Discovery information for ip multicast

• US 20060156362A1
• Filed: 08/08/2002
• Published: 07/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Perrot, Philippe
• Granted Patent: US 7,934,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18

Abstract

A method for broadcasting over an IP multicast network an offer of multimedia services received in form of a bundle of transport streams, comprises attributing for each offer (offer 1, offer 2) a determined service provider offer localisation (LN_0,1, LN_0,2) of the IP multicast network, and creating a file of offer information (701) describing for each offer a relation to it attributed service provider offer localisation. For each offer transport stream information is extracted from its bundle, the transport stream information comprising a transport stream identification (TS1,1 ? TS_1,4, TS_2,1 TS_2,3) for each transport stream. For each transport stream identification is attributed a determined stream localisation (LN_1,1 LN_1,4, LN_2,1 LN_2,3) within the IP multicast network. For each offer is created a file of stream information (702, 703) describing for each transport stream a relation to its attributed stream localisation.

Claims

1. A method for distributing discovery information in an IP multicast television network, comprising

multicasting offer information (701) linking a service provider offer description (offer 1, offer 2) and a service provider offer localisation (LN_0,1, LN_0,2) within the IP multicast network,

multicasting stream information (702, 703) at the service provider offer localisation, the stream information linking a multi service transport stream (TS_1,1-TS_1,4, TS_2,1-TS_2,3) and a stream localisation (LN_1,1-LN_1,4, LN_2,1-LN_2,3) within the IP multicast network.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which the offer and stream information are respectively cyclically multicast.

3. A method for broadcasting over an IP multicast network at least one offer of multimedia services received in form of a bundle of transport streams, comprising

attributing for each offer (offer 1, offer 2) a determined service provider offer localisation (LN_0,1, LN_0,2) within the IP multicast network,

creating a file of offer information (701) describing for each offer a relation to its attributed service provider offer localisation,

extracting, for each offer, transport stream information from its bundle, the transport stream information comprising a transport stream identification (TS_1,1-TS_1,4, TS_2,1-TS_2,3) for each transport stream,

attributing for each transport stream identification a determined stream localisation (LN_1,1-LN_1,4, LN_2,1-LN_2,3) within the IP multicast network,

creating for each offer a file of stream information (702, 703) describing for each transport stream a relation to its attributed stream localisation.

4. A method for broadcasting according to claim 3, further comprising

adding for each offer a service provider offer description in the file of offer information.

5. A method for broadcasting according to anyone of claims 3 or 4, wherein

the extracting of transport stream information from its bundle comprises for each transport stream, extracting an original network Id for a network previously used to deliver the transport stream, and further comprising

inserting the original network Id in relation to the transport stream in the file of stream information.

6. A method for broadcasting according to anyone of claims 3 to 5, further comprising

receiving for each transport stream a corresponding stream of packetized data and inserting the packetized data into IP packets,

multicasting the IP packets at the stream localisation previously attributed to the transport stream,

multicasting the file of offer information at a predetermined offer localisation (LN_0,0),

multicasting for each offer the corresponding stream information file at the service provider offer localisation attributed to the offer.

7. A method according to claim 6, in which the files of offer and stream information are respectively cyclically multicast.

8. A method for receiving in a set top box receiver compliant to receive a bundle of transport streams and connected to an IP multicast network, a transport stream from a bundle, comprising

obtaining multicast stream information (702, 703) from a service provider offer localisation,

processing the stream information to determine a stream localisation (LN_1,1-LN_1,4, LN_2,1-LN_2,3) previously attributed to the transport stream,

obtaining multicast IP packets from the stream localisation,

extracting packetized data from the obtained IP packets, thereby obtaining the transport stream.

9. A method for receiving in a set top box receiver compliant to receive a bundle of transport streams and connected to an IP multicast network, a transport stream from an offer among one or many offers in form of bundles, comprising

Obtaining multicast offer information (701) from a predetermined offer localisation,

Processing the offer information to obtain a determined service provider offer localisation (LN_0,1, LN_0,2) previously attributed to the offer,

Obtaining multicast stream information (702, 703) from the determined service provider offer localisation,

Processing the stream information to determine a stream localisation previously attributed to the transport stream,

Obtaining multicast IP packets from the stream localisation,

Extracting packetized data from the obtained IP packets, thereby obtaining the transport stream.

10. A method for receiving in a set top box receiver compliant to receive a bundle of transport streams and connected to an IP multicast network, a transport stream from an offer among one or many offers in form of bundles, comprising

obtaining (800) multicast offer information (701) from a predetermined offer localisation (LN_0,0),

processing the offer information to obtain a list of items, each item relating a service provider offer localisation and an offer,

obtaining (801), for each item, multicast stream information (702, 703) from the service provider offer localisation corresponding to the item,

processing (801) the stream information to obtain a transport stream list (802) of transport streams and respectively related stream localisations,

storing the transport stream list in the set top box.

11. A method for receiving according to claim 10, comprising

requesting (900) a determined transport stream (TS_X,Y),

finding (901) a stream localisation corresponding to the determined transport stream in the transport stream list (802),

obtaining (902) multicast IP packets (903) from the stream localisation,

extracting (904) packetized data from the obtained IP packets, thereby obtaining the determined transport stream (905).

12. A method for broadcasting over an IP multicast network at least one offer of multimedia services received in form of a bundle of transport streams, comprising

Receiving for each transport stream a corresponding stream of packetized data and inserting the packetized data into IP packets,

Multicasting the IP packets for each transport stream respectively at a determined stream localisation.