Cisco Patents the Triple Play 143
Aditi.Tuteja writes, "Cisco was recently granted a patent on a 'system and method for providing integrated voice, video and data to customer premises over a single network.' Sound a lot like 'triple play?' Yes it is. The patent, which was filed back in 2000, describes a system that would allow consumers to receive all of their home services through one service provider instead of two or three. The patent's wording seems broad enough to cover nearly all existing implementations of triple play, and some are worried that Cisco will try to wield the newly granted patent against such providers as AT&T and Comcast. If such a thing were to happen, progress on AT&T's Project Lightspeed could slow even more."
Prior art... (Score:2)
Bueller?
I patented prior art! (Score:3, Funny)
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And that.
And the other thing.
And those, over there.
I'll be back for more later.
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Sorry.
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I also patented suing people, places, and things.
You can still sue a verb, if you like. My patent for that
has not yet been awarded ( submarine patent on you...
Opps, I was not supposed to say that... )
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There probably is... (Score:2)
...now, who you gonna get with enough cash to buy a lawyer and challenge it?
It's a shame, but that's how it works.
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Whether this is prior art certainly depends on the claims actually in the patent and the details of RCN's implementation, but I know they were around well before 2000.
-Isaac
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- service provider
hosting these services. That's what Cisco's patent is for.Re: (Score:2)
I think the claims are fairly narrow. In particular, as part of the system, an operator must use "interdiction" to keep customers from having access to paid channels such as HBO. The body of the patent implies that interdiction is done in the routers themselves. In other words, Cisco is building routers that can block channels based on an up-stream subscription
Not in a million years (Score:2, Insightful)
What Cisco will do is force them to pay an arm and a leg in licensing costs, because Cisco rightly figured out (in advance) that the 'triple play' is where things are heading.
Cisco deserves a retroactive +1 Insightful mod
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Re:Not in a million years (Score:5, Insightful)
Who *didn't* think we were going to get all our services over one wire once digital bandwidth became great enough?
It's all just data. They might as well have patented a "novel method" for sending HTTP, FTP and SMTP data over the same wire.
Re:Not in a million years (Score:5, Funny)
Jesus - no one told me I didn't need to get all these tubes.
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Just use piping instead like I do - tubes have thinner walls, so stuff leaks out.
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Re:Not in a million years (Score:5, Insightful)
Cisco figured this out ahead of time and positioned their product line to take advantage of the burgeoning communications infrastructure market. They deserve the financial success they've seen from this shrewd business accumen. They don't, however, deserve 5 dollars of every 50 I send to Comcast simply because they realized the obvious first.
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Re:Not in a million years (Score:4, Interesting)
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Cisco? Insightful? (Score:2)
Delivering multiple media across a network is neither original or insightful, and was being done in practice long before 2000.
Cisco = Scientific Atlanta (Score:5, Informative)
I'm not exactly sure why the author of the article thinks that they'd sue the cable operators, many of whom use the Scientific-Atlanta technology in question... perhaps he wasn't aware of the link between Cisco and Sci-Atl.. which leads me to question his authority to even speak on the topic in the first place.
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It seems to me that anyone without a patent license could build equipment capable of doing data/voice/video... but the end user couldn't use all three features without a license.
Or did I miss something?
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Re:Cisco = Scientific Atlanta (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Cisco = Scientific Atlanta (Score:5, Interesting)
A couple of things:
1) This appears to be a rather detailed and well-thought out patent. Although the "triple play" concept may seem obvious in hindsight, the implementation of it, converting everything into a single protocol, is not necesarily the only way to go, and seems as worthy of being patented as most other inventions that have received the imprimatur of the USPTO throughout the years.
2) Since, as I said, their implementation is not necessarily the only way to handle multiple types of data, a competing company could get around licensing by simply keeping the protocols separate. Cable wiring and fiber are obviously fat enough to multiplex various datastreams at once, hence instead of converting at the source, one might be able to avoid the Cisco tax by overlaying the various incompatible networks on top of each other and let the set top boxes sort things out at the receiving end. Chances are, though, that if that's worth doing at all, someone's patented it already.
