DYNAMIC BANDWIDTH LOAD BALANCING IN A DATA DISTRIBUTION NETWORK

• US 20120054312A1
• Filed: 08/24/2010
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Salinger, Jorge
• Granted Patent: US 8,392,533 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1089 by adding media; by removing media
• 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: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/236 Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream multiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• 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 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and software are described for implementing dynamic bandwidth load balancing in a data distribution network that provides a plurality of simultaneous video streams over a plurality of channels arranged as a plurality of bonded groups. Various factors may affect the assignment of bonded groups, from initial client device registration through subsequent video stream requests.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting a plurality of video streams over a plurality of channels to a plurality of client devices including a first client device, the plurality of channels being grouped as a plurality of bonded groups;

receiving a request for a first video stream; and

determining whether the first video stream is included in a first one of the bonded groups that is currently assigned to the first client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a second video stream to the first client device;

responsive to determining that the first video stream is not included in the first one of the bonded groups, determining whether any of the bonded groups includes both the first video stream and the second video stream; and

responsive to determining that a second one of the bonded groups includes both the first and second video streams, assigning the second one of the bonded groups to the first client device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a second video stream to the first client device;

responsive to determining that the first video stream is not included in the first one of the bonded groups, determining whether any of the bonded groups includes both the first video stream and the second video stream; and

responsive to determining that none of the bonded groups includes both the first and second video streams, determining whether the first one of the bonded groups has available bandwidth to add the first video stream.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, responsive to determining that the first one of the bonded groups has the available bandwidth to add the first video stream, adding the first video stream to the first one of the bonded groups and assigning the first one of the bonded groups including the first video stream to the first client device.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising, responsive to determining that the first one of the bonded groups does not have the available bandwidth to add the first video stream, determining whether the first video stream is currently being streamed in any of the other bonded groups.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, responsive to determining that the first video stream is currently being streamed in a second one of the bonded groups, assigning the second one of the bonded groups to the first client device.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising, responsive to determining that the second video stream is not currently being streamed in any of the other bonded groups, selecting a second one of the bonded groups, adding the second video stream to the second one of the bonded groups, and assigning the second one of the bonded groups including the second video stream to the first client device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein selecting the second one of the bonded groups comprises selecting the second one of the bonded groups so as to minimize replications of the plurality of video streams.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the plurality of video streams comprises both audio and video.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a data interface configured to transmit a plurality of video streams over a plurality of channels to a plurality of client devices including a first client device, the plurality of channels being grouped as a plurality of bonded groups; and

a controller coupled to the data interface,

wherein the apparatus is configured to, responsive to receiving a request for a first video stream, determine whether the first video stream is included in a first one of the bonded groups that is currently assigned to the first client device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further configured to:

transmit a second video stream to the first client device;

responsive to determining that the first video stream is not included in the first one of the bonded groups, determine whether any of the bonded groups includes both the first video stream and the second video stream; and

responsive to determining that a second one of the bonded groups includes both the first and second video streams, assign the second one of the bonded groups to the first client device.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the apparatus is further configured to:

transmit a second video stream to the first client device;

responsive to determining that the first video stream is not included in the first one of the bonded groups, determine whether any of the bonded groups includes both the first video stream and the second video stream; and

responsive to determining that none of the bonded groups includes both the first and second video streams, determine whether the first one of the bonded groups has available bandwidth to add the first video stream.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further configured to, responsive to determining that the first one of the bonded groups has the available bandwidth to add the first video stream, add the first video stream to the first one of the bonded groups and assign the first one of the bonded groups including the first video stream to the first client device.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further configured to, responsive to determining that the first one of the bonded groups does not have the available bandwidth to add the first video stream, determine whether the first video stream is currently being streamed in any of the other bonded groups.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further configured to, responsive to determining that the first video stream is currently being streamed in a second one of the bonded groups, assign the second one of the bonded groups to the first client device.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the apparatus is further configured to, responsive to determining that the second video stream is not currently being streamed in any of the other bonded groups, select a second one of the bonded groups, add the second video stream to the second one of the bonded groups, and assign the second one of the bonded groups including the second video stream to the first client device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the apparatus is further configured to select the second one of the bonded groups so as to minimize replications of the plurality of video streams.

18. A method, comprising:

transmitting a first video stream to a first client device;

transmitting a plurality of other video streams to a plurality of other client devices, wherein the first video stream and the plurality of other video streams are transmitted over a plurality of channels that are grouped into a plurality of bonded groups;

determining whether any of the plurality of bonded groups includes both the first video stream and a second video stream;

choosing one of the plurality of bonded groups based on an outcome of the determining; and

transmitting the first and second video streams in the chosen one of the plurality of bonded groups to the first client device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein choosing comprises choosing the chosen one of the bonded groups that includes both the first and second video streams.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising determining that none of the plurality of bonded groups includes both the first and second video streams, wherein choosing comprises determining whether a first one of the bonded groups currently being streamed to the first client device has available bandwidth to add the second video stream, and if so, choosing the first one of the bonded groups as the chosen one of the bonding groups.