Intelligent asset management in a cable services system

• US 7,831,989 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2005
• Issued: 11/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lee, Terry, Sinha, Nishith, Calzone, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Miller; John W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dubasky; Gigi L
• Application Number:
  US11/035,678
• Time in Patent Office: 2,126 Days
• Field of Search: 725 1-153, 370/429, 370/428
• US Class Current: 725/92
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• 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 2012/5664 Support of Video, e.g. MPEG
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for intelligently managing on-demand content in a cable services system. High demand video programs (e.g., movies, documentaries, mini-series, educational films, and the like) are stored at cable system hubs that service a number of individual cable customers. When a given video program is requested, the requested title is steamed from the hub servicing the requesting customer rather than streaming the requested program from the cable system head end. The video programs cached at the cable system hubs are determined based on attributes associated with individual video programs including time since initial release, association with other programs, association with hub locations, association with current events, and the like.

Claims

1. In a cable services system, a method for managing on-demand content, the method comprising:

populating a cable services system head end with a plurality of on-demand video programs;

determining a subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs to be distributed to at least one cable services system hub;

distributing the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs to the at least one cable services system hub, wherein distributing the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs to the at least one cable services system hub comprises predictively propagating content to the at least one cable services system hub based on the following;

content metadata, content usage patterns, prioritized load distribution, and statistical algorithms comprising functions of variable content bandwidth requirements;

caching the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs at the at least one cable services system hub for provisioning the cached on-demand video programs comprising the subset to cable services customers associated with the at least one cable services system hub;

receiving a request for a given on-demand video program at the at least one cable services system hub;

if the requested on-demand video program is cached at the at least one cable services system hub, streaming the requested on-demand video program from the at least one cable services system hub to a requesting cable services customer;

calculating a given period of time based upon the following;

an expected number of hours of popular content within each service type, an average time a given title remains popular, a number of services, a refresh rate for each service, and an average time prior to start of availability window for popular content;

if the requested on-demand video program is not cached at the at least one cable services system hub, determining whether the request for the given on-demand video program meets a threshold number of requests for the given on-demand video program during the given period of time; and

if the request for the given on-demand video program meets the threshold number of requests during the given period of time, caching the requested on-demand video program at the at least one cable services system hub, the threshold number of requests and the given period of time each being selected to cause at least 80% of requests for on-demand video programs at the at least one cable services system hub to be serviced from the at least one cable services system hub.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising if the requested on-demand video program is not cached at the at least one cable services system hub, streaming the requested on-demand video program from the cable services system head end to the requesting cable services system customer via the at least one cable services system hub.

3. The method of claim 1, after receiving the request for the given on-demand video program at the at least one cable services system hub, determining whether the requested on-demand video program is cached at the at least one cable services system hub.

4. The method of claim 2, prior to streaming the requested on-demand video program from the cable services system head end to the requesting cable services customer, passing a request for the requested on-demand video program from the at least one cable services system hub to the cable services system head end.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising if any one of the cached on-demand video programs is not requested by any of the cable services customers during a given period of time, deleting the one cached on-demand video program from a cache of the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs stored at the at least one cable services system hub.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising if any one of the cached on-demand video programs is not requested at least the threshold number of times during the given period of time, deleting the one cached on-demand video program from a cache of the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs stored at the at least one cable services system hub.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs that are presently in demand includes predicting in the subset at least one new release on-demand video program, wherein the at least one new release on-demand video program is flagged as a new release if the at least one new release on-demand video program is less than a given age.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs that are presently in demand includes predicting in the subset at least one requested on-demand video programs that is requested by cable services customers associated with a particular cable services system hub.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs that are presently in demand includes predicting in the subset at least one demanded on-demand video programs that is presently in demand relative to other on-demand video programs included in the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein predictively propagating content to the at least one cable services system hub based on the statistical algorithms comprises predictively propagating content to the at least one cable services system hub based on the statistical algorithms that take into account a number of variables, including a day of week, a time of day, a content bandwidth requirements, expected take rates, and decay patterns of content types.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the given period of time comprises calculating the given period of time comprising approximately 4 hours.

