Intelligent switch and method for retransmitting a lost packet to decoder(s)

• US 20070260921A1
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Published: 11/08/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Tancevski, Ljubisa, Sridhar, Kamakshi, Cankaya, Hakki
• Granted Patent: US 7,698,617 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6375 for requesting retransmission , e.g. of data packets lost or corrupted during transmission from serverARQ protocols H04L1/18; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• 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 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An intelligent switch and method are described herein which help to effectively retransmit a lost packet that is associated with a television broadcast stream to one or more set-top box(es) (STBs). In one embodiment, the intelligent switch functions as follows: (a) receives, from one of the STBs, a request for a retransmission of a lost packet; (b) forwards, to a broadcast television (BTV) server, the request for the retransmission of the lost packet; (c) initiates a suppression period during which if subsequent request(s) for the retransmission of the same lost packet are received from other STB(s) then the subsequent request(s) would not be forwarded to the BTV server; (d) receives, from the BTV server, a retransmitted lost packet which is associated with the request for the retransmission of the lost packet; and (e) sends the retransmitted lost packet to the STB which sent the request for the retransmission of the lost packet and to the other STB(s) which sent the subsequent request(s) for the retransmission of the lost packet.

Claims

1. A method for retransmitting a lost packet to one or more decoders, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving, from one of the decoders, a request for a retransmission of a lost packet;

forwarding, to a server, the request for the retransmission of the lost packet;

initiating a suppression period during which if subsequent request(s) for the retransmission of the lost packet are received from other decoder(s) then the subsequent request(s) would not be forwarded to the server;

receiving, from said server, a retransmitted lost packet which is associated with the request for the retransmission of the lost packet; and

sending the retransmitted lost packet to said one decoder which sent the request for the retransmission of the lost packet and to said other decoder(s) which sent the subsequent request(s) for the retransmission of the lost packet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending step further includes a step of forwarding the retransmitted lost packet out one port towards said one decoder and said other decoder(s) if said request and said subsequent request(s) happened to be received at said one port.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending step further includes a step of broadcasting the retransmitted lost packet out multiple ports towards said one decoder and said other decoder(s) if said request and said subsequent request(s) happened to be received at said multiple ports.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said suppression period is uniquely identified in a database table by:

a TV channel number;

a lost packet identification number; and

one or more port(s) which received said request and said subsequent request(s).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said suppression period has a time-out parameter which is variable and application specific.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said server is a broadcast television server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said decoder and said other decoder(s) are set-top box(es).

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said lost packet is associated with a television broadcast stream.

9. An intelligent switch, comprising:

a plurality of ports;

a processor;

a memory; and

instructions accessible from said memory and processable by said processor to facilitate;

receiving, from a decoder, a request for a retransmission of a lost packet;

forwarding, to a server, the request for the retransmission of the lost packet;

initiating a suppression period during which if subsequent request(s) for the retransmission of the lost packet are received from other decoder(s) then the subsequent request(s) would not be forwarded to the server;

receiving, from said server, a retransmitted lost packet which is associated with the request for the retransmission of the lost packet; and

sending the retransmitted lost packet to said one decoder which sent the request for the retransmission of the lost packet and to said other decoder(s) which sent the subsequent request(s) for the retransmission of the lost packet.

10. The intelligent switch of claim 9, wherein said processor facilitates said sending operation by forwarding the retransmitted lost packet out one of the ports towards said one decoder and said other decoder(s) if said request and said subsequent request(s) happened to be received at said one port.

11. The intelligent switch of claim 9, wherein said processor facilitates said sending operation by broadcasting the retransmitted lost packet out multiple ports towards said one decoder and said other decoder(s) if said request and said subsequent request(s) happened to be received at said multiple ports.

12. The intelligent switch of claim 9, further comprising a database which has a table that uniquely identifies said suppression period by:

a TV channel number;

a lost packet identification number; and

said port(s) which received said request and said subsequent request(s).

13. The intelligent switch of claim 9, wherein said suppression period has a time-out parameter which is variable and application specific.

14. The intelligent switch of claim 9, wherein said lost packet is associated with a television broadcast stream.

15. A network, comprising:

a video hub office;

a plurality of intermediate offices;

a plurality of central offices;

a plurality of service area interfaces;

a plurality of set-top boxes;

wherein each central office includes an intelligent switch which is capable of;

receiving, from one of said set-top boxes, a request for a retransmission of a lost packet;

forwarding, to said video hub office, the request for the retransmission of the lost packet;

initiating a suppression period during which if subsequent request(s) for the retransmission of the lost packet are received from other set-top box(es) then the subsequent request(s) would not forwarded to said video hub office;

receiving, from said video hub office, a retransmitted lost packet which is associated with the request for the retransmission of the lost packet;

sending the retransmitted lost packet to said one set-top box which sent the request for the retransmission of the lost packet and to said other set-top box(es) which sent the subsequent request(s) for the retransmission of the lost packet.

16. The network of claim 15, wherein said intelligent switch performs said sending operation by forwarding the retransmitted lost packet out one port towards said one set-top box and said other set-top box(es) if said request and said subsequent request(s) happened to be received at said one port.

17. The network of claim 15, wherein said intelligent switch performs said sending operation by broadcasting the retransmitted lost packet out multiple ports towards said one set-top box and said other set-top box(es) if said request and said subsequent request(s) happened to be received at said multiple ports.

18. The network of claim 15, wherein said intelligent switch further includes a database which has a table that uniquely identifies said suppression period by:

a TV channel number;

a lost packet identification number; and

one or more port(s) which received said request and said subsequent request(s).

19. The network of claim 15, wherein said suppression period has a time-out parameter which is variable and application specific.

20. The network of claim 15, wherein said lost packet is associated with a television broadcast stream.