Methods and apparatus for selecting digital coding/decoding technology for programming and data delivery

• US 7,916,755 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2006
• Issued: 03/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hasek, Charles A, Markley, Jeffrey P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, IV; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jiang; Charles C
• Application Number:
  US11/363,577
• Publication Number:
  US 20070204311A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,856 Days
• Field of Search: 370/464, 370/480, 370/485, 370/486, 709204-207, 725/86, 725/87, 725/91, 725/93, 725/97
• US Class Current: 370/486
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25858 involving client software characteristics, e.g. OS identifier
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4627 Rights management associated to the content security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for selecting digital coding and/or decoding technology for programming and data delivery over, e.g., a content-based network. In one embodiment, the network comprises an HFC cable or satellite network that includes a server process interfacing with a plurality of customer premises equipment (CPE), and/or associated client devices, each having different capabilities profiles. The server determines the one or more capabilities possessed by the CPE, and evaluates one or more program or content choices for possible delivery to that CPE based on its profile. The server generates a list of programs or content based on this evaluation, and transmits this list to the CPE, which displays the list for viewing by a user. The user is therefore offered a list of available content that is compatible with their specific configuration. A business and operational rules engine is also optionally employed to control the operation of the foregoing processes to accomplish particular business or operational goals.

Claims

1. Network server apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a storage device in data communication with said processor; and

a computer program adapted to run on said processor, said program being adapted to;

receive data decoding configuration information from at least one network client device;

determine at least one content element compatible with said configuration information;

transmit said at least one content element to said at least one client device via at least one designated frequency band;

identify when two or more of said at least one client devices have the same data decoding configuration; and

invoke a bandwidth-conserving content delivery mechanism to at least said two or more devices.

2. The server apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network comprises a content-based cable network, and said server apparatus comprises a server process associated with a video-on-demand function of said network.

3. The server apparatus of claim 2, wherein said computer program adapted to run on said processor and to receive data decoding configuration information from at least one network client device comprises a session resource manager (SRM) process located remote from said at least one client device on said content-based cable network.

4. The server apparatus of claim 3, wherein said session resource manager (SRM) process is configured so that said decoding configuration information can be received via a session setup protocol message.

5. The server apparatus of claim 1, wherein said network comprises a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) cable television network with a plurality of client devices having heterogeneous data decoding capabilities.

6. The server apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data decoding configuration information is received via a call made using a predefined application programming interface (API).

7. The server apparatus of claim 6, wherein said network comprises a multi-channel distribution network, and said at least one client device comprises a digital set-top box.

8. The server apparatus of claim 1, wherein said at least one client device comprises a personal media device (PMD) coupled directly or indirectly through a premises interface to a said network.

9. The server apparatus of claim 1, wherein said act of transmitting said at least one content element to said at least one client device comprises transmitting a message to a software process configured to control at least in part the delivery of program streams to a node within a broadcast switched architecture (BSA) network.

10. The server apparatus of claim 1, wherein said data decoding configuration information received from said at least one client device comprises information indicating that said at least one client device is capable of decoding MPEG-4/H.264-encoded content.

11. The server apparatus of claim 1, wherein said bandwidth-conserving mechanism comprises:

identifying one QAM channel to deliver said at least one content element; and

causing said two or more of said client devices to tune to said one QAM channel to receive said at least one content element.

12. The server apparatus of claim 11, wherein said one QAM channel comprises a 6 MHz wide DOCSIS QAM channel.

13. The server apparatus of claim 11, wherein said IP multicast is carried over a DOCSIS QAM channel.

14. The server apparatus of claim 1, wherein said bandwidth-conserving mechanism comprises:

invoking an IP multicast to deliver said at least one content element; and

causing said two or more of said client devices to access said IP multicast to receive said at least one content element.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computer program is further adapted to generate information for transmission to said at least one client device relating to said at least one content element.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said information for transmission to said at least one client device comprises a listing of available programs comprising only content elements that are compatible with said decoding configuration thereof, said listing being based at least in part on said determination of at least one content element compatible with said configuration information.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said listing of available programs is dynamically modified over time based at least in part on said determination of at least one content element compatible with said configuration information.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said listing of available programs comprises an electronic program guide (EPG).

19. Network apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a storage device in data communication with said processor; and

a computer program adapted to run on said processor, said program being adapted to;

receive data decoding capability information relating to at least one network client device;

determine at least one content element compatible with a decoding capability described by said capability information;

identify when two or more of said at least one client devices have a same data decoding capability; and

invoke a bandwidth-conserving content delivery mechanism for delivery of said at least one content element to at least said two or more devices.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said delivery of said at least one content element comprises delivery via an Internet Protocol (IP)-based transport, and said act of invoking a bandwidth-conserving content delivery mechanism comprises invoke an IP multicast to at least said two or more devices based at least in part on said identification.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said IP multicast is carried over a DOCSIS QAM channel of said network.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said data decoding capability information comprises an identification of at least one coder/decoder (codec) supported by said at least one client device.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said determination of at least one content element compatible with said capability information comprises transcoding said at least one content element to be compatible with said at least one codec supported by said at least one client device.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein said transcoding is performed substantially in response to a request from said at least one client device for said at least one content element.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said data decoding capability information relating to at least one network client device is received directly from the at least one client device via a reverse or upstream channel.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said network comprises a managed content distribution network, and said data decoding capability information relating to at least one network client device is received from a network entity disposed within the managed network.

