Playout-dependent unicast streaming of digital video content

• US 20060200575A1
• Filed: 02/23/2006
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synamedia Limited
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sherer, W. Paul, Blattman, Kirk, Yates, David, Nessett, Danny M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,452,885 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1881 with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1043 Gateway controllers, e.g. media gateway control protocol [MGCP] controllers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/142 Managing session states for stateless protocols; Signalling session states; State transitions; Keeping-state mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/145 avoiding end of session, e.g. keep-alive, heartbeats, resumption message or wake-up for inactive or interrupted session
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/238 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for downstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server

Abstract

A technique for managing the streaming of digital video content involves providing a unicast stream to a client in response to the playout status of the unicast stream at the client. In particular, a unicast stream is provided to a client based on whether or not the unicast stream is intended for real-time playout at the client. In order to preserve valuable network resources, if the client does not intend the unicast stream for real-time playout, the unicast stream is not provided to the client. Network resources can also be conserved by utilizing one session between a stream server and a client to support more than one active unicast stream between the stream server and the client in the case where at least one of the active unicast streams is not intended for real-time playout at the client.

Claims

1. A method for managing the streaming of digital media content in a network that is capable of streaming digital media content to clients via multicasting and unicasting, the method comprising:

establishing a unicast stream for a client; and

providing the unicast stream to the client in response to a playout status of the unicast stream at the client.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

establishing a second unicast stream for the client, the two unicast streams being concurrent with each other; and

streaming to the client only the unicast stream that is intended for real-time playout by the client.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the unicast stream is provided to the client only if the unicast stream is intended for real-time playout at the client.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the unicast stream is not provided to the client if the unicast stream is not intended for real-time playout at the client.

5. The method of claim 1 further including establishing a session to secure the resources necessary to provide the unicast stream to the client.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising:

establishing a second unicast stream for the client, the two unicast streams being concurrent with each other; and

streaming to the client, using the session, only the unicast stream that is intended for real-time playout by the client.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising preventing from being provided to the client whichever of the two unicast streams is not intended for real-time playout at the client.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the preventing comprises idling the unicast stream that is not intended for real-time playout at the client.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising, if the unicast stream is subsequently provided to the client in response to a change in the playout status of the unicast stream at the client, then starting the unicast stream from the point at which the unicast stream was idled.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the preventing comprises idling the unicast stream that is not intended for real-time playout for a pre-established period of time and then allowing the unicast stream to progress in time after the pre-established period of time expires.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein the preventing comprises allowing out the unicast stream that is not intended for real-time playout at the client to progress in time.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising, if the unicast stream is subsequently provided to the client in response to a change in the playout status of the unicast stream at the client, then starting the unicast stream from its current time-progressed position.

13. Processor-accessible storage media comprising processor-executable instructions, that when executed, direct a computer system to perform the method as recited in claim 1.

14. A method for managing the streaming of digital media content in a network that is capable of streaming digital media content to clients via multicasting and unicasting, the method comprising:

establishing a unicast stream for a client; and

deciding whether to provide the unicast stream to the client in response to a playout status of the unicast stream at the client.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

establishing a second unicast stream for the client, the two unicast streams being concurrent with each other; and

streaming to the client only the unicast stream that is intended for real-time playout by the client.

16. The method of claim 14 further comprising:

establishing a session to secure the resources necessary to provide the unicast stream to the client;

establishing a second unicast stream for the client, the two unicast streams being concurrent with each other; and

streaming to the client, using the session, only the unicast stream that is intended for real-time playout by the client.

17. A method for managing the streaming of digital video content in a network that is capable of streaming digital video content to clients via multicasting and unicasting, the method comprising:

establishing m unicast streams for a client, the client being configured to playout only n streams at a time in real-time, where m is greater than n; and

refraining from streaming, to the client, one of the m unicast streams that is not intended for real-time playout by the client.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein m is greater than 1.

19. A method for managing the streaming of digital media content in a network that is capable of streaming digital media content to clients via multicasting and unicasting, the method comprising:

establishing m unicast streams for a client, wherein the client intends to playout only n streams at a time in real-time and m is greater than n; and

deciding whether to provide the m unicast streams to the client in response to a playout status of each of the m unicast streams at the client.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein m is greater than 1.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein the stream server is further configured to establish a session to secure the resources necessary to provide the unicast stream to the client and to establish a second unicast stream for the client, the two unicast streams being concurrent with each other, and wherein the playout-dependent stream controller is further configured to allow streaming to the client, using the session, only the unicast stream that is intended for real-time playout by the client.

21. A system for managing the streaming of digital media content in a network that is capable of streaming digital media content to clients via multicasting and unicasting, the system comprising:

a stream server configured to establish a unicast stream for a client; and

a playout-dependent stream controller configured to provide the unicast stream to the client in response to a playout status of the unicast stream at the client.

22. The system of claim 21 wherein the stream server is configured to establish a second unicast stream for the client, the two unicast streams being concurrent with each other and wherein the playout-dependent stream controller is further configured to allow streaming to the client only the unicast stream that is intended for real-time playout by the client.

23. The system of claim 21 wherein the playout-dependent stream controller is further configured to provide the unicast stream to the client only if the unicast stream is intended for real-time playout at the client.

24. The system of claim 21 wherein the playout-dependent stream controller is further configured to not provide the unicast stream to the client if the unicast stream is not intended for real-time playout at the client.