VIDEO ON DEMAND OVER SATELLITE

• US 20150358692A1
• Filed: 06/04/2015
• Published: 12/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gilat Satellite Networks Limited
• Original Assignee: Gilat Satellite Networks Limited
• Inventors: Markovitz, Oren
• Granted Patent: US 9,924,239 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Consumption habits of video content have been changing for some time, as more people (especially young people) prefer video on demand (VOD) services over linear channels. Disclosed is a communication system configured to efficiently deliver video content on demand over a satellite medium. Also disclosed are methods for efficiently delivering video content on demand using multicast transmissions and caching of video title prefixes.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

dividing content associated with a title into a plurality of segments;

generating, for the content associated with the title, a title prefix comprising at least one segment of the plurality of segments;

transmitting, via one or more multicast transmissions, the title prefix comprising the at least one segment;

receiving, from a client device, a request for the content;

determining, based on the request, one or more segments, of the plurality of segments, to be transmitted; and

transmitting, in a transmission session comprising one or more multicast transmissions, the one or more segments to a plurality of client devices comprising the client device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the title prefix comprising the at least one segment comprises:

determining, based on at least one of a length property associated with the title, a popularity figure associated with the title, an estimated likelihood that the title will be requested more than a predetermined number of times, a cost figure corresponding to a cost of storing a title prefix of a predefined length in a storage, or a cost figure corresponding to a cost of an estimated amount of bandwidth needed for transmitting a title prefix of a predefined length, a length property for the title prefix comprising the at least one segment; and

generating, in accordance with the length property for the title prefix comprising the at least one segment, the title prefix comprising the at least one segment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the one or more segments to be transmitted comprises determining, based on a determination that the title prefix is stored in a storage associated with the client device, not to transmit the at least one segment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the one or more segments comprises delaying transmission of at least one of the one or more segments until a time determined to be sufficient for the client device to receive the at least one of the one or more segments without affecting an experience of an end user consuming the content via the client device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to receiving, from a different client device, a subsequent request for the content:

determining that the transmission session is in progress;

determining that a portion of the one or more segments were already transmitted to the plurality of client devices comprising the client device; and

transmitting, in a subsequent transmission session comprising one or more multicast transmissions, the portion of the one or more segments to a plurality of client devices comprising the different client device.

6. An apparatus, comprising:

a communication interface; and

hardware comprising executable logic that when executed causes the apparatus to;

divide content associated with a title into a plurality of segments;

generate, for the content associated with the title, a title prefix comprising at least one segment of the plurality of segments;

transmit, via the communication interface, one or more multicast transmissions comprising the title prefix comprising the at least one segment;

receive, from a client device, a request for the content;

determine, based on the request, one or more segments, of the plurality of segments, to be transmitted; and

transmit, via the communication interface and in a transmission session comprising one or more multicast transmissions, the one or more segments to a plurality of client devices comprising the client device.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the executable logic, when executed, causes the apparatus to:

determine, based on at least one of a length property associated with the title, a cost of storing a title prefix of a predefined length in a storage, or a cost figure corresponding to a cost of an estimated amount of bandwidth needed for transmitting a title prefix of a predefined length, a length property for the title prefix comprising the at least one segment; and

generate, in accordance with the length property for the title prefix comprising the at least one segment, the title prefix comprising the at least one segment.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the executable logic, when executed, causes the apparatus to delay transmission of at least one of the one or more segments until a time determined to be sufficient for the client device to receive the at least one of the one or more segments without affecting an experience of an end user consuming the content via the client device.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the executable logic, when executed, causes the apparatus to, responsive to receiving, from a different client device, a subsequent request for the content:

determine that the transmission session is in progress;

determine that a portion of the one or more segments were already transmitted to the plurality of client devices comprising the client device; and

transmit, via the communication interface, in a subsequent transmission session comprising one or more multicast transmissions, the portion of the one or more segments to a plurality of client devices comprising the different client device.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the content comprises video content, and wherein the executable logic, when executed, causes the apparatus to transmit, via the communication interface, at least one of Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) frames comprising the one or more segments or Internet Protocol (IP) datagrams comprising the one or more segments.

