Dynamic Bandwidth Load Balancing in a Data Distribution Network

• US 20130160067A1
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Published: 06/20/2013
• 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 9,313,554 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/118
• 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 data streams over a plurality of channels to a plurality of devices including a first device, the plurality of channels being grouped as a plurality of bonded groups;

receiving, by at least one computing device, a request for a first data stream;

determining, by the at least one computing device, a first one of the bonded groups that includes both;

the first data stream, and

a subset of all data streams, not including the first data stream, that are currently assigned to the first device; and

assigning the determined first one of the bonded groups to the first device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding to the first one of the bonded groups those of said currently-assigned data streams that are not already included in the first one of the bonded groups.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining a capacity of the first one of the bonded groups, and wherein said determining comprises determining the first one of the bonded groups so as to include a largest subset of other data streams currently assigned to the first device compared to the others of the plurality of bonded groups, and such that the capacity of the first one of the bonded groups is sufficient to add those of said currently-assigned data streams that are not already included in the first one of the bonded groups.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data stream comprises video data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of bonded groups includes a plurality of data streams.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said assigning comprises communicating, by the at least one computing device, with the first device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data stream is one of said plurality of data streams.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein when said determining is performed, the first data stream is currently unassigned to the first device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said assigning comprises the first device receiving, and presenting for display, at least the first data stream of the first one of the bonded groups.

10. A method, comprising:

transmitting a plurality of data streams to a plurality of devices including a first device;

determining, by at least one computing device, whether one of a plurality of groups of the data streams includes both;

a first data stream, and

all data streams currently assigned to the first device;

if not, then determining, by the at least one computing device, at least a first group of the plurality of groups that includes both;

the first data stream, and

a subset of all data streams, not including the first data stream, that are currently assigned to the first device; and

if so, then assigning, by the at least one computing device, the first bonded group to the first device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein prior to performing both of said determining steps, the first device is assigned to a second bonded group different from the first bonded group.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said determining at least the first bonded group comprises:

determining a second bonded group that includes both;

the first data stream, and

a subset of all data streams, not including the first data stream, currently assigned to the first device; and

comparing a size of the subset of the first bonded group with a size of the subset of the second bonded group.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said determining at least the first bonded group comprises:

determining a second bonded group that includes both;

the first data stream, and

a subset of all data streams, not including the first data stream, currently assigned to the first device; and

comparing a capacity of the first bonded group with a capacity of the subset of the second bonded group.

14. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by at least one transmitter device, a plurality of data streams to a plurality of devices including a first device;

determining, by at least one computing device, a first group of a plurality of groups of the data streams that includes both;

the first data stream, and

a subset of all data streams, not including the first data stream, that are currently assigned to the first device;

adding, to the first group, all other data streams currently assigned to the first device; and

transmitting, by the at least one transmitter device to at least the first device, the first group including the first data stream and said all other data streams currently assigned to the first device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of groups includes at least two of the plurality of data streams.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of groups comprises a bonded group.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining, by the at least one computing device, whether the first group has bandwidth available to add said all other data streams currently assigned to the first device, and if so, then performing said adding.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said determining comprises determining the first group such that the first group has a largest subset of all data streams, not including the first data stream, currently assigned to the first device, as compared with the others of the plurality of groups.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting each of the plurality of groups over a different frequency band.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising tuning, by the first device, to at least the first data stream included in the first group.