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Creating and using one standard format for various types of data is the kind of solution that has been used for loads of years in the area of software, more specifically EAI (Enterprise Application Integration).
So some guys got together and said - "Hey, lets do the same but over a transmission line!" - and this stuff is
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What's more important is that Cisco owns the entire backend technology for the system too. They sell the routers, the DSL and Cable headends, the media converters for IPTV, and the call manager hardware to do 300,000 subscriber VOIP and convert it to SS7 for the phone network. It all works together as one integrated technology for the service provider. Comcast, TWC, and Verizon buy all of the above by the truckload.
This is their play to keep Juniper, Nortel
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Cisco bought SA earlier this year. [wikipedia.org]
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By 2000 a company called Next Level Communications(then part owned, now completely owned by Motorola) was selling this technology (or at least something similar, here is a random link to the company description [business.com]) I doubt Cisco would have much luck defending this patent if they went after Moto.
-Em
Gillette Mach3 meet Schick Quattro!! (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Gillette Mach3 meet Schick Quattro!! (Score:4, Funny)
Sure thing dude, but I just filed for doing it with one click.
Ohhhhhh. You got served!
Hmmm (Score:2)
I fail to see the problem here.
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-- Ancient African proverb.
(Ok, I don't know if it's really African, but it sounds like that, what with elephants and stuff).
Don't look for a big fight. (Score:3, Insightful)
Nope. Not going to happen. And therefore, despite the fact that this patent needs to be thrown out on its ass, it's useless to even have the first tiny tort sent. It's a nihilistic sort of patent to start with....
Well.. (Score:2)
From a non-American (Score:3, Funny)
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(Seriously, it's offering voice, TV and internet from the same service. Completely lame patent and all that jazz.)
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Nope.
For a start, there are only two batters on the field at any one time, so a double play is the most you could ever get.
And second, once you get one person out the ball is dead and you can't go for a second out.
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Runner on first and third,
A line drive is caught by the third-baseman right over third base. He steps on third base and fires to first before the runner can get back to the bag.
Here's an example of one that utilizes a strike-out to make the triple play
http://youtube.com/watch?v=O2ZnQMV03iM [youtube.com]
Here's a comprehensive explanation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triple_play_(baseball ) [wikipedia.org]
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You deserve every single bad ménage a trois joke you get.
That said, it refers to a service that provides phone, cable and broadband internet over the same pipe.
Dammit. A tube joke. I can't shake them... sorry.
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Of course, the Brits, if they ever get this, will make up some cutesy-sounding shorthand for it. Something like "pee-pee", probably.
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Networks don't transport voice or video--only data (Score:5, Insightful)
Why don't I just patent moving web pages over networks. Or, moving mp3s over networks. (Now there's an idea for the RIAA...) Just how obvious does something need to be for the folks at the patent office? Moving DATA over a NETWORK? How novel...
This just goes to show that everything should be encrypted. Only then can fairness, and the end-end nature of the Internet be restored. As soon as the ISP's can peek at your data, you may as well bend over.
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Re:Networks don't transport voice or video--only d (Score:2)
Joke's on them... (Score:3, Interesting)
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RCN does this (Score:4, Insightful)
Sweet deal, but here in SF they seem to be quite spotty as to what buildings have it.. to the point of being a joke.
But I'm just bitter because the building across the street has it and my lofts I live in doesn't.
Instead I have Earthlink DSL which gives me 8mbps and VOIP phone for $70.
So I guess 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
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strategic patent - not intended for direct use (Score:3, Interesting)
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
My head asplode (Score:2)
How the hell isn't this patent just blatantly invalid?
