Systems and methods for providing on-demand datacasting

• US 20040013136A1
• Filed: 07/19/2002
• Published: 01/22/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Scheutzow, Michael J., Resuta, Robert A., Rajagopalan, Rajesh, McCaskill, R. Scott, Mailhot, John Norman
• Granted Patent: US 7,286,571 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/537
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23655 Statistical multiplexing, e.g. by controlling the encoder to alter its bitrate to optimize the bandwidth utilization
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4348 Demultiplexing of additional data and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8126 involving additional data, e.g. news, sports, stocks, weather forecasts
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

The present invention provides systems and methods for providing on-demand datacasting. A system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention comprises a rate generator for controlling the rate at which data signals are combined with audio/video signals. The system may also include a system controller for controlling the rate of the rate generator. The system controller may also monitor the complexity of the audio/video signals, calculate an average complexity of the audio/video signals, calculate an average complexity of the audio/video signals and determine whether the average complexity is greater than the typical complexity of audio/video signals. The system controller may adjust the rate of the rate generator based on the determination of whether the average complexity of the audio/video signals is greater than the typical complexity of audio/video signals.

Claims

1. ) A system for providing on demand datacasting, comprising:

a rate generator adapted to control the rate at which one or more first input signals are combined with one or more second input signals and to output combined signals comprising first and second input signals.

2. ) The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more data servers adapted to provide one or more first data signals; and

a datacasting multiplexer adapted to provide the first data signals from the one or more data servers to the rate generator.

3. ) The system of claim 2, wherein the datacasting multiplexer further comprises:

one or more data server buffers, each data server buffer adapted to buffer first input signals and to provide the buffered first input signals to the rate generator.

4. ) The system of claim 1, further comprising:

one or more encoders, each encoder adapted to encode the second input signals and to provide the encoded second input signals to the rate generator.

5. ) The system of claim 4, further comprising:

one or more encoder buffers, each encoder buffer adapted to buffer the second input signals and to provide the buffered second input signals to the rate generator.

6. ) The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a system controller adapted to adjust the rate at which the rate generator combines first input signals with second input signals.

7. ) The system of claim 6, wherein the system controller is adapted to:

monitor the second input signals on one or more second input signal channels;

determine the complexity of each of said one or more second input signal channels;

calculate the average complexity of each of the one or more second input signal channels; and

determine whether the average complexity of each of the one or more second signal channels is greater than or equal to a typical second input signal channel complexity.

8. ) The system of claim 7, wherein the system controller is further adapted to:

determine if the complexity of a second input signal channel of said one or more second input signal channels is greater than or equal to the typical second signal complexity; and

apply opportunistic datacasting if the second signal complexity is greater than or equal to the typical second signal complexity.

9. ) The system of claim 7, wherein the system controller is further adapted to:

assign extra bandwidth for first signals if the second input signal complexity is less than the typical second signal complexity; and

apply statistical multiplexing to output second signals using reduced bandwidth.

10. ) The system of claim 7, wherein the system controller is further adapted to:

determine whether a transmission of a first input signal of said one or more first signals is on track for completion;

assign extra bandwidth for the first signal transmission if the first signal transmission is not on track for completion; and

reduce the bandwidth allocated to each second signal transmission channel using statistical multiplexing.

11. ) The system of claim 7, wherein the system controller is further adapted to:

receive a first signal transmission request; and

update a first signal transmission queue.

12. ) A method for providing on demand datacasting, comprising the steps of:

controlling the rate at which one or more first input signals are combined with one or more second input signals and outputting combined signals comprising first and second input signals.

13. ) The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

providing first data signals from one or more data servers to a rate generator.

14. ) The method of claim 13, further comprising the steps of:

buffering the first input signals and providing the buffered first input signals to a rate generator.

15. ) The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

encoding second input signals and providing the encoded second input signals to a rate generator.

16. ) The method of claim 15, further comprising the steps of:

buffering the second input signals and providing the buffered second input signals to a rate generator.

17. ) The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

adjusting the rate at which first input signals are combined with second input signals.

18. ) The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

monitoring second input signal transmissions on one or more second input signal channels;

determining the complexity of each of said one or more second input signal channels;

calculating the average complexity of the one or more second input signal channels; and

determining whether the average complexity of the one or more second input signal channels is greater than or equal to a typical second input signal channel complexity.

19. ) The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

determining if the complexity of a second input signal channel of said one or more second input signal channels is greater than or equal to the typical second input signal channel complexity; and

applying opportunistic datacasting if the second input signal channel complexity is greater than or equal to the typical second input signal channel complexity.

20. ) The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

assigning extra bandwidth for first input signals if the second input signal channel complexity is less than the typical second signal channel complexity; and

applying statistical multiplexing to output second signals using reduced bandwidth.

21. ) The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

determining whether a transmission of a first input signal of said one or more first input signals is on track for completion;

assigning extra bandwidth for the first input signal transmission if the first signal transmission is not on track for completion; and

reducing the bandwidth allocated to each second signal transmission channel using statistical multiplexing.

22. ) The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a first signal transmission request; and

updating a first signal transmission queue.