast information signals; and
a service creation and activation system outputting network creation messages for said control subnetwork, said backbone subnetwork, said broadcast subnetwork, and said access subnetwork, said service creation and activation system generating an assignable inventory database in accordance with acknowledgements of said network creation messages, said service creation and activation system provisioning network resources from said inventory database in response to a service activation request for a subscriber.
22. A network as recited in claim 21, wherein said virtual circuit controller stores data defining said assigned virtual paths, said assigned virtual paths comprising dedicated virtual paths to said access subnetwork controller, said broadcast subnetwork and said control subnetwork, said dedicated virtual paths being provisioned by said service creation and activation system.
23. A network as recited in claim 21, wherein said service creation and activation system comprises a subscriber database storing a profile of each of said subscribers in generated by provisioning of said network resources from said inventory database in response to corresponding service requests.
24. A network as recited in claim 23, wherein said service creation and activation system comprises a subscriber interface adapted to receive remote provisioning information from said subscribers, said operational support system comprising means for updating said corresponding subscriber profile in response to said remote provisioning information.
25. A network as recited in claim 24, wherein said service creation and activation system downloads at least a portion of said subscriber profile to said control subnetwork via said backbone subnetwork.
26. A network as recited in claim 25, wherein said downloaded portion of said subscriber profile comprises an events schedule listing future events broadcast by said information providers.
27. A network as recited in claim 26, wherein said control subnetwork outputs an access control setup message to said access subnetwork controller in accordance with said events schedule, said access subnetwork controller in response thereto supplying to said control subnetwork an access acknowledgement signal including connection block descriptors.
28. A network as recited in claim 27, wherein said control subnetwork updates said events schedule with said connection block descriptors and outputs to said service creation and activation system an event setup acknowledgement signal including said connection block descriptors, said service creation and activation system updating said subscriber profile for said information provider with said events schedule including said connection block descriptors.
29. A network as recited in claim 28, wherein said subscriber interface enables access to said profile of said information provider by said information provider to retrieve said connection block descriptors.
30. A network as recited in claim 26, wherein said downloaded portion of said subscriber profile further comprises an information user profile.
31. A network as recited in claim 30, wherein said information user profile comprises a network address, a digital entertainment terminal address, and subscription information identifying at least one of the information providers.
32. A network as recited in claim 30, wherein said information user profile is updated in response to an on-line service request by said corresponding information user to subscribe to a new information provider, said control subnetwork in response thereto uploading said updated user profile to said subscriber database stored in said service creation and activation system.
33. A network as recited in claim 32, wherein said service creation and activation system supplies said updated user profile to said new information provider via said subscriber interface.
34. In a network serving a plurality of subscribers including information providers and information users having digital entertainment terminals, wherein the network comprises:
a backbone subnetwork providing point-to-point communication sessions and having a virtual circuit controller controlling establishment of said sessions throughout the backbone subnetwork,
a broadcast subnetwork distributing broadband data from information providers throughout a serving area of said network,
an access subnetwork receiving said broadband data from said broadcast subnetwork and downstream signals of said sessions and distributing said received broadband data and downstream signals to said digital entertainment terminals of said information users, and receiving upstream signals from said digital entertainment terminals and supplying to said backbone subnetwork, said access subnetwork comprising an access subnetwork controller controlling said access subnetwork,
a control subnetwork controlling data transport throughout said network, and
an operational support system comprising an assignable inventory database;
a method comprising the steps of:
(1) receiving at said operational support system a subscriber activation request;
(2) establishing a connection between the network and a subscriber at a network interface;
(3) assigning a logical address to said connection;
(4) provisioning bandwidth on at least one digital channel from said assignable inventory database in accordance with said subscriber activation request and generating corresponding bandwidth assignment information;
(5) outputting from said operational support system an activation request, comprising said logical address and said bandwidth assignment information, to said control subnetwork;
(6) outputting from said control subnetwork connection said bandwidth assignment information to said access subnetwork controller;
(7) defining within said access subnetwork controller connection paths throughout said access subnetwork in accordance with said bandwidth assignment information and outputting connection block descriptors from said access subnetwork controller to said control subnetwork, said connection block descriptors identifying said connection paths;
(8) outputting from said operational support system broadcast provisioning data to said broadcast subnetwork controller in accordance with said subscriber activation request;
(9) returning acknowledgement messages to said operational support system;
(10) creating a subscriber profile in said operational support system in response to said acknowledgement messages; and
(11) outputting from said operational support system a subscription acknowledgement to said subscriber.
35. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein said step (5) comprises the steps of:
receiving transport information from said subscriber identifying a new video information user subscribing to said subscriber;
establishing a video information user profile comprising a video information user address; and
outputting at least a part of said video information user profile to said control subnetwork including said video information user address, wherein said bandwidth assignment information includes user-assigned bandwidth.
36. A method as recited in claim 35, wherein said user-assigned bandwidth comprises upstream signaling channel bandwidth, downstream signaling channel bandwidth, and broadcast channel bandwidth, said step (7) comprising the steps of:
assigning default signaling channels for said upstream and downstream channel bandwidth; and
outputting said assigned default signaling channels to said control subnetwork as at least a part of said connection block descriptors.
37. A method as recited in claim 36, wherein said step (7) further comprises the steps of:
supplying said video information user address to the digital entertainment terminal corresponding to said new video information user;
connecting said digital entertainment terminal corresponding to said new video information user to said access subnetwork;
receiving from said digital entertainment terminal corresponding to said new video information user said video information user address via a network default signaling channel, said connection block descriptors being output to said control subnetwork in response to the reception of said video information user address via said network default signaling channel.
38. A method as recited in claim 37, further comprising the step of downloading from said control subnetwork to said digital entertainment terminal corresponding to said new video information user said assigned default signaling channels for said upstream and downstream channel bandwidth.
39. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein said subscriber activation request comprises an event request, said step (4) comprising the step of updating said subscriber profile with said event request, said step (5) comprising the steps of:
receiving said event request at said control subnetwork;
updating event schedule databases in said control subnetwork with said event request;
wherein said step (7) comprises the step of:
receiving an event access request from said control subnetwork;
establishing authorization tiers for portions of the event corresponding to said event request; and
providing decryption keys to network interface modules corresponding to authorized subscribers.
40. A method as recited in claim 39, further comprising the steps of:
supplying billing information corresponding to said event from said control subnetwork to said operational support system; and
updating said subscriber profile with said billing information.
41. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein said step (2) comprises the step of receiving transport information identifying a transport termination location at said network interface located at said broadcast subnetwork.
42. A method as recited in claim 34, wherein said step (8) comprises the steps of:
supplying to said broadcast subnetwork point of interconnect information identifying said connection at said network interface; and
supplying a data stream translation table to said broadcast subnetwork from said operational support system identifying data stream identifiers assigned to said subscriber.
43. In a network serving a plurality of subscribers including information providers and information users having digital entertainment terminals, wherein the network comprises:
a backbone subnetwork providing point-to-point communication sessions,
a broadcast subnetwork distributing broadband data from information providers throughout a serving area of said network,
an access subnetwork receiving said broadband data from said broadcast subnetwork and downstream signals of said sessions and distributing said received broadband data and downstream signals to said digital entertainment terminals of said information users, and receiving upstream signals from said digital entertainment terminals and supplying to said backbone subnetwork, said access subnetwork comprising an access subnetwork controller controlling said access subnetwork,
a control subnetwork controlling data transport throughout said network, and
an operational support system comprising an assignable inventory database and a living unit database;
a method for activating an information user comprising the steps of:
(1) receiving at said operational support system a user activation request via a service provider interface, said user activation request comprising a user identifier;
(2) accessing the living unit database to obtain a user connection status corresponding to said user identifier;
(3) establishing a user profile including an assigned user network address, and information from said user activation request and said user connection status;
(4) assigning user premises installation in accordance with said user connection status;
(5) provisioning bandwidth on at least one digital channel from said assignable inventory database in accordance with said user activation request and generating corresponding bandwidth assignment information;
(6) outputting from said operational support system a user connection request, comprising said assigned user network address and said bandwidth assignment information, to said control subnetwork;
(7) outputting from said control subnetwork connection said bandwidth assignment information to said access subnetwork controller;
(8) defining within said access subnetwork controller broadcast and signaling paths throughout said access subnetwork in accordance with said bandwidth assignment information and outputting connection block descriptors from said access subnetwork controller to said control subnetwork, said connection block descriptors identifying said broadcast and signaling paths;
(9) returning acknowledgement messages to said operational support system;
(10) generating in said operational support system an acknowledgement to said user activation request.
44. A method as recited in claim 43, wherein said step (8) comprises the steps of:
supplying said assigned user network address to the digital entertainment terminal corresponding to said information user;
connecting said digital entertainment terminal corresponding to said information user to said access subnetwork;
receiving from said digital entertainment terminal corresponding to said information user said user network address via a network default signaling channel, said connection block descriptors being output to said control subnetwork in response to the reception of said user network address via said network default signaling channel.
45. A method as recited in claim 44, further comprising the step of downloading from said control subnetwork to said digital entertainment terminal corresponding to said new video information user said assigned default signaling channels for said upstream and downstream channel bandwidth.
