Method and apparatus for workload management of a content on demand service
First Claim
1. A method for managing bandwidth in a content on demand service provided by a service provider to users, said method comprising:
- receiving a request from a user to receive the content;
after said receiving, ascertaining whether a total number of users requesting the content within a predetermined time period is below a first specified threshold, wherein the time period is the time duration of the content, wherein the first specified threshold is a total number of time slots of the time period plus one, and wherein the total number of time slots of the time period consists of a plurality of time slots;
if said ascertaining ascertains that the total number of users requesting the content within the predetermined time period is below the first specified threshold, then connecting the user to a unicast stream of the content; and
if said ascertaining ascertains that the total number of users requesting the content within the predetermined time period is not below the first specified threshold, then connecting the user to a first multicast stream of the content, wherein a video carousel comprises a plurality of multicast streams that includes the first multicast stream, and wherein each multicast stream of the plurality of multicast streams has been or will be initiated at a unique time slot of the time period.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and computer system for managing bandwidth in a content on demand service provided by a service provider to users. A request is received from a user to receive the content. If it is ascertained that a total number of users requesting the content within a predetermined time period is below a first specified threshold, then the user is connected to a unicast stream of the content. If it is ascertained that a total number of users requesting the content within a predetermined time period is not below a first specified threshold, then the user is connected to a first multicast stream of the content. A video carousel includes at least two multicast streams that contains the first multicast stream. Each multicast stream has been or will be initiated at a unique time slot of a time period that is equal to the time duration of the content.
42 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for managing bandwidth in a content on demand service provided by a service provider to users, said method comprising:
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receiving a request from a user to receive the content; after said receiving, ascertaining whether a total number of users requesting the content within a predetermined time period is below a first specified threshold, wherein the time period is the time duration of the content, wherein the first specified threshold is a total number of time slots of the time period plus one, and wherein the total number of time slots of the time period consists of a plurality of time slots; if said ascertaining ascertains that the total number of users requesting the content within the predetermined time period is below the first specified threshold, then connecting the user to a unicast stream of the content; and if said ascertaining ascertains that the total number of users requesting the content within the predetermined time period is not below the first specified threshold, then connecting the user to a first multicast stream of the content, wherein a video carousel comprises a plurality of multicast streams that includes the first multicast stream, and wherein each multicast stream of the plurality of multicast streams has been or will be initiated at a unique time slot of the time period. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computer system comprising a server computer, said server computer comprising a processor, a memory, and a computer program stored in said memory, said computer program comprising instructions for implementing a method for managing bandwidth in a content on demand service provided by a service provider to users, said method being implemented via execution of the instructions on the server computer, said method comprising:
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receiving a request from a user to receive the content;
after said receiving, ascertaining whether a total number of users requesting the content within a predetermined time period is below a first specified threshold, wherein the time period is the time duration of the content, wherein the first specified threshold is a total number of time slots of the time period plus one, and wherein the total number of time slots of the time period consists of a plurality of time slots;if said ascertaining ascertains that the total number of users requesting the content within the predetermined time period is below the first specified threshold, then connecting the user to a unicast stream of the content; and if said ascertaining ascertains that the total number of users requesting the content within the predetermined time period is not below the first specified threshold, then connecting the user to a first multicast stream of the content, wherein a video carousel comprises a plurality of multicast streams that includes the first multicast stream, and wherein each multicast stream of the plurality of multicast streams has been or will be initiated at a unique time slot of the time period that. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification