Communication management system and method

• US 7,113,502 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2001
• Issued: 09/26/2006
• 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: Oz, Ran, Strasman, Nery, Bassan-Eskenazi, Amir, Yruski, Andrey, Golan, Oded
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boakye, Alexander O.
• Application Number:
  US09/938,445
• Publication Number:
  US 20010055305A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,860 Days
• Field of Search: 370/394, 370/486, 370/535, 370/427, 370/426, 370/419, 370/420, 370/538, 370/539, 370/540, 370/353, 370/355, 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. Broadband multimedia system comprising:

a communication bus;

a router, connected to said communication bus and further between a plurality of media sources and a plurality of network transmitters;

a session manager, connected to communication bus, said session manager providing routing instructions to said router, for directing data received from said media sources to said network transmitters for transmitting over a broadband network; and

a policy database, connected to said communication bus, said session manager producing said routing instructions at least according to policy information retrieved from said policy database.

2. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 1, wherein said policy database includes at least general policy rules.

3. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 1, wherein said policy database includes at least network policy rules.

4. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 1, wherein said broadband network is a DSL network.

5. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 1, wherein said broadband network is a satellite network.

6. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 1, wherein said broadband network is a wired network.

7. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 1, wherein said broadband network is a wireless network.

8. Broadband multimedia system comprising:

a communication bus;

a router, connected to said communication bus and further between a plurality of media sources and a plurality of network transmitters;

a session manager, connected to communication bus, said session manager providing routing instructions to said router, for directing data received from said media sources to said network transmitters for transmitting over a broadband network; and

a bandwidth utilization detection unit, connected to said communication bus, said session manager producing said routing instructions at least according to bandwidth utilization information received from said bandwidth utilization detection unit.

9. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 8, wherein said broadband network is a DSL network.

10. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 8, wherein said broadband network is a satellite network.

11. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 8, wherein said broadband network is a wired network.

12. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 8, wherein said broadband network is a wireless network.

13. The Broadband multimedia system comprising:

a communication bus;

a router, connected to said communication bus and further between a plurality of media sources and a plurality of network transmitters;

a session manager, connected to communication bus, said session manager providing routing instructions to said router, for directing data received from said media sources to said network transmitters for transmitting over a broadband network; and

a dynamic network restructuring unit, connected to said communication bus, wherein said network transmitters are further connected to said communication bus, wherein said dynamic network restructuring unit provides channel managing commands to each said network transmitters, receiving data from said router.

14. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 13, wherein said broadband network is a DSL network.

15. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 13, wherein said broadband network is a satellite network.

16. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 13, wherein said broadband network is a wired network.

17. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 13, wherein said broadband network is a wireless network.

18. Broadband multimedia system comprising:

a communication bus;

a router, connected to said communication bus and further between a plurality of media sources and a plurality of network transmitters;

a session manager, connected to communication bus, said session manager providing routing instructions to said router, for directing data received from said media sources to said network transmitters for transmitting over a broadband network, wherein said session manager receives a plurality of session requests, for executing a session through said broadband multimedia system, said session manager either allows or denies each said session requests, said session manager provides resource allocation parameters for each said allowed sessions.

19. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 18, wherein said broadband network is a DSL network.

20. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 18, wherein said broadband network is a satellite network.

21. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 18, wherein said broadband network is a wired network.

22. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 18, wherein said broadband network is a wireless network.

23. Broadband multimedia system comprising:

a communication bus;

a router, connected to said communication bus and further between a plurality of media sources and a plurality of network transmitters;

a session manager, connected to communication bus, said session manager providing routing instructions to said router, for directing data received from said media sources to said network transmitters for transmitting over a broadband network, further comprising an RF switch, connected to said communication bus and further between said network transmitters and a plurality of RF combiners, said RF switch directing RF signals from selected ones of said network transmitters to selected ones of said RF combiners.

24. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 23, further comprising a dynamic network restructuring systems connected to said communication bus, said dynamic network restructuring system providing switching commands to said RF switch for directing said RF signals.

25. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 24, wherein said broadband network is a DSL network.

26. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 24, wherein said broadband network is a satellite network.

27. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 24, wherein said broadband network is a wired network.

28. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 24, wherein said broadband network is a wireless network.

29. Broadband multimedia system comprising:

a communication bus;

a router, connected to said communication bus and further between a plurality of media sources and a plurality of network transmitters;

a session manager, connected to communication bus, said session manager providing routing instructions to said router, for directing data received from said media sources to said network transmitters for transmitting over a broadband network, wherein at least selected ones of said network transmitters are QAM units.

30. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 29, wherein said broadband network is a DSL network.

31. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 29, wherein said broadband network is a satellite network.

32. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 29, wherein said broadband network is a wired network.

33. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 29, wherein said broadband network is a wireless network.

34. Broadband multimedia system comprising:

a communication bus;

a router, connected to said communication bus and further between a plurality of media sources and a plurality of network transmitters;

a session manager, connected to communication bus, said session manager providing routing instructions to said router, for directing data received from said media sources to said network transmitters for transmitting over a broadband network, wherein said broadband network is an HFC network.

35. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 34, wherein said broadband network is a DSL network.

36. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 34, wherein said broadband network is a satellite network.

37. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 34, wherein said broadband network is a wired network.

38. The broadband multimedia system according to claim 34, wherein said broadband network is a wireless network.

39. Network session management system comprising:

a session manager, coupled to at least one application manager, and at least one policy database selected from the list consisting of;

a general policy database;

a network policy database;

a sub-network policy database;

a target policy database; and

an external application policy database, said session manager receiving session requests, said session manager denies a selected one of said session requests when detecting non-compliance of said selected session request with at least a selected policy rule retrieved from said at least one policy database.

40. The network session management system according to claim 39, further comprising a shared area manager, coupled to said session manager, said shared area manager producing a session denial indication when detecting non-compliance of said selected session request with predetermined shared area policy rules.

41. The network session management system according to claim 40, further comprising a dynamic network restructuring unit coupled to said shared area manager, said dynamic network restructuring unit producing a session denial indication when detecting that the bandwidth required in said session request is greater than available network bandwidth.

42. The network session management system according to claim 41, wherein said network restructuring unit determines network resources to session request session denial indication when detecting that the bandwidth required in said session request is greater than the available network bandwidth.

43. The network session management system according to claim 42, wherein said session manager authorizes said selected session request when detecting compliance with said selected policy rules retrieved from said at least one policy database and receiving a session approval indication from said shared area manager, said session manager further assigning said determined network resources to said session request and available network bandwidth.

44. The network session management system according to claim 39, wherein said session manager is further coupled to an out of band manager, said session manager receiving at least one of said session requests from said out of band manager.

45. The network session management system according to claim 39, wherein said session manager is further coupled to additional information resources, said session manager denies a selected one of said session requests when detecting noncompliance of said selected session request with at least a selected parameter retrieved from said additional information resources.