SWITCHING BETWEEN UNICAST STREAMS AND A MULTICAST STREAM BASED ON CONTENT DEMAND

• US 20170070549A1
• Filed: 09/08/2015
• Published: 03/09/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: KOTECHA, Lalit R., DRAZNIN, Sagiv, NELSON, Matthew W.
• Granted Patent: US 10,484,441 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• 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: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

A device may receive streaming information associated with one or more user devices, streaming content being provided to the one or more user devices, and a cell associated with the one or more user devices. The device may determine a quantity of user devices receiving the streaming content in the cell based on the streaming information. The device may determine whether the streaming content is being provided using a unicast stream or is being provided using a multicast stream. The device may determine to switch from the unicast stream to the multicast stream or from the multicast stream to the unicast stream based on the quantity of user devices. The device may switch from the unicast stream to the multicast stream, or the multicast stream to the unicast stream based on determining to switch.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

one or more processors to;

receive streaming information associated with one or more user devices, streaming content being provided to the one or more user devices, and a cell associated with the one or more user devices;

determine a quantity of user devices receiving the streaming content in the cell based on the streaming information;

determine whether the streaming content is being provided using a unicast stream or is being provided using a multicast stream;

determine to switch from the unicast stream to the multicast stream or from the multicast stream to the unicast stream based on the quantity of user devices; and

switch from the unicast stream to the multicast stream or the multicast stream to the unicast stream based on determining to switch.

2. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors, when determining to switch from the unicast stream to the multicast stream, are to:

determine that the quantity of user devices satisfies a threshold for switching from the unicast stream to the multicast stream.

3. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors, when determining to switch from the multicast stream to the unicast stream, are to:

determine that the quantity of user devices satisfies a threshold for switching from the multicast stream to the unicast stream.

4. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors, when switching from the multicast stream to the unicast stream, are to:

enable the streaming content to be provided via one or more unicast streams; and

provide an instruction for the one or more user devices to receive the streaming content via the one or more unicast streams.

5. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors, when switching from the unicast stream to the multicast stream, are to:

enable the streaming content to be provided via the multicast stream; and

provide an instruction for the one or more user devices to receive the streaming content via the multicast stream.

6. The device of claim 5, where the one or more processors, when providing the instruction for the one or more user devices to receive the streaming content via the multicast stream, are to:

provide a service identifier, included with the instruction, that allows the one or more user devices to identify and receive the multicast stream.

7. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors, when receiving the streaming information, are to:

identify the streaming content and the one or more user devices based on the streaming information;

send a request, to another device, to identify the cell associated with the one or more user devices; and

receive, from the other device, information that identifies the cell based on sending the request.

8. A computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

receive streaming information associated with one or more user devices, streaming content being provided to the one or more user devices, and a cell associated with the one or more user devices;

determine a quantity of user devices, receiving the streaming content in the cell, based on the streaming information;

determine that the streaming content is being provided using a unicast stream;

compare the quantity of user devices and a threshold for switching from the unicast stream to a multicast stream;

determine that the threshold is satisfied based on comparing the quantity of user devices and the threshold; and

switch from the unicast stream to the multicast stream based on determining that the threshold is satisfied.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determine that the threshold is satisfied, cause the one or more processors to:

determine that the threshold is satisfied based on the quantity of user devices meeting or exceeding the threshold.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to switch from the unicast stream to the multicast stream, cause the one or more processors to:

enable the streaming content to be provided via the multicast stream; and

provide an instruction for the one or more user devices to receive the streaming content via the multicast stream.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to provide the instruction for the one or more user devices, cause the one or more processors to:

provide a service identifier, included with the instruction, that allows the one or more user devices to identify and receive the multicast stream.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to switch from the unicast stream to the multicast stream, cause the one or more processors to:

identify, for the one or more user devices, one or more bit rates at which the streaming content is being provided to the one or more user devices; and

switch from the unicast stream to the multicast stream based on the one or more bit rates.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to receive the streaming information, cause the one or more processors to:

provide a content identifier for the streaming content;

receive the streaming information, which includes the content identifier; and

use the content identifier to identify the streaming content.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the streaming content is associated with a segment identifier that identifies a segment of the streaming content provided to the one or more user devices;

and

where the one or more instructions, that cause the one or more processors to determine the quantity, are to;

identify the quantity of user devices being provided the segment of the streaming content.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, streaming information that identifies one or more user devices, streaming content being provided to the one or more user devices, and a cell in which the one or more user devices are located;

determining, by the device, a quantity of user devices receiving the streaming content in the cell based on the streaming information;

determining, by the device, that the streaming content is being provided using a multicast stream based on the streaming information;

comparing, by the device, the quantity of user devices and a threshold for switching from the multicast stream to a unicast stream;

determining, by the device, that the threshold is satisfied based on comparing the quantity of user devices and the threshold; and

switching from the multicast stream to the unicast stream based on determining that the threshold is satisfied.

16. The method of claim 15, where determining that the threshold is satisfied comprises:

determining that the threshold is satisfied based on the quantity of user devices being less than or equal to the threshold.

17. The method of claim 15, where switching from the multicast stream to the unicast stream comprises:

enabling the streaming content to be provided via one or more unicast streams; and

providing an instruction for the one or more user devices to receive the streaming content via the one or more unicast streams.

18. The method of claim 15, where receiving the streaming information comprises:

receiving the streaming information;

identifying the streaming content and the one or more user devices from the streaming information;

sending a request, to another device, to identify the cell associated with the one or more user devices; and

receiving, from the other device, information that identifies the cell.

19. The method of claim 15, where the one or more user devices are all of the user devices in the cell;

and

where the multicast stream is a broadcast stream.

20. The method of claim 15, where the streaming content is associated with a segment identifier that identifies a segment of the streaming content being provided to the one or more user devices;

and

where determining the quantity comprises;

determining the quantity of user devices being provided the segment of the streaming content.