46. A communication network comprising:
a plurality of user terminals receiving and processing broadband information;
a plurality of broadband information sources;
a backbone subnetwork providing point-to-point communication sessions for interactive multimedia communications;
a backbone subnetwork controller controlling establishment of point-to-point communication sessions through the backbone subnetwork;
a broadcast subnetwork distributing broadband information signals from at least one of the broadband information sources;
an access subnetwork providing dynamically allocated communications between one of the user terminals and the backbone subnetwork, and receiving broadcast information signals from the broadcast subnetwork and distributing the broadcast information signals to authorized ones of the user terminals;
an access subnetwork controller controlling the access subnetwork to provide the communications between the one user terminal and the backbone subnetwork and to control terminal authorizations for reception of the broadcast information signals;
a gateway interacting with the backbone subnetwork controller, the access subnetwork controller and the user terminals to control set-up of at least some of the communications through the communication network; and
an operational support system coupled to communicate with and supply provisioning data to the backbone subnetwork controller, the broadcast subnetwork, the access subnetwork controller and the gateway for provisioning services through the network and activating receipt of selected services through identified ones of the user terminals.
47. A communication network as in claim 46, wherein the operational support system includes means for providing an interface to a control system of a service provider operating at least one of the broadband information sources.
48. A communication network as in claim 46, wherein the operational support system comprises:
a service provider database containing data relating to information services provided by the broadband information sources;
a user database data relating to the users and specific information services subscribed to be individual users.
49. A communication network as in claim 48, wherein the operational support system further comprises an assignable inventory database identifying available resources in the backbone subnetwork, the broadcast subnetwork and access subnetwork.
50. A communication network as in claim 49, wherein the operational support system further comprises a provisioning system for processing data from the databases and in response thereto supplying the provisioning data to the backbone subnetwork controller, the broadcast subnetwork, the access subnetwork controller and the gateway.
51. A communication network as in claim 46, wherein the operational support system includes a backbone subnetwork interface for providing communications links between the operational support system and at least the access subnetwork controller and the gateway.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to operational support systems for use in switched information networks, such as video distribution networks, for performing service creation and provisioning of video dial tone services in order to provide subscribers with access to multiple information service providers.
ACRONYMS
The written description and drawings use a large number of acronyms to refer to various services and system components. Although generally known, use of several of these acronyms is not strictly standardized in the art. For purposes of this discussion, acronyms therefore will be defined as follows:
Access Subnetwork (ASN)
Access Subnetwork Controller (ASNC)
Asymmetrical Digital Subscriber Line (ADSL)
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM)
ATM Adaptation Layer (AAL)
ATM cell Adaptation Unit (AAU)
ATM Packet Demultiplexer (APD)
Broadcast (BC)
Broadcast Consolidation Section (BCS)
Broadcast Service Area (BSA)
Carrier Access Billing System (CABS)
Cell Loss Priority (CLP) bit
Central Office (CO)
Customer Record Information System (CRIS)
Customer Premises Equipment (CPE)
Digital Cross-connect Switch (DCS)
Digital Entertainment Terminal (DET)
Drop and Continue (D/C)
Electrical to Optical (E/O)
Ethernet (ENET)
First-In-First-Out (FIFO) buffers
Header Error Check (HEC) word
Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN)
Interactive Multimedia Television (IMTV)
Level 1 (L1)
Level 1 Gateway (L1GW)
Level 2 (L2)
Level 2 Gateway (L2GW)
Local Loop Distribution (LLD) network
Local Video Access Node (LVAN)
Media Access Control (MAC)
Moving Pictures Experts Group (MPEG)
Network Interface Controller (NIM)
Network Interface Device (NID)
Operations and Support System (OSS)
Optical to Electrical (O/E)
Over-the-Air (OTA)
Packetized Elementary Streams (PES)
Payload Type (PT)
Pay-Per-View (PPV)
Permanent Virtual Circuit (PVC)
Permanent Virtual Circuit Controller (PVCC)
Personal Identification Number (PIN)
Physical Layer Convergence Protocol (PLCP)
Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS)
Point of Interconnect (POI)
Program Clock Reference (PCR)
Program Identification (PID) number
Public Access Channel (PAC)
Public Switched Network (PSN)
Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM)
Quadrature Phase-Shift Keyed (QPSK) modulation
Time-Division Multiple Access (TDMA)
Vestigial Sideband (VSB) modulation
Video Dial Tone (VDT)
Video Information Provider (VIP)
Video Information User (VIU)
Video Network Hub (VNH)
Video Provider Service Center (VPSC)
BACKGROUND ART
Distribution of full motion video data has evolved from early television broadcasting to meet viewer demand. Earliest video distribution was by point-to-point wiring between a camera and a video monitor. This was followed by scheduled television broadcasting of programming over the public air waves. In the 1960s, Community Antenna Television (CATV) was chartered to provide off-air television signals to viewers in broadcast reception fringe areas. Later, under FCC regulation, the CATV industry was required to provide local access and original programming in addition to off-air broadcast signal distribution.
In response, several sources of cable network programming were established. Because of the wide bandwidth available on cable television systems, additional channels were available for the new programming. However, programming was generally prescheduled, with the viewer left to tune to the designated channel at the appointed time to view a particular program.
To increase revenues, cable television (CATV) systems have initiated distribution of premium channels viewable only by subscribers having appropriate descramblers. Typically, a subscriber would telephone the CATV company and speak with a customer service representative to order the service; a CATV service technician would visit the subscriber's premises at an appointed time to manually install a descrambler, after which time the descrambler would be registered with the CATV company. Upon activation of the descrambler, the subscriber would tune the descrambler to receive a premium channel, descramble the video and audio information and supply a signal capable of reception on a standard television set. Pay-per-view programs, which evolved later, include recently released movies, live concerts and popular sporting events. Subscribers wishing to view a pay-per-view program place an order with the cable operator. At the designated time, the subscriber's descrambler is activated by some control from the cable operator to permit viewing of the pay-per-view programming. However, the subscriber is still restricted to viewing the programming at the scheduled time. There is no capability of delivering programming to a subscriber on demand, that is, immediately or at a subscriber-specified time and date.
More recently, several different wideband digital distribution networks have been proposed for offering subscribers an array of video services, including true Video On Demand service. The following U.S. Patents disclose representative examples of such digital video distributions networks: U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,253,275 to Yurt et al., 5,132,992 to Yurt et al., 5,133,079 to Ballantyne et al., 5,130,792 to Tindell et al., 5,057,932 to Lang, 4,963,995 to Lang, 4,949,187 to Cohen, 5,027,400 to Baji et al., and 4,506,387 to Walter. In particular, Litteral et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,347 discloses a digital video distribution network providing subscribers with access to multiple Video On Demand service providers through the public switched telephone network, as described in more detail below.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,347 to Litteral et al., the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated in its entirety into this disclosure by reference, discloses an enhanced public switched telephone network which also provides a video on demand service to subscribers over the public switched telephone network. A menu of video programming information is displayed at the subscriber's premises by a set-top terminal and a TV set. The subscriber may transmit ordering information via the public switched telephone network to the independent video information providers. Video programming may be accessed and transmitted to the subscriber directly from a video information provider (VIP) or through a video buffer located at a central office (CO) serving the subscriber.
Connectivity between the central office and the subscriber for transmission of video data is provided by an asymmetrical digital subscriber line (ADSL) system. ADSL interface units at the central office multiplex digital video information with voice information to be transmitted to the subscriber and support two-way transmission between the subscriber's line and the X.25 packet data network of one or more control channels. A complimentary ADSL interface unit at the subscriber's premises separates downstream video control signals and voice telephone signals from the line and multiplexes upstream control signals and voice telephone signals onto the line.
A subscriber can request transmission of video data using a telephone instrument by dialing a Voice Response Unit (VRU) of a video gateway device, through the voice telephone switch and dialing in selection information. Alternatively, the user can access the video gateway device and select a video using a remote control device, the set-top terminal and the control signaling channel through the network. The VIP's equipment identifies the requested title and determines if the title is available.
If the title is found, the corresponding data file is opened and a reserve idle communications port is identified for transmission of the video data to an input node of a digital cross-connect switch (DCS). The video data file is transmitted from the VIP's video storage device, through the DCS, to the designated ADSL interfaces for transmission to the requesting subscriber's premises. The ADSL interface on the subscriber premises demultiplexes the broadband program transmission off of the subscriber loop and applies the digital data stream to a decoder unit in the set-top terminal. The decoder unit decompresses the audio and video data, and converts the digital audio and video to corresponding analog signals. The decoder can supply baseband analog audio and video signals to a television receiver, or these analog signals can be modulated to a standard television channel frequency for use by the television receiver.
Several recent proposals for video networks have relied on the assumption that multiple video information providers and/or video subscribers are already on-line as having access on the video network. Such prior art video networks have not addressed the manner in which the video information providers or video subscribers are established as users of the video network. Further, such prior art video network disclosures do not address the procedure by which video information providers or video users are provisioned on the network based upon existing capacity and inventory. It would be desirable to provide a system which provides efficient activation and provisioning techniques to establish video information providers and video users on a video dial tone network.
In addition, the prior art documents do not suggest an efficient procedure for establishing new services on the network to be supplied by video information providers, let alone accumulating the usage data and billing for the switched network broadband connectivity to multiple providers. Also, the prior art systems have not addressed the need for the interactions of the end users with the video dial tone network to be readily adaptable to end user demands as well as the need to provide equal access to all of the broadcast and interactive service providers available to each end user. Thus a need clearly exists for an enhanced network control and provisioning system, which is both efficient and highly flexible to the needs of both the video information providers and the video information users.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a seamless, smooth approach for connecting video information users (VIUs) and video information providers (VIPs) to a video dial tone network by provisioning network resources and activating network services for use by the VIUs and the VIPs.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for establishing a service profile for a VIP that identifies facilities associated with providing the VIP services to a video information user, including the access link between the VIP head end and the video dial tone network point of interconnect (POI), the digital broadcast channels available to the VIP within a serving area, and the bandwidth reserved to the VIP for user-interactive sessions.
Another object of the present invention is to provide in a video dial tone network an operational support system (OSS) having a common platform interface that enables VIPs to remotely provision changes in the corresponding service profile on an as-needed basis in order to accommodate changes in VIP services and event scheduling. Such remote provisioning may also be used by the VIPs to activate and deactivate video information users on the network as authorized subscribers to the VIP services.
Another object of the present invention is to provide effective techniques for providing billing and usage statistics to the information service providers for the communication connectivity services between the corresponding information service provider and end users through a broadband network.
Another objective of the present invention is to provide efficient techniques for informing subscribers of information service providers available to them through the network, as well as event schedules provided by the information service providers, and responding to subscriber selections to establish communication between subscribers and providers. This objective might include development of enhanced techniques for offering subscriber menus of available VIP's, and/or a VIP's menu of available services. In addition, this objective might include techniques for on-line activation of a video information user to a selected VIP, whereas the video dial tone network includes a system to report to the selected VIP that a video information user has been activated as a subscriber to the VIP's services.
A further objective of the present invention is to develop enhanced mechanisms to allow an end user to interact with a selective connectivity broadband communication network to customize services provided to that subscriber through the network.
Another objective of the invention is to provide enhanced control over establishment of communications between a subscriber and a particular information service provider, e.g. so that only authorized subscribers of that provider can communicate and/or so that subscribers can personally limit who can use their network service to access a particular provider.
Another objective is to develop network provisioning means, providing one or more of the required enhanced functionalities discussed above, which is readily adaptable to use in a variety of different types of video distribution networks.
The present invention provides a number of the detailed network features needed to offer a truly effective video dial tone service. In particular, the present invention provides a number of enhanced network functionalities using an operational support system (OSS), also referred to as a service creation and activation system, to establish hardware and facilities necessary to enable user access to a video dial tone network. Since a "user" of the video dial tone network can be considered as either a video information provider using the video dial tone network to transport information, or a video information user using the video dial tone network to receive selected information, the operational support system includes all the functionality necessary to establish VIPs as service providers and VIUs as information users on the network.
The operational support system is used as a common platform that enables multiple information providers to maintain their respective network profiles with respect to dynamic provisioning of assigned network resources and facilities, updating VIP customer records, establishing and maintaining event schedules for future broadcast or IMTV events, and on-line requests for additional network transport, e.g., purchases of additional channels. Thus, the operational support system enables each VIP to provision changes automatically in order to individually program the necessary channel line-up, bit-rate, and bandwidth allocation.
The operational support system also provides billing and usage statistics for the information providers, as well as information regarding the video information users connected to the video dial tone network. For example, the video dial tone network includes a network control subnetwork comprising a Level 1 Gateway that accumulates usage data for billing purposes. The operational support system includes a billing system that processes the usage data to bill the service provider for connect time for the broadband communication links. The VIP's then bill their individual subscribers. Alternatively, the billing system can process the broadband usage information together with rate information from the service providers to produce combined bills for direct billing to the subscribers.
The operational support system includes a video provisioning system that tracks available inventory as assignable for VIP services. The video provisioning system receives information regarding inventory established by network creation and tags the available inventory as assignable inventory. In response to a service order from a video information provider, for example during service activation, the video provisioning system assigns a part of the assignable inventory as equipment and/or facilities assigned to the requesting VIP. The video provisioning system supplies the assignment information to the Level 1 Gateway, and sends configuration information to an Access Subnetwork Controller (ASNC) in order to establish a communication path through the video dial tone network. In addition, the operational support system includes means for completing connections for requested services, so that any requesting VIP or VIU can be connected for communication on the video dial tone network. Thus, the operational support system automatically activates available equipment after a VIP request in order to automatically provide the requested video dial tone services.
The operational support system provides equipment assignment information to the Level 1 Gateway so that the Level 1 Gateway is able to monitor communication paths throughout the network. The Level 1 Gateway receives notification of the status of broadband communications links as they are being set up and during ongoing communications through those links. As a result, the Level 1 Gateway can inform a subscriber when a requested session can not be set up with a selected service provider, i.e. because the provider's server ports are all busy or because the subscriber is not registered with the particular provider or due to some technical problem. The Level 1 Gateway also recognizes when an established link develops a fault or is interrupted and can stop accumulating usage or billing data regarding that link. The Gateway can also notify the OSS of the failure, so that the OSS may make any reassignment of equipment to compensate for the failure.
The remote provisioning feature of the operational support system enables a VIP to provision assigned network facilities for predetermined broadcast services, also referred to as event loading or event scheduling. For example, a VIP may arrange assigned network facilities in order to accommodate advance order upcoming broadcast pay-per-view events. The operational support system acknowledges the VIP provisioning request and downloads corresponding assignment information to the Level 1 Gateway and the Access Subnetwork Controller that controls the signal paths through the access subnetwork. At the time the event is to begin, the Level 1 Gateway will transmit appropriate notice to the ordering subscriber's terminal. In response, the terminal may display the notice to the subscriber or the terminal may automatically turn on and/or tune to the appropriate communication link through the broadcast network to obtain the ordered event. The interactive features of the Level 1 Gateway also permit subscribers to specify limitations they wish to place on their broadcast services, e.g. total number of hours of usage within some defined interval and/or time of day/week of permitted usage. The Level 1 Gateway will then control the broadcast network and/or download the control information to the subscriber's terminal, in accord with the limits defined by the subscriber, to implement the specified limitations.
The preferred video dial tone network serviced by the operational support system provides an enhanced video dial tone capability, allowing users to select services from an array of broadcast services, as well as for point-to-point interactive services as offered by multiple providers. The preferred network architecture comprises a backbone subnetwork, a network control subnetwork, and an access subnetwork. The backbone subnetwork provides point-to-point two-way communication sessions for broadband interactive multimedia communications signals with a selected one of the information providers. The access subnetwork receives digital broadband information signals from the selected information provider, via the backbone subnetwork, for transmission to one of the digital entertainment terminals. The access subnetwork also supplies control signals from the one digital entertainment terminal to the backbone subnetwork for transmission to the selected information provider. The access subnetwork also provides broadcast transport. Specifically, the access subnetwork receives broadcast digital broadband information signals for selective distribution to the digital entertainment terminals. The network control subnetwork controls service requests for network services. In the preferred network architecture, the network control subnetwork comprises the Level 1 Gateway that interacts with the respective subnetwork controllers to activate various broadcast services through the network and to set-up and tear down two-way communication sessions.
In the preferred implementation of this enhanced video dial tone network, the backbone subnetwork comprises one or more asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) switches. A permanent virtual circuit (PVC) controller serves as the ATM backbone subnetwork controller. The access subnetwork utilizes RF broadcast transport of both digital and analog information signals. The preferred implementation of the access subnetwork comprises hubs which convert ATM streams into digital packet streams for RF broadcast and a number of local video access nodes connected to each hub. The local video access nodes convert ATM streams for interactive services, as received from the ATM switch, into digital packet streams for RF transmission together with the RF broadcast signals from the hub.
Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example of a first Video Dial Tone network utilizing an operational support system of the present invention to control a wide range of broadcast and interactive multi-media services.
FIG. 2 presents a high-level overview of the control functions of a network of the type shown in FIG. 1 and delineates those functions performed by the operational support system from those performed by other network components.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a distributed network architecture for the preferred implementation of the broadband data full service type video dial tone network utilizing the operational support system according to the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of one of the video network hub offices shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 5 is a block diagram of one of the local video access node type end offices shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram of one local loop distribution system portion of the network shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 7 is a block diagram of the ATM backbone network and the control systems for the network shown in FIG. 3.
FIG. 8 illustrates, in simplified form, the flow of messages between various components of the network of FIGS. 3-7 during provisioning of broadcast channels.
FIGS. 9A and 9B illustrate, in simplified form, the flow of messages between various components of the network of FIGS. 3-7 during activation of broadcast services to a new video information provider and a video information user, respectively.
FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate, in simplified form, the flow of messages between various components of the network of FIGS. 3-7 during set-up of an upcoming pay-per-view event.
FIG. 11 illustrates, in simplified form, the flow of messages between various components of the network of FIGS. 3-7 during event loading for a video information provider.
FIG. 12 is a block diagram of an exemplary operational support system according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
The operational support system of the present invention is useable in a variety of different broadband distribution networks which offer subscriber's selective communication with a plurality of broadband or video information service providers. FIG. 1 depicts a simplified block diagram of one such network, referred to as a Video Dial Tone Network, designed to provide broadcast and interactive broadband data to a plurality of subscribers using at least one of a plurality of access technologies. For ease of understanding, an overview of the Video Dial Tone network is set forth below, followed by a more detailed description of the preferred network architecture and a discussion of the operational support systems in the context of the preferred network architecture.
