CHANNEL CHANGES BETWEEN SERVICES WITH DIFFERING BANDWIDTH IN A SWITCHED DIGITAL VIDEO SYSTEM

• US 20070107023A1
• Filed: 11/10/2005
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Patent Holdings, Inc. (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Scientific-Atlanta Incorporated (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rovira, Luis, Wall, William, Versteeg, William, Zauzig, Don
• Granted Patent: US 8,099,756 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1026 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1036 at the edge
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2396 characterized by admission policies admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for network security using user profiles for access control H04L63/102; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Channel changes between services with differing bandwidth in a switched digital video system. A services map published by the headend and distributed to all of the edge devices, allows a bandwidth requirement to be correlated with each request from a device in the home. The bandwidth requirement is passed upstream along with the request for service and is subject to a system resource management validation.

Claims

1. A map comprising:

identifiers for at least one switched digital video (SDV) device and at least one home device;

bandwidth requirements for channels or services; and

said map accessed to compare available bandwidth to requests from at least one of said home devices.

2. The map of claim 1, wherein said map is updated to include available bandwidth to a subscriber premises.

3. The map of claim 1, wherein said map is updated to include an identifier for an additional home device.

4. The map of claim 1, wherein said map is updated to change bandwidth requirements for said channels or services.

5. The map of claim 1, wherein said SDV devices are one of a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM), a digital content manager (DCM), or an optical line terminal (OLT).

6. A method for evaluating bandwidth requirements and available bandwidth, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a plurality of identifiers for switched digital video (SDV) devices and home devices;

providing bandwidth requirements for channels or services;

receiving a request for channels or services from said home device; and

comparing bandwidth requirements for said request to available bandwidth.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of denying said request because the bandwidth of said request exceeds said available bandwidth.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising the step of granting said request because the bandwidth requirement of one said request is within said available bandwidth.

9. A system resource management (SRM) for evaluating bandwidth requests and availability, said system comprising:

identifiers for at least one switched digital video (SDV) device and for at least one home device;

bandwidth requirements for channels or services to said home devices through said SDV devices;

said SRM for receiving requests for channels or services and evaluating said requests by comparing said bandwidth requirements for said channel or service to available bandwidth for a subscriber.

10. The SRM of claim 9, wherein said SRM is distributed in at least one of said home devices.

11. The SRM of claim 9, wherein said SRM is distributed in at least one of said SDV devices.

12. The SRM of claim 9, wherein said SRM denies one of said requests because the bandwidth of one said request exceeds said available bandwidth.

13. The SRM of claim 9, wherein said SRM grants one of said requests because the bandwidth of one said request is within said available bandwidth.

14. The SRM of claim 9, wherein said SDV devices are one of a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM), a digital content manager (DCM), or an optical line terminal (OLT).