Methods for multicasting content

• US 20030093548A1
• Filed: 10/23/2002
• Published: 05/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: The Fantastic Co. AG
• Inventors: Nardello, Barbara, Delmenico, Andreas, Vallino, Fabio, Cinghita, Luchiana, Stefanini, Ivan
• Granted Patent: US 7,966,414 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/18 for broadcast or conference , e.g. multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for tunneling content across a network in which the content has been configured into a digital format compatible with a player. Prior to starting a broadcast session, an announcement is transmitted across the network which contains control information concerning the broadcast session. The control information permits controlled reception of the configured content and includes a start-time. The configured content is encapsulated into a format that supports multicast distribution and controlled reception at particular machines. The configured content is multicast across the network in the encapsulated format to a multiplicity of machines in accordance with the start-time included in the announcement. The control information is used to selectively permit reception at particular ones of the multiplicity of machines, and the encapsulation is stripped from the multicast transmission at the particular machines. As a result, the multicast of the encapsulated data is compatible with the players on the particular machines. A system for implementing UDP tunneling multicasting method is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for tunneling content across a network, the content having been configured into a digital format compatible with a player that operates on a particular machine connectable to the network, comprising the steps of:

a) before starting a broadcast session, transmitting an announcement containing control information concerning the broadcast session across the network, the control information permitting controlled reception of the configured content and including a start-time;

b) encapsulating the configured content into a format that supports multicast distribution and controlled reception at particular machines on the network;

c) multicasting across the network the configured content in the encapsulated format to a multiplicity of machines in accordance with the start-time included in the announcement;

d) using the control information to selectively permit reception at particular ones of the multiplicity of machines; and

e) stripping the encapsulation at the particular machines whereby the multicast of the encapsulated content is compatible with the players on the particular machines.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital format compatible with the player is a unicast packet format and wherein the step of encapsulating the configured content comprises including the unicast packet format for the within a multicast packet.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of encapsulating the configured content comprises engrafting a packet to the configured content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the engrafted packet consists of a header.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein steps d) and e) are performed by a media-ready interface executing on the particular machines.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the broadcast session comprises a multicast of the configured content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the announcement is multicast.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the announcement includes broadcast guide information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the announcement comprises a subscription message that identifies an encapsulation protocol that is employed in the encapsulating step.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the subscription message further includes a time and a channel on which a broadcast session service will be broadcast.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the subscription message further includes information necessary to decrypt the multicast transmission.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the encapsulated data is multiplexed prior to multicasting across the network and demultiplexed at the particular machines.

13. The method of claim 1, including the additional step of permitting interactivity with an end user by providing a back-channel return path to a content provider.

14. A computer-implemented system for tunneling content across a network, wherein the content has been configured into a digital format compatible with a player, comprising:

a network administrator configured to receive the configured content from a content provider and to broadcast the content in a multicast protocol across the network, the administrator comprising a programmed machine including;

(a) a broadcast guide broadcaster configured to transmit announcements containing control information concerning a broadcast session to machines of subscribing end-users that are in communication with the network, the control information permitting controlled reception of the configured content and including a start-time; and

(b) a UTP broadcaster configured to apply an encapsulation to the configured content and to multicast the encapsulated content across the network to the machines of the subscribing end-users.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the UTP broadcaster is further configured to receive the configured content from the content provider, transform the configured content into UDP streams, and encapsulate the UDP streams within CDMP packets.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising a scheduling system disposed at the content provider, the scheduling system scheduling the start-time for multicasting the encapsulated content across the network to the machines of the subscribing end-users.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the start-time is scheduled in view of the required bandwidth of the content streams.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the network administrator comprises a channel management center and wherein the content provider comprises a channel editing center.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the UTP broadcaster has a prescribed IP address setting and a prescribed port setting and wherein the UTP broadcaster receives the configured content from the content provider at the prescribed IP address and at the prescribed port.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the configured content includes plural media objects selected from the group consisting of data files, streaming audio, and streaming video.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the network administrator comprises a channel management center kernel that manages broadcast requests received from the content providers and communicates the broadcasts to subscribing end-users using the broadcast guide broadcaster.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the machines of the subscribing end-users each have a multicast-ready interface and the particular player, wherein the machines are connectable to the network, and wherein the multicast-ready interface receives CDMP streams and outputs streams that are compatible the particular player.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the machines have one or more players, and wherein the UTP broadcaster multicasts the encapsulated content across the network to the subscribing end-users.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the multicast-ready interface includes a graphical user interface that displays the transmitted announcements from the broadcast guide broadcaster.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the transmitted announcements are displayed in the graphical user interface according to the broadcast channel on which the encapsulated content is to be multicast across the network.

26. The system of claim 24, wherein the multicast-ready interface includes a filter that displays the transmitted announcements as a function of the subscribing end-user.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the filter operates on the basis of subscription information.

28. The system of claim 24, wherein the graphical user interface permits a particular subscribing end-user to select one or more multicasts of encapsulated content using an input device connected to that end-user'"'"'s machine.

29. The system of claim 14, further comprising a multicast-ready interface configured to use the control information provided by the broadcast guide broadcaster to selectively permit reception of the encapsulated content multicast by the UTP broadcaster.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the multicast-ready interface is further configured to transform the encapsulated content in the multicast into a format compatible with a player, the transformation being made by removing the encapsulation provided by the UTP broadcaster.

31. The system of claim 14, wherein the UTP broadcaster is configured to multiplex the encapsulated content prior to multicasting across the network.

32. A computer-implemented method for tunneling content across a network, the content having a digital format that is compatible with a player, comprising the steps of:

engrafting a packet to the configured content, the packet having control information permitting multicast distribution across the network and controlled reception at a multiplicity of machines connected to the network;

multicasting across the network the configured content together with the header to the multiplicity of machines;

using the control information to selectively permit reception at particular ones of the machines; and

stripping the engrafted packet from the multicast transmission,

whereby the multicast provides to the particular machines the configured content in a format that is compatible with the player.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the digital format compatible with the player is a unicast packet format and wherein the step of engrafting the packet comprises including the unicast packet format for the within a multicast packet.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the engrafted packet consists of a header.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein steps c) and d) are performed by a media-ready interface executing on the particular machines.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein an announcement is transmitted in advance of the step of the multicast transmission at step b).

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the announcement includes broadcast guide information.

38. The method of claim 36, wherein the announcement comprises a subscription message that identifies an encapsulation protocol that is employed in the engrafting step.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the subscription message further includes a time and a channel on which a broadcast session service will be broadcast.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the subscription message further includes information necessary to decrypt the multicast transmission.

41. The method of claim 32, wherein the encapsulated data is multiplexed prior to multicasting across the network.

42. The method of claim 32, including the additional step of permitting interactivity with an end user by providing a back-channel return path to a content provider.