NETWORK OVERVIEW
FIG. 1 is a high level functional diagram of a video dial tone network providing broadcast and interactive broadband services from a plurality of video information providers (VIPs) to a plurality of video information users (VIUs). In the preferred architecture, the video dial tone network 10 includes an operational support system (OSS) 12, a control subnetwork 14, and three transport subnetworks, namely, a broadcast subnetwork 16, a backbone subnetwork 18, and an access subnetwork 20. The broadcast subnetwork 16 receives broadcast signals from different broadcast sources and distributes the received signals to the access subnetwork 20 for transport to video information users. The backbone subnetwork 18, preferably an ATM switch network and also referred to as an ATM subnetwork, provides point-to-point connectivity for interactive services. Thus, the backbone subnetwork 18 provides two-way communications between IMTV service VIPs and nodes of the access subnetwork 20. The access subnetwork 20 provides local loop distribution of broadcast signals and interactive service signals from the backbone subnetwork. Thus, the access subnetwork 20 distributes broadcast programming to customer premises devices 22 and dynamically provides transport for interactive service related signals to and from the customer premises devices 22. The control subnetwork 14, which comprises a Level 1 Gateway 14a, preferably conducts signaling communications with the customer premises devices
22, a Level 2 Gateway 24 (L2GW) serving a plurality of VIPs 25, and one or more controllers of the subnetworks through the backbone subnetwork.
The preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 9 and discussed later utilizes asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) transport in the backbone network and RF transport technology for local loop distribution to the subscriber's terminal through the access subnetwork. The functionality provided by the operational support system of the present invention, however, applies to other broadband networks using other transport technologies in the backbone network and the access subnetwork. FIG. 1 thus provides a generic illustration of the video dial tone (VDT) transport network 10.
The operational support system (OSS) 12 is responsible for all service creation and activation for network services based upon the inventory of available facilities and office equipment (OE) for network use. The OSS includes a video provisioning system (shown in FIG. 12) that tracks available inventory as assignable for network services. The video provisioning system receives information regarding inventory established by network creation and tags the available inventory as assignable inventory. In response to a service order from a video information provider, for example during service activation, the video provisioning system assigns a part of the assignable inventory as equipment and/or facilities assigned to the requesting VIP. The video provisioning system supplies the assignment information to the Level 1 Gateway 14a, and sends configuration information to an Access Subnetwork Controller (ASNC) within the access subnetwork 20 in order to establish a communication path through the video dial tone network. However, the OS-2 interface may also be used to directly provide configuration information to the ASNC; in such a case, the Level 1 Gateway receives a portion of the configuration information that would otherwise be necessary.
The OSS 12 supplies assignment and provisioning information throughout the network 10 via operational support (OS) interface paths. For example, the OSS 12 supplies assignment information to the Level 1 Gateway 14a in the control subnetwork 14
via an OS-1 interface path. The ASNC within the access subnetwork 20 receives facilities and routing information from the OSS 12 via an OS-2 interface path. Similarly, the OSS 12 supplies assignment information for assigned virtual paths for IMTV communications to a controller of the backbone subnetwork 18 via an OS-3 interface path. Finally, the broadcast subnetwork receives assignment information from the OSS 12 via an OS-5 interface path.
In addition, the OSS 12 is adapted to communicate with VIPs via an open interface platform, disclosed in FIG. 1 as an OS-4 interface path. As shown in FIG. 1, a VIP business system 26 is adapted to communicate with the OSS 12 via the OS-4 signal path in order to automatically order changes in the VIP's services. As discussed in detail below, the VIP business system 26 is able to remotely provision its corresponding VIP profile to accomodate changes in transport requirements, such as increased capacity, etc., or to perform event scheduling for upcoming pay-per-view, staggercast, or IMTV events.
Certain digital program signals carried on the network may be encrypted in the access subnetwork, using encryption technology and key codes. Details of specific encryption algorithms and the key codes for encrypting and decrypting the signals are well known to those skilled in the art and familiar with the relevant patents and literature. Preferred procedures for downloading the key codes to the elements in the access subnetwork which encrypt the signals and the decoders in the CPE devices will be discussed later as they relate to aspects of service provisioning and/or activation.
The control subnetwork 14 preferably includes a Level 1 Gateway 14a and means for storing a variety of information relating to services provided through the network, VIPs and VIUs for use by the Level 1 Gateway 14a, either in a separate data storage system, or in storage within the computer system serving as the Level 1 Gateway 14a. The backbone subnetwork 18 and the access subnetwork 20 each preferably include a controller which is the single point of contact between the Level 1 Gateway
14a and the respective subnetwork. Thus, the backbone subnetwork 18 includes a backbone controller, and the access subnetwork includes an access controller.
As shown in FIG. 1, the control subnetwork 14 communicates with the Level 2 Gateway (L2GW) 24 and the main portion 22a of the DET via the control signal interface paths C-1 and C-2, respectively. Similarly, the control subnetwork communicates with the backbone subnetwork 18 and the access subnetwork via the control signal interface paths C-5 and C-6, respectively.
An example of a simple access subnetwork is found in the network embodiment shown in FIG. 4 of commonly assigned, copending patent application Ser. No. 08/304,174 filed Sep. 12, 1994, the loop distribution interface and associated hybrid-fiber-coax distribution system constituted an access subnetwork. A control element there identified as a video manager served as the access subnetwork controller. The backbone network included the ATM switch, and the backbone subnetwork controller was the permanent virtual circuit (PVC) controller. Other types of access subnetworks, backbone subnetworks and subnetwork controllers may be used to construct the video dial tone network interfaced to the OSS in accord with the present invention. For example, fiber-to-the-home or fiber-to-the-curb architectures may be used with the OSS of the present invention. Exemplary fiber-to-the-curb architectures are disclosed in commonly-assigned, copending applications Ser. No. 08/380,744, filed Jan. 31, 1995 (Attorney Docket No. 680-109), and Ser. No. 08/380,758, filed Jan. 31, 1995 (Attorney Docket No. 680-123), the disclosures both of which are incorporated in their entirety by reference.
In the network illustrated in instant FIG. 1, a number of broadcast video information providers (VIPs) may operate one or more broadcast sources that have a one-way connection (downstream) to the broadcast subnetwork 16. The broadcast signals may be analog or digital or a combination of both, as discussed below. In the preferred embodiment, each digital source supplies a number of broadcast programs to the broadcast subnetwork 16, preferably in ATM cell form.
A source will supply the program signals, e.g. ATM cells containing digitized broadcast information for a broadcast service, to the network 10 at all times that the service is to be available through the network. For video services, for example, the original source video material is digitally encoded and compressed, and the digital video information is packetized in ATM cells for transport through the network 10. The ATM cells can represent service signals for broadband services (e.g. video), audio services (e.g. radio) or data services (e.g. text).
In the preferred embodiment, the VIU's customer premises equipment (CPE) 22 includes a Digital Entertainment Terminal (DET) 22a which includes a network interface module (NIM) 22b adapted to connect the DET to the specific type of loop distribution plant servicing the subscriber's premises. For broadcast services, the DET 22a typically is able to select and process any digital or analog channel broadcast through the access subnetwork 20 to which the customer subscribes. The DET 22a is adapted to receive selected control signals received by the access subnetwork 20 via the control signal interface path C-2. As described in detail below, the control subnetwork 14 also communicates NIM/DET control signals and NIM/DET management signals to the CPE 22 via control signal interface paths C-4a and C-4b, respectively.
For example, for premium services requiring some form of network connection control, e.g. on-line selection of a pay-per-view event, the subscriber's terminal or CPE device 22 sends a request signal to the Level 1 Gateway 14a within the control subnetwork 14. In response to the instructions from the Level 1 Gateway 14a, the access controller causes the access subnetwork 20 to supply program signals for the requested broadcast service to the customer's CPE device 22. The routing functionality of the access subnetwork for broadcast services depends on the structure thereof. In the preferred embodiment, enabling reception of a broadcast program requires identifying the RF channel carrying the program to the DET and supplying certain information needed to decode the program signals to the DET 22a and/or the NIM 22b through the relevant control interface paths. The Level 1 Gateway 14a will store usage data identifying the requested service in its associated database, for billing purposes, for audience surveys, maintenance purposes, etc. and will periodically forward such data through the OS-1 interface path to the OSS 12 for appropriate processing.
For interactive multi-media television (IMTV) type services, the system will include a number of interactive service video information providers (VIP's) operating the plurality of VIP interactive systems 25. As discussed in more detail later, each IMTV VIP operates some form of source or server for transmitting information downstream through the network 10 to a terminal which has requested an interactive session with the particular VIP. Each IMTV VIP also operates a control element, such as the Level 2 Gateway 24, which provides two-way signaling communications to the Level 1 Gateway 14a via control path C-1 and provides two-way signaling communications through the network 10 to the CPE devices 22 corresponding to subscribers who have established interactive sessions with the VIP. The Level 2 Gateway 24 controls operations of the server in response to instructions from the Level 1 Gateway 14a and various information input by subscribers through their respective CPE terminal devices
22.
The signaling communications for the IMTV VIP's may go through a separate signaling network, such as the control path C-1 shown in FIG. 1, but in the preferred embodiment described in detail below, the signaling communications for those VIP's goes through the backbone subnetwork 18. The IMTV VIP's will typically offer broadband interactive services, such as video on demand, video based home shopping and video games, but these VIP's may offer other interactive services, such as interactive text services and interactive audio services (e.g. voice mail and audio on demand).