Tom
This is where the patent office fails (Score:3, Interesting)
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But why though? I'm not trying to flamebait, but why should someone be allowed to own an idea, ie one of my thoughts, just because they thought that thought before me?
I sit quietly in my office and think of a system where video, tv and phone goes over the same wire conveniently for the user. I start a business to sell this, but I'm slapped in the face with a patent violation because "well,
In basis your right (Score:2)
But with the current system which is in place, just requiring specific implementation would be an improvement. For example, you both have the same idea, but there is two different approaches to the same end. You both should be able to make your idea fly, without litigation. And then the best implementation, price, function, marketing etc., would win the market share.
I feel you should not be able to patent vague ideas, thoughts, generic processes.
If you give me a problem, and I can t
Old prior art (Score:4, Informative)
This is insanity. (Score:2)
Ehh (Score:2, Funny)
Why? (Score:2)
Add smell and you win!!! (Score:3, Funny)
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Editors screw up again... (Score:1)
Surely that was 'Triple Pay' that Cisco figures they just got the patent for.
Screw patents - ignore them at every opportunity - future generations will hold you in high regard for it.
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Cisco patents Triple Play? (Score:2)
Going after TXU (and Google)? (Score:1)
TXU Electric Delivery, the largest electric company in Texas, plans on offering broadband over power lines to over 70% of its grid. TXU's partner in this venture is Current Communications Group...which has Google as an investor.
more info here [com.com]
I've got to patent this QUICK!! (Score:1)
Oh, and this is not to be confused with my existing patent for '3 on 2 play'; a method for making pornos involving three chicks, two guys, a trampoline and 1.5 tons of peanut butter.
Cisco is way the hell out of date.. (Score:3, Interesting)
And to add fuel to the fire... (Score:2)
The focus of this article is just wrong. (Score:1)
Project Lightspeed could slow down "even more?" (Score:1)
Prior art, august 2000 (Score:1)
I read through the patent, there is a lot of prior art for this.
In June 2000 I was at Supercom in Atlanta and was involved in at least 6 booths who were publically selling this same 'System and method for providing integrated voice, video and data to customer premises over a single network ' solution. There were several public trials underway by the time this patent was filed.
This i
Cisco has the highest markup in the business (Score:2, Funny)
Overheard in a pricing discussion on a new router at Cisco:
Mgr. of marketing: "Well, the overall manufacturing costs of this box is $3250. What should we sell it for?. 10x or $32,500 as usual?"
V.P: "Well, that number looks a little constructed. Let's say $36,847"
All: "Done"
This patent will allow them to keep it that way.
If you work for a company like Dell, or Gateway, start to cry now, or maybe look for a new job...
unique set of molecules patented .. (Score:2)
Prior Art (Score:4, Informative)
KIT offered the three services that are now called Triple play, Telephone, Video (both VOD and broadcast) and data (Internet and Walled Garden content).
Kingston Interactive Television October 1999. [google.co.uk]
Common solution direction of anyone skilled in .. (Score:2)
So how many skilled in the art, to come up with the same solution, before the USPTO recognizes the solution or solution direction is not novel?
How many consumers whould have come up with the one click shopping idea/app. had they just had the easy enough for them to use, programming tools?
dumbing down consumers works for who?
One Triple Play (Score:2)
That's "A" method. Their method, specified in their patent. If the patent doesn't describe a specific worki
AT&T can afford it (Score:2)
-- "PUT THAT COFFEE DOWN. Coffee is for closers."
Lightspeed! (Score:2)
The project must be to bring back the old Ma Bell through time travel since they're working on slowing down the speed of light.
My Cisco Stock (Score:2)
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And I have a patent on government granted licences that only allow a single entity to sell a particular technology. You will pay me a modest license fee every time you enforce your patent.
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Re:Triple Play question (Score:5, Informative)
We call that the network layer.
Converter box or software separates the single datastream back into the 3 (or more) original feeds.
And that would be the transport layer.