Multi-Stream Communication

• US 20130051300A1
• Filed: 08/31/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: He, Ting, Pappas, Vasileios, Verma, Dinesh
• Granted Patent: US 8,804,721 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/30 Resource management for broadcast services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 for selective distribution or broadcast

Abstract

A method for reducing bandwidth used in multiple transmissions on a cellular network includes mapping at least one request of at least one end-device to a unicast channel between server and an intermediary in the network, creating a correlated multicast communication channel between the intermediary and the at least one end-device, and transferring data from the unicast channel to a multicast channel at the intermediary.

Claims

1. A computer program product for reducing bandwidth used by multiple transmissions, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to map at least one request of at least one end-device to a unicast channel between server and an intermediary;

computer readable program code configured to create a correlated multicast communication channel between the intermediary and the at least one end-device; and

computer readable program code configured to transfer data from the unicast channel to a multicast channel at the intermediary.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, further comprising computer readable program code configured to combine the at least one request with at least one additional request of at least one end-device.

3. The computer program product of claim 2, further comprising computer readable program code configured to create a multicast group including each end-device.

4. A computer program product for converting a unicast stream carrying content to an end-device in a communications network to a multicast stream, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to receive a plurality of connection requests from a plurality of devices including the end-device;

computer readable program code configured to determine that the connection requests are to be combined;

computer readable program code configured to add the end-device to a multicast group; and

computer readable program code configured to relay the content of the unicast stream to the multicast stream.

5. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the computer readable program code configured to determine that the connection requests are to be combined further comprises:

computer readable program code configured to receive a parameter; and

computer readable program code configured to execute a rule for making the determination.

6. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the computer readable program code configured to determine that the connection requests are to be combined further comprises:

computer readable program code configured to compare a number of the connection requests to a threshold.

7. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the computer readable program code configured to determine that the connection requests are to be combined further comprises:

computer readable program code configured to receive a value indicating a number of devices connected to a server; and

computer readable program code configured to compare the number of devices to a threshold.

8. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the computer readable program code configured to determine that the connection requests are to be combined further comprises:

computer readable program code configured to determine an indication of traffic between a server and the devices; and

computer readable program code configured to compare the indication of traffic to a threshold.

9. The computer program product of claim 4, wherein the computer readable program code configured to determine that the connection requests are to be combined further comprises:

computer readable program code configured to determine a likelihood of the content being requested; and

computer readable program code configured to compare the likelihood to a threshold.

10. A system comprising an edge device in communication with a plurality of devices consuming content, wherein the edge device is disposed between the plurality of devices and a server, the edge device comprising a processor determining a parameter of the content consumption and executing a plurality of rules taking the parameter as input for combining a plurality of unicast streams between the edge device and the plurality of devices into a multicast stream.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the edge device identifies the plurality unicast streams by deep packet inspection.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the edge device identifies the plurality unicast streams by session tracking.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the edge device combines the plurality of unicast streams corresponding to a plurality of connection requests from the plurality of devices, determines that the connection requests are to be combined, adds the plurality of devices to a multicast group, and relays the content of the unicast stream to the multicast stream.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the edge device compares a number of the connection requests to a threshold.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the edge device determines that the connection requests are to be combined according to traffic between the server and the plurality of devices and a threshold for traffic.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the edge device determines that the connection requests are to be combined by determining a likelihood of specific content being requested and comparing the likelihood to a threshold for the likelihood.