Dynamic mapping of broadcast resources

• US 7,646,792 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Issued: 01/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: The DIRECTV Group, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: James, Thomas H., Arsenault, Robert G., Leminh, Tam T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham; Chi H
• Assistant Examiner(s): Elallam; Ahmed
• Application Number:
  US11/298,435
• Publication Number:
  US 20060088062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,495 Days
• Field of Search: 370/312, 370/342, 370/477, 348/326, 348/388.1, 348/386.1, 348/387.1, 375/240.01, 375/260, 375/299, 725/32, 725/39, 725/48, 725 95- 97
• US Class Current: 370/477
• 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: H04H 20/28 Arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/51 specially adapted for satellite broadcast systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/74 of satellite networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/78 CATV [Community Antenna Television] systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2362 Generation or processing of Service Information [SI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• 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 21/2662 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 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• 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

Abstract

In a data communication system such as a high capacity DBS system, dynamic mapping of broadcast resources is provided to exploit occasional redundancy in the program content of two or more input data streams, freeing at least one broadcast resource to carry alternate bitstreams, such as additional programs or existing programs at higher quality. Transmission maps defining the correspondence between input data streams and broadcast resources, and reception maps defining the correspondence between broadcast resources and output data streams, are updated as needed to dynamically modify broadcast resource mapping to increase effective utilization of available bandwidth. Beneficial n:n-y:m mapping in a high capacity consumer DBS entertainment system is provided. Apparatus and methods for efficiently generating, maintaining and updating allocation maps with reduced overhead requirements, are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method of carrying a plurality input data streams on at least one of a plurality of broadcast resources in a communication system, comprising:

detecting a period of substantially common content in n₁ input data streams wherein n₁≧

2; and

transmitting the substantially common content via n₃ broadcast resource(s) wherein 0<

n₃<

n₁.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the substantially common content is transmitted via n₃ broadcast resources during at least part of the period of substantially common content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of broadcast resources consists of n₂ broadcast resources, and wherein n₂>

n₃ and the method further comprises;

during at least part of said period of substantially common content, transmitting at least a portion of a third input data stream via at least one of the n₂-n₃ broadcast resources.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the third input data stream comprises information relating to a higher quality version of one of the n₁ input data streams.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the third input data stream are allocated to at least one of the n₂-n₃ broadcast resources preferentially to a viewer channel.

6. An apparatus for carrying a plurality input data streams on at least one of a plurality of broadcast resources in a communication system, comprising:

means for detecting a period of substantially common content in n₁ input data streams wherein n₁≧

2; and

means for transmitting the substantially common content via n₃ broadcast resource(s) wherein 0<

n₃<

n₁.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the substantially common content is transmitted via n₃ broadcast resources during at least part of the period of substantially common content.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the plurality of broadcast resources consists of n₂ broadcast resources, wherein n₂>

n₃ and wherein the means for transmitting the substantially common content via n₃ broadcast resource(s) wherein n₃<

n₁ comprises means for transmitting at least a portion of a third input data stream via at least one of n₂-n₃ broadcast resources during at least part of said period of substantially common content.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the third input data stream comprises information relating to a higher quality version of one of the n₁ input data streams.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the third input data stream are allocated to at least one of the n₂-n₃ broadcast resources preferentially to a viewer channel.