Methods and apparatus for packetized content delivery over a content delivery network
First Claim
1. A computerized network server apparatus for use in a content delivery network, said computerized network server apparatus comprising:
- one or more network interfaces;
first apparatus configured to provide, via said one or more network interfaces, delivery of an Internet Protocol (IP)-encapsulated stream comprising digitally rendered video, voice or data content; and
second apparatus configured to provide, via said one or more network interfaces, delivery of an Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) transport stream comprising at least digitally rendered video content that corresponds to said digitally rendered video content carried on said IP-encapsulated stream;
wherein said delivery of said IP-encapsulated stream from said first apparatus occurs contemporaneously with said delivery of said MPEG transport stream from said second apparatus, to at least one common computerized downstream device common to a plurality of subscribers and disposed downstream of said computerized network server apparatus within said content delivery network, said common computerized downstream device comprising at least one of a computerized IP-enabled device or a computerized non-IP-enabled device, and said common computerized downstream device configured to determine which of said IP-encapsulated stream and said MPEG transport stream to utilize, said determination being based at least in part on signaling received from a computerized upstream entity; and
wherein said delivery of said IP-encapsulated stream contemporaneously with said MPEG transport stream occurs with at least one Quality-of-Service (QoS) requirement applied.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for delivery of packetized content (e.g., video, audio, data, etc.) over a content delivery network. In one embodiment, the content is packetized using an Internet Protocol (IP), and delivered by a service provider over both managed and unmanaged networks to subscribers of the provider, so as to provide delivery at any time, at any location, and via any designated user device. The delivered content may originate from the service provider, third-party content sources (e.g., networks or studios), the subscriber(s) themselves, or other sources including the Internet. Use of a common control and service functions within the network afford the ability to integrate or blend services together, thereby affording the service provider and subscriber new service and economic opportunities. Content delivery sessions may also be migrated from one device to another. A network-based user interface infrastructure, and gateway-based client-side architecture, are also disclosed.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A computerized network server apparatus for use in a content delivery network, said computerized network server apparatus comprising:
- one or more network interfaces;
first apparatus configured to provide, via said one or more network interfaces, delivery of an Internet Protocol (IP)-encapsulated stream comprising digitally rendered video, voice or data content; and
second apparatus configured to provide, via said one or more network interfaces, delivery of an Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) transport stream comprising at least digitally rendered video content that corresponds to said digitally rendered video content carried on said IP-encapsulated stream;
wherein said delivery of said IP-encapsulated stream from said first apparatus occurs contemporaneously with said delivery of said MPEG transport stream from said second apparatus, to at least one common computerized downstream device common to a plurality of subscribers and disposed downstream of said computerized network server apparatus within said content delivery network, said common computerized downstream device comprising at least one of a computerized IP-enabled device or a computerized non-IP-enabled device, and said common computerized downstream device configured to determine which of said IP-encapsulated stream and said MPEG transport stream to utilize, said determination being based at least in part on signaling received from a computerized upstream entity; and
wherein said delivery of said IP-encapsulated stream contemporaneously with said MPEG transport stream occurs with at least one Quality-of-Service (QoS) requirement applied. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- one or more network interfaces;
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11. A computerized headend content server apparatus configured to deliver one or more of digitally rendered video, voice, and data to a plurality of subscribers via a content delivery network, said computerized headend content server apparatus comprising:
- a storage device;
at least one networking interface configured to enable transmission over an infrastructure element of said content delivery network; and
a digital processor apparatus in data communication with said storage device and said networking interface, said digital processor apparatus configured to execute one or more processes stored on said storage device, said one or more processes comprising a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed, cause said computerized headend content server apparatus to;
generate an Internet Protocol (IP)-encapsulated stream of said one or more of said digitally rendered video, voice, and data content;
generate an Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) transport stream comprising at least one of said digitally rendered video, voice, and data content that corresponds to said digitally rendered video, voice, and data content of said IP-encapsulated stream; and
transmit simultaneously, via said infrastructure element, said IP-encapsulated stream via a first Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) and said MPEG transport stream via a second QAM different than said first QAM, to a computerized device associated with at least one of said plurality of subscribers, said computerized device configured to determine which of said IP-encapsulated stream and said MPEG transport stream to utilize;
