Content distribution via a distribution network and an access network

• US 10,257,246 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2017
• Issued: 04/09/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Comcast IP Holdings I LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast IP Holdings I LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Son, Yong Ho, Goode, Christopher W. B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gilles, Jude Jean
• Application Number:
  US15/420,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20170272492A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 709219, 709248, 709231, 709235
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/552 by ensuring the integrity of packets received through redundant connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/557 Error correction, e.g. fault recovery or fault tolerance
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234381 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6437 : Real-time Transport Protocol [RTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 : involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 : involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A method and apparatus for streaming content to an access network in an interactive information distribution system. The method encapsulates the content in accordance to an Internet Protocol (IP). The content is then transcoded into a format supported by the access network, and streamed over a distribution network to a remote server or to a subscriber terminal that is coupled to the access network. The apparatus is embodied as stream caching server for streaming the content encapsulated within the packet to access networks via a stream distribution network in response to a request for content. A packet processor is coupled to the stream server for processing the encapsulated content within the IP packets into a format native to the access network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transcoding, by a computing device, content data to a format supported by an access network, resulting in transcoded content data, wherein the computing device is in communication with an interface device for the access network via a distribution network;

encapsulating, by the computing device, the transcoded content data, resulting in encapsulated content data that is in a format supported by the distribution network, wherein the format supported by the access network is different from the format supported by the distribution network; and

causing transmission, to the interface device via the distribution network, of the encapsulated content data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the format supported by the distribution network comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) format.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the encapsulated content data comprises at least one RTP packet.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the encapsulated content data comprises at least one IP packet.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the encapsulated content data comprises at least one User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packet.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the content data comprises video-on-demand content data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the content data comprises pay-per-view content data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the content data comprises digital broadcast content data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the content data comprises encoded audio data.

10. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing executable instructions that, when executed, cause an apparatus to:

transcode content data to a format supported by an access network, resulting in transcoded content data, wherein the apparatus is in communication with an interface device for the access network via a distribution network;

encapsulate the transcoded content data, resulting in encapsulated content data that is in a format supported by the distribution network, wherein the format supported by the access network is different from the format supported by the distribution network; and

cause transmission, to the interface device via the distribution network, of the encapsulated content data.

11. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the format supported by the distribution network comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) format.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the content data comprises video-on-demand content data.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the content data comprises pay-per-view content data.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the content data comprises digital broadcast content data.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the content data comprises encoded audio data.

16. A system comprising:

an interface device for an access network; and

a computing device comprising;

one or more processors; and

memory storing executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing device to;

transcode content data to a format supported by the access network, resulting in transcoded content data, wherein the computing device is in communication with the interface device via a distribution network;

encapsulate the transcoded content data, resulting in encapsulated content data that is in a format supported by the distribution network, wherein the format supported by the access network is different from the format supported by the distribution network; and

cause transmission, to the interface device via the distribution network, of the encapsulated content data.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the content data comprises video-on-demand content data.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the content data comprises pay-per-view content data.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the content data comprises digital broadcast content data.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the content data comprises encoded audio data.