APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR MULTI-STAGE MULTIPLEXING IN A NETWORK

• US 20100077427A1
• Filed: 10/12/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brooks, Paul D., Helms, William L.
• Granted Patent: US 8,265,104 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1682 Allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users, e.g. concentrated multiplexers, statistical multiplexers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23655 Statistical multiplexing, e.g. by controlling the encoder to alter its bitrate to optimize the bandwidth utilization
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13367 Hierarchical multiplexing, add-drop multiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2213/13376 Information service, downloading of information, 0800/0900 services

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for performing multiplexing of video or other content (e.g., programs) within a network using feed-back from a subsequent digital program insertion stage, and/or feed-forward information from a prior multiplexing stage. In one embodiment, the network comprises a hybrid fiber coax (HFC) cable network having headend and hub-based statistical multiplexing stages, and communication between the two stages is used to improve the visual quality performance and bandwidth utilization of the output multi-program stream during conditions where downstream content is inserted into the transport stream. Business methods associated with the various multiplexing features described above are also disclosed.

Claims

1-41. -41. (canceled)

42. A method of providing advertising or promotions over a content-based network having at least first and second multiplexing stages disposed within said network, said method comprising:

multiplexing a plurality of first content elements together at the first multiplexing stage to form a first multiplex; and

providing feed-back information to said first multiplexing stage from the second multiplexing stage within said network, said second stage being downstream in a transmission path from said first stage;

wherein said feed-back information relates to one or more secondary content elements to be inserted into said first multiplex at said second stage in order to form a second multiplex; and

wherein said first multiplexing stage utilizes said feed-back information to adjust at least one parameter associated with its operation in order to accommodate said one or more inserted secondary content elements.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein said act of utilizing to adjust at least one parameter comprises adjusting the bitrate associated with at least one of said plurality of first content elements.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said act of adjusting the bitrate associated with at least one of said plurality of first content elements comprises adjusting so as to mitigate transients in bandwidth requirements caused by said insertion at said second stage.

45. The method of claim 43, wherein said act of adjusting the bitrate associated with at least one of said plurality of first content elements comprises adjusting so as to maintain substantial uniformity in a profile of required bandwidth during said insertion at said second stage.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein said act of adjusting the bitrate associated with at least one of said plurality of first content elements comprises substantially reducing the bitrate allocated to one of said plurality of first content elements, said one of said plurality being replaced by said one or more secondary content elements at said second stage.

47. The method of claim 42, wherein said second stage comprises a plurality of multiplexing processes associated with respective ones of hubs of said content-based network, and said act of providing feed-back information comprises:

collecting information from two or more of said multiplexing processes;

processing said collected information to generate said feed-back information; and

transmitting said feed-back information to said first stage.

48. The method of claim 42, wherein said second stage comprises a plurality of multiplexing processes associated with respective ones of hubs of said content-based network, and said act of providing feed-back information comprises:

collecting first information from selective ones of said multiplexing processes;

transmitting said collected first information to said first stage as first feed-back information;

collecting second information from others of said multiplexing processes;

processing said collected second information to generate second feed-back information; and

transmitting said second feed-back information to said first stage.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein said processing said collected second information comprises processing to enable a determination of an effect on quality of at least one of said first content elements resulting from said insertion.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein said processing determination of an effect on quality of at least one of said first content elements resulting from said insertion comprises an actual effect determined after said insertion has been performed.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein said processing determination of an effect on quality of at least one of said first content elements resulting from said insertion comprises a projected or estimated effect determined before said insertion has been performed.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein said method further comprises, based at least in part on said second said feed-back information, throttling or restricting said adjustment of said at least one parameter.

53. The method of claim 42, wherein said content-based network comprises a cable television network, and said secondary content elements comprise at least one of:

(i) advertisements; and

/or (ii) promotions.

54. The method of claim 42, wherein said feed-back information relating to one or more secondary content elements comprises at least one of:

(i) picture rate timing information, and/or (ii) macroblock/slice rate timing information.

55. The method of claim 42, wherein said feed-back information relating to one or more secondary content elements comprises at least one of (i) scene change detection information, (ii) 3:

2 pulldown sequencing information, (iii) field/frame compression mode, and/or (iv) picture quality information.

