Method and system for program based redundancy

• US 20060005099A1
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Published: 01/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BigBand Networks, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Strasman, Nery, Bejerano, Nir, Oz, Ran
• Granted Patent: US 7,676,720 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/746
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability

Abstract

A system that includes: (ii) at least one input port adapted to receive multiple addressable packets that include media content that belong to multiple media streams and to at least one duplicating media stream; (ii) at least one processor adapted to process the multiple addressable packets to determine media stream layer errors to control, and to participate in a replacement of addressable packets that include media content that belong to a defective media stream by addressable packets that belong to a corresponding duplicate stream. A method for providing a video stream over a network, the method includes: (i) receiving a first multi purpose communication protocol stream that includes multiple media streams and receiving at least one duplicate media stream; (ii) detecting a error in a media stream program; and replacing the defective media stream by a duplicate media stream.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a first multi purpose communication protocol stream that comprises multiple media streams and receiving at least one duplicate media stream;

detecting a error in a media stream program; and

replacing the defective media stream by a duplicate media stream.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising outputting an output multiple purpose communication protocol stream that comprises the duplicate media stream and media streams of the received multiple media streams.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising separating the media streams from additional information included within the multi purpose communication protocol stream.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising performing media processing operations of the multiple media streams.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising de-capsulating media stream packets and analyzing the media stream packets to detect media stream program errors.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising replacing address information associated with media stream packets in response to a required destination of these media stream packets.

7. The method according to claim 1 further comprising providing a first output multiple purpose communication protocol stream and a duplicating output multiple purpose communication protocol stream.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising receiving at least one non-addressable program and associating address with packets that convey the program.

33. The method according to claim 1 wherein the error comprises a quality level degradation.

9. A method for providing a video stream over a network, the method comprising:

receiving multiple addressable packets that comprise media content that belong to multiple media streams and to at least one duplicating media stream;

processing the multiple addressable packets to determine media stream layer errors; and

replacing addressable packets that comprise media content that belong to a defective media stream by addressable packets that belong to a corresponding duplicate stream.

10. The method according to claim 9 further comprising outputting a stream of multiple addressable packets that comprise media content that belong to proper multiple media streams and to the duplicate media stream.

11. The method according to claim 10 further comprising separating media content from additional information included within the addressable packets.

12. The method according to claim 9 further comprising performing media processing operations of the media content.

13. The method according to claim 9 further comprising de-capsulating addressable packets and analyzing the media content to detect media stream layer errors.

14. The method according to claim 9 further comprising replacing address information associated with the addressable packets in response to a required destination of these media stream packets.

15. The method according to claim 9 further comprising providing a first multiplex of addressable packets and a duplicate multiplex of addressable packets.

16. The method according to claim 9 further comprising receiving multiple non-addressable packets and associating them with address information.

34. The method according to claim 9 wherein a media layer error comprises a quality level degradation.

17. A system, comprising:

at least one input port adapted to receive a first multi purpose communication protocol stream that comprises multiple media streams and at least one duplicate media stream;

at least one processor adapted to detect a error in a media stream program and to participate in a replacement of the defective media stream by a duplicate media stream.

18. The system according to claim 17 adapted to output an output multiple purpose communication protocol stream that comprises the duplicate media stream and media streams of the received multiple media streams.

19. The system according to claim 17 wherein at least one processor is adapted to separate the media streams from additional information included within the multi purpose communication protocol stream.

20. The system according to claim 17 further comprising performing media processing operations of the multiple media streams.

21. The system according to claim 17 wherein at least one processor is adapted to de-capsulate media stream packets and analyze the media stream packets to detect media stream program errors.

22. The system according to claim 17 wherein at least one processor is adapted to replace address information associated with media stream packets in response to a required destination of these media stream packets.

23. The system according to claim 17 further adapted to provide a first output multiple purpose communication protocol stream and a duplicating output multiple purpose communication protocol stream.

24. The system according to claim 17 wherein at least one processor is adapted to associate addresses with non-addressable program packets.

35. The system according to claim 17 wherein the error comprises a quality level degradation.

25. A system, comprising:

at least one input port adapted to receive multiple addressable packets that comprise media content that belong to multiple media streams and to at least one duplicating media stream;

at least one processor adapted to process the multiple addressable packets to determine media stream layer errors to control, and to participate in a replacement of addressable packets that comprise media content that belong to a defective media stream by addressable packets that belong to a corresponding duplicate stream.

26. The system according to claim 25 further adapted to output a stream of multiple addressable packets that comprise media content that belong to proper multiple media streams and to the duplicate media stream.

27. The system according to claim 25 wherein at least one processor is adapted to separate media content from additional information included within the addressable packets.

28. The system according to claim 25 wherein at least one processor is adapted to perform media processing operations of the media content.

29. The system according to claim 25 wherein at least one processor is adapted to de-capsulate addressable packets and analyze the media content to detect media stream layer errors.

30. The system according to claim 25 wherein at least one processor is adapted to replace address information associated with the addressable packets in response to a required destination of these media stream packets.

31. The system according to claim 25 further adapted to provide a first multiplex of addressable packets and a duplicate multiplex of addressable packets.

32. The system according to claim 25 wherein at least one processor is adapted to associate address information with multiple non-addressable packets.

36. The system according to claim 25 wherein a media layer error comprises a quality level degradation.