Method and system for program based redundancy

• US 7,676,720 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2005
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: BigBand Networks, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Strasman, Nery, Bejerano, Nir, Oz, Ran
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaudry, M. Mujtaba K
• Application Number:
  US11/141,849
• Publication Number:
  US 20060005099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,743 Days
• Field of Search: 714/747, 714/820, 714/776
• US Class Current: 714/747
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability

Abstract

A system that includes: (ii) at least one input port adapted to receive multiple addressable packets that include media content that belong to multiple media streams and to at least one duplicating media stream; (ii) at least one processor adapted to process the multiple addressable packets to determine media stream layer errors to control, and to participate in a replacement of addressable packets that include media content that belong to a defective media stream by addressable packets that belong to a corresponding duplicate stream. A method for providing a video stream over a network, the method includes: (i) receiving a first multi purpose communication protocol stream that includes multiple media streams and receiving at least one duplicate media stream; (ii) detecting a error in a media stream program; and replacing the defective media stream by a duplicate media stream.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a first multi purpose communication protocol stream that comprises multiple media streams and receiving at least one duplicate media stream; and

outputting an output media stream that comprises at least one media stream program that is comprised in the multi purpose communication protocol stream;

detecting a error in the media stream program of the multi purpose communication protocol stream; and

replacing the defective media stream by a duplicate media stream;

wherein the replacing comprises ceasing to output the media stream program of the multi purpose communication protocol stream, and outputting the output media stream that comprises a duplicate media stream of the at least one duplicate media stream.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the replacing comprises outputting the output media stream that is an output multiple purpose communication protocol stream that comprises the duplicate media stream and media streams of the received multiple media streams.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising separating the media streams from additional information included within the multi purpose communication protocol stream.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising performing media processing operations of the multiple media streams.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising de-capsulating media stream packets and analyzing the media stream packets to detect media stream program errors.

6. The method according to claim 1 further comprising replacing address information associated with media stream packets in response to a required destination of these media stream packets.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the replacing comprises outputting the output media stream that is a first output multiple purpose communication protocol stream and a duplicating output multiple purpose communication protocol stream.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising receiving at least one non-addressable program and associating address with packets that convey the program.

9. The method according to claim 1 wherein the error comprises a quality level degradation;

wherein the replacing comprises ceasing the outputting of the media stream program of the multi purpose communication protocol stream and replacing the media stream program with the duplicate media stream that have higher quality level.

10. A method for providing a video stream over a network, the method comprising:

receiving multiple addressable packets that comprise media content that belong to multiple media streams and to at least one duplicating media stream;

processing the multiple addressable packets to determine media stream layer errors; and

replacing addressable packets that comprise media content that belong to a defective media stream by addressable packets that belong to a corresponding duplicate stream;

wherein the replacing comprises ceasing to output addressable packets that comprise media content that belong to the defective media stream.

11. The method according to claim 10 further comprising outputting a stream of multiple addressable packets that comprise media content that belong to proper multiple media streams and to the duplicate media stream.

12. The method according to claim 11 further comprising separating media content from additional information included within the addressable packets.

13. The method according to claim 10 further comprising performing media processing operations of the media content.

14. The method according to claim 10 further comprising de-capsulating addressable packets and analyzing the media content to detect media stream layer errors.

15. The method according to claim 10 further comprising replacing address information associated with the addressable packets in response to a required destination of these media stream packets.

16. The method according to claim 10 further comprising providing a first multiplex of addressable packets and a duplicate multiplex of addressable packets.

17. The method according to claim 10 further comprising receiving multiple non-addressable packets and associating them with address information.

18. The method according to claim 10 wherein a media layer error comprises a quality level degradation.

26. The system according to claim 16 wherein at least one processor is adapted to associate addresses with non-addressable program packets.

19. A system, comprising:

at least one input port adapted to receive a first multi purpose communication protocol stream that comprises multiple media streams and at least one duplicate media stream;

at least one output port adapted to output an output media stream that comprises at least one media stream program that is comprised in the multi purpose communication protocol stream; and

at least one processor adapted to detect a error in the media stream program of the multi purpose communication protocol stream and to participate in a replacement of the defective media stream by a duplicate media stream;

wherein the replacing comprises ceasing to output the media stream program of the multi purpose communication protocol stream, and outputting the output media stream that comprises a duplicate media stream of the at least one duplicate media stream.

20. The system according to claim 19 adapted to output an output multiple purpose communication protocol stream that comprises the duplicate media stream and media streams of the received multiple media streams.

21. The system according to claim 19 wherein at least one processor is adapted to separate the media streams from additional information included within the multi purpose communication protocol stream.

22. The system according to claim 19 further comprising performing media processing operations of the multiple media streams.

23. The system according to claim 19 wherein at least one processor is adapted to de-capsulate media stream packets and analyze the media stream packets to detect media stream program errors.

24. The system according to claim 19 wherein at least one processor is adapted to replace address information associated with media stream packets in response to a required destination of these media stream packets.

25. The system according to claim 19 further adapted to provide a first output multiple purpose communication protocol stream and a duplicating output multiple purpose communication protocol stream.

27. The system according to claim 19 wherein the error comprises a quality level degradation.

28. The system according to claim 19, wherein the at least one input port is adapted to receive at least one of first multi purpose communication protocol stream and the at least one duplicate media stream from an external system, wherein the at least one output port is adapted to output the output media stream that comprises the at least one media stream program that is comprised in the multi purpose communication protocol stream to the external system.

29. A system, comprising:

at least one input port adapted to receive multiple addressable packets that comprise media content that belong to multiple media streams and to at least one duplicating media stream;

at least one processor adapted to process the multiple addressable packets to determine media stream layer errors to control, and to participate in a replacement of addressable packets that comprise media content that belong to a defective media stream by addressable packets that belong to a corresponding duplicate stream;

wherein the system is adapted to cease outputting addressable packets that comprise media content that belong to the defective media stream.

30. The system according to claim 29 further adapted to output a stream of multiple addressable packets that comprise media content that belong to proper multiple media streams and to the duplicate media stream.

31. The system according to claim 29 wherein at least one processor is adapted to separate media content from additional information included within the addressable packets.

32. The system according to claim 29 wherein at least one processor is adapted to perform media processing operations of the media content.

33. The system according to claim 29 wherein at least one processor is adapted to decapsulate addressable packets and analyze the media content to detect media stream layer errors.

34. The system according to claim 29 wherein at least one processor is adapted to replace address information associated with the addressable packets in response to a required destination of these media stream packets.

35. The system according to claim 29 further adapted to provide a first multiplex of addressable packets and a duplicate multiplex of addressable packets.

36. The system according to claim 29 wherein at least one processor is adapted to associate address information with multiple non-addressable packets.

37. The system according to claim 29 wherein a media layer error comprises a quality level degradation.