Hybrid media stream delivery using multiple network connections

• US 10,250,658 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2017
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DIRECTV, LLC (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Lee, Sean S., Wang, Phillip T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jain, Raj
• Application Number:
  US15/462,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20180270284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/12 Shortest path evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/20 Hop count for routing purposes, e.g. TTL
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/247 using M:N active or standby paths
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/00 Network architectures or network communication protocols for network security cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00; network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00; security arrangements for protecting computers or computer systems against unauthorised activity G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]

Abstract

Example methods, systems, and machine-readable mediums to facilitate a hybrid media stream delivery using multiple network connections are disclosed. An example method may include receiving, from a destination device, a request for data to be delivered to the destination device over one of a network pathway or a satellite pathway. The method may further include determining a first cost of transmission of the data over the network pathway to the destination device and determining a second cost of transmission of the data over the satellite pathway to the destination device. The method may then determine a least costly pathway for transmission of the data between the network pathway and the satellite pathway using the first cost and the second cost and transmit the data over the least costly pathway of the network pathway and the satellite pathway to the destination device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a destination device, a request for data to be delivered to the destination device over one of a network pathway or a satellite pathway;

determining a first cost of transmission of the data over the network pathway to the destination device;

determining a second cost of transmission of the data over the satellite pathway to the destination device;

determining a least costly pathway for transmission of the data between the network pathway and the satellite pathway using the first cost and the second cost; and

transmitting the data over the least costly pathway of the network pathway and the satellite pathway to a device associated with the destination device, wherein the data is passed directly by the device to the destination device when the data is transmitted over the network pathway, and wherein the data is removed from at least one first transport packet container, added to at least one second transport packet container associated with transport packet containers received over the network pathway, and passed to the destination device in the at least one second transport packet container by the device when the data is transmitted over the satellite pathway.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving updates to at least one of the first cost or the second cost, wherein the updates change the at least one of the first cost or the second cost;

determining a change to the least costly pathway for transmission of the data between the network pathway or the satellite pathway using the updates; and

switching between the network pathway and the satellite pathway based on the change.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the device further performs packet matching and discarding of additional packets during passing of the data to the destination device when switching between the network pathway and the satellite pathway.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the device comprises a home gateway device connected to the destination device at a location for the destination device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein sender header information of the at least one second transport packet container matched to the at least one first transport packet container for the data received over the network pathway comprises at least one of an IP source address, an IP destination address, a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) source address, a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) source address, or a destination port identifier.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first cost is determined using at least one of a number of destination devices requesting the data, an amount of data transferred by a central office transmitting the data over the network pathway, latency statistics for the network pathway, packet loss statistics for transmission on the network pathway, size of the data, or bandwidth required for transmission of the data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second cost is determined using at least one of a number of destination devices requesting the data, available satellites for transmission on the satellite pathway, available satellite capacity for the satellite pathway, priority of the data on the satellite pathway, size of the data, or bandwidth required for transmission of the data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting the data over the least costly pathway comprises transmitting the data over the satellite pathway to a network node closer to the destination device and causing the data to be transmitted from the network node to the destination device over a network associated with the network pathway.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data comprises media source content for a unicast stream to the destination device for playback to one or more users on the destination device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one second transport packet container spoofs the transport packet containers received over the network pathway, and wherein the at least one second transport packet containers repackages the data in data stream matching the transport packet containers received over the network pathway.

11. A system comprising:

a non-transitory memory; and

one or more hardware processors coupled to the non-transitory memory and configured to read instructions from the non-transitory memory to cause the system to perform operations comprising;

determining a first score for transmission of media content over a network pathway to a destination device by a central office;

determining a second score for transmission of the media content over a satellite pathway to the destination device;

comparing the first score to the second score for transmission of the media content over one of the network pathway or the satellite pathway; and

transmitting the media content over the one of the network pathway or the satellite pathway a device connected to the destination device based on the comparing wherein the device directly passes the media content to the destination device when the media content is received over the network pathway, and wherein the device retrieves data packet payloads for the media content from at least one data container in a unicast media stream and changes sender header information for the data packet payloads during passing of the media content by the device to the destination device when the media content is received over the satellite pathway.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving at least one update to at least one of the first score or the second score, wherein the at least one update changes the at least one of the first score or the second score; and

switching between the network pathway or the satellite pathway based on the at least one update.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the sender header information changed by the device comprises at least one of an IP source address, an IP destination address, a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) source address, a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) source address, or a destination port.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the device further performs packet matching and discarding of additional packets during passing of the media content to the destination device when switching between the network pathway and the satellite pathway.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the sender header information is changed to spoof a media stream of the media content received over the network pathway.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having stored thereon machine-readable instructions executable to cause a machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from at least one destination device, a media content display request for media content;

determining a first cost of transmission of the media content over a network pathway to the at least one destination device;

determining a second cost of transmission of the media content over a satellite pathway to the at least one destination device;

determining a lowest cost for transmission of the media content to the at least one destination device over one of the network pathway or the satellite pathway using the first cost and the second cost; and

transmitting the media content over the lowest cost for transmission over the one of the network pathway or the satellite pathway to a device associated with the destination device, wherein, when the media content is transmitted over the satellite pathway, the media content is accessed from at least one data container and sender header information is modified for the media content when the device passes the media content to the destination device.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving updates to at least one of the first cost and the second cost, wherein the updates change the at least one of the first cost and the second cost;

updating the lowest cost based on the updates; and

switching between the network pathway and the satellite pathway based on the updating the lowest cost.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the sender header information modified by the device comprises at least one of an IP source address, an IP destination address, a User Datagram Protocol (UDP) source address, a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) source address, or a destination port.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the device further performs packet matching and discarding of additional packets during passing of the media content to the destination device when switching between the network pathway and the satellite pathway.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16, wherein the sender header information is modified to mimic a stream of the media content received over the network pathway.