Bandwidth management techniques for delivery of interactive program guide

• US 7,127,737 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2000
• Issued: 10/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Sedna Patent Services LLC
• Inventors: Edmonds, Jeremy S., Gordon, Donald F., Li, Alfred, Bayrakeri, Sadik, Ludvig, Edward A., Comito, John P., Gershtein, Eugene
• Primary Examiner(s): BUI, KIEU OANH T
• Application Number:
  US09/524,854
• Time in Patent Office: 2,415 Days
• Field of Search: 725/38, 725/39, 725/40, 725/46, 725/95, 725/98, 348/563, 348/569
• US Class Current: 725/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26216 involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/426 Internal components of the client ; Characteristics thereof H04N5/44 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Methods for managing delivery of video sequences of an interactive program guide (IPG) over a communications network to a plurality of terminals are provided. In one embodiment, the method pre-allocates a broadcast bandwidth in the communications network for common video sequences to be transmitted by a broadcast technique. The common video sequences are transmitted in the broadcast bandwidth to the plurality of terminals by way of the broadcast technique. A request for a specific video sequence is received from a specific terminal via the communications network. A demandcast bandwidth is allocated in the communications network for the specific video sequence. The specific video sequence is transmitted in the demandcast bandwidth to the specific terminal via the communications network.

Claims

1. A method for managing delivery of video sequences of an interactive program guide (IPG) over a communications network to a plurality of terminals, the method comprising:

pre-allocating a broadcast bandwidth in the communications network for common video sequences to be transmitted by a broadcast technique, said common video sequences comprising IPG pages for a current time period and IPG pages for a prime viewing time period;

transmitting in the broadcast bandwidth the common video sequences to the plurality of terminals by way of the broadcast technique;

receiving a request for a specific video sequence from a specific terminal via the communications network;

allocating a demandcast bandwidth in the communications network for the specific video sequence; and

transmitting in the demandcast bandwidth the specific video sequence to the specific terminal via the communications network;

wherein transmitting the specific video sequence is performed using a narrowcast technique to a group of terminals that includes the specific terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the common video sequences are delivered using an in-band portion of the communications network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the specific video sequence is delivered using the in-band portion of the communications network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the requests are received using an out-of-band portion of the communications network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the specific video sequence is performed using a pointcast technique.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the pointcast technique comprises a shared pointcast technique.

7. A method for managing delivery of a plurality of video sequences that comprise interactive program guide (IPG) pages, the method comprising:

predetermining a set of video sequences to be broadcast;

allocating a broadcast bandwidth within a network with a finite bandwidth for the set of video sequences;

broadcasting the set of video sequences via the broadcast bandwidth to a plurality of terminals;

receiving a request from a specific terminal for a specific video sequence that is not within the set of video sequences to be broadcast;

allocating a demandcast bandwidth within the network for the specific video sequence;

transmitting the specific video sequence via the demandcast bandwidth to the specific terminal to fulfill the request; and

predetermining a second set of video sequences to be broadcast, wherein the second set of video sequences comprises IPG pages for prime viewing time periods;

wherein transmitting the specific video sequence to the specific terminal comprises narrowcasting the specific video sequence to a group of terminals that includes the specific terminal.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the broadcasting and transmitting occur by way of in-band communications in the network, and the receiving occurs by way of out-of-band communications in the network.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first set of video sequences comprises IPG pages for a current time period.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

allocating a second broadcast bandwidth within the network for the second set of video sequences; and

broadcasting via the second broadcast bandwidth the second set of video sequences to the plurality of terminals.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

predetermining a particular video sequence to be narrowcast to a group of terminals;

allocating a narrowcast bandwidth within the network for the particular video sequence; and

narrowcasting the particular video sequence via the narrowcast bandwidth to the group of terminals.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a second request from a second specific terminal for the specific video sequence; and

transmitting the specific video sequence via the demandcast bandwidth to the second terminal,

wherein the demandcast bandwidth comprises a single stream which is used to transmit the specific video sequence to both terminals.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

one terminal from a group including both terminals finishing use of the specific video sequence; and

continuing transmission of the specific video sequence via the demandcast bandwidth.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

another terminal from the group finishing use of the specific video sequence; and

discontinuing transmission of the specific video sequence; and

making the demandcast bandwidth available for re-allocation.