Multicast Distribution of Incrementally Enhanced Content

• US 20120151039A1
• Filed: 12/13/2010
• Published: 06/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sayko, Robert J., Altom, Mark W., Nortz, Douglas M., Segelstein, David J., Feit, Susan, Zink, John H.
• Granted Patent: US 9,531,774 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• 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: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2389 Multiplex stream processing, e.g. multiplex stream encrypting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876

Abstract

A client system includes a processor configured to obtain multicast information for a content item, the multicast information including information about a multicast session for a base stream and additional multicast sessions for available incremental streams. The processor is also configured to determine an available bandwidth, and to join a set of initial multicast sessions based on the available bandwidth, the set of initial multicast sessions including the multicast session for the base stream and at least one of the additional multicast sessions for the incremental streams. The processor is also configured to monitor a network condition, and to perform an action based on the network condition, the action selected from the group consisting of joining another of the additional multicast sessions, leaving one of the initial multicast sessions, and a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A client device comprising:

a processor configured to;

obtain multicast information for a content item, the multicast information including information about a multicast session for a base stream and additional multicast sessions for available incremental streams;

determine an available bandwidth;

join a set of initial multicast sessions based on the available bandwidth, the set of initial multicast sessions including the multicast session for the base stream and at least one of the additional multicast sessions for the incremental streams;

monitor a network condition; and

perform an action based on the network condition, the action selected from the group consisting of joining another of the additional multicast sessions, leaving one of the initial multicast sessions, and a combination thereof.

2. The client device of claim 1, wherein the network condition includes one of a group consisting of a number of dropped packets, a number of out of order packets, a latency, and a combination thereof.

3. The client device of claim 1, wherein the set of initial multicast sessions is further based on a set of allowable incremental streams.

4. The client device of claim 3, further comprising determining the set of allowable incremental streams based on a service level of the client device.

5. The client device of claim 4, wherein the service level includes a maximum subscribed resolution, and the set of allowable incremental streams corresponds to the subset of incremental streams necessary for the maximum subscribed resolution.

6. The client device of claim 4, wherein the service level includes a maximum displayable resolution, and the set of allowable incremental streams corresponds to the subset of incremental streams necessary for the maximum displayable resolution.

7. The client device of claim 4, wherein the service level includes a maximum purchased resolution, and the set of allowable incremental streams corresponds to the subset of incremental streams necessary for the maximum purchased resolution.

8. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions to manipulate a processor, the plurality of instructions comprising:

instructions for obtaining multicast information for a content item, the multicast information including information about a multicast session for a base stream and additional multicast sessions for available incremental streams;

instructions for determining an available bandwidth;

instructions for joining a set of initial multicast sessions based on the available bandwidth, the set of initial multicast sessions including the multicast session for the base stream and at least one of the multicast sessions for the incremental streams;

instructions for monitoring a network condition; and

instructions for performing an action based on a change in the network condition, the action selected from the group consisting of joining another of the additional multicast sessions and leaving one of the initial multicast sessions.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the network condition includes one of a group consisting of a number of dropped packets, a number of out of order packets, a latency, and a combination thereof.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, further comprising instructions to determine a service level and a set of allowable incremental streams

11. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 10, wherein the initial set of incremental streams is further based on the set of allowable incremental streams

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 8, wherein the available incremental streams are a subset of incremental streams based on a service level of the client

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the service level includes a maximum subscribed resolution, and the available incremental streams corresponds to the subset of incremental streams necessary for the maximum subscribed resolution.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the service level includes a maximum displayable resolution, and the available incremental streams corresponds to the subset of incremental streams necessary for the maximum displayable resolution.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the service level includes a maximum purchased resolution, and the available incremental streams corresponds to the subset of incremental streams necessary for the maximum purchased resolution.

16. A server comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a request for content from a device;

determine a service level for the device;

determine available incremental streams based in the service level, the available incremental streams being a subset of incremental streams of an incremental layer encoded content, the incremental layer encoded content including a base stream and the incremental streams; and

provide multicast information to the device, the multicast information including information about joining multicast sessions for the base stream and the available incremental streams.

17. The server of claim 16, wherein the service level includes a maximum subscribed resolution, and the available incremental streams corresponds to the subset of incremental streams necessary for the maximum subscribed resolution.

18. The server of claim 16, wherein the service level includes a maximum displayable resolution and the available incremental streams corresponds to the subset of incremental streams necessary for the maximum displayable resolution.

19. The server of claim 16, wherein the service level includes a maximum purchased resolution, and the available incremental streams corresponds to the subset of incremental streams necessary for the maximum purchased resolution.