IP MULTICAST MANAGEMENT AND SERVICE PROVISION SYSTEM AND METHOD
First Claim
1. A method for provisioning a multicast stream in a network, wherein the network includes a first tier having a first Multicast Address Discovery (MCAD) directory and a second tier having a headend that includes a second MCAD directory and at least one MCAD-enabled device, wherein the first MCAD directory is coupled to the second level MCAD directory, comprising:
- the at least one MCAD-enabled device initiating a provisioning request, wherein the MCAD-enabled device queries the second MCAD directory for a first stream descriptor for a first multicast stream;
if the second MCAD directory includes the first stream descriptor,the second MCAD directory transmitting the first stream descriptor to the MCAD-enabled device;
if the second MCAD directory does not include the first stream descriptor,the second MCAD directory querying the first MCAD directory for the first stream descriptor,the first MCAD directory transmitting the first stream descriptor to the second MCAD directory,the second MCAD directory storing the first stream descriptor, andthe second MCAD directory transmitting the first stream descriptor to the MCAD-enabled device; and
the MCAD-enabled device parsing the first stream descriptor to obtain at least one set of video stream information therefrom; and
the MCAD-enabled device provisioning the first multicast stream using the at least one set of video stream information parsed from the first stream descriptor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A system (10), method (90) and apparatus (14) are provided for provisioning a multicast stream, such as an IP multicast stream, in a network. The system includes a first tier (12), such as a national backbone, with a first Multicast Address Discovery (MCAD) directory (34), and at least one second tier having a headend, such as a regional headend (14), with a second MCAD directory (36, 38). The system (10) includes a tiered MCAD directory network that allows the assignment of multicast addresses to multicast streams received from an upper tier MCAD directory. The tiered MCAD directory structure allows for requesting and storing stream descriptors and delivering stream descriptors on-demand to MCAD-enabled devices throughout the system. The system (10) also allows for stream provisioning maintenance and validation at lower tier headends via MCAD-enabled device queries or re-queries of upper tier MCAD directories.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for provisioning a multicast stream in a network, wherein the network includes a first tier having a first Multicast Address Discovery (MCAD) directory and a second tier having a headend that includes a second MCAD directory and at least one MCAD-enabled device, wherein the first MCAD directory is coupled to the second level MCAD directory, comprising:
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the at least one MCAD-enabled device initiating a provisioning request, wherein the MCAD-enabled device queries the second MCAD directory for a first stream descriptor for a first multicast stream; if the second MCAD directory includes the first stream descriptor, the second MCAD directory transmitting the first stream descriptor to the MCAD-enabled device; if the second MCAD directory does not include the first stream descriptor, the second MCAD directory querying the first MCAD directory for the first stream descriptor, the first MCAD directory transmitting the first stream descriptor to the second MCAD directory, the second MCAD directory storing the first stream descriptor, and the second MCAD directory transmitting the first stream descriptor to the MCAD-enabled device; and the MCAD-enabled device parsing the first stream descriptor to obtain at least one set of video stream information therefrom; and the MCAD-enabled device provisioning the first multicast stream using the at least one set of video stream information parsed from the first stream descriptor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system for provisioning a multicast stream in a network, comprising:
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a primary tier having a primary Multicast Address Discovery (MCAD) directory, wherein the primary tier produces at least one multicast video stream that includes an in-stream alias descriptor, wherein the in-stream alias descriptor has associated therewith a stream descriptor, wherein the stream descriptor has assigned thereto at least one set of video stream information; and a secondary tier having a headend that includes a secondary MCAD directory and at least one MCAD-enabled device, wherein the primary MCAD directory is coupled to the secondary MCAD directory, wherein the at least one MCAD-enabled device is configured to query the secondary MCAD directory for the stream descriptor for the at least one multicast video stream, wherein the secondary MCAD directory is configured to query the primary MCAD directory for the stream descriptor for the at least one multicast video stream if the secondary MCAD directory does not have a current version of the stream descriptor for the at least one multicast video stream, wherein the MCAD-enabled device parses the stream descriptor to obtain the at least one set of video stream information, and wherein the MCAD-enabled device provisions the multicast video stream for the MCAD-enabled device using the at least one set of video stream information. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for provisioning a multicast stream, wherein the multicast stream has associated therewith a stream descriptor that has assigned thereto at least one set of video stream information, the apparatus comprising:
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a Multicast Address Discovery (MCAD) directory; and at least one MCAD-enabled querying device coupled to the MCAD directory, wherein the MCAD-enabled querying device, in response to a provisioning request, queries the MCAD directory for the stream descriptor, wherein the MCAD-enabled querying device parses the stream descriptor to obtain the at least one set of video stream information, and wherein the MCAD-enabled querying device provisions the multicast stream using the at least one set of video stream information. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17)
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Specification