Method for Bandwidth Regulation on a Cable Television System Channel

• US 20090041118A1
• Filed: 10/09/2008
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ActiveVideo Networks, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ActiveVideo Networks, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Robert, Pavlovskaia, Lena, Landau, Airan, Kohn, Amos
• Granted Patent: US 8,442,110 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

A method for regulating bandwidth usage in an output data stream transmitted on an analog channel from a cable head end. The output data stream comprises a plurality of input information content signals. For each input information content signal, a series of images are captured, compressed and formed into an input digital data stream. The bandwidth of each input digital data stream is regulated by associating the stream with a current bit allocation total. During each frame time: a bit allocation increment is added to the current bit allocation total for each input digital data stream. When a data packet to be transmitted for an input digital data stream is received by the multiplexer, the data packet is stored. When the number of bits in the stored data packet is not more than the current bit allocation total for the input digital data stream, the multiplexer forwards the stored data packet for transmission in the output data stream on the analog channel and decrements the current bit allocation total for the given input digital data stream by the number of bits in the stored data packet. In this way, no individual input channel takes more than its share of the bandwidth on the output stream on the analog channel.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting a plurality of input information content signals as an output data stream on an analog channel from a cable head end including:

a. for a given input information content signal in the plurality of input information content signals, capturing a series of images from the given input information content signal, compressing the series of images, forming a given input digital data stream from the compressed series of images, the given input digital data stream broken into packets, and outputting the given input digital data stream to a multiplexer;

b. regulating the bandwidth of the given input digital data stream at the multiplexer, the given input digital data stream associated with a current bit allocation total, including, during each frame time;

adding a bit allocation increment to the current bit allocation total for the given input digital data stream;

when a data packet to be transmitted for the given input digital data stream is received by the multiplexer, storing the data packet; and

when the number of bits in the stored data packet is not more than the current bit allocation total for the given input digital data stream, forwarding the stored data packet for transmission in the output data stream on the analog channel and decrementing the current bit allocation total for the given input digital data stream by the number of bits in the stored data packet.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the output data stream is encoded as an MPEG stream.

3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the given input digital data stream is representative of a web page.

4. A method according to claim 1 wherein regulating the bandwidth of the given input digital data stream at the multiplexer further includes during each frame time:

when the number of bits in the stored data packet is more than the current bit allocation total for the given input digital data stream, forwarding a dummy frame packet for transmission in the output data stream and decrementing the current bit allocation total for the given input digital data stream by the number of bits in the dummy frame packet.

5. A method according to claim 4, wherein the dummy frame packet contains a P frame.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein capturing a series of images from the given input information content signal and regulating the bandwidth of the given input digital data stream at the multiplexer are repeated for each input information content signal in the plurality of input information content signals.

7. A computer program product for use on a computer system for transmitting a plurality of input information content signals as an output data stream on an analog channel from a cable head end, the computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code stored thereon, the computer readable program code including:

a. for a given input information content signal in the plurality of input information content signals, program code for capturing a series of images from the given input information content signal, compressing the series of images, forming a given input digital data stream from the compressed series of images, the given input digital data stream broken into packets, and outputting the given input digital data stream to a multiplexer;

b. program code for regulating the bandwidth of the given input digital data stream at the multiplexer, the given input digital data stream associated with a current bit allocation total, including, during each frame time;

adding a bit allocation increment to the current bit allocation total for the given input digital data stream;

when a data packet to be transmitted for the given input digital data stream is received by the multiplexer, storing the data packet; and

when the number of bits in the stored data packet is not more than the current bit allocation total for the given input digital data stream, forwarding the stored data packet for transmission in the output data stream on the analog channel and decrementing the current bit allocation total for the given input digital data stream by the number of bits in the stored data packet.

8. A computer program product according to claim 7 wherein the output data stream is encoded as an MPEG stream.

9. A computer program product according to claim 7 wherein the given input digital data stream is representative of a web page.

10. A computer program product according to claim 7 wherein regulating the bandwidth of the given input digital data stream at the multiplexer further includes during each frame time:

when the number of bits in the stored data packet is more than the current bit allocation total for the given input digital data stream, forwarding a dummy frame packet for transmission in the output data stream and decrementing the current bit allocation total for the given input digital data stream by the number of bits in the dummy frame packet.

11. A computer program product according to claim 10, wherein the dummy frame packet contains a P frame.

12. A computer program product according to claim 7 wherein capturing a series of images from the given input information content signal and regulating the bandwidth of the given input digital data stream at the multiplexer are repeated for each input information content signal in the plurality of input information content signals.