Internet Protocol Multicast Content Delivery

• US 20110142042A1
• Filed: 12/11/2009
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Field, Brian E.
• Granted Patent: US 8,254,385 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/390
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2396 characterized by admission policies admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for network security using user profiles for access control H04L63/102; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A first device communicates with subscriber devices in an access network. A communication is sent from a subscriber device to the first device requesting that the subscriber device be permitted to join a multicast group associated with data for a desired content. After determining that the subscriber device is authorized to receive that content, the first device sends one or more multicast signaling communications to a second device. The multicast signaling communications instruct the second device to join the requested multicast group and provide an identifier associated with that multicast group. After joining the multicast group and receiving content data packets of that group, the second device encapsulates those received packets in frames according to an access network media access control (MAC) protocol and forwards the MAC frames to the subscriber device. The MAC frames include the identifier provided to the second device by the first device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a multicast request communication, at a first device from a subscriber device in communication with the first device over an access network, requesting membership in a multicast group; and

transmitting a multicast signaling communication to a second device as a result of the multicast request communication, wherein

the multicast signaling communication includes an instruction to the second device to obtain membership in the multicast group,

the multicast signaling communication provides an identifier for inclusion with data packets associated with the multicast group when said multicast group data packets are encapsulated by the second device according to a media access control (MAC) protocol used in the access network, and

the identifier corresponds to the multicast group.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving authorization from a third device for the requested membership in the multicast group, and wherein said transmitting step includes transmitting the multicast signaling communication in response to said received authorization.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first device is in two way communication with the subscriber device and the first device controls use of the access network according to the access network MAC protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving unicast data packets at the first device from outside the access network;

encapsulating the received unicast data packets according to the access network MAC protocol at the first device; and

forwarding the encapsulated unicast data packets to the subscriber device from the first device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the multicast signaling communication at the second device;

in response to the received multicast signaling communications, obtaining membership in the multicast group;

receiving, from outside the access network and not from the first device, data packets associated with the multicast group;

encapsulating the received multicast group data packets at the second device according to the access network MAC protocol, wherein the encapsulation of each encapsulated multicast group data packet includes the identifier corresponding to the multicast group associated with the encapsulated data packet; and

forwarding the encapsulated multicast group data packets to the subscriber device from the second device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the access network is a Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) access network, the first device is a cable modem termination system (CMTS), the second device is a quadrature amplitude modulation device that is separate from the CMTS, the access network MAC protocol is a DOCSIS protocol, and the identifier is a DOCSIS Downstream Service Identifier (DSID).

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the multicast group is an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast group and the multicast data group packets are IP packets.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving unicast data packets at the first device from outside the access network;

encapsulating the received unicast data packets according to the access network MAC protocol at the first device;

forwarding the encapsulated unicast data packets to the subscriber device from the first device;

receiving the multicast signaling communication at the second device;

in response to the received multicast signaling communication, obtaining membership in the multicast group;

receiving, from outside the access network and not from the first device, data packets associated with the multicast group;

encapsulating the received multicast group data packets at the second device according to the access network MAC protocol, wherein the encapsulation of each encapsulated multicast group data packet includes the identifier corresponding to the multicast group associated with the encapsulated data packet; and

forwarding the encapsulated multicast group data packets to the subscriber device from the second device.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving a multicast signaling communication from a first device at a second device, the received multicast signaling communication including instructions to the second device to obtain membership in a multicast group and providing an identifier associated with the multicast group, the identifier corresponding to the multicast group;

in response to the received multicast signaling communication, obtaining membership in the multicast group;

receiving data packets associated with the multicast group, wherein said data packets are not received from the first device;

encapsulating the received multicast group data packets at the second device according to an access network MAC protocol, wherein the encapsulation of each encapsulated multicast group data packet includes the identifier corresponding to the multicast group associated with the encapsulated data packet; and

forwarding the encapsulated multicast group data packets to a subscriber device over the access network.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the access network is a Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) access network, the first device is a cable modem termination system (CMTS), the second device is a quadrature amplitude modulation device that is separate from the CMTS, the access network MAC protocol is a DOCSIS protocol, and the identifier is a DOCSIS Downstream Service Identifier (DSID).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the multicast group is an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast group and the multicast data group packets are IP packets.

