Video over IP network transmission system

• US 20080148329A1
• Filed: 12/18/2006
• Published: 06/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hartman, David B., Ansari, Ahmad C., Costa, Pierre, Reed, Vernon D.
• Granted Patent: US 7,937,640 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/109
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0009 by adapting the channel coding H04L1/1812 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0015 characterised by the adaptation strategy
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0057 Block codes H04L1/0061, H04L1/0064 take precedence

Abstract

Methods are disclosed for maintaining a quality video stream in Internet Protocol (IP) mode include dynamically adjusting IP packet-loss periods and loss distances between IP packet-loss events.

Claims

6. A method for a closed-circuit internet protocol (IP) network, comprising:

comparing a pre-selected loss period for at least some packets in an internet protocol (IP) transmission, to a first-observed loss period in the IP transmission;

comparing a pre-selected loss distance between two spaced-apart loss-period packets in the IP transmission, to a first-observed loss distance in the IP transmission; and

at least one of;

instructing an FEC transmitter-generator to generate a first loss period that is proportional to the first-observed loss period; and

instructing the FEC transmitter-generator to generate a first loss distance that is proportional to the first-observed loss distance.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein instructing includes at least one of:

instructing the FEC transmitter-generator to match exactly the first-observed loss period to establish the first loss period; and

instructing the FEC transmitter-generator to match exactly the first-observed loss distance to establish the first loss distance.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the FEC transmitter-generator is disposed at an edge of a home IP network, wherein the FEC transmitter-generator includes an internal error analyzer and a control protocol, and wherein the internal error analyzer uses an algorithm for generating at least one of a loss period and a loss distance.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the FEC receiver-regenerator is disposed in a home IP network, wherein the FEC receiver-regenerator is coupled to a set-top box, and wherein the FEC receiver-regenerator uses a control protocol to verify data received from the FEC transmitter-generator.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the FEC receiver-regenerator is disposed in a home IP network, wherein the FEC receiver-regenerator is coupled to a set-top box, and wherein the FEC receiver-regenerator includes an internal error reporter and a control protocol.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the FEC receiver-regenerator is disposed in a home IP network, wherein the FEC receiver-regenerator is integral with an output device, and wherein the output device is selected from a set-top box, a video display, and a combination thereof.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the FEC receiver regenerator is disposed in a home IP network, wherein the FEC receiver regenerator is integral with an output device, and wherein the FEC receiver regenerator includes an internal error reporter and a control protocol.

13. A forward error-correction (FEC) method comprising:

comparing a pre-selected loss period for packets in an internet protocol (IP) transmission, to a first-observed loss period in the IP transmission;

comparing a pre-selected loss distance between two loss-period packets in the IP transmission, to a first-observed loss distance in the IP transmission; and

further including at least one of;

generating a first loss period for FEC; and

generating a first loss distance for FEC.

14. The method of claim 13, further including:

comparing the first loss period and the first loss distance to a second-observed loss period and a second-observed loss distance in the IP transmission.

15. The method of claim 13, further including:

comparing the first loss period and the first loss distance to a second-observed loss period and a second-observed loss distance in the IP transmission;

adjusting the first loss period to approach the second-observed loss period to achieve a second loss period; and

generating a second loss distance.

16. The method of claim 13, further including:

comparing the first loss period and the first loss distance to a second-observed loss period and a second-observed loss distance in the IP transmission; and

generating a second loss period.

17. A home internet protocol (IP) network comprising:

a regenerator-retransmitter disposed in a home IP network, and in the regenerator-retransmitter;

a FEC receiver;

a receiver control protocol; and

an error reporter.

18. The network of claim 17, further including:

a forward error-correction (FEC) generator-transmitter disposed at an edge of the home IP network, and in the FEC generator-transmitter;

a FEC generator;

a generator control protocol;

an error analyzer, including;

a device for comparing a pre-selected loss distance between two spaced-apart loss-period packets in a home IP network transmission, to a first-observed loss distance in the home IP network transmission; and

a device for comparing a pre-selected loss period for at least some of the packets, to a first-observed loss period in the IP transmission.

19. The home IP network of claim 18, wherein the FEC transmitter-generator includes the capability to replace the pre-selected loss distance to approach the first-observed loss distance to establish a first loss distance.

20. The home IP network of claim 18, wherein the FEC transmitter-generator includes the capability to do one of:

replace the pre-selected loss distance to match exactly the first-observed loss distance to establish a first loss distance; and

replace the pre-selected loss period to match exactly the first-observed loss period to establish a first loss period.

21. The home IP network of claim 17, wherein the FEC receiver-regenerator is coupled to a set-top box.

22. The home IP network of claim 17, wherein the FEC receiver-regenerator is coupled to a set-top box and to an output device.

23. A system comprising:

memory having a repository with a given home internet protocol (IP) network;

a forward error-correction (FEC) transmitter-generator; and

a FEC retransmitter-regenerator, and wherein the memory includes;

instructions for receiving an IPTV transmission at a forward error-correction (FEC) transmitter-generator, and recognizing a first-observed error profile, including a loss period measured in sequential packets and a loss distance measured in a packet count between two spaced-apart and adjacent loss periods;

instructions for comparing a pre-selected error profile, to the first-observed error profile; and

instructions for generating a first error profile that is proportional to the first-observed error profile.

1. A method for an internet protocol television (IPTV) network, comprising:

comparing a pre-selected error profile, to a first-observed error profile in an IPTV network, wherein each of the pre-selected error profile and the first-observed error profile include a loss period measured in sequential packets and a loss distance measured in a packet count between two spaced-apart and adjacent loss periods; and

instructing a FEC transmitter-generator to generate a first error profile that is proportional to the first-observed error profile.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein instructing the FEC transmitter-generator includes instructing the FEC transmitter-generator to match exactly the first error profile to the first-observed error profile.

3. The method of claim 1, further including after instructing the method including:

comparing the first error profile to a second-observed error profile; and

instructing the FEC transmitter-generator to generate a second error profile that is proportional to the second-observed error profile.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein instructing the FEC transmitter-generator includes instructing the FEC transmitter-generator to match exactly the second error profile to the second-observed error profile.

5. The method of claim 1, further including receiving an IPTV transmission at a forward error-correction (FEC) transmitter-generator at an edge of the IPTV network, followed by recognizing the first-observed error profile.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the instructions for generating include instructions for matching exactly the first error profile to the first-observed error profile.

25. The system of claim 23, further including:

instructions for comparing the first error profile to a second-observed error profile; and

instructions for generating a second error profile that is proportional to the second-observed error profile.

26. A machine-accessible medium having instructions embedded thereon, the instructions when accessed by an IP home network perform the method of:

comparing a pre-selected error profile in an internet protocol (IP) television transmission, to a first-observed error profile; and

instructing a transmitter-generator attached to the IP home network to generate a first error profile that is proportional to the first-observed error profile.

27. The medium of claim 26, wherein the instructions are lodged in the FEC transmitter-generator.

28. The medium of claim 26, wherein the instructions further include:

receiving an IPTV transmission at the forward error-correction (FEC) transmitter-generator, and recognizing the first-observed error profile, including a loss period measured in sequential packets and a loss distance measured in a packet count between two spaced-apart and adjacent loss periods.

26-1. The medium of claim 25, further including instructions for matching exactly the first error profile to the first-observed error profile.