Systems and Methods for Distributing Video on Demand

• US 20100058405A1
• Filed: 08/29/2008
• Published: 03/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gopalakrishnan, Vijay, Srivastava, Divesh, Jana, Rittwik, Ramakrishnan, Kadangode, Bhattacharjee, Samrat
• Granted Patent: US 8,752,100 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/97
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4856 for language selection, e.g. for the menu or subtitles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method of receiving content includes joining an in-progress multicast stream to receive a first portion of a content. The method further includes sending a request to a peer for a catch-up portion of the content, the request including a deadline for delivery of the content, and receiving the catch-up portion of the content from the peer prior to the deadline.

Claims

1. A method of receiving content, comprising:

joining an in-progress multicast stream to receive content;

sending a request to a peer for a catch-up portion of the content, the request including a deadline for delivery of the content; and

receiving the catch-up portion of the content from the peer prior to the deadline.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the content is one of a video content, a software package, and any combination thereof.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising substantially simultaneously receiving a first portion of the catch-up content from the peer and a second portion of the catch-up content from a second peer.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein sending the request to a peer includes broadcasting the request to a plurality of peers.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a list of available content from a plurality of peers, and determining the peer based on the list of available content.

6. A set-top box comprising:

a memory for storing content; and

a processor in communication with the memory, the processor configured to

join an in-progress multicast stream to receive a first portion of a content;

identify a peer likely to have a catch-up portion;

send a request to a peer for the catch-up portion of the content, the request including a deadline for delivery of the content; and

receive the catch-up portion of the content from the peer prior to the deadline.

7. The set-top box of claim 6 wherein the processor is further configured to identify the peer by receiving a list of peers from a server.

8. The set-top box of claim 7 wherein the server is one of a distributed set of servers.

9. The set-top box of claim 7 wherein the list of peers is based upon the peers having the chunk, proximity of the peers, network policies, peer ratings, or any combination thereof.

10. The set-top box of claim 7 wherein the processor is further configured to notify the server of chunks stored in the memory and available for delivery to a peer.

11. A method of providing content, comprising:

receiving a request for a chunk, the chunk including a portion of video content, the request including a deadline for delivery;

determining if the chunk is scheduled for delivery and if the scheduled delivery meets the deadline;

rescheduling delivery of the chunk when the chunk is not scheduled for delivery or the scheduled delivery fails to meet the deadline; and

delivering the chunk based on the rescheduling.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising rescheduling delivery of a second chunk to accommodate the rescheduled delivery of the chunk, the second chunk scheduled for delivery prior to the deadline.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein the delivery of the chunk is scheduled for just-in-time delivery to aggregate multiple requests for the chunk.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein delivering the chunk further includes delivering the chunk to a random set of non-requesting clients.

15. A content server comprising:

a memory storing a plurality of chunks; and

a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to

receive a request for a chunk of the plurality of chunks, the request including a deadline for delivery;

determine if the chunk is scheduled for delivery and if the scheduled delivery meets the deadline;

reschedule delivery of the chunk when the chunk is not scheduled for delivery or when the scheduled delivery fails to meet the deadline; and

deliver the chunk based on the rescheduled delivery.

16. The content server of claim 15 wherein the processor is configured to deliver the chunk through a multicast.

17. The content server of claim 15 wherein the chunk represents a portion of a video content that is dynamically incorporated into the video content as the video content is displayed.

18. The content server of claim 17 wherein the portion of a video content is an advertisement targeted to a subset of viewer.

19. A method of providing content, comprising:

receiving a request for a chunk, the chunk including a portion of a content, the request including a deadline for delivery;

determining if the chunk is available;

determining if there is sufficient upload bandwidth to deliver the chunk;

determining if there is sufficient time to deliver the chunk to meet the deadline; and

delivering the chunk when the chunk is available, when there is sufficient upload bandwidth to deliver the chunk, and when there is sufficient time to deliver the chunk to meet the deadline.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the chunk represents a portion of more than one video content.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the chunk represents a portion of an audio-video stream.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the chunk represents a discrete component of an audio-video stream.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the discrete component of the audio-video stream includes one of an audio component, a video component, a closed-captioning component, an alternate audio component, an alternate video component, or any combination thereof.