12. A system, comprising:

a first device having at least one memory and at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and to control the first device, and wherein the first device is configured to

receive a multicast request communication, from a subscriber device in communication with the first device over an access network, requesting membership in a multicast group, and

transmit a multicast signaling communication to a second device as a result of the multicast request communication, wherein

the multicast signaling communication includes an instruction to the second device to obtain membership in the multicast group,

the multicast signaling communication provides an identifier for inclusion with data packets associated with the multicast group when said multicast group data packets are encapsulated by the second device according to a media access control (MAC) protocol used in the access network, and

the identifier corresponds to the multicast group.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein

the first device is configured to receive authorization from a third device for the requested membership in the multicast group, and

the first device is configured to transmit the multicast signaling communication by transmitting the multicast signaling communication in response to said received authorization.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first device is in two way communication with the subscriber device and controls use of the access network according to the access network MAC protocol.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the first device is configured to

receive unicast data packets from outside the access network,

encapsulate the received unicast data packets according to the access network MAC protocol, and

forward the encapsulated unicast data packets to the subscriber device.

16. The system of claim 12, further comprising

a second device having at least one memory and at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory of the second device and to control the second device, and wherein the second device is configured to

receive the multicast signaling communication,

in response to the received multicast signaling communication, obtain membership in the multicast group,

receive, from outside the access network and not from the first device, data packets associated with the multicast group,

encapsulate the received multicast group data packets according to the access network MAC protocol, wherein the encapsulation of each encapsulated multicast group data packet includes the identifier corresponding to the multicast group associated with the encapsulated data packet, and

forward the encapsulated multicast group data packets to the subscriber device.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the access network is a Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) access network, the first device is a cable modem termination system (CMTS), the second device is a quadrature amplitude modulation device that is separate from the CMTS, the access network MAC protocol is a DOCSIS protocol, and the identifier is a DOCSIS Downstream Service Identifier (DSID).

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the multicast group is an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast group and the multicast data group packets are IP packets.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein

the first device is configured to receive unicast data packets from outside the access network, to encapsulate the received unicast data packets according to the access network MAC protocol, and to forward the encapsulated unicast data packets to the subscriber device,

the second device is configured to receive the multicast signaling communication, to obtain membership in the multicast group in response to the received multicast signaling communication, to receive data packets associated with the multicast group from outside the access network and not from the first device, and to encapsulate the received multicast group data packets according to the access network MAC protocol,

the encapsulation of each encapsulated multicast group data packet includes the identifier corresponding to the multicast group associated with the encapsulated data packet, and

the second device is configured to forward the encapsulated multicast group data packets to the subscriber device.

20. A system, comprising:

a second device having at least one memory and at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and to control the second device, and wherein the second device is configured to

receive a multicast signaling communication from a first device, the received multicast signaling communication including an instruction to the second device to obtain membership in a multicast group and providing an identifier associated with the multicast group, the identifier corresponding to the multicast group,

obtaining membership in the multicast group in response to the received multicast signaling communication,

receive data packets associated with the multicast group, wherein said data packets are not received from the first device,

encapsulate the received multicast group data packets according to an access network MAC protocol, wherein the encapsulation of each encapsulated multicast group data packet includes the identifier corresponding to the multicast group associated with the encapsulated data packet, and

forward the encapsulated multicast group data packets to a subscriber device over the access network.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the access network is a Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) access network, the first device is a cable modem termination system (CMTS), the second device is a quadrature amplitude modulation device that is separate from the CMTS, the access network MAC protocol is a DOCSIS protocol, and the identifier is a DOCSIS Downstream Service Identifier (DSID).

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the multicast group is an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast group and the multicast data group packets are IP packets.