System and method of bidirectional digital video communication over a cable
US6237146A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 19, 1997 |
| Grant date | May 22, 2001 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 19, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N21/643
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
In accordance with the present invention, a cable system allows bidirectional digital communication between a plurality of subscriber Digital Video Home Terminals each located at a different subscriber location and a cable headend via a RF Trunk. The cable headend has a processor for calculating and storing a randomized back-off array for each of the plurality of subscriber Digital Video Home Terminals. Each subscriber Digital Video Home Terminal receives the randomized back-off array for controlling through an algorithm when a Digital Video Home Terminal attempts to send a message to a cable headend. If a collision between the two messages is imminent, the last Digital Video Home Terminal to send the message backs-off and then reattempts to send the message a plurality of times after a random back-off interval of time has passed after each reattempt until no collision would occur with another message generated from a different Digital Video Home Terminal.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.