End to end simulation of a content delivery system

• US 6,886,029 B1
• Filed: 09/21/2001
• Issued: 04/26/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Intelsat Corporation (Reorganized ISA SA)
• Original Assignee: PanAmSat Corporation (Reorganized ISA SA)
• Inventors: Smith, Lucy M., Bullock, David Lynn, Lausier, Philip C., Kalmbach, Mark Russell, Benden, Christopher, Pecus, Vivian
• Primary Examiner(s): Harvey, Jack D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Hieu C.
• Application Number:
  US09/960,603
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 709201-203, 709217-219, 709230-231, 709/246, 455/12.1, 455/13.1, 703/21, 714/712, 725/37, 725/48, 725105-106
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18523 Satellite systems for providing broadcast service to terrestrial stations, i.e. broadcast satellite service arrangements specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving H04H40/90; picture transmission via satellite H04N1/00103; television transmission via satellite H04N7/20
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18578 Satellite systems for providing broadband data service to individual earth stations for selecting H04W; provisions for broadband connection, H04Q11/0478
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1836 with heterogeneous network architecture
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/189 in combination with wireless systems selective distribution or broadcast in wireless communication networks H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2212/00 Encapsulation of packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 17/004 for digital television systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

A method for testing upgrades and modifications to a first transmission network by providing a second internet transmission network including components that duplicate or simulate one or more of the components of the first network. The second network duplicates the functionality and configuration of the first network thereby permitting modifications to be installed and tested on the second network prior to installing them on the first transmission network. This in turn allows “bugs” to be found and eliminated before modifications are used on the first network. The invention also allows error signals to be injected to enable operators to compensate for and to avoid these errors before they appear on the first network.

Claims

1. A system for delivering multimedia content from a content provider, the system comprising:

a first Internet broadcasting network (“

IBN”

); and

a second IBN;

where the first IBN comprises;

a network operating center (“

NOC”

);

an edge node;

a satellite communication link between the NOC and the edge node;

a last mile service provider directly connected to the edge node; and

an Internet user connected to the Internet through the last mile service provider;

where the NOC receives multimedia content from the content provider and modifies the received multimedia content into a first streaming format and a format suitable for satellite transmission;

where the NOC transmits the modified multimedia content to the edge node using the satellite communication link; and

where the edge node delivers the modified multimedia content received from the NOC to the Internet user via the last mile service provider according to a second streaming format compatible with the first streaming format;

where the second IBN comprises;

duplicates of one or more of the NOC, the edge node, the satellite communication link, the last mile service provider, or the Internet user of the first IBN; and

simulations of one or more of the NOC, the edge node, the satellite communication link, the last mile service provider, or the Internet user of the first IBN for which the second IBN does not comprise a duplicate;

where the second IBN is used to simulate the operation of the first IBN without interfering with the operation of the first IBN.

2. The system of claim 1, where the second IBN comprises:

a duplicate of the NOC of the first IBN;

a duplicate of the edge node of the first IBN;

a duplicate of the last mile service provider of the first IBN;

a duplicate of the Internet user of the first IBN; and

a simulation of the satellite communication link of the first IBN.

3. The system of claim 1, where the second IBN comprises:

a duplicate of the NOC of the first IBN;

a duplicate of the edge node of the first IBN;

a simulation of the last mile service provider of the first IBN;

a simulation of the Internet user of the first IBN; and

a simulation of the satellite communication link of the first IBN.

4. The system of claim 1, where the second IBN is contained in a portable enclosure.

5. The system of claim 1, where the performance of the first IBN is tested using the second IBN by injecting errors into signals received at the NOC of the second IBN.

6. The system of claim 1, where the performance of the first IBN is tested using the second IBN by injecting errors into signals received at the edge node of the second IBN.

7. The system of claim 1, where the performance of the first IBN is tested using the second IBN by injecting errors into signals received at the Internet users of the second IBN.

8. The system of claim 1, where the second IBN is used to simulate the delivery of content in the first IBN.

9. A method for testing a first Internet broadcasting network (“

IBN”

) that delivers multimedia content from a content provider, where the first network comprises;

a network operating center (“

NOC”

);

an edge node;

a satellite communication link between the NOC and the edge node;

a last mile service provider directly connected to the edge node; and

an Internet user connected to the Internet through the last mile service provider;

where the NOC receives multimedia content from the content provider and modifies the received multimedia content into a first streaming format and a format suitable for satellite transmission;

where the NOC transmits the modified multimedia content to the edge node using the satellite communication link; and

where the edge node delivers the modified multimedia content received from the NOC to the Internet users via the last mile service provider according to a second streaming format compatible with the first streaming format;

the method comprising;

providing a second IBN that comprises;

duplicates of one or more of the NOC, the edge node, the satellite communication link, the last mile service provider, or the Internet user of the first IBN; and

simulations of one or more of the NOC, the edge node, the satellite communication link, the last mile service provider, or the Internet user of the first IBN for which the second IBN does not comprise a duplicate;

simulating the operation of the first IBN using the second IBN without interfering with the operation of the first IBN.

10. The method of claim 9, where the second IBN comprises:

a duplicate of the NOC of the first IBN;

a duplicate of the edge node of the first IBN;

a duplicate of the last mile service provider of the first IBN;

a duplicate of the Internet user of the first IBN; and

a simulation of the satellite communication link of the first IBN.

11. The method of claim 9, where the second IBN comprises:

a duplicate of the NOC of the first IBN;

a duplicate of the edge node of the first IBN;

a simulation of the last mile service provider of the first IBN;

a simulation of the Internet user of the first IBN; and

a simulation of the satellite communication link of the first IBN.

12. The method of claim 9, where the second IBN is contained in a portable enclosure.

13. The method of claim 9, where the simulating of the operation of the first IBN comprises injecting errors into signals received at the NOC of the second IBN to test the performance of the first IBN.

14. The method of claim 9, where the simulating of the operation of the first IBN comprises injecting errors into signals received at the edge node of the second IBN to test the performance of the first IBN.

15. The method of claim 9, where the simulating of the operation of the first IBN comprises injecting errors into signals received at the Internet user of the second IBN to test the performance of the first IBN.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising monitoring the second IBN to detect quality degradation in the first IBN.