To establish a session with one of the interactive VIP's, a user operates his or her terminal device 22 to interact with the Level 1 Gateway 14a to identify the particular VIP of choice. Once the subscriber selects the VIP, the Level 1 Gateway
14a instructs the backbone subnetwork 18 and the access subnetwork 20 to establish at least a broadband downstream link between the VIP's server and the particular subscriber's CPE device 22 and provides any necessary information to the IMTV VIP's equipment.
FIG. 2 depicts a functional hierarchy stack of the software and network operations relating to the OSS and the Level 1 Gateway in the preferred network implementation. As shown in FIG. 2, the network functionality can be conceptually divided into eight block elements: service creation functions, service activation functions, OSS service control functions, service data functions, service control functions (Level 1 Gateway), session management functions, connection management functions, element management functions, and actual element functions. The service creation and service activation functions are performed by software application modules running in the OSS. The service control functions are shared between application modules running in the OSS and the Level 1 Gateway as shown. The service data functions, session management functions, and connection management functions all are performed by software application modules running on the Level 1 Gateway 14a.
In the diagram of FIG. 2 and the following description thereof, "VIU" refers to the video information user or subscriber.
As shown in FIG. 2, the OSS 12 is responsible for functions related to service creation, service activation, and service control within the network 10. With respect to the service creation functions, the OSS maintains assignable inventory data that identifies network facilities and office equipment (OE) that is available for use and assignable to a service. The assignable inventory data is generated during a network creation process and represents inventory that is not assigned to a service and that is not under repair. In other words, the assignable inventory represents the network equipment that is available for service but not in use. Thus, the OSS maintains the assignable inventory in order to provision available equipment for a new subscriber (VIP or VIU) that requests services from the network.
As described in detail below, the service creation function includes provisioning network resources. Provisioning of video dial tone network services includes forecasting demand for service, determining additions (or changes) to the network that will be needed, determining where and when the additions will be needed, installing the additions, testing the additions, and logging the additions as assignable inventory. The provisioning may be part of a long-range forecasting plan, or may be in response to a request for new service, whereby a request for new service (new VIP online or new VIU requesting connection to receive services) will be generated from a customer service center that receives the request from the subscriber, for example a VIU calling the customer service center managed by the network 10, or VIP business office 26 calling the customer service center. In the latter case, the VIP business office 26 may be processing a subscription request from a VIU requesting specific VIP services. However, an existing VIP already established on the network 10 may also request new service (new VIU or additional VIP services) by online registration via the OS-4 interface shown in FIG. 1.
The service creation function also includes monitoring network assets. Such monitoring includes comparing existing equipment and facilities to existing and projected service demands to determine if additional capital equipment is necessary. The monitoring of network assets may be affected by, for example, increased usage in specific serving areas, seasonal variations in usage (e.g., increased use in winter), or replacing obsolete equipment.
Thus, the OSS manages service creation functions by tracking the existing network assets and assignable and available inventory and provisioning of video dial tone resources to accomodate network service requirements. The OSS performs service activation functions in accordance with the service creation functions in order to implement new service for requesting subscribers. The service activation functions performed by the OSS include: assigning inventory, assigning work orders for network connections, and establishing VIP databases in order to enable subscribing VIPs remote access to their respective databases for remote provisioning.
The OSS assigns inventory in response to a request, either from the network customer service center (NCSC) or a VIP OS-4 interface, for new service for a subscriber. The network customer service center may either be a functional part of the OSS or a separate office. Specifically, the NCSC will receive a request from the VIP business system 26 for new service in a desired area. The NCSC will identify network resources that are available in the desired area, including the type of access subnetwork that is implemented (hybrid-fiber coax, optical fiber to the home, asynchronous digital subscriber loop, etc.), and provide to the VIP a listing of homes passed in the desired area. The term "homes passed" refers to homes within a serving area that can be activated as online VIU subscribers within approximately one week of an order.
For broadcast services, a VIP request for new service will include a specified number of desired digital broadcast channels within a targeted serving area. The OSS processes the request for new service by validating that the desired broadcast channels are available on the network in the targeted area, and assigning a set of digital broadcast channels to the VIP. In response, the VIP supplies head-end to point-of-interconnect access link information to the OSS. In other words, the VIP is considered an interexchange carrier, such that the VIP may establish a link directly to the network POI, purchase a link from the network from the VIP head-end to the POI via a separate network agreement, or in the alternative by purchasing a link from an alternate interexchange carrier. Thus, the VIP provides to the OSS the head-end to POI access link information, so that the OSS can identify the location of incoming VIP video data into the network.
In the event that a service order is needed to establish a connection between the network and the subscriber, the OSS generates a work order for a field technician to connect the subscriber's equipment at the subscriber premises to the network. In the case of a VIP type subscriber, the field technician may need to route the link from the VIP to the POI; in the case of a VIU, the field technician may need to install a drop cable from the local loop to the subscriber premises, as shown in detail below with respect to FIG. 6.
As part of the service activation function, the OSS also establishes a VIP database that includes a VIP profile, based on the OSS provisioning. The VIP database is accessible by the corresponding VIP using the OS-4 interface in order to perform remote provisioning, for example to add/delete digital channels or switch one of the VIP's existing channels from digital broadcast service to pay-per-view or premium channel service. As a result, the OSS provides an electronic interface for a VIP to access its specific VIP database so that the VIP has flexibility in automatically programming a permitted set of network facilities based upon the needs of the VIP. Since the VIP has access to only its specific VIP database, security is ensured so that a competing VIP cannot access another VIP's database.
The OSS also performs service control functions, including managing remote VIP provisioning, event loading, and compiling billing and usage data for VIPs. Specifically, the OSS reviews remote VIP provisioning requests, and determines whether the requests are executable. If the remote VIP provisioning requests are capable of being performed by the OSS, the OSS provisions the network resources in accordance with the request. If, however, the OSS determines that the request cannot be completed, the OSS returns a message to the VIP that the VIP request was denied. The OSS also manages event loading, whereby the VIP updates its VIP profile for upcoming broadcast or pay-per-view events, or IMTV ports, where "port" refers to the routing instructions for IMTV services. In such a case, the OSS schedules the provisioning of resources at the desired time, and downloads the appropriate event schedules to the Level 1 Gateway. Finally, the OSS receives billing and usage information from the Level 1 Gateway, compiles the information on a VIP-by-VIP basis, and supplies the compiled information to the corresponding VIPs for billing and any usage studies.
The OSS service control functions also include receiving VIP requests to activate new VIU's as subscribers on the network. For example, a VIU may contact a particular VIP in response to an advertisement. After the VIU enters into a subscription agreement with the VIP, the VIP includes a VIU activation request as part of the remote VIP provisioning process. The OSS reviews the request and provisions the request as described above, and downloads the a VIU subprofile to the Level 1 Gateway.
A detailed description of these functions of the OSS is discussed below with respect to FIGS. 8-12.
The service data functions application module of the Level 1 Gateway provides real time access to the customer and the network. The service data functions also include accumulation and maintenance of service related data. In particular, the service data includes VIP related data and VIU related data downloaded from the OSS. The VIP related data function stores service profile information (VIP identification code, sever port information, Level 2 Gateway signaling address, type of DET's serviced by each VIP's equipment, etc.) for each VIP and makes that information available to the service control functionality as needed. The VIU related data function of the Level 1 Gateway stores subscriber service profile information (VIU ID, type of subscribed service, NIM type, due date for service activation, access subnetwork addresses, etc. for each end user and makes that data available to the service control functionality of the Level 1 Gateway as needed. The second functional level performed by an application software module running in the Level 1 Gateway 14a relates to the service control functions of the network. This is the level at which most of the interactions with the VIP and the subscriber take place. In addition, some of these functions are shared with the OSS to the extent that the OSS handles resource allocation, whereas the Level 1 Gateway handles ongoing network activity. As shown, these interactions between the Level 1 Gateway and the DET include personal options, event ordering, service activation, profile and subscription management, CPE software management, VIP directory/menu, authorization management and session agent.
Personal options permits a subscriber to customize certain video dial tone related options through direct interaction with the Level 1 Gateway 14a. Examples of personal options set up and modified through this interaction with the Level 1
Gateway include PIN numbers, VIP menus, and hours of service. Another personal option might allow the subscriber to specify certain times of the day or week when the network should permit access to certain broadcast or interactive services.
The event ordering interaction permits a subscriber to interact with the Level 1 Gateway to specify a pay-per-view event to be broadcast in the future which the user wants authorized in advance, to insure on-time reception. As part of this function, the Level 1 Gateway maintains event related data for the various broadcast VIP's and their respective events downloaded by the service control functions of the OSS and interacts with the subscriber through the DET to inform the subscriber of upcoming events and receive event order inputs from the subscriber. The Level 1 Gateway 14a also signals the DET 22a at the appropriate time to at least notify the user and may instruct the DET to turn on and/or select the appropriate channel and digital video slot to receive and display the ordered event.
The service activation function permits the user to specify various levels of broadcast service that are to be provided to the subscriber through the subscriber's DET's. The profile and subscription management function is similar and related to the service activation function. The profile and subscription management application provides an automated means for the user to access the Level 1 Gateway to alter the user's profile and subscription information, which is downloaded by the service activation functions of the OSS stored in the Level 1 Gateway. This software application submodule communicates relevant change information to necessary systems, e.g. CPE software management, session management and/or subnetwork management, to implement desired changes. For example, this application submodule can be used to change scrambling, encryption or interdiction status of a broadcast channel for the user. As another example, through the profile and subscription management function the Level 1
Gateway would interact with the subscriber to add service for a new DET at the subscriber's premises. The Level 1 Gateway would subsequently provide the updated profile information to the OSS. The OSS would update its service activation functions in response to the updated profile information.
