Methods and apparatus for local channel insertion in an all-digital content distribution network

1. A system configured to distribute at least one of public, education or government content, said system comprising:

a content distribution network configured to provide a digital multiplex of a plurality of program streams to a node on said content distribution network;

a local content insertion device disposed at said node and in signal communication with said content distribution network;

a receiver disposed at a premises of a user of said content distribution network, said receiver in signal communication with said local content insertion device and configured to receive content from said node; and

a channel map comprising a plurality of associations between a plurality of channel assignments, quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) frequency parameters, and program identifiers (PID), said channel map configured to assign at least one program stream of said multiplex of streams to a first channel assignment, wherein analog local content is represented by a predetermined second channel assignment;

wherein said local content insertion device is configured to replace said at least one program stream of said digital multiplex of streams with an analog local program stream input to said local content insertion device, by being configured to:

filter said digital multiplex of said plurality of program streams at a first frequency band to produce filtered digital multiplex;

insert said analog local program stream in a digital compressed format to replace said at least one program stream within said filtered digital multiplex to produce an all-digital program transport comprising said analog local content in said digital compressed format; and

wherein said channel map is further configured to replace said first channel assignment with said predetermined second channel assignment based at least in part on said replacement of said at least one program stream with said local program stream.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein said content distribution network comprises a hybrid fiber-coax (HFC) cable network, and said receiver comprises a digital subscriber premises device adapted to receive said local program stream input via a radio frequency (RF) coaxial cable.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein said local content insertion device is configured for management over said network based on at least a data-over-cable (DOCSIS) communication protocol.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein said local program stream input comprises at least one public, educational or government program stream.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein said local content insertion device comprises:

a tuner module configured to receive said digital multiplex over a given radio frequency band, said radio frequency band being one of a plurality of such bands associated with a signal carried over said network;

a filter module configured to filter said given radio frequency band to produce a filtered network signal;

a module configured to drop packets associated with one of said plurality of program streams associated with said digital multiplex;

a video encoder configured to receive said local program stream input in analog form and to encode said local program channel input into a digital format suitable for insertion in said digital multiplex; and

a multiplexer configured to multiplex said local program stream input in said digital format to produce a new digital multiplex, said new multiplex comprising said local program stream input in digital form.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein said local content insertion device further comprises:

a modulator module configured to modulate said new digital multiplex according to a modulation scheme to produce an output; and

a signal adder module configured to add said output to said filtered network signal.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein said local program stream input is converted by said insertion device to a digital form, and said local content insertion device is adapted to distribute information relating to a bitrate of said digital form of said local program stream input to at least one entity of said distribution network.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein said at least one network entity comprises a statistical multiplexer disposed upstream of said insertion device in a delivery path of said distribution network.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein said statistical multiplexer is configured to use said information to adjust said digital multiplex.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein said adjustment of said digital multiplex comprises reservation of bandwidth within said multiplex.

11. A method of operating a content insertion device for use in a content delivery network, said method comprising:

filtering out, via a notch filter in a personal computer physically located at a multiple unit complex, a radio frequency band from an incoming signal to produce a filtered incoming signal, said filtering being based at least in part on a channel map table contained within metadata provided with said incoming stream;

encoding analog content generated at a device in communication with said personal computer to produce encoded digital content;

modulating and upconverting said encoded digital content to a frequency of said radio frequency band;

mixing said modulated and upconverted encoded digital content with said filtered incoming signal to produce an outgoing signal; and

transmitting said outgoing signal to at least a portion of said multiple units.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein said transmitting said outgoing signal onto at least a portion of said content delivery network comprises transmitting said outgoing signal to a plurality of digital consumer premises devices adapted to receive, demodulate and decode said encoded digital content.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein said analog content comprises locally generated public, educational or governmental programming.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein said analog content comprises locally generated video from a security system.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein said modulating comprises 256-state quadrature amplitude modulation (256-QAM), and said upconversion comprises upconversion to a frequency between 50 and 800 MHz.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein said encoded digital content comprises a variable bitrate (VBR) stream, and said method further comprises statistically multiplexing said encoded digital content with at least one other content stream.

17. A method of inserting local analog programming at a node in a digital content delivery network, said method comprising:

obtaining a substantial copy of a program transport;

receiving said local analog programming at said node, said node being located at an edge of said network;

buffering said received local analog programming until a sufficient bandwidth surplus is projected to exist for a period sufficient to complete transmission of said local analog programming;

converting, at said node, said local analog programming into a digital compressed format, without further intervention from any entity upstream from said edge;

filtering said copy of said program transport at a first frequency band to produce a filtered program transport;

inserting at said node said local analog programming in said digital compressed format into said filtered program transport for delivery over said network; and

transmitting said copy of said program transport having said local analog programming inserted therein in said digital compressed format, thereby enabling display of said local analog programming, downstream from said node, without use of an analog tuner.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein said network comprises a headend and a plurality of distribution hubs.

19. The method of claim 17 , wherein said inserting comprises inserting said analog programming in said digital compressed format into a multi-program transport stream (MPTS).

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein said inserting said analog programming in said digital compressed format into said MPTS comprises statistically multiplexing at least said analog programming in said digital compressed format.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein said analog programming in said digital compressed format comprises a constant bitrate (CBR) stream, and said inserting into said MPTS comprises inserting without statistically multiplexing.

22. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

receiving a first multi-program transport stream (MPTS) at said node, said first MPTS comprising a plurality of single program transport streams (SPTS);

removing at least one of said SPTS from said first MPTS to form a second MPTS; and

wherein said inserting said analog programming into a program transport comprises inserting said analog programming into said second MPTS substantially in place of said removed SPTS.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein said removing of said at least one SPTS is accomplished using a program identifier (PID) associated with said at least one SPTS.

24. The method of claim 22 , wherein said receiving said first MPTS comprises:

receiving said first MPTS as a QAM-modulated signal using a radio frequency (RF) tuner; and

demodulating said received QAM-modulated signal using a demodulator apparatus.

25. The method of claim 17 , further comprising:

receiving a first multi-program transport stream (MPTS) at said node, said first MPTS comprising available space sufficient to accommodate said analog programming in said digital compressed format; and

wherein said inserting said analog programming into a program transport comprises inserting said analog programming into said first MPTS substantially in said available space.

26. The method of claim 17 , wherein said program transport comprises a plurality of frequency bands.