Communication management system and method

• US 6,434,141 B1
• Filed: 05/26/2000
• Issued: 08/13/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BigBand Networks, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Yruski, Andrey, Oz, Ran M., Strassman, Nery, Basan-eskenazi, Amir, Golan, Oded
• Primary Examiner(s): Vincent, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boakye, Alexander O.
• Application Number:
  US09/579,551
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 370/422, 370/427, 370/426, 370/419, 370/420, 370/535, 370/486, 370/468, 370/538, 370/539, 370/540, 370/352, 370/353, 370/355, 370/356, 370/487, 709/227, 709/228
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5605 Fibre
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5606 Metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/561 Star, e.g. cross-connect, concentrator, subscriber group equipment, remote electronics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5615 Network termination, e.g. NT1, NT2, PBX
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5631 Resource management and allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2012/5664 Support of Video, e.g. MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• 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 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/218 Source of audio or video content , e.g. local disk arrays details of retrieval in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23655 Statistical multiplexing, e.g. by controlling the encoder to alter its bitrate to optimize the bandwidth utilization
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4341 : Demultiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 : Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4351 : involving reassembling additional data, e.g. rebuilding an executable program from recovered modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 : involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 : Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 : Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 : comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8153 : comprising still images, e.g. texture, background image
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8166 : involving executable data, e.g. software arrangements for executing specific programs G06F9/44; broadcasting computer programmes in broadcast systems H04H20/91; involving the movement of software or configuration parameters H04L67/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 : End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 : involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 : Provisions for broadband connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/02 : Communication route or path selection, e.g. power-based or shortest path routing

Abstract

Broadband multimedia system including a communication bus, a router, connected to the communication bus and further between a plurality of media sources and a plurality of network transmitters, a session manager, connected to communication bus, where the session manager provides routing instructions to the router, for directing data received from the media sources to the network transmitters for transmitting over a broadband network.

Claims

1. System for switching packets comprising:

a plurality of input ports, including at least one non-addressable stream input port;

a plurality of non-addressable stream output ports;

a multiple port switch, connected between said non-addressable stream input ports and said non-addressable stream output ports;

said multiple port switch directing a packet received from a selected one of said at least one non-addressable stream input ports, to at least one of said at least one non-addressable stream output ports,

said multiple port switch selecting said selected non-addressable stream output port according to the type of said selected non-addressable stream input port and the packet identity information embedded in said received packet.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a priority controller, connected to said multiple port switch.

3. The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one media degradation unit, each said at least one media degradation unit coupled to a selected one of said non-addressable stream output ports.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one non-addressable stream input port is operative to receive MPEG transport packets.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said MPEG transport packets are encapsulated into communication packets respective of the communication protocol of said multiple port switch.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising at least one addressable stream communication port, connected to said multiple port switch,

said multiple port switch directing a packet, received from a selected one of said at least one addressable stream communication ports, to at least a selected one of said at least one non-addressable stream output ports.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one addressable stream input port is operative to receive Ethernet packets or IP packets.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein said selected non-addressable stream output port encapsulating said packet in a non-addressable stream packet, when said packet is received from one of said at least one addressable stream input ports.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein said multiple port switch is an Ethernet switch.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein said multiple port switch is a communication switch.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one non-addressable stream input port comprises a multiple program transport interface and wherein said at least one non-addressable stream output port comprises a multiple program transport interface.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said at least one addressable stream input port comprises a data input port.

13. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of stream processors, each said stream processor being connected between said multiple port switch and a respective one of said non-addressable stream output ports.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein each said stream processors is operative to at least perform a procedure selected from the list consisting of:

multiplexing;

re-multiplexing;

rate adaptation;

PID re-mapping;

PCR re-stamping; and

updating system information embedded in transport streams.

15. Method for switching packets, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a packet from an input port selected from at least one non-addressable stream input port;

selecting at least one of a plurality of non-addressable stream output ports according to the type of said selected input port and the packet identity information embedded in said received packet;

and directing said packet to said selected non-addressable stream output port.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein said input port is further selected from at least one addressable stream input port.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising the step of encapsulating said packet in a non-addressable stream packet, when said packet is received from one of said at least one addressable stream input ports.

18. The method according to claim 16, wherein said addressable stream packet includes a data packet.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of prioritizing the directing of the session associate with said received packet.

20. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of encapsulating said packet in a addressable stream packet, when said packet is received from one of said at least one non-addressable stream input ports.

21. The method according to claim 15, wherein said non-addressable stream packet includes an MPEG transport packet.

22. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of stream processing said packet.

23. The method according to claim 22, wherein said step of stream processing said packet includes at least a procedure selected from the list consisting of:

multiplexing;

re-multiplexing;

rate adaptation;

PID re-mapping;

PCR re-stamping; and

updating system information embedded in transport streams.

24. Method for switching packets, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a packet from an input port selected from at least one non-addressable stream input port;

when said packet is received from said at least one non-addressable stream input port, detecting input port type information and packet identity information associated with said received packet, determining at least one destination port according to said input port type information and packet identity information and embedding said packet in an addressable stream packet with a header directed to at least a selected one of said at least one destination port; and

directing said data packet to said destination port.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein said input port is further selected from at least one addressable stream input port, the method further comprising the step of determining said received packet a data packet having at least one destination port when said packet is received from said at least one addressable stream input port, before said step of directing.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said addressable stream packet includes a data packet.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein said identity information includes the identity of said at least one non-addressable stream port receiving said packet.

28. The method according to claim 27, wherein said identity information further includes the identity of a media stream associated with said packet.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein said identity information includes the identity of a media stream associated with said packet.

30. The method according to claim 24, further comprising the step of stream processing said packet.

31. The method according to claim 30, wherein said step of stream processing said packet includes at least a procedure selected from the list consisting of:

multiplexing;

re-multiplexing;

rate adaptation;

PID re-mapping;

PCR re-stamping; and

updating system information embedded in transport streams.

32. The method according to claim 24, wherein said non-addressable stream packet includes an MPEG transport packet.