wherein said one or more of said digitally rendered video, voice, and data content of said IP-encapsulated stream comprises user-specific targeted digitally rendered secondary content inserted therein, said user-specific targeted digitally rendered secondary content being geographically relevant to a geographical region to which said computerized device is associated. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
- a storage device;
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14. A computerized headend network server apparatus for use in a content delivery network, said computerized headend network server apparatus configured to distribute one or more digitally rendered content items to a plurality of subscribers, said computerized headend network server apparatus comprising:
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a plurality of networking interfaces; first apparatus configured to provide, via at least one of said plurality of networking interfaces, delivery of an Internet Protocol (IP)-encapsulated stream comprising digitally rendered video, voice or data; and second apparatus configured to provide, via at least one of said plurality of networking interfaces and over one or more Quadrature Amplitude Modulated (QAM) channels broadcast to a service group of said plurality of subscribers, delivery of an Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) transport stream comprising at least digitally rendered video content that is substantially identical to said digitally rendered video content carried on said IP-encapsulated stream; wherein said first and second apparatus each comprise circuit-switched apparatus; wherein said first apparatus is configured to deliver said IP-encapsulated stream contemporaneously with said delivery of said MPEG transport stream from said second apparatus to a computerized downstream device associated with at least one of said plurality of subscribers, said computerized downstream device disposed downstream in said content delivery network relative to said computerized headend network server apparatus; wherein said computerized headend network server apparatus causes said computerized downstream device to determine which of said IP-encapsulated stream and said MPEG transport stream to utilize; and wherein said contemporaneous delivery of said IP-encapsulated stream and said MPEG transport stream to said computerized downstream device is performed using;
(i) a session-based protocol, and (ii) sessions that are unique to each of a plurality of users having computerized IP-enabled client devices. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A computerized method for operating a content delivery network, said computerized method comprising:
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causing delivery, by a computerized server apparatus, of an Internet Protocol (IP)-encapsulated stream comprising digitally rendered video, voice or data content; causing delivery of an Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) transport stream comprising at least digitally rendered video content that corresponds to said digitally rendered video content carried on said IP-encapsulated stream, said delivery of said IP-encapsulated stream occurring contemporaneously with said delivery of said MPEG transport stream, to at least one common computerized downstream device utilized by a plurality of subscribers and disposed within the content delivery network closer to an edge thereof relative to the said computerized server apparatus, said at least one common computerized downstream device comprising at least one of a computerized IP-enabled device or a computerized non-IP-enabled device; and transmitting at least one signal to said at least one common computerized downstream device, said at least one signal causing said at least common computerized downstream device to determine which of said IP-encapsulated stream and said MPEG transport stream to utilize. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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25. A computerized method for delivering at least digitally rendered video content to a plurality of subscribers via a content delivery network, said computerized method comprising:
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causing delivery, via a first quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) channel and by a computerized server apparatus, of an Internet Protocol (IP)-encapsulated stream comprising first data corresponding to the at least digitally rendered video content; and causing delivery, via one or more second QAM channels broadcast to a service group of said plurality of subscribers, of an Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) transport stream comprising at least second data corresponding to the at least digitally rendered video content; wherein said delivery of said IP-encapsulated stream occurs contemporaneously with said delivery of said MPEG transport stream, to a computerized downstream device common to said plurality of subscribers and disposed downstream relative to the computerized server apparatus in the content delivery network, said common computerized downstream device comprising computerized logic configured to, when executed by a processor apparatus, determine which one of said IP-encapsulated stream and said MPEG transport stream to utilize for delivery of the at least digitally rendered video content; and wherein said contemporaneous delivery of said IP-encapsulated stream and said MPEG transport stream to said common computerized downstream device is performed using;
(i) a session-based protocol, and (ii) sessions that are unique to one or more of said plurality of subscribers, said plurality of subscribers having respective computerized IP-enabled client devices. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification