MULTICAST DELIVERY
First Claim
1. A method in a communication network for file delivery to a plurality of receivers, listening to a multi-cast channel, comprising the following steps:
- receiving and queuing requests for file delivery from at least one Application Server Platform at a Multi-Cast Controller, wherein each request comprises at least one attribute specifying a condition for how to handle the request and associated file content,retrieving file content from a respective ASP upon having determined that the file content is to be delivered from the MCC to the receivers over a multi-cast channel,scheduling each file delivery on the basis of the at least one attribute, andformatting and delivering file description information in at least one file entry, associated with the file content, prior to formatting and delivering the file content in at least one file instance.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and nodes in a communication network for controlling multi-cast delivery of files, wherein the multi-cast delivery is adapted to reduce the amount of required uni-cast file deliveries in the communication network. A browser of an IPTV Terminating Function requiring a file interrogates a cache of the IFT for the file content before a uni-cast request for file delivery is sent to an Application Service Platform. The files stored in the cache have been previously delivered to the IFT via the proposed multi-cast mechanism. If the file content is not stored in the cache, a uni-cast request is sent to the ASP. Each uni-cast request is also forwarded to a Multi-Cast Controller, which determines whether the requested file should be sent also to a plurality of additional IFTs on a multi-cast channel. At each IFT, listening to the multi-cast channel, the received content can be handled selectively according to a filtering mechanism, and a received file may, e.g. be stored in the cache for later retrieval.
35 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method in a communication network for file delivery to a plurality of receivers, listening to a multi-cast channel, comprising the following steps:
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receiving and queuing requests for file delivery from at least one Application Server Platform at a Multi-Cast Controller, wherein each request comprises at least one attribute specifying a condition for how to handle the request and associated file content, retrieving file content from a respective ASP upon having determined that the file content is to be delivered from the MCC to the receivers over a multi-cast channel, scheduling each file delivery on the basis of the at least one attribute, and formatting and delivering file description information in at least one file entry, associated with the file content, prior to formatting and delivering the file content in at least one file instance. - View Dependent Claims (2, 7, 8, 10, 11, 13, 14, 15)
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3. A method in a communication network for selectively receiving file content at a receiver listening to a multi-cast channel, comprising the following steps:
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receiving at least one file entry each comprising at least one attribute and an identifier linking the respective file entry to at least one file instance comprising file content and an identical identifier on the multi-cast channel, identifying file instances of interest to the receiver by matching the at least one attribute of each file entry with at least one selection criteria specifying reception requirements for the receiver, receiving file content in at least one file instance on the multi-cast channel, —
handling file instances of interest to the receiver according to the at least one attribute associated with the file instance. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5, 6, 9, 12)
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16. A receiver for selective reception of file content delivered on a multi-cast channel, comprising:
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means for joining the multi-cast channel, means for receiving at least one file entry on the multi-cast channel prior to receiving associated file content in at least one file instance, and means for identifying file instances that are considered relevant for the receiver by filtering received file entries. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. A multi-cast controller for managing multi-cast delivery to a plurality of receivers listening to a multi-cast channel managed by the MCC, comprising:
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means for receiving and queuing file delivery requests from at least one Service Provider Platform, wherein each request comprises at least one attribute each specifying a condition for how to handle the request and the associated file content, means for determining whether a file content is to be delivered from the MCC to the receivers over a multi-cast channel, means for retrieving a file content to be delivered over the multi-cast channel, means for scheduling each file delivery on the basis of the at least one attribute of the associated request, and means for formatting and delivering file description information in at least one file entry associated with the file content, prior to formatting and delivering the file content in at least one file instance. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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Specification