Under the CPE software management function, the Level 1 Gateway will download software needed by the DET for a particular call, if needed. Examples of such software downloaded from the Level 1 Gateway include broadcast channel maps, signaling protocol versions, and complete signaling protocols. Also, if the DET 22a is not capable of communicating with a VIP selected by the subscriber, the Level 1 Gateway 14a can download a translation program to the DET to convert messages compatible with the DET to and from message formats compatible with the VIP's equipment. Depending on the type of downloaded software, the downloading may occur only once at the time of installation, periodically or on an as-needed basis.
The VIP directory/menu application submodule presents an interface to the end user to navigate among video dial tone service features offered through the network. This application submodule presents the user with options, receives selections from the users and translates selections into service requests for processing by the session agent function application submodule. Options available to the user, in an initial preferred embodiment, include: establishing an internal session (within Level
1 Gateway) with a profile/subscription application, establishing an internal session (within Level 1 Gateway) with an event scheduling/ordering application, establishing an external session (with a Level 2 Gateway) to a particular interactive VIP, help functions, terminate a current session and resume an earlier interactive session (one of two maximum).
The authorization management application submodule provides a generic authorization control capability that can be re-used across different ones of the services applications. This functionality would be separate and in addition to the PIN number functionality offered by the personal options. The authorization management application software, for example, might be used to define a pass code to permit a subscriber access to the event scheduling/ordering application, particularly if the subscriber is paying for the ordered event by credit card.
The session agent function or application submodule of the Level 1 Gateway actually translates a subscriber's request to communicate with a particular VIP and that VIP's acceptance of the call from the subscriber into a command to the next level to take actions to set up the desired communication session. Specifically, the agent application maintains status information for each user session, whether the session has an external end-point to a VIP or an internal end point within the Level 1
Gateway (e.g. to the directory/menu application, the event scheduling/ordering application, etc.). The session agent application responds to various requests from the user, from the VIP, or from the application within the Level 1 Gateway to establish, modify or breakdown a session and provides appropriate instructions to the session manager application to actually establish, modify or breakdown sessions. In turn, the session agent functionality receives feedback from the session manger as to the results of the instructions and in response thereto provides reports to the end users and to the VIP's. The session agent application submodule controls which sessions are active at any time, from an end user perspective, and which if any sessions become active upon termination of an existing active session. For applications internal to the Level 1 Gateway, the session agent also effectively wakes up and terminates the relevant application. Another feature of the session agent application is that it provides a mechanism to notify the user of events, e.g. network failures. Finally, the session agent functionality provides billing related information to the billing system.
As seen from the above discussion, the service control functions provide commands to the next lower level functionality to start making and/or terminating the communication connections through the network. The next lower level functionality, the session management functions breaks down each session into each end-to-end connection required for that session. The session management software application module maintains addresses of the network interface points of all of the VIP servers and each user's DET. The session management module functionality responds to requests from the session agent application to establish and breakdown session, relates user and VIP identifiers to the appropriate addresses for their respective network interface points and converts each individual session between two network interface points into the individual connection links needed for that session. The session management application module then provides appropriate requests to the network connection management functionality to establish and break down the individual connections which make up a session, and the session management application module receives feedback on the results of those requests. The session management application also monitors the entire session to maintain status information regarding active system topologies, and this application collects the actual usage information and passes that information to the billing system.
The connection management application module also has access to addresses of the network interface points of all of the VIP servers and each user's DET as well as the addresses of the entry and exit points of each subnetwork. The connection management application breaks down each end-to-end connection identified by the session management functionality into all of the network subsystem elements needed to complete the connection. This application coordinates with the subnetwork controllers (backbone controller and access controller 16) to determine availability of necessary transport capability and issues requests with end point addresses for each network subsystem (e.g. from an IMTV VIP and from the access subnetwork controller) for the requisite connectivity. Using this methodology, the connection management application module responds to requests from the session management function to establish and break down a connection between interface points of a VIP and an end user by providing corresponding requests to the relevant subnetwork controllers. The connection management application also receives feedback from the element management functionality applications performed by those controllers and notifies the service management application of events, such as failures.
Each element management function maps the course or route through the respective subnetwork and provides instructions to the relevant network elements to produce the actual connections. In the preferred embodiment, ATM element management is the function of the PVC controller which corresponds to the earlier-described backbone controller. Routing through the access subnetwork in the hybrid fiber-coax distribution network to the individual terminal devices 22 is controlled by an access subnetwork controller, discussed in more detail below.
In the preferred implementation, the ATM element management functionality maintains a view of allocated ATM connections and available resources across the ATM portion of the network. The backbone subnetwork controller functionality responds to commands from the connection management application of the Level 1 Gateway to establish paths through the backbone subnetwork in accordance with provisioning requirements provided by the OSS. In the ATM subnetwork implementation, the PVC controller provides instructions to the ATM switching elements to establish the connections. The backbone subnetwork controller functionality also collects event and status data and aggregates traffic statistics through the backbone switching elements. Another function of the backbone subnetwork element management application is to notify the connection management application of events, such as failures, in the backbone subnetwork.
The access subnetwork management applications performed by the access subnetwork controller respond to requests from the connection management application of the Level 1 Gateway 14a to establish both downstream video communications and one-way or two-way signaling communications over the hybrid fiber-coax distribution system.
The last element of the functional hierarchy stack depicted in FIG. 2 relates to the actual element functions. For the ATM implementation of the backbone subnetwork, this function is preformed by the ATM switch or switches which will provide switched ATM virtual circuits for point to point connections from VIP's servers to ports of the access subnetwork. As part of its operations, the PVC controller will collect traffic statistics from the ATM switch(es) and monitor the status of the backbone switch fabric and of individual connections. The collected statistics are thereafter passed to the service control functionality in the OSS. Each ATM switch receives and responds to commands from the ATM portion of the element management function, i.e. from the PVC controller, to establish and tear down ATM connections and provides notice of various events (including failures) to the element management function.
The actual element function for routing through the hybrid fiber-coax implementation of the access subnetwork to individual DET's is performed by allocation of channel resources and control of the encryption and decryption operations in that subnetwork, as discussed in more detail below with regard to FIGS. 3 to 7.
Specific Network Architecture
FIG. 3 discloses a distributed network architecture for a broadband data full service type enhanced video dial tone network according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 4 to 7 provide more detailed illustrations of portions of the network of FIG. 3.
The network of FIG. 3 includes an OSS 109, a Level 1 Gateway 108, an ATM (backbone) subnetwork 106, a broadcast subnetwork, and an access subnetwork. In this implementation, the broadcast subnetwork includes at least a broadcast consolidation section (BCS) 100, and a broadcast ring 102. The access subnetwork preferably includes a plurality of video network hub offices (VNHs) 104, a plurality of local video access nodes (LVANs) 112, and a plurality of local loop distribution (LLD) networks
124 providing communications between customer premises 126 and the serving LVAN 112. The network interface module (NIM) portion of the user terminal preferably also is an element of the access subnetwork. According to the preferred embodiment, each of the video network hubs 104 will serve a corresponding plurality of up to six (6) LVANs 112. In addition, the preferred embodiment will provide up to sixteen (16) VNHs 104 serviced by the ring 102.
As discussed in the network overview, in the preferred network of FIG. 3, at least the backbone subnetwork and the access subnetwork include subnetwork controllers. For the ATM type backbone subnetwork 106, the controller is a PVC controller
248, shown in FIG. 7. The access subnetwork controller 240 also is shown in FIG. 7.
The OSS 109 is implemented as a facility comprising, for example, mainframe computers and mass storage devices for storing a plurality of databases. The OS signal paths and control (C) paths in FIG. 1 are implemented in the network of FIG. 3 as dedicated virtual paths through the ATM backbone subnetwork 106. The OSS 109 is adapted for two-way communications with other network control systems, such as the Level 1 Gateway 108, PVC controller 248, and the ASNC 240, via dedicated virtual paths in the ATM subnetwork 106. In addition, each of a plurality of VIPs 114 and 116 (both IMTV and broadcast) may have the OS-4 signal path to the OSS 109 via a dedicated virtual path in the ATM subnetwork.
The Level 1 Gateway 108 is a UNIX based computer having adequate processing power and data storage capacity. In this embodiment, the Gateway 108 has an interface for two-way ATM cell based communication through the ATM backbone subnetwork. In an initial implementation, the Level 1 Gateway 108 has a direct data communication interface to the PVC controller 248, as shown in FIG. 7. In that implementation, the PVC controller 248 interfaces to the programmed control elements of the ATM hub switch 252 through an X.25 packet data interface, although an OSI/CMISE standard interface may also be used.
In a future implementation, the PVC controller 248 will have an ATM interface to the hub switch 252. Through this interface, the PVC controller 248 will transmit instructions to the hub switch 252 and receive confirmations and various reports from the hub switch. The Level 1 Gateway 108 will also communicate with the PVC controller 248 using ATM through the ATM subnetwork, in a manner similar to the communications between that gateway and the access subnetwork controller 240. The ATM interface between the PVC controller 248 and the hub switch 252 also will permit that controller to communicate with ATM access switches under its control.
