Strategies for Integrating Plural Modes of Content Delivery

Abstract

A hybrid system is described which allows an Internet Protocol (IP) set-top box to receive broadcast media content from a broadcast delivery infrastructure and on-demand media content from an IP delivery infrastructure. The broadcast delivery infrastructure can generate a quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) signal, while the IP delivery infrastructure can generate an IP-based signal. The system uses a format converter to convert the QAM signal into a rights-protected signal expressed in an IP-compatible format. The format converter can be implemented as an OpenCable Unidirectional Receiver (OCUR) device.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A system comprising:
 a format converter configured to:
 receive broadcast media content from a broadcast delivery infrastructure; and 
 convert the broadcast media content into an Internet Protocol (IP) format; 
   a network interface device for receiving media content from an IP delivery infrastructure, the media content being expressed in the IP format; and   an IP processing device configured to:
 receive at least one of a first output signal generated by the format converter or a second output signal generated by the network interface device; and 
 present one or more electronic program guides (“EPG”) that integrate metadata associated with media content from the broadcast delivery infrastructure and the IP delivery infrastructure, the metadata associated with media content from the broadcast delivery infrastructure and the IP delivery infrastructure being simultaneously presented in the one or more EPGs. 
   
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the IP processing device is further configured to temporally intersperse the media content received from the broadcast delivery infrastructure and the IP delivery infrastructure. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein temporally interspersing the media content comprises temporally interspersing the media content received from the broadcast delivery infrastructure and the IP delivery infrastructure into media content received from another infrastructure. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein temporally interspersing the media content is based at least in part on a predetermined selection of the interspersed media content. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 22 , wherein temporally interspersing the media content is based at least in part on a dynamic selection of the interspersed media content. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the dynamic selection is based at least in part on one or more triggering events. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the IP processing device is further configured to present the media content from the broadcast delivery infrastructure in a first EPG of the one or more EPGs and the IP delivery infrastructure in a second EPG of the one or more EPGs. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 21 , wherein the IP processing device is further configured to present the metadata associated with media content from the broadcast delivery infrastructure and the IP delivery infrastructure in a same EPG of the one or more EPGs. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 28 , wherein the metadata associated with media content from the broadcast delivery infrastructure is presented in a first window of the same EPG and the media content from the IP delivery infrastructure is presented in a second window of the same EPG. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the first window and the second window are presented in a picture-in-picture presentation. 
     
     
         31 . A method comprising:
 receiving broadcast media content from a broadcast delivery infrastructure;   converting the broadcast media content into an Internet Protocol (IP) format to provide a first IP format output signal;   receiving on-demand media content from an IP delivery infrastructure, the on-demand media content being expressed in the IP format and representing a second IP format output signal; and   interspersing the first IP format output signal and the second IP format output signal for simultaneous display on a presentation device.   
     
     
         32 . A method as recited in  claim 31 , wherein interspersing the first IP format output signal and the second IP format output signal comprises interspersing the first IP format output signal and the second IP format output signal for simultaneous display in a same window on the presentation device. 
     
     
         33 . A method as recited in  claim 32 , wherein the simultaneously displaying comprises displaying the first IP format output signal in a first window on the presentation device and the second IP format output signal in a second window on the presentation device. 
     
     
         34 . A method as recited in  claim 33 , wherein the first window on the presentation device and the second window on the presentation device display the first IP format output signal and the second IP format output signal in a picture-in-picture display. 
     
     
         35 . A method as recited in claim  11 , wherein the converting the broadcast media content into the Internet Protocol (IP) format further comprises applying digital rights management protection to the broadcast media content converted into the IP format. 
     
     
         36 . A system comprising:
 an IP processing device configured to:
 receive and selectively process one or more IP format output signals for output to a presentation device, wherein a first IP format output signal of the one or more IP format output signals is associated with converted broadcast media content and a second IP format output signal of the one or more IP format output signals is associated with on-demand media content; and 
 temporally intersperse the first IP format output signal and the second IP format output signal, the temporally interspersed first IP format output signal and second IP format output signal being simultaneously displayed in an electronic programming guide (EPG) associated with the presentation device. 
   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36  further comprising:
 a first delivery infrastructure for delivering broadcast media content; 
 a format converter configured to:
 receive the broadcast media content over the first delivery infrastructure; and 
 convert the broadcast media content into the first IP format output signal; and 
 
 a second delivery infrastructure for delivering the on-demand media content associated with the second IP format output signal. 
 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein temporally interspersing the first IP format output signal and the second IP format output signal is based on at least one of a predetermined selection of the interspersed first IP format output signal and second IP format output signal or a dynamic selection of the interspersed first IP format output signal and second IP format output signal. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the first IP format output signal is displayed in a first window of the EPG and the second IP format output signal is simultaneously displayed in a second window of the EPG. 
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the first IP format output signal and the second IP format output signal are simultaneously displayed in a same window of the EPG.