Passive video caching for edge aggregation devices

• US 8,028,319 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2006
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scholl, Thomas Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): Trost, IV; William
• Assistant Examiner(s): MONTOYA, OSCHTA I
• Application Number:
  US11/444,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20070283397A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,945 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/93
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/647 Control signaling between network components and server or clients; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. controlling the quality of the video stream, by dropping packets, protecting content from unauthorised alteration within the network, monitoring of network load, bridging between two different networks, e.g. between IP and wireless real-time session protocols H04L65/1101
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Techniques for delivering video on demand (VOD) channel content via streaming from a first edge aggregation device are provided. The first edge aggregation device receives the VOD channel content from a VOD server, and the streaming VOD channel content from the first edge aggregation device can stream down to a requestor. The streaming VOD channel content from the first edge aggregation device can also stream or up through a metro aggregation switch to a second edge aggregation device to reach the requestor. Techniques for buffering a cache of a video stream are also provided for bursting to a requestor, either after a request is made or before.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a requesting device for a video on demand (VOD) channel content;

identifying a location of the requesting device with respect to a first edge aggregation device;

when the location of the requesting device is downstream of the first edge aggregation device, then instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the requesting device, wherein the first end aggregation device receives the VOD channel content in a first stream from a VOD server, and wherein the first edge aggregation device forwards the VOD channel content to the requesting device without requesting a second stream of the VOD channel content from the VOD server;

when the location of the requesting device is downstream of a second edge aggregation device, then instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the requesting device through the second edge aggregation device without requesting the second stream of the VOD channel content from the VOD server; and

when the location of the request is downstream of the second edge aggregation device and the first edge aggregation device is downstream of a first metro aggregation router and the second edge aggregation device is downstream of a second metro aggregation router, then instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the request through the second metro aggregation router without requesting the second stream of the VOD channel content from the VOD server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein when the location of the requesting device is downstream of the second edge aggregation device, then instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the requesting device through a first metro aggregation switch, wherein the first edge aggregation device and the second edge aggregation device are downstream of the first metro aggregation switch.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when the location of the request is downstream of the second edge aggregation device, then instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the requesting device through a first metro aggregation switch, wherein the first edge aggregation device is downstream of the first metro aggregation switch, and through a second metro aggregation switch, wherein the second edge aggregation device is downstream of the second metro aggregation switch.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when the location of the request is downstream of the second edge aggregation device, then instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the requesting device through a first metro aggregation switch, wherein the first edge aggregation device is downstream of the first metro aggregation switch, and through a second metro aggregation switch, wherein the second edge aggregation device are downstream of the second metro aggregation switch, further including subsequently requesting a separate multicast VOD channel content stream from the VOD server.

5. The method of claim 1, further including:

forming a VOD channel request database for the location of the requesting device; and

pushing the VOD channel content to a requestor cache in advance of receiving the request for the VOD channel.

6. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and operable for;

receiving a request from a requesting device for a video on demand (VOD) channel content;

identifying a location of the requesting device with respect to a first edge aggregation device;

when the location of the requesting device is downstream of the first edge aggregation device, then instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the requesting device, wherein the first end aggregation device receives the VOD channel content in a first stream from a VOD server, and wherein the first edge aggregation device forwards the VOD channel content to the requesting device without requesting a second stream of the VOD channel content from the VOD server;

when the location of the requesting device is downstream of a second edge aggregation device, then instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the requesting device through the second edge aggregation device without requesting the second stream of the VOD channel content from the VOD server; and

when the location of the request is downstream of the second edge aggregation device and the first edge aggregation device is downstream of a first metro aggregation router and the second edge aggregation device is downstream of a second metro aggregation router, then instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the request through the second metro aggregation router without requesting the second stream of the VOD channel content from the VOD server.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein when the location of the requesting device is downstream of the second edge aggregation device, then instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the requesting device through a first metro aggregation switch, wherein the first edge aggregation device and the second edge aggregation device are downstream of the first metro aggregation switch.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein when the location of the request is downstream of the second edge aggregation device, then instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the requesting device through a first metro aggregation switch, wherein the first edge aggregation device is downstream of the first metro aggregation switch, and through a second metro aggregation switch, wherein the second edge aggregation device is downstream of the second metro aggregation switch.

9. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein when the location of the request is downstream of the second edge aggregation device, then instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the requesting device through a first metro aggregation switch, wherein the first edge aggregation device is downstream of the first metro aggregation switch, and through a second metro aggregation switch, wherein the second edge aggregation device are downstream of the second metro aggregation switch, further including subsequently requesting a separate multicast VOD channel content stream from the VOD server.

10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the processor ism operable for:

forming a VOD channel request database for the location of the requesting device; and

pushing the VOD channel content to a requestor cache in advance of receiving the request for the VOD channel.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer instructions for causing a computing device to:

receive a request from a requesting device for a video on demand (VOD) channel content;

identify a location of the requesting device with respect to a first edge aggregation device;

when the location of the requesting device is downstream of the first edge aggregation device, then instruct the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the requesting device, wherein the first end aggregation device receives the VOD channel content in a first stream from a VOD server, and wherein the first edge aggregation device forwards the VOD channel content to the requesting device without requesting a second stream of the VOD channel content from the VOD server;

when the location of the requesting device is downstream of a second edge aggregation device, then instruct the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the requesting device through the second edge aggregation device without requesting the second stream of the VOD channel content from the VOD server; and

when the location of the request is downstream of the second edge aggregation device and the first edge aggregation device is downstream of a first metro aggregation router and the second edge aggregation device is downstream of a second metro aggregation router, then instruct the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the request through the second metro aggregation router without requesting the second stream of the VOD channel content from the VOD server.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein when the location of the requesting device is downstream of the second edge aggregation device, then instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the requesting device through a first metro aggregation switch, wherein the first edge aggregation device and the second edge aggregation device are downstream of the first metro aggregation switch.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein when the location of the request is downstream of the second edge aggregation device, then instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the requesting device through a first metro aggregation switch, wherein the first edge aggregation device is downstream of the first metro aggregation switch, and through a second metro aggregation switch, wherein the second edge aggregation device is downstream of the second metro aggregation switch.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein when the location of the request is downstream of the second edge aggregation device, then instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the VOD channel content to the location of the requesting device through a first metro aggregation switch, wherein the first edge aggregation device is downstream of the first metro aggregation switch, and through a second metro aggregation switch, wherein the second edge aggregation device are downstream of the second metro aggregation switch, further including subsequently requesting a separate multicast VOD channel content stream from the VOD server.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, further comprising computer instructions for causing the computing device to:

form a VOD channel request database for the location of the requesting device; and

push

the VOD channel content to a requestor cache in advance of receiving the request for the VOD channel.