Adaptive Chunked and Content-aware Pacing of Multi-Media Delivery over HTTP Transport and Network Controlled Bit Rate Selection

• US 20110167170A1
• Filed: 03/15/2011
• Published: 07/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Movik Networks, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leary, Christopher, Agarwal, Sandeep, Purayil, Nizar K., Gupta, Ankush, Kovvali, Surya Kumar
• Granted Patent: US 9,043,467 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/74 measures in reaction to resource unavailability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/12 Systems in which the television signal is transmitted via one channel or a plurality of parallel channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the television signal H04N7/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A network device, capable of understanding communications between an end user and the core network on a RAN network is disclosed. In some embodiments, the device is able to decode the control plane and the user plane. As such, it is able to determine when the end user has requested multimedia content. Once this is known, the device can optimize the delivery of that content in several ways. In one embodiment, the device requests the content from the content server (located in the core network) and transmits this content in a just-in-time manner to the end user. In another embodiment, the device automatically changes the encoding and resolution of the content, based on overall monitored network traffic. In another embodiment, the device automatically selects or modifies the format and resolution options based on overall bandwidth limitations, independent of the end user.

Claims

1. A network device, adapted to operate on a RAN network, wherein components in said RAN network communicate using a plurality of protocols, said device comprising:

first and second interface modules, adapted to communicate with a respective first and second component in said RAN network, such that one of said interface modules delivers content to a user device on said RAN network;

a storage device; and

control logic adapted to interpret said plurality of protocols in a communication between said first and second component, and based on said communication, adapted to determine the byte count associated with each time interval of said content, and based on said determined byte count, to control the delivery of said content to said user to optimize resources of said RAN network.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein said content is delivered in packets to one of said interface modules from a content source;

and where said packet comprises said content, and a header comprising information about said content.

3. The network device of claim 2, wherein said information comprises presentation time and byte count.

4. The network device of claim 3, wherein said control logic is adapted to create a transmit schedule comprising information about time intervals and associated byte counts.

5. The network device of claim 2, wherein said packets utilize FLV, MP4, 3GP, or 3G2 format.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein said control logic determines a first parameter defining the amount of content to be sent to said user device at one time.

7. The network device of claim 1, wherein said control logic determines a second parameter defining to latency in delivering said content to said user device.

8. The network device of claim 7, wherein said control logic monitors activity in said RAN network and modifies said second parameter according to said monitored activity.

9. A method of delivering content to a user device on a RAN network, wherein components in said RAN network communicate using a plurality of protocols, said method comprising:

using a network device located between said user device and a content server to monitor communication between said user device and other components in said RAN network to determine the byte count associated with each time interval of said content to be delivered;

monitoring the activity in said RAN network;

estimating the time required to deliver said content to said user device based on said monitored activity;

determining a time interval, said time interval being defined as the quantity of content to be transmitted to said user device in a single segment;

dividing said content into a plurality of segments, each segment comprising a number of bytes of data determined to provide content requiring said time interval to consume;

transmitting a first of said plurality of segments to said user device;

waiting a predetermined time before transmitting a second of said plurality of segments to said user device, wherein said predetermined time is calculated based on said time interval and said estimated time to deliver said content.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing said content in a storage element in said network device prior to delivery to said user device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein if, before expiration of said predetermined time, said user terminates use of said content, said second segment is not delivered.

12. A method of controlling the content delivered to a user device on a RAN network, wherein components in said RAN network communicate using a plurality of protocols, said method comprising:

using a network device located between said user device and a content server to monitor communication between said user device and said content server in said RAN network to determine a request for a list of available formats is being made by said user device to said content server;

transmitting said request to said content server;

receiving said list from said content server;

monitoring the activity in said RAN network;

modifying said received list based on said monitored activity; and

transmitting said modified list to said user device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said list comprises at least two available formats, and said network device removes one of said formats from said list prior to said transmission to said user device.

14. A method of controlling the content delivered to a user device on a RAN network, wherein components in said RAN network communicate using a plurality of protocols, said method comprising:

using a network device located between said user device and a content server to monitor communication between said user device and a content server in said RAN network to determine a request for a list of available formats is being made by said user device to said content server;

monitoring the activity in said RAN network;

modifying said request based on said monitored activity;

transmitting said modified request to said content server; and

transmitting a response from said content server to said user device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said request comprises a flag requesting high definition formats and said network device removes said flag from said request prior to said transmission to said content server.

16. A method of delivering content to a user device on a RAN network, wherein components in said RAN network communicate using a plurality of protocols, said method comprising:

using a network device located between said user device and a content server to monitor communication between said user device and other components in said RAN network to determine that a multimedia file having a first resolution is being delivered from a content server to said user device;

monitoring the activity in said RAN network;

receiving packets comprising said multimedia file having said first resolution from said content server and using said network device to transmit said packets to said user device;

determining that, based on said monitored activity, said resolution should be modified to a second resolution;

requesting said multimedia file having said second resolution to be delivered to said network device from said content server; and

delivering said multimedia file having said second resolution to said user device from said network device.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said network device delivers said multimedia file having said second resolution automatically.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said network device modifies its delivery of said multimedia file to cause said user device to request said multimedia file having said second resolution.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said network device decreases its rate of delivery of said multimedia file having said first resolution so as to cause said user device to request said multimedia having said second resolution, wherein said second resolution is less than said first resolution.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein said network device increases its rate of delivery of said multimedia file having said first resolution so as to cause said user device to request said multimedia having said second resolution, wherein said second resolution is greater than said first resolution.

21. A method of controlling the content delivered to a user device on a RAN network, wherein components in said RAN network communicate using a plurality of protocols, said method comprising:

using a network device located between said user device and a content server to monitor communication between said user device and a content server in said RAN network to determine a request for content is being made by said user device to said content server;

monitoring the activity in said RAN network;

transmitting said requested content to said user device only if said monitored activity is below a predetermined threshold.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said network device does not forward said request to said content server if said monitored activity is above said threshold.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein said network device forwards said request to said content server, and makes a determination to transmit said content to said user device after receiving at least a portion of said content from said content server.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said network device transmits an error message to said user device is said activity is above said threshold.