GATEWAY APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR DIGITAL CONTENT DELIVERY IN A NETWORK

• US 20110093900A1
• Filed: 10/20/2009
• Published: 04/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Chen, David, Patel, Vipul, Shah, Mehul, Miller, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 9,027,062 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for the delivery of digital content in a network. In one embodiment, the digital content comprises internet content received from an Internet host server in a first container format, and converted to a second container format at a headend entity of a cable television or satellite network. The headend entity transmits the re-containerized content to one or more consumer devices, and acts as a gateway device between the consumer devices and various internet content sources. Delivery of internet content from the gateway device can be via broadcast, nPVR, DVR and/or VOD delivery mechanisms. The internet content gateway device is adapted to request, receive and process the internet content. Requests for internet content may be made from either a CPE or the gateway device itself according to one or more rules. The content may also be selectively transcoded before re-encapsulation based on the consumer device capabilities.

Claims

1. For use in a content-based network having a plurality of premises devices in communication therewith, a method of re-encapsulating internet content for use on a premises device, said method comprising:

generating a list of all of the programs available in a transport stream;

extracting information;

extracting one or more elementary streams;

packetizing said one or more elementary streams using at least a portion of said information; and

multiplexing said packetized one or more elementary streams to a transport stream compatible with said premises device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said list further comprises a program number for each of said listed programs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each of said programs comprises an associated packet identifier for each of a plurality of packets associated therewith, said method further comprising generating a list of each packet identifier for each of said plurality of packets associated with individual ones of said programs.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said information comprises header information derived from one or more ISO boxes of an MP4 file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said information comprises timing information derived from one or more ISO boxes of an MP4 file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of extracting said one or more elementary streams comprises de-multiplexing and recreating said one or more elementary streams.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said act of de-multiplexing said one or more elementary streams using information contained in one or more ISO boxes of an MP4 file, and wherein said act of recreating said one or more elementary streams comprises adding sync words, sequence headers and picture headers.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding decoding/presentation time stamps (DTS/PTS) and program clock reference (PCR) information.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said multiplexing of said packetized one or more elementary streams comprises multiplexing said packetized elementary streams to MPEG-2 transport streams according to an MPEG-2 buffer and timing model.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said act of multiplexing said packetized one or more elementary streams comprises inserting null packets to create at least one constant bitrate (CBR) stream.

11. A gateway apparatus for use in the delivery of content to one or more of a plurality of consumer premises equipment (CPE) in communication therewith via a delivery network, the apparatus comprising:

a first interface for communication with said delivery network;

a second interface for communication with one or more host servers via an internetwork; and

a digital processor in communication with said first and second interfaces and adapted to run at least one computer program thereon, said computer program configured to;

receive said content;

process said content for transport over said delivery network; and

deliver said processed content to said one or more of said plurality of CPE via said delivery network.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said first interface comprises a radio frequency tuner capable of sending and receiving in-band and out-of-band signals.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein said computer program is further adapted to receive a request for specific content from at least one of said plurality of CPE and request said specific internet content from said one or more host servers.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said request comprises a request transmitted to said apparatus via an out-of-band signal, and said delivery of said content comprises delivery via an in-band signal.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said computer program is further adapted to request content periodically according to one or more rules.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said delivery of said content comprises broadcast delivery to more than one of said plurality of CPE simultaneously and according to a predetermined schedule, said schedule being related at least in part on said periodicity.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said processed content is stored at a storage entity associated with said gateway apparatus.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said computer program is further configured to enable on-demand content delivery functionality of said stored content, said delivery comprising on-demand delivery to at least one of said plurality of CPE.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein said first network interface is further adapted to enable said apparatus to communicate with at least one session resource manager (SRM), said SRM enabling an on-demand session between said gateway apparatus and at least one of said plurality of CPE for the delivery of content thereto.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said processing of said content by said computer program comprises utilizing said computer program to:

generate a list of all of the programs available in a first transport comprising the content;

extract one or more elementary streams from said first transport;

packetize said elementary streams; and

multiplex said packetized elementary streams to a second transport, said second transport comprising an encapsulation format usable by one or more of said plurality of CPE.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said processing of said content by said computer program further comprises utilizing said computer program to transcode said elementary streams from a first encoding format to a second encoding format, one or more of said plurality of CPE being capable of decoding said second encoding format.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said first format comprises 11.264, said second format comprises one of:

(i) Real, (ii) Windows Media; and

(iii) MPEG-2, and said encapsulation format comprises MPEG-2.

