Network bandwidth optimization by dynamic channel allocation

• US 6,718,552 B1
• Filed: 04/20/1999
• Issued: 04/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: DIVA Systems Corporation
• Inventors: Goode, Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): BELIVEAU, SCOTT E
• Application Number:
  US09/295,738
• Time in Patent Office: 1,813 Days
• Field of Search: 725/95, 725/96, 725/97, 725/126, 725/119, 725/120, 725/114, 725/86, 725/116, 709/219, 370/431, 370/433, 370/437
• US Class Current: 725/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• 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 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• 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

Abstract

An information delivery system provides programming, such as video programming, by dynamically allocating the programming to channel slots, based on the availability of the channel slots. Programming with high viewership statistics is transmitted substantially continuously and programming with lower viewership statistics is transmitted “on-demand” in response to requests by users by way of a subscriber station. The subscriber stations maintain a map, provided by a corresponding session control manager, of currently available and currently transmitted channels. The information delivery system, in a preferred embodiment, takes the form of a Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) system.

Claims

1. A method of increasing channel utilization in a video broadcast system comprising:

dynamically assigning a first subset of broadcast channels in the broadcast spectrum to a first subset of video programming characterized by a first subscriber viewership level greater than a threshold level;

dynamically assigning a second subset of broadcast channels in the broadcast spectrum to a second subset of video programming, characterized by a second subscriber viewership level less than said threshold level;

dynamically assigning a third subset of channels to a third subset of video programming, characterized by a subscriber viewership based upon video-on-demand;

causing substantially continuous transmission of said first subset of video programming;

causing transmission of said second subset of video programming upon a request from a subscriber to said video broadcast system by determining availability of channels in said second subset of channels and assigning video programming corresponding to said request to an available one of said second subset of channels; and

causing transmission of said third subset of video programming upon request of a subscriber to said video broadcast system by assigning video programming corresponding to said request to an available one of said third subset of channels.

2. A method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

responding to said request from said subscriber in the absence of availability of a channel in said second subset of channels by informing said subscriber of said absence of availability.

3. An on-demand video broadcast system that causes transmission over a broadcast medium of video programs in response to requests from subscriber stations for said video programs, the system including

a transmission network for carrying and providing a plurality of channels of video programs, and providing a return pattern for control signals;

a plurality of subscriber stations coupled to the transmission network for receiving and decoding the plurality of channels of video programs, and for transmitting control signals on the return path; and

a head end, for dynamically assigning a first subset of broadcast channels in the broadcast spectrum to a first subset of video programing representing a first subscriber viewership level greater than a threshold level;

dynamically assigning a second subset of broadcast channels in the broadcast spectrum to a second subset of video programming representing a second subscriber viewership level less than said threshold level;

dynamically assigning a third subset of channels to a third subset of video programming representing a subscriber viewership based upon vide-on-demand;

causing substantially continuous transmission of said first subset of video programming over said transmission network from said head end to a plurality of subscriber stations;

causing transmission of said second subset of video programming over said transmission network from said head end upon a request from a subscriber station to said video broadcast system by determining availability of channels in said second subset of channels and assigning video programming corresponding to said request to an available one of said second subset of channels; and

causing transmission of said third subset of video programming over said transmission network from said head end upon request from at least one of said subscriber stations to said video broadcast system by assigning video programming corresponding to said request to an available one of said third subset of channels.

4. An on-demand system as set forth in claim 3 further comprising a plurality of session control managers, each session control manager responding to corresponding ones of said subscriber stations, said session control managers interconnected by a first transmission medium that provides video programs available to any one of said session control managers to the remaining ones of said session control managers.

5. An on-demand system as set forth in claim 4 wherein the session control managers further cause transmission of a plurality of broadcast programs substantially continuously to corresponding ones of said subscriber stations and wherein the first transmission medium receives broadcast programs from a second transmission medium.

6. An on-demand system as set forth in claim 5 wherein the second transmission medium takes the form of a ring that inter-connects a plurality of multiplexers, each of the multiplexers coupling the second transmission medium to said first transmission medium.

7. An on-demand system as set forth in claim 5 wherein each of said subscriber stations maintains a channel map containing information indicative of channels currently available on said first transmission medium, wherein said channel map is updated by a corresponding one of said session control managers.

8. An on-demand system as set forth in claim 7 wherein any one of said session control managers responds to a request by a subscriber station for a channel that is not currently available on said first transmission medium by requesting said channel from said second transmission medium.

9. An on-demand system as set forth in claim 8 wherein any one of said session control managers responds to a request by a subscriber station for a channel that is not currently available on said first transmission medium and not currently available on said second transmission medium by allocating another concurrent channel and requesting said channel from a third transmission medium.

10. An on-demand system as set forth in claim 8 wherein said session control manager responds to said requested channel being placed on said first transmission by causing update of said channel map of said requesting subscriber station.

11. An on-demand system as set forth in claim 7 wherein said update of said channel map by a corresponding one of said session control manager comprises deleting selected ones of said channels and wherein said corresponding one of said session control managers responds to a message from a corresponding one of said subscriber stations that a channel to be deleted from said channel map is currently being used by said subscriber station by foregoing deletion of said channel.