12. A system for managing on-demand content in a cable services system, the system comprising:

a cable services system head end operative to;

store a plurality of video programs for provision to cable services customers;

generate a subset of the plurality of video programs to be distributed to a cable services system hub;

distribute the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs to the cable services system hub by predictively propagating content to the cable services system hub based on the following;

prioritized load distribution and statistical algorithms comprising functions of content bandwidth requirements; and

cache the subset of the plurality of video programs at the cable services system hub for provisioning the cached video programs comprising the subset to the cable services customers associated with the cable services system hub; and

the cable services system hub operative to;

receive a request for a given video program from at least one of the cable services customers;

determine whether the requested video program is cached at the cable services system hub;

stream the requested program from the cable services system hub to the at least one requesting cable services customer if the requested video program is cached at the cable services system hub;

calculate a given period of time based upon the following;

an expected number of hours of popular content within each service type, an average time a given title remains popular, a number of services, a refresh rate for each service, and an average time prior to start of availability window for popular content;

if the requested video program is not cached at the cable services system hub, the cable services system hub being further operative to determine whether the request for the given video program meets a threshold number of requests for the given video program during the given period of time; and

if the request for the given video program meets the threshold number of requests during the given period of time, the cable services system hub being further operative to cache the requested video program at the cable services system hub, the threshold number of requests and the given period of time each being selected to cause at least 80% of requests for on-demand video programs at the at least one cable services system hub to be serviced from the at least one cable services system hub.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising if the requested video program is not cached at the cable services system hub, the cable services system head end being further operative to stream the requested video program from the cable services system head end to the at least one requesting cable services system customer via the cable services system hub.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising if any one of the cached on-demand video programs is not requested by any of the cable services customers during a given period of time, the cable services system hub being further operative to delete the one cached on-demand video program from a cache of the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs stored at the cable services system hub.

15. The system of claim 12, further comprising if any one of the cached on-demand video programs is not requested at least the threshold number of times during the given period of time, the cable services system hub being further operative to delete the one cached on-demand video program from a cache of the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs stored at the cable services system hub.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the cable services system head end being operative to calculate the given period of time comprises the cable services system head end being operative to calculate the given period of time comprising approximately 4 hours.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for managing on-demand content in a cable services system, the method comprising:

generating a subset of a plurality of video programs available from a cable services system head end that are presently in demand by cable services customers;

distributing the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs to a cable services system hub, wherein distributing the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs to the cable services system hub comprises predictively propagating content to the cable services system hub based on statistical algorithms comprising functions of content bandwidth requirements, a day of week, and a time of day;

caching the subset of the plurality of video programs at the cable services system hub for provisioning the cached video programs comprising the subset to the cable services customers associated with the cable services system hub;

in response to receiving a request for a given video program at the cable services system hub, streaming the requested video program from the cable services system hub to a requesting cable services customer if the requested video program is cached at the cable services system hub;

if the requested video program is not cached at the cable services system hub, streaming the requested video program from the cable services system head end to the requesting cable services system customer via the cable services system hub;

calculating a given period of time based upon the following;

an expected number of hours of popular content within each service type, an average time a given title remains popular, a number of services, a refresh rate for each service, and an average time prior to start of availability window for popular content;

if the requested video program is not cached at the cable services system hub, determining whether the request for the given video program meets a threshold number of requests for the given video program during a given period of time; and

if the request for the given video program meets the threshold number of requests during the given period of time, caching the requested video program at the cable services system hub, the threshold number of requests and the given period of time each being selected to cause at least 80% of requests for on-demand video programs at the at least one cable services system hub to be serviced from the at least one cable services system hub.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, prior to streaming the requested video program from the cable services system head end to the requesting cable services customer, passing a request for the requested video program from the cable services system hub to the cable services system head end.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising if any one of the cached on-demand video programs is not requested by any of the cable services customers during a given period of time, deleting the one cached on-demand video program from a cache of the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs stored at the cable services system hub.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising if any one of the cached on-demand video programs is not requested at least the threshold number of times during the given period of time, deleting the one cached on-demand video program from a cache of the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs stored at the cable services system hub.