23. A method for the delivery of Internet content via a hybrid fiber-coaxial (HFC) network, the method comprising:

requesting said Internet content from a host server;

receiving said requested Internet content via an internet;

processing said requested Internet content for transport over said HFC network; and

streaming said processed Internet content to at least one premises device via said HFC network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said act of requesting Internet content comprises making Internet content requests according to one or more rules at prescribed periods.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said one or more rules includes at least one of:

(i) a time based period for repeating a request; and

(i) a criterion for said internet content.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said one or more rules is/are based at least in part on a profile associated with a requesting premises device.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein said act of processing said requested Internet content comprises de-encoding said Internet content from a first format, and re-encodinging said de-encoded Internet content to a second format, said second format being particularly selected to be compatible with said one or more of said premises devices.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein said act of processing further comprises multiplexing said re-encoded Internet content into a packetized multi-program transport stream.

29. The method of claim 23, further comprising establishing a video on-demand (VOD) session for a portal through which said at least one premises device selects said Internet content, wherein said act of streaming said Internet content comprises utilizing said VOD session.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said VOD session is re-used for subsequent request from said at least one premises device for new Internet content.

31. For use in a content-based network having a plurality of client devices in communication therewith, a method of re-encapsulating internet content from MP4 encapsulation format to MPEG-2 encapsulation format in order to utilize said content on at least one consumer premises equipment (CPE), said method comprising:

receiving a plurality of programs in an MP4 format container;

generating a program map table (PMT) and a program association table (PMT) of said programs;

extracting information from one or more International Standardization Organization (ISO) boxes of said MP4 container;

extracting from said MP4 container a plurality of elementary streams using information contained in one or more ISO boxes of said MP4 container;

encapsulating said elementary streams into a packetized format suitable for MPEG-2 transmission, said encapsulation comprising utilizing said extracted information to add sync words, sequence headers and picture headers;

multiplexing said packetized elementary streams into an MPEG-2 multiple program transport stream; and

delivering said MPEG-2 transport stream to said at least one CPE.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said MP4 container is received via the Internet from at least one host server.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein said internet content comprises 11.264-encoded video content and advanced audio coding (AAC) encoded audio content.

34. A method of processing content rendered in a first format, comprising:

determining whether a target premises device is of a first configuration;

if said determining indicates that said target device is of said first configuration, then;

de-encoding said content from said first format;

re-encoding said content in a second, different format; and

encapsulating said re-encoded content in a container scheme for transport over a network.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said first format comprises 11.264, said second format comprises one of:

(i) Real, (ii) Windows Media; and

(iii) MPEG-2, and said container scheme comprises MPEG-2.

36. The method of claim 35, further comprising transporting said encapsulated re-encoded content over said network via a multiplexed multiple program transport stream (MPTS) to said target device.

37. The method of claim 34, further comprising de-multiplexing at least a portion of said content from a second container scheme format before said act of de-encoding.

38. A method of efficiently transmitting Internet media content over a content delivery network having a plurality of client devices in communication therewith, the method comprising:

obtaining said Internet content rendered in a first format and encoded according to a first encoding scheme;

removing said content from said first format; and

inserting said content encoded according to said first scheme into a second format for transport over said network to one or more of said client devices;

wherein said one or more client devices is configured to;

(i) receive said content within said second format;

(ii) remove said content encoded according to said first scheme; and

(iii) decode said encoded content for playback thereof.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein said plurality of client devices comprises legacy client devices and non-legacy devices, said non-legacy devices being adapted to decode said content encoded according to said first scheme, and said first encoding scheme comprises a scheme which is substantially more bandwidth efficient than a second encoding scheme native to said legacy devices.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said first scheme comprises H.264, and said second scheme comprises MPEG-1 or MPEG-2.