Methods and systems for interactive video transport over Ethernet networks

• US 20080271096A1
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: Ghodrat, Morteza, Duncan, Ian H., Gazier, Michael A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,832,755 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/100
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26616 for merging a unicast channel into a multicast channel, e.g. in a VOD application, when a client served by unicast channel catches up a multicast channel to save bandwidth data multicast over packet-switching network H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4325 by playing back content from the storage medium reproduction of recorded television signals H04N5/76; reproduction of recorded television signals H04N9/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The present invention provides methods and systems to remove the dependence on the IP layer (OSI layer three) in Video-on-Demand (VoD) transport networks. The present invention replaces the IP layer with Ethernet layer two addressing and even layer one, allowing connectivity in access/aggregation networks without IP layer three capabilities. The present invention enables STBs to communicate with VoD controllers, servers, and the like at layer two and/or layer one, eliminating the need for layer three routing capabilities in access/aggregation networks.

Claims

1. A method for transporting video, comprising:

receiving a request for network-based content;

providing an Ethernet address responsive to the request for content, wherein the Ethernet address comprises the Ethernet address of the network-based content; and

accessing the network-based content over an access/aggregation network with the Ethernet address.

2. The method for transporting video of claim 1, wherein the network-based content comprises any of Video-on-Demand, Internet Protocol Television, broadcast television, and Pay-Per-View.

3. The method for transporting video of claim 1, wherein the receiving step comprises a controller providing the Ethernet address for a server, wherein the server is configured to provide the network-based content to a user.

4. The method for transporting video of claim 3, wherein the server is located in the access/aggregation network.

5. The method for transporting video of claim 1, wherein the request for content comes from a set-top box;

and

wherein a key is provided by one of Session Description Protocol and an Electronic Program Guide responsive to the content request, the key comprises the Ethernet Address.

6. The method for transporting video of claim 1, wherein the access/aggregation network utilizes Carrier Ethernet, wherein Carrier Ethernet comprises one or more of Optical Transport Network (OTN), Media Access Control-in-Media Access Control (MAC-in-MAC), Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) queue-in-queue (Q-in-Q), Provider Backbone Transport, and combinations thereof.

7. The method for transporting video of claim 1, wherein the accessing step comprises any of MPEG, Windows Media Video, Flash Video, MPEG-4, DivX and File Transfer Protocol over Ethernet directly.

8. The method for transporting video of claim 3, wherein the controller is located in a core network, wherein the core network includes both Internet Protocol and Ethernet capabilities.

9. The method for transporting video of claim 3, wherein the controller is accessed directly through Ethernet only through one of an extended version of 802.1 Generic Attribute Registration Protocol (GARP), a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), and a provided Ethernet address.

10. A method for transporting video over layer two networks, comprising:

receiving an Internet Protocol address for network-based content responsive for a request for content;

mapping the Internet Protocol address to an Ethernet address, wherein the Ethernet address comprises the Ethernet address of the network-based content; and

accessing the network-based content over an access/aggregation network with the Ethernet address.

11. The method for transporting video over layer two networks of claim 10, wherein the receiving step comprises a controller providing an Internet Protocol address for a server, wherein the server is configured to provide the network-based content to a user.

12. The method for transporting video over layer two networks of claim 11, wherein the server is located in the access/aggregation network.

13. The method for transporting video over layer two networks of claim 10, wherein the request for content comes from a set-top box;

and

wherein a key is provided by one of Session Description Protocol and an Electronic Program Guide responsive to the content request, the key comprises the Ethernet Address.

14. The method for transporting video over layer two networks of claim 10, wherein the access/aggregation network utilizes Carrier Ethernet, wherein Carrier Ethernet comprises one or more of Optical Transport Network (OTN), Media Access Control-in-Media Access Control (MAC-in-MAC), Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) queue-in-queue (Q-in-Q), Provider Backbone Transport, and combinations thereof.

15. The method for transporting video over layer two networks of claim 10, wherein the accessing step comprises any of MPEG, Windows Media Video, Flash Video, MPEG-4, DivX and File Transfer Protocol over Ethernet directly.

16. The method for transporting video over layer two networks of claim 11, wherein the controller is located in a core network, wherein the core network includes both Internet Protocol and Ethernet capabilities.

17. The method for transporting video over layer two networks of claim 11, wherein the controller is accessed directly through Ethernet only through one of an extended version of 802.1 Generic Attribute Registration Protocol (GARP), a Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP), and a provided Ethernet address.

18. An access/aggregation network configured for video transport, comprising:

one or more network elements connected to one or more users, wherein one of the one or more users requests content from a controller; and

a server connected to one of the one or more network elements, wherein the server comprises content;

wherein the controller provides an address responsive to content requests;

wherein the address comprises one of an Ethernet Address and an Internet Protocol Address of the server; and

wherein the content is retrieved from the server with one of the Ethernet address and the Internet Protocol Address mapped to the Ethernet Address.

19. The access/aggregation network configured for interactive video transport of claim 18, wherein the one of the one or more users request content through a set-top box connected to the access/aggregation network;

and

wherein a key is provided by one of Session Description Protocol and an Electronic Program Guide responsive to the content request, the key comprises the Ethernet Address.

20. The access/aggregation network configured for interactive video transport of claim 19, wherein the access/aggregation network utilizes Carrier Ethernet, wherein Carrier Ethernet comprises one or more of Optical Transport Network (OTN), Media Access Control-in-Media Access Control (MAC-in-MAC), Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) queue-in-queue (Q-in-Q), Provider Backbone Transport, and combinations thereof.