Intelligent switch and method for retransmitting a lost packet to decoder(s)

• US 7,698,617 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2006
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Tancevski, Ljubisa, Cankaya, Hakki C., Sridhar, Kamakshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Abraham, Esaw T
• Application Number:
  US11/367,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20070260921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 714/4, 714/18, 714/748, 714/751, 370/237
• US Class Current: 714/751
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6375 for requesting retransmission , e.g. of data packets lost or corrupted during transmission from serverARQ protocols H04L1/18; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An intelligent switch and method are described herein which help to effectively retransmit a lost packet that is associated with a television broadcast stream to one or more set-top boxes.

Claims

1. A method for retransmitting a lost packet to one or more decoders, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving a request for retransmission of a lost packet from one of the one or more decoders;

forwarding the request to a server;

initiate a suppression time period, during which time subsequent requests for retransmission of the lost packet are not forwarded to the server, using a time-out parameter which is variable and application specific;

receiving a retransmitted lost packet associated with the request from the server; and

sending the retransmitted lost packet to said one decoder which sent the request and to other decoders which sent the subsequent requests.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending step further includes a step of forwarding the retransmitted lost packet from one port towards said one decoder and said other decoders when said request and said subsequent requests are received at said one port.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending step further includes a step of broadcasting the retransmitted lost packet from multiple ports towards said one decoder and said other decoders when said request and said subsequent requests are received at said multiple ports.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said suppression time period is uniquely identified in a database table by:

a TV channel number;

a lost packet identification number; and

one or more ports which received said request and said subsequent requests.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said server is a broadcast television server.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said decoder and said other decoders are set-top boxes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said lost packet is associated with a television broadcast stream.

8. A system comprising,

a switch that comprises:

a plurality of ports;

a processor; and

a computer readable memory medium for storing accessible instructions wherein the processor accesses instructions from said memory and processes the accessible instructions to facilitate;

reception of a request for a retransmission of a lost packet from a decoder;

forwarding the request to a server;

initiating a suppression time period during which time subsequent requests for retransmission of the lost packet are not forwarded to the server, using a time-out parameter which is variable and application specific;

receiving a retransmitted lost packet associated with the request from the server; and

sending the retransmitted lost packet to said one decoder and to other decoders which sent the subsequent requests.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said switch processor further accesses additional instructions from said memory and processes the additional instructions to facilitate forwarding the retransmitted lost packet from one of the ports towards said one decoder and said other decoders when said request and said subsequent requests are received at said one port.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said switch processor further accesses additional instructions from said memory and processes the additional instructions to facilitate broadcasting the retransmitted lost packet from multiple ports towards said one decoder and said other decoders when said request and said subsequent requests are received at said multiple ports.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said switch further comprises a database which comprises a table that uniquely identifies said suppression time period by:

a TV channel number;

a lost packet identification number; and

said ports which received said request and said subsequent requests.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said lost packet is associated with a television broadcast stream.

13. The system of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of switches.

14. The system of claim 8 further comprising a video hub office.

15. The system of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of set-top boxes.

16. The system of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of service area interfaces.

17. The system of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of intermediate offices.

18. The system of claim 8 further comprising a plurality of central offices.