27. Network apparatus for use in a content delivery network, comprising:

storage means adapted to store at least a computer program;

processing means adapted for execution of said computer program, said computer program configured to;

obtain first and second data decoding capability information regarding a respective first and a second client device in communication with said network;

identify, based at least in part on said first and said second data decoding capability information, when said first and said second client devices have the same data decoding capability;

determine at least one content element compatible with said same data decoding capability; and

invoke a bandwidth-conserving means for content delivery to deliver said at least one content element to said first and said second client devices.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said computer program is further configured to, if said first and said second client devices do not have the same data decoding capability, issue a client configuration change request to effect an change of at least one of said first or said second client devices to have a common decoding capability with the other of said first and second client devices.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said content delivery network comprises a cable network, and said apparatus comprises a server process associated with a video-on-demand (VOD) function of said cable network.

30. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said bandwidth-conserving means for content delivery comprises use of a reduced-bandwidth coder-decoder (codec).

31. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said at least one content element comprises IP television (IPTV) content, and said bandwidth-conserving means for content delivery comprises an IP multicast delivered over a managed content distribution network.

32. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein said bandwidth-conserving means for content delivery comprises delivering said at least one content element on a single QAM, and causing said first and second client devices to tune to said single QAM.

33. A method for delivering content to a plurality of client devices in a content delivery network, said network comprising at least one network server apparatus, said method comprising:

receiving data decoding configuration information relating to at least one of said client devices;

determining at least one content element compatible with a configuration described by said configuration information;

identifying when two or more of said client devices have the same data decoding configuration; and

delivering said at least one content element to at least said two or more client devices using a bandwidth-conserving content delivery mechanism.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said content delivery network comprises a hybrid fiberconductor distribution network, and said plurality of client devices each have at least one heterogeneous data decoding capability described in said data decoding configuration information relating thereto, respectively.

35. The method of claim 33, wherein said act of delivering using a bandwidth-conserving delivery mechanism comprises:

identifying one QAM channel to deliver said at least one content element; and

causing said two or more of said client devices to tune to said one QAM channel to receive said at least one content element.

36. The method of claim 35, wherein said two or more client devices are all in the same service group of said network.

37. The method of claim 33, wherein said act of invoking a bandwidth-conserving delivery mechanism further comprises:

invoking an IP multicast to deliver said at least one content element; and

causing said two or more of said client devices to access said IP multicast to receive said at least one content element.

38. The method of claim 33, wherein said delivering using a bandwidth-conserving delivery mechanism comprises causing a switch disposed at a node of said network to switch in a program stream corresponding to the at least one content element which is not currently being delivered to the service group which services the two or more client devices, and providing the two or more client devices tuning information for that switched-in program stream.

40. The network switch apparatus of claim 38, wherein said decoding capability comprises the capability to decode MPEG-4/H.264 encoded content, and said one or more program streams comprise streams encoded in MPEG-4/H.264.

39. Network switch apparatus, comprising:

a first interface for receiving a plurality of program streams;

a second interface for transmitting at least a portion of the received plurality of program streams; and

switch logic adapted to;

evaluate data decoding capability information relating to a plurality of client devices being serviced by said switch apparatus;

determine whether at least one of said plurality of client devices has a decoding capability compatible with one or more of said received program streams; and

when, based on said determination, none of said plurality of client devices has said decoding capability compatible with said one or more received program streams, then switching out said one or more program streams from delivery to said plurality of client devices, said switching out conserving bandwidth downstream from said switch apparatus.

41. Network apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a storage device in data communication with said processor; and

a computer program adapted to run on said processor, said program being adapted to;

receive data decoding configuration information relating to a plurality of network client devices;

determine at least one content element compatible with a configuration described by said configuration information, said configuration being shared by two or more of said plurality of client devices;

generate information for transmission to at least said two or more of said plurality of client devices relating to said at least one content element;

receive a selection of said at least one content element from at least said two or more of said plurality of client devices; and

invoke a bandwidth-conserving content delivery mechanism to at least said two or more of said plurality of client devices for delivery of said selected at least one content element to at least said two or more client devices.

42. The network apparatus of claim 41, wherein said delivery of said at least one content element comprises delivery of content that has been encoded according to an encoding scheme compatible with said configuration.

43. The network apparatus of claim 41, further comprising:

identifying two or more of said plurality of client devices that do not have said shared configuration; and

issuing a client configuration update request to one of said identified two or more client devices to effect a change of data decoding configuration thereof in order to be compatible with that of the other of said identified two or more client devices.

44. The network apparatus of claim 41, wherein said information for transmission to said at least two or more of said plurality of client devices relating to said at least one content element comprises a dynamically modifiable listing of available programs comprising only content elements that are compatible with said configuration.