The PVC Controller 248 and the access subnetwork controller (ASNC) 240 also are computers having the appropriate network interfaces and software programming. The ACC 4000 is a computer system programmed to administer encryption keys and NIM network addresses in the hybrid-fiber-coax type access subnetwork. Computers similar to the ACC 4000 are used today in CATV headend systems, but those computers also run software relating to other CATV operations, e.g. billing. In technologies such as fiber-to-the-curb or fiber-to-the-home, the ACC 4000 may be replaced with a Video Access Manager (VAM).
The network shown in FIG. 3 is arranged to centralize signal processing tasks within a serving area, geographically approximately the size of a LATA, in order to minimize hardware. At the same time, the disclosed network provides maximum flexibility by providing communications to local access nodes, each serving a local loop of subscribers.
The broadcast consolidation section 100 serves as the broadcast head-end and network POI for broadcast VIPs 114 and 116. The broadcast consolidation section 100 is adapted to receive broadcast video data in any format that may be convenient for the VIP. Specifically, the broadcast consolidation section 100 includes a digital encoder 118 to convert baseband analog video signals, for example from VIP 116, into a digitally-compressed DS-3 signal stream. Alternatively, the digital encoder 118
could be replaced with an MPEG-2 encoder to provide compressed MPEG-2 packets at a DS-3 rate.
The broadcast consolidation section 100 also includes an ATM cell multiplexer 120, also referred to as an ATM edge device, which performs policing and rate conversion of incoming ATM streams. The ATM edge device 120 performs policing of ATM cell streams by monitoring the data rate of incoming data streams from VIPs. For example, if the VIP 114 has subscribed by contract to transmit a data stream at 3 Mbits/s to the network, the ATM edge device 120 will prohibit or drop ATM cells that are transmitted above the subscribed bit rate; in this case, a 6 Mbits/s stream would be rejected as an unauthorized rate.
In order to maximize the data-carrying capacity of the ATM streams supplied to the ATM edge multiplexer 120, the VIP 144 and the VIP 116 will preferably supply digital video signals in compressed MPEG-2 format that are transported in ATM cells.
The MPEG-2 standard, recognized in the art, provides a standardized format for packetizing the compressed audio and video information and for transporting other data. Under the MPEG-2 standard, incoming individual video signals and related audio signals are encoded and packetized into respective Video and Audio Packetized Elementary Streams (PES). The video and audio PES's from one or more sources of video programming may be combined into a transport stream for transmission or storage.
Each frame of compressed program information (audio, video or data) is broken down into a series of transport packets. Although video frames can vary in length, the transport packets have a fixed 188 byte size. Thus, different frames are broken down into different numbers of MPEG transport packets. For example, for a 6 Mbits/sec encoding system, a group of frames consisting of a total of 15 frames for one-half second of video breaks down into approximately 4000 transport packets.
Transport stream packets consist of a 4 byte header section, an optional adaptation field and a payload section. The header information includes, inter alia, a synchronization byte, a variety of different flags used in reconstruction of the video frames, and a thirteen bit program identification (PID) number. PID value 0 is reserved as an indication that the packet includes program association table data. PID value 1 is reserved for identification of packets containing conditional access data, such as encryption information. Other program identification numbers are utilized to identify transport packets with the program source from which they originate.
Periodically, the transport packet for each program will also include a program clock reference (PCR) value within the optional adaptation field. For example, the PCR may be present in only 10 out of every 4000 video transport packets.
MPEG-encoded packets can be output in a variety of data rates. For example, the MPEG-2 compression standard is able to encode a video program to a 6 Mbits/sec bit stream, and packetize up to four (4) 6 Mbits/sec bit streams into a single 27
Mbits/sec stream. For other lower-rate data streams carrying text or signaling information, up to eight (8) 3 Mbits/sec bit streams can be packetized into a single 27 Mbits/sec stream, and up to sixteen (16) 1.5 Mbits/sec bit streams can be packetized into a single 27 Mbits/sec stream. In a typical implementation, 3 Mbits/sec of forward error correction information are added to the 27 Mbits/sec of MPEG payload to form an actual 30 Mbits/sec bit stream. Alternatively, six (6) analog audio-video program signals can be processed in parallel to provide six (6) 6.312 Mbits/sec MPEG-2 packets that can be output on a single 45.736 Mbits/sec DS-3 bit stream. In addition, a synchronous optical fiber such as SONET at 155 Mbits/sec (DL-3) can carry twenty (20) 6 Mbits/sec MPEG streams.
Thus, each of the VIPs 114 and 116 are preferably able to compress up to six (6) NTSC analog audio/video program signals in parallel into a 6 Mbit/sec MPEG-2 format. The resulting six (6) MPEG-2 packet streams converted into an ATM stream before transport to the ATM edge multiplexer 120. The ATM streams may be output at a 45 Mbits/sec (DS-3) rate for carrying up to six (6) MPEG-encoded programs, or on an optical fiber at 155 Mbits/sec (OC-3) for carrying up to twenty (20) MPEG-encoded programs.
Asynchronous transfer mode or "ATM" transport is an advanced, high-speed packet switching technology. In ATM, information is organized into cells having a fixed length and format. Each cell includes a header, primarily for identifying cells relating to the same virtual connection, and an information field or "payload". According to the preferred embodiment, a 53 byte ATM cell includes a cell header consisting of 5 bytes and a payload consisting of 48 bytes of payload data. The ATM cell header information includes a virtual path identifier/virtual channel identifier (VPI/VCI) to identify the particular communication each cell relates to. For example, the OSS 109 may provision VPI/VCI assignments so that the virtual path identifier (VPI) may be used to identify a specific VIP 114 or 116, and the virtual channel identifier (VCI) may be used to identify a specific output port of that VIP. In such a case, for example, VIP 114 could be assigned a VPI value of "65", and VIP 116 could be assigned a VPI value of "66". Thus, the VPI/VCI value of the ATM cell header could be used to identify the source of the ATM stream.
In ATM, transfer is asynchronous in the sense that the recurrence of cells that contain information from any particular sender is not necessarily periodic. Each device using the ATM network submits a cell for transfer when they have a cell to send, not when they have an assigned or available transmission time slot. However, the ATM cells may ride in synchronous slots on a highspeed time division multiplexed media, such as a SONET optical fiber. ATM allows any arbitrary information transfer rate up to the maximum supported by the ATM network, simply by transmitting cells more often as more bandwidth is needed.
During the ATM conversion process, the individual programs from the MPEG packets are broken into cell payloads and VPI/VCI header information is added to map the programs into ATM virtual circuits in the corresponding output cell stream. As noted above, each MPEG packet consists of 188 bytes, whereas each ATM cell includes 48 bytes of payload data. The preferred mapping scheme uses two different adaptations. The first adaptation maps one 188 byte MPEG packet into five ATM 48 byte cell payloads. The second adaptation maps two 188 byte MPEG packets into eight ATM 48 byte cells payloads.
MPEG packets of 188 bytes map efficiently into ATM cells if pairs of packets are mapped into 8 cells. However, a delay is imposed on mapping of a first cell while waiting for the second cell in the pair. To minimize jitter during decoding, the packets carrying the PCR need to be encoded and transported quickly. To avoid delaying first packets containing a PCR while processing a second packet, the ATM multiplexer 215 maps first packets containing a PCR immediately, using the five cell adaptation procedure. As noted above, the PCR is typically present in only 10 out of every 4000 packets. Also, at least some of those 10 packets likely will arrive as the second packet of a pair. Consequently, only a very small number of packets are mapped using the less efficient 5-cell adaptation.
As noted above, each cell of a particular stream will have a header which contains a virtual path identifier/virtual channel identifier (VPI/VCI) to identify the virtual circuit that the cells pertain to. All MPEG packets for a given program, whether video, audio or data, will be mapped into ATM cells having the same VPI/VCI. Conversely, cells having a given VPI/VCI will contain data corresponding to only one identified program. Thus, each ATM cell carrying video information for a specified program from a video information provider can be identified on the basis of its corresponding VPI/VCI.
As noted above, the VIP 114 and/or VIP 116 may transmit the ATM cells on a SONET optical fiber at an OC-3 rate, or may transmit the ATM cells at a DS-3 rate. The transmission of ATM cells in an asynchronous DS-3 signal may require a common clock reference in order to ensure frame alignment. In a preferred network implementation, the network interface 100 receives the DS-3 signal carrying six MPEG-2 channels in ATM cell format from the ATM VIPs in accordance with a physical layer convergence protocol (PLCP). The PLCP is a framing structure used to ensure that ATM cells are aligned with respect to a corresponding video frame, even though there may exist drifting of a start and end of a typical DS-3 frame. Specifically, the PLCP references a DS-3 header and identifies the location of each ATM cell with respect to the DS-3 header. Since the DS-3 frame contains a maximum of twelve ATM cells, the PLCP notes the location of each of the cells 1-12 with respect to the DS-3 header. Therefore, even though there may be DS-3 frame drifting, the PLCP ensures alignment, from a cell perspective, between the cell layer and the DS-3 frame so that each of the twelve ATM cells within each DS-3 frame can be located.
The ATM edge multiplexer 120 acts as a groomer for multiple VIP terminations to prevent extraneous data from using network resources. The ATM streams from the VIPs 114 and 116 may arrive in either DS-3 format or via optical fiber in OC-3 format. The ATM edge device 226 provides a grooming function, whereby ATM cells are analyzed, on a cell-by-cell basis, to determine if they should be transmitted on the network. Specifically, ATM cell headers that do not have valid data are dropped from the ATM stream. Each valid ATM cell is mapped on the basis of its corresponding VPI/VCI header to a OC-3 output port of the ATM edge device 120. In addition, the ATM edge device 120 rejects the ATM idle bits containing no information that are present in the ATM stream from the VIPs.
The ATM cell mapping is based on an ATM translation table that is loaded from the OSS 109 into the ATM edge device 120. This ATM cell mapping, also referred to as cell translation, enables DS-3 or OC-3c ATM cell streams that are transmitted at less-than-full capacity to be mapped onto at least one OC-3c stream operating at full capacity. This is particularly effective when, for example, optical fibers used by the VIPs 114 or 116 to transport DS-3 ATM streams using optical fibers will not be operated at capacity, especially when VIPs using the optical fibers have varying bandwidth requirements over time.
The ATM edge processor 120 processes all incoming DS-3 bit streams received thereby, and maps the DS-3 bit streams into at least one condensed, or combined bit stream for transmission through the network. Specifically, the incoming DS-3 and OC-3c streams are supplied to corresponding first-in-first-out (FIFO) input buffers internal to the 120 to supply the ATM cells to an internal multiplexer on a cell-by-cell basis. The internal multiplexer outputs the translated cells preferably to OC-3
output buffers for synchronous transmission on optical fibers 121. Since the ATM cells are output at a rate of 155 Mhz (OC-3), each of the optical fibers 121 carry up to twenty (20) MPEG programs at 6 Mbits/sec. Thus, the ATM edge processor is able to fully load the downstream optical fibers 121 thereby to fully load the capacity of the network. A more detailed description of the ATM cell multiplexer 120 is found in copending and commonly-assigned application Ser. No. 08/380,744, filed Jan. 31,
1995 (attorney docket No. 680-109), the disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety by reference.
According to the preferred embodiment, the digital encoder 118 outputs a digitally encoded data stream in DS-3 format (45 Mbits/s), and the ATM edge multiplexer 120 outputs an ATM stream in OC-3c format (155.5 Mbits/s), to a SONET multiplexer
122. The SONET multiplexer 122 multiplexes the DS-3 and OC-3 signals from the digital encoder 118 and the ATM edge multiplexer 120 and outputs the consolidated broadcast data onto the unidirectional optical fiber broadcast ring 102 operating at an OC-48
format (2488.3 Mbits/s). In other words, the SONET multiplexer 122 may receive a plurality of OC-3 optical fibers 121, either from the ATM edge multiplexer 120 or a plurality of such multiplexers. In addition, the SONET multiplexer 121 may receive a plurality of DS-3 signals from a corresponding plurality of encoders such as digital encoder 118. The SONET multiplexer 122 buffers the OC-3 and DS-3 input signals and multiplexes the input signals together at a rate of 2488.3 Mbits/sec. An exemplary SONET multiplexer is the FT-2000, manufactured by AT&T.
The broadcast ring 102 is arranged as a drop-and-continue (D/C) SONET transport to service up to, for example, fifteen (15) VNHs 104. Although the broadcast ring 102 preferably has one OC-48 fiber, the broadcast ring 102 may be modified to include 2 or more OC-48 fibers for additional traffic for redundancy purposes, or for bidirectional traffic around the ring. As discussed below in detail with respect to FIG. 6, each VNH 104 receives the broadcast ATM streams from the broadcast ring
102, converts the ATM streams to MPEG-2 streams that are transmitted on an RF carrier, and adds local broadcast information (e.g., over-the-air access, public access channel) before transport to the associated LVANs 112 as RF signals, preferably via optical fibers.
Each LVAN 112 receives the consolidated broadcast data from the corresponding VNH 104. The LVAN 112 combines the received RF signals from the VNH 104 with any data transmitted by the ATM backbone subnetwork 106 addressed to a subscriber served by the LVAN 112. The resulting RF signal is transmitted via a local loop distribution network 124 to a number of customer premises 126 (only one shown for convenience). As discussed below with reference to FIG. 6, the local loop distribution 124 is preferably arranged as a hybrid fiber-coax distribution system, although an ADSL system or a fiber-to-the-curb system may be substituted.
The equipment at the subscriber site 126 includes a network interface device (NID) for splitting the RF signal, a network interface module (NIM) for decoding encrypted data from the network and routing MPEG data streams, and a digital entertainment terminal (DET) for decoding the MPEG data streams passed by the NIM. Additional details regarding the NIM and the DET are discussed below with reference to FIG. 6.
As shown in FIG. 3, each LVAN 112 has access to the ATM backbone subnetwork 106 in order to send and receive network signaling information to and from the Level 1 Gateway 108 and/or the video data control center 110. For example, a video information user (VIU) who wishes service on the network via one of the LVAN's 112 may request the service either by calling a network business office by telephone or by requesting a Level 1 Gateway session from his or her customer premises 126 in order to perform on-line registration. As discussed in detail below, the ATM backbone subnetwork 106 provides signaling information between the OSS 109, the LVAN 112 serving the VIU, the Level 1 Gateway 108 and the video data control center 110 in order to activate the VIU on the network, or to update the services available to the VIU.
The ATM backbone subnetwork 106 also is adapted to communicate with the VIPs 114 and 116 in order to perform OSS account management between the VIPs, the Level 1 Gateway 108 and the video data control center 110. For example, the VIP 114 may supply a request to the OSS 109 for a desired bandwidth, or may update its VIP profile via the OS-4 interface shown in FIG. 1 in order to broadcast a pay-per-view event at a predetermined time. The OSS 109 will advise the VIP 114 as to the appropriate VPI/VCI header to be loaded onto the ATM stream to be supplied to the ATM edge multiplexer 120 of the broadcast consolidation section 100. The OSS 109 will inform the Level 1 Gateway 108 and the video data control center 110 of the scheduled event, as well as the VPI/VCI of the video data stream. The OSS 109 will also periodically communicate with the VIPs 114 and/or 116 via the ATM backbone subnetwork 106 in order to maintain up-to-date lists of authorized VIUs to receive the selected VIP services.
Finally, as discussed in detail below with respect to FIG. 7, the VIP 116 may conduct an interactive (IMTV) session with a VIU via the ATM backbone subnetwork 106 and the LVAN 112 servicing the specific VIU. Although not shown in FIG. 3, the VIP
116 can conduct IMTV sessions with a VIU using a Level 2 Gateway and an IMTV server internal to the VIP 116. The Level 2 Gateway communicates with the Level 1 Gateway 108 of the network, to receive and process requests for IMTV sessions that include routing information. The IMTV server outputs broadband data for the VIU as an ATM cell stream to the ATM backbone subnetwork 106.
Communication between the network and the VIP 116, as well as between the network and the VIU, is established under control the Level 1 Gateway 108. From the VIU perspective, a user will communicate with the network via the Level 1 Gateway 108
in order to select the VIP 116 for an IMTV session. In a network providing access to multiple IMTV service providers, the user wishing to establish an IMTV session identifies the provider of choice to the Level 1 Gateway 108 by inputting control signals to the user's DET, which supplies the appropriate signals upstream from the customer premises 126 to the Level 1 Gateway 108 via the corresponding LVAN 112 and the ATM backbone subnetwork 106. In response, the Level 1 Gateway 108 controls the broadband routing functionality of the network to establish a downstream broadband communication link and a signaling link between the provider and the user.
The Level 1 Gateway 108 receives notification of the status of broadband communications links as they are being set up and during ongoing communications through those links. The Level 1 Gateway 108 therefore can inform a subscriber when a requested session can not be set up with a selected service provider, i.e. because the provider's server ports are all busy or because the subscriber is not registered with the particular provider or due to some technical problem. The Level 1 Gateway
108 also recognizes when an established link develops a fault or is interrupted and can stop accumulating usage or billing data regarding that link. The Level 1 Gateway 108 can also notify the subscriber and/or the service provider of the failure.
The Level 1 Gateway 108 will also store various information relating to each subscriber's services and control service through the network accordingly. At least some of this stored data is accessible to the subscriber through a direct interaction with the Level 1 Gateway 108. For example, the user can identify certain service providers to the Level 1 Gateway 108 and define an authorization code or identification number which must be input before the network should provide a session with the user's equipment 126 and the identified providers.
Many of the functions of the Level 1 Gateway 108 relate principally to set up, monitoring and billing for point-to-point type interactive sessions. As noted above, however, a number of the Gateway functions also apply to broadcast services. For example, the interaction with the Level 1 Gateway 108 can be used to advance order upcoming broadcast pay-per-view events. At the time for the event to begin, the Level 1 Gateway 108 will transmit appropriate notice to the ordering subscriber's terminal. In response, the terminal may display the notice to the subscriber or the terminal may automatically turn on and/or tune to the appropriate communication link through the broadcast network to obtain the ordered event. The interactive features of the Level 1 Gateway 108 also permit subscribers to specify limitations they wish to place on their broadcast services, e.g. total number of hours of usage within some defined interval and/or time of day/week of permitted usage. The Level 1 Gateway
108 will then control the broadcast network and/or the subscriber's terminal in accord with the limits defined by the subscriber. If necessary, the changes initiated by the VIU subscriber are uploaded by the Level 1 Gateway 108 to the OSS 109.
FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the network showing in detail a VNH 104 in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention.
As shown in FIG. 4, each VNH 104, also referred to as