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`UNITED STATES PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION
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`For
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`SWITCHED BROADCAST IMPLEMENTATION
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`Inventor:
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`Zeev Vax, Tel-Aviv, Israel
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`Prepared by:
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`BLAKELY SOKOLOFF TAYLOR & ZAFMAN LLP
`12400 Wilshire Boulevard
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`Los Angeles, CA 90025-1026
`(408) 947-8200
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`Attorney's Docket No.: 5079P036Z
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`EV54I641651US
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`“Express Mail” mailing label number:
`Date of Deposit: August 10, 2004
`I hereby certify that I am causing this paper or fee to be deposited with the United States
`Postal Service “Express Mail Post Office to Addressee” service on the date indicated above
`and that this paper or fee has been addressed to the Assistant Commissioner for Patents,
`Washington, D. C. 2023]
`Patricia A. Balero
`\Lggod or printed name ofperson mailing paper or fee)
`(Sigma
`e of person mailing paper or fee)
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`SONY - Ex.-1005
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`1
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`Sony Corporation - Petitioner
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`SONY - Ex.-1005
`Sony Corporation - Petitioner
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`1
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`
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`SWITCHED BROADCAST IMPLEMENTATION
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`General
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`[0001]
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`Switched Broadcast (SwB) is a new concept accepted enthusiastically
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`especially by the Cable TV operators. Essentially, it offers broadcast programs on
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`demand only. This way, precious bandwidth is saved. See US patent application
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`number: 09/841579.
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`[0002]
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`In order for this to work, a SwB client is installed in the home viewer’s
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`set-top box (STB). Today’s STBs have known channels and methods to communicate
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`with the operators’ head-ends. These communication lines are used to convey to the
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`head-end which channel a viewer wants to watch, and to convey to the STB, what are
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`the technical parameters of the desired program (such as frequency, program number,
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`etc.). These communication lines have limited bandwidth. Therefore there is a need to
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`reduce the amount of traffic on them. Another problem is that viewers sometimes
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`close their television sets but leave the STB on. This way, the head—end doesn’t know
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`that a viewer has stopped watching the desired program. This document provides a
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`few methods to overcome these and other problems.
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`Implementation methods
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`[0003]
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`In order to reduce communication between the multitude of STBs and
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`the head-end, the head-end periodically send to the STB a list of currently available
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`programs and their parameters. Occasionally, the head—end also sends update
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`messages of this table. This way, if the program is available, the STB doesn’t need to
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`request it specifically from the head-end.
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`[0004]
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`Programs may sometimes move to a “regular” broadcast mode based on
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`automatic policy based mechanisms. This can happen only on individual service
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`groups. At different times, these programs can return to be switched broadcast
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`programs.
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`[0005]
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`Viewer behavior is modeled constantly. This way, the system can decide
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`that it is highly likely that a program being broadcast is actually not viewed by
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`anyone. It can remove this program and free bandwidth for other programs. In order
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`to eliminate mistakes, viewers who are watching these programs may receive a
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`warning prior to the removal of the program. If none of them respond within a certain
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`period, the program will be removed.
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`Cliems/BigBandNetworks/S079F0362/ProvApplicationAsFiledP0362
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`2
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`[0006]
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`In order to reduce tuning times, more popular programs may be
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`broadcast when there is available bandwidth even if nobody requested them.
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`Eventually, if the popularity of these programs continues to increase, they may move
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`out of the SwB pool and into the regular broadcast pool.
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`I
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`[0007]
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`It is very important to avoid cases where viewers can watch incorrect
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`content (such as adult content). This can be avoided by the SwB system if it allocates
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`to the different programs fixed and unique parameters such as program numbers and
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`PIDs.
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`[0008]
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`Since most programs are encrypted, they cannot be RateShaped at the
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`edge. However, there is no need to set to each program a fixed constant bit rate. There
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`may be some pre-defined encoding levels used.
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`Cliems/BigBandNetworks/5079P036ZJProvApplicationAsFiledPOSéZ
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`, /
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`3
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