56. The method of claim 42, wherein said feed-back information relating to one or more secondary content elements comprises at least one of:

(i) number of secondary content elements to be inserted;

(ii) the starting and/or stopping times of the secondary content element insertion; and

/or (iii) the duration of one or more of said secondary content elements.

57. A method of providing content to a plurality of users within a content-based network having at least first and second multiplex stages, comprising:

providing opportunities for content insertion within one or more designated distribution zones of said content-based network;

receiving requests for said insertion;

generating a first content multiplex at said first stage; and

inserting content into said first multiplex within selected ones of said distribution zones based at least in part on said requests;

wherein said act of generating is based at least in part on information relating to said act of inserting fed back from said second stage to said first stage.

58. The method of claim 57, wherein said information comprises at least one of information selected from the group consisting of:

(i) characteristics of said inserted content; and

(ii) timing information related to said inserted content.

59. The method of claim 58, wherein said act of generating based at least in part on said information comprises at least one of:

(i) reducing the bandwidth allocated to at least one of a plurality of constituent content elements within said first multiplex; and

/or (ii) reducing the number of a plurality of constituent content elements within said first multiplex.

60. The method of claim 59, wherein said inserted content comprises advertisements or promotional content.

61. A multiplexing apparatus for use within a content-based network, said network having at least one second multiplexing apparatus disposed therein, said multiplexing apparatus comprising:

apparatus adapted to generate a first multiplex comprising a plurality of content elements;

apparatus adapted to receive feed-back information from said at least one second multiplexing apparatus, said second multiplexing apparatus being downstream in a transmission path from said multiplexing apparatus, and said feed-back information relating to one or more secondary content elements to be inserted into said first multiplex at said second multiplexing apparatus during formation of a second multiplex; and

apparatus adapted to utilize said feed-back information to adjust at least one parameter associated with said generation of said first multiplex in order accommodate said one or more inserted secondary content elements.

62. The apparatus of claim 61, further comprising apparatus adapted to transmit information regarding said generated first multiplex to said second multiplexing apparatus substantially contemporaneously with the provision of said first multiplex to said second multiplexing apparatus.

63. The apparatus of claim 61, wherein said at least one parameter comprises a bitrate associated with at least one of said plurality of content elements.

64. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein said apparatus adapted to utilize said feed-back information utilizes said feed-back information to adjust said bitrate so as to mitigate transients in bandwidth requirements caused by said insertion at said second multiplexing stage.

65. The apparatus of claim 63, wherein said apparatus adapted to utilize said feed-back information utilizes said bitrate so as to maintain substantial uniformity in profile of required bandwidth during said insertion at said second multiplexing stage.

66. A multiplexing apparatus for use in a content-based network having at least first and second multiplexing apparatus, said multiplexing apparatus comprising:

a receiver configured to receive one or more requests for content insertion within one or more designated distribution zones of said content-based network;

a first apparatus configured to generate a first content multiplex; and

a second apparatus configured to;

transmit said first content multiplex to said second multiplexing apparatus, said second multiplexing for insertion of said content into said first multiplex within selected ones of said zones based at least in part on said one or more requests; and

receive information relating to said insertion from said second multiplexing apparatus;

wherein said first apparatus is further configured to utilize said information relating to said insertion at least in part to generate said first content multiplex.

67. The apparatus of claim 66, wherein said information relating to said insertion comprises at least one of:

(i) characteristics of said inserted content; and

(ii) timing information related to said inserted content.

68. The apparatus of claim 66, wherein said first apparatus generates said first content multiplex by reducing the bandwidth allocated to at least one of a plurality of constituent content elements within said first multiplex.

69. The apparatus of claim 66, wherein said first apparatus generates said first content multiplex by reducing the number of a plurality of constituent content elements within said first multiplex.

70. The apparatus of claim 66, wherein said inserted content comprises advertisements or promotional content.

71. The apparatus of claim 66, wherein said first apparatus is configured to introduce a delay into the first content multiplex, and wherein said transmission of said first content multiplex to said second multiplexing apparatus occurs substantially simultaneously with the expiration of said delay.