System and method for fast start-up of live multicast streams transmitted over a packet network
First Claim
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1. A system for multicast streaming of programs over a packet network comprising:
- a multicast server having a processor that conditions a multicast video bitstream such that packets containing an I-frame are located near program specific information (PSI) packets, the PSI packets include conditional access table (CAT), program association table (PAT), and program map table (PMT) data, the processor marking a random join point (RJP) in the multicast video bitstream immediately preceding the I-frame and the PSI packets, the node outputting the conditioned and marked video bitstream across the packet network; and
an edge router or switch device of the network that receives the conditioned and marked video bitstream, the edge device including a buffer that caches packets of the conditioned and marked multicast video bitstream starting at the RJP, the edge device sending the cached packets to a client receiver in a multicast group in response to a request received by the edge device from the client receiver.
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Abstract
A system for multicast streaming of programs over a packet network includes a node having a processor that conditions a video bitstream such that packets containing an I-frame are located near program specific information (PSI) packets, the processor marking a random join point (RJP) in the video bitstream immediately preceding the I-frame and PSI packets, the node outputting the conditioned and marked video bitstream across the packet network. An edge device of the network includes a buffer that caches packets of the conditioned and marked video bitstream video starting at the RJP, and sends the cached packets to a client receiver.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A system for multicast streaming of programs over a packet network comprising:
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a multicast server having a processor that conditions a multicast video bitstream such that packets containing an I-frame are located near program specific information (PSI) packets, the PSI packets include conditional access table (CAT), program association table (PAT), and program map table (PMT) data, the processor marking a random join point (RJP) in the multicast video bitstream immediately preceding the I-frame and the PSI packets, the node outputting the conditioned and marked video bitstream across the packet network; and an edge router or switch device of the network that receives the conditioned and marked video bitstream, the edge device including a buffer that caches packets of the conditioned and marked multicast video bitstream starting at the RJP, the edge device sending the cached packets to a client receiver in a multicast group in response to a request received by the edge device from the client receiver. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for multicast streaming of programs over a packet network comprising:
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transposing, by a head-end unit, packets of a multicast digital video transport stream such that packets containing an I-frame are located near program specific information (PSI) packets, the PSI packets including conditional access table (CAT), program association table (PAT), and program map table (PMT) data; marking, by the head-end unit, a random join point (RJP) in the multicast digital video transport stream immediately preceding the I-frame and PSI packets; caching, by a downstream device, packets of the multicast digital video transport stream starting at the RJP; and bursting the cached packets to a client device in a multicast group responsive to a request received by the downstream device from the client device. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6)
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7. In a packet-based network for multicast streaming of digital video programs, a computer-implemented method of conditioning a multicast digital video transport stream comprising:
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transposing packets of an elementary stream contained within the multicast digital video transport stream such that packets containing an I-frame are located near program specific information (PSI) packets, the PSI packets including conditional access table (CAT), program association table (PAT), and program map table (PMT) data; marking a random join point (RJP) in the multicast digital video transport stream immediately preceding the I-frame and PSI packets; and sending the conditioned multicast digital video transport stream across an Internet Protocol (IP) distribution network to a router that is operable to cache a set of current data packets that includes the I-frame and PSI packets for subsequent burst transmission to a client receiver of a multicast group. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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Specification