IP VIDEO DELIVERY USING FLEXIBLE CHANNEL BONDING

• US 20110030019A1
• Filed: 07/26/2010
• Published: 02/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Ulm, John M., Patrick, Michael W., Maurer, Patrick M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,516,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/98
• 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 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2405 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the server, e.g. server load allocation of resources in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/50; performance measurement of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An IP video delivery system and method that allocates a first number of video streams for delivery on a number of channels that, provides a number of bonding groups, where each bonding group bonds at least one of the channels, and allocates a second number of video streams for delivery on the bonding groups. In one aspect, the method delivers the first video streams as unbonded on the channels. The bonding groups utilize bandwidth unused by the first video streams. In one aspect, the method utilizes bandwidth unused by the first or second video streams for high speed data. The method provides instantaneous load balancing to spread the first and second video streams across all available bandwidth in the channels, and delivers those video streams using a variable bit rate with no additional statistical multiplexing rate shaping to fit video streams into the channels.

Claims

1. A method for IP video delivery, comprising:

allocating a first number of video streams for delivery on a number of channels;

providing a number of bonding groups, wherein each bonding group bonds at least one of the channels; and

allocating a second number of video streams for delivery on the number of bonding groups.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each bonding group is flexibly sized.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first number of video streams are delivered as unbonded on the number of channels, and wherein each channel is a DOCSIS channel.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the number of bonding groups utilize bandwidth unused by the first number of video streams.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein high speed data utilizes bandwidth unused by the first number of video streams or the second number of video streams.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the high speed data includes at least one of best effort data traffic, web surfing, adaptive streaming, and video-on-demand.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing instantaneous load balancing to spread the first number of video streams and the second number of video streams across all available bandwidth in the number of channels.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

delivering the first number of video streams and the second number of video streams using a variable bit rate with no additional statistical multiplexing rate shaping to fit video streams into the number of channels.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein each bonding group is flexibly sized and bonds at least one of the number of channels or at least one of a number of high speed data channels.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first number of video streams include at least one popular content item.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second number of video streams include at least one long tail content item.

12. An IP video delivery system that includes a computing device, comprising:

a memory device resident in the computing device; and

a processor disposed in communication with the memory device, the processor configured to;

allocate a first number of video streams for delivery on a number of channels;

provide a number of bonding groups, wherein each bonding group bonds at least one of the channels; and

allocate a second number of video streams for delivery on the number of bonding groups.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein each bonding group is flexibly sized.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first number of video streams are delivered as unbonded on the number of channels, and wherein each channel is a DOCSIS channel.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the number of bonding groups utilize bandwidth unused by the first number of video streams.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein high speed data utilizes bandwidth unused by the first number of video streams or the second number of video streams.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the high speed data includes at least one of best effort data traffic, web surfing, adaptive streaming, and video-on-demand.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide instantaneous load balancing to spread the first number of video streams and the second number of video streams across all available bandwidth in the number of channels.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to:

deliver the first number of video streams and the second number of video streams using a variable bit rate with no additional statistical multiplexing rate shaping to fit video streams into the number of channels.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein each bonding group is flexibly sized and bonds at least one of the number of channels or at least one of a number of high speed data channels.

21. The system of claim 12, wherein the first number of video streams include at least one popular content item.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the second number of video streams include at least one long tail content item.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computing device, perform steps of:

allocating a first number of video streams for delivery on a number of channels;

providing a number of bonding groups, wherein each bonding group bonds at least one of the channels; and

allocating a second number of video streams for delivery on the number of bonding groups.