11. A method, comprising:

receiving one or more multicast transmissions;

extracting from the one or more multicast transmissions a title prefix comprising at least one segment of content;

storing the title prefix in a storage; and

responsive to a request for the content and a determination that the title prefix is stored in the storage, streaming the at least one segment from the storage to a client device associated with the request.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting, to a content server, a request for one or more additional segments of the content;

receiving one or more subsequent multicast transmissions, the one or more subsequent multicast transmissions comprising the one or more additional segments;

extracting from the one or more subsequent multicast transmissions the one or more additional segments;

storing the one or more additional segments in the storage; and

responsive to a determination that the at least one segment has been streamed to the client device, streaming the one or more additional segments from the storage to the client device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the one or more subsequent multicast transmissions comprises one or more segments of the content included in one or more previously transmitted multicast transmissions, the method further comprising identifying and discarding the one or more segments of the content included in the one or more previously transmitted multicast transmissions.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a request for one or more additional segments of the content; and

after streaming a first portion of the at least one segment from the storage to the client device, prior to streaming a second portion of the at least one segment from the storage to the client device, and responsive to a determination that the one or more additional segments will not be streamed to the client device in association with the request for the content, canceling the request for the one or more additional segments.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising, responsive to a determination that a title prefix corresponding to content requested by a subsequent request is not stored in the storage, transmitting, to a content server, a request for the content requested by the subsequent request, the request for the content requested by the subsequent request indicating that each segment of the content requested by the subsequent request should be transmitted via one or more subsequent multicast transmissions to a plurality of client devices comprising the client device.

16. An apparatus, comprising:

a communication interface; and

hardware comprising executable logic that when executed causes the apparatus to;

receive, via the communication interface, a linear channel and one or more multicast transmissions;

stream video content from the linear channel to a client device;

extract from the one or more multicast transmissions a title prefix comprising at least one segment of other video content;

store the title prefix in a storage; and

responsive to a request for the other video content and a determination that the title prefix is stored in the storage, stream the at least one segment from the storage to at least one of the client device or a different client device.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the executable logic, when executed, causes the apparatus to:

transmit, to a content server, a request for one or more additional segments of the other video content;

receive one or more subsequent multicast transmissions, the one or more subsequent multicast transmissions comprising the one or more additional segments;

extract from the one or more subsequent multicast transmissions the one or more additional segments;

store the one or more additional segments in the storage; and

stream the one or more additional segments from the storage to the at least one of the client device or the different client device.

18. A system, comprising:

a plurality of terminals; and

a hub configured to;

divide content stored in a content server into a plurality of segments;

generate a title prefix comprising at least one segment of the plurality of segments;

transmit one or more multicast transmissions comprising the title prefix to multiple terminals of the plurality of terminals;

receive, from a terminal of the plurality of terminals, a request for the content;

determine, based on the request, one or more segments, of the plurality of segments, to be transmitted; and

transmit, in a transmission session comprising one or more multicast transmissions, the one or more segments to a portion of the plurality of terminals comprising the terminal.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the hub is further configured to delay transmission of at least one of the one or more segments until a time determined to be sufficient for the terminal to receive the at least one of the one or more segments without affecting an experience of an end user consuming the content via the terminal.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the hub is further configured to, responsive to receiving from a different terminal of the plurality of terminals, a subsequent request for the content:

determine that the transmission session is in progress;

determine that a portion of the one or more segments were already transmitted to the portion of the plurality of terminals comprising the terminal; and

transmit, in a subsequent transmission session comprising one or more multicast transmissions, the portion of the one or more segments to a portion of the plurality of terminals comprising the different terminal.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the terminal is configured to:

receive the one or more multicast transmissions comprising the title prefix;

extract the title prefix from the one or more multicast transmissions comprising the title prefix;

store the at least one segment in a storage; and

responsive to a determination that a client device has requested the content and a determination that the title prefix is stored in the storage;

stream the at least one segment from the storage to the client device;

transmit the request for the content;

receive the one or more multicast transmissions comprising the one or more segments;

extract the one or more segments from the one or more multicast transmissions comprising the one or more segments;

store the one or more segments in the storage; and

stream the one or more segments from the storage to the client device.

22. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one of the one or more multicast transmissions comprising the one or more segments comprises one or more segments of the content included in one or more multicast transmissions previously transmitted by the hub, and wherein the terminal is configured to identify and discard the one or more segments of the content included in the one or more multicast transmissions previously transmitted by the hub.

23. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of terminals comprises a terminal not associated with the request for the content and configured to:

receive the one or more multicast transmissions comprising the title prefix;

receive the one or more multicast transmissions comprising the one or more segments;

extract the title prefix from the one or more multicast transmissions comprising the title prefix;

extract the one or more segments from the one or more multicast transmissions comprising the one or more segments;

store the at least one segment and the one or more segments in a storage; and

responsive to a determination that a client device has requested the content and a determination that the title prefix is stored in the storage, stream the at least one segment and the one or more segments from the storage to the client device.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the terminal not associated with the request for the content is configured to stream the at least one segment and the one or more segments from the storage to the client device in response to at least one of extracting a portion of the one or more segments from the one or more multicast transmissions comprising the one or more segments or storing a portion of the one or more segments in the storage.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the terminal not associated with the request for the content is configured to send, to the client device and responsive to at least one of extracting a portion of the one or more segments from the one or more multicast transmissions comprising the one or more segments or storing a portion of the one or more segments in the storage, an indication that the content is available for streaming.