One way information transmission method

• US 8,064,431 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2009
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Level 3 Communications LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, John S., Said, Ronald A., Gottipati, Sunil M.
• Primary Examiner(s): LEVITAN, DMITRY
• Application Number:
  US12/502,843
• Publication Number:
  US 20110013645A1
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 370/351, 370/389, 370/392, 3703952-3955, 370/400, 370/401, 370464-468, 709227-238
• US Class Current: 370/351
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements

Abstract

A method of one way transmission of information is provided. Preferably, the method steps include analyzing customer supplied information to determine a format to be selected, transmission priority, available transmission resources, and transmission destination. The preferred steps also include, determining a media transport method based on the transmission priority, transmission destination, and available transmission resources, and scheduling transmission of an information payload portion of the customer supplied information as a pre-emptible data reservation, based on a determined media transport method. The steps further preferably include, transforming the information payload into a selected format, storing the information payload in its formatted form on a non-volatile storage medium, encapsulating the information payload in its selected format within a media transport format, and transmitting the encapsulated information payload to the transmission destination.

Claims

1. A method of transmission of information by steps comprising:

analyzing customer supplied information received by way of a network access unit to determine from the customer supplied information a format to be selected, transmission priority, available transmission resources, and transmission destination;

determining a media transport method based on the transmission priority, transmission destination, and available transmission resources;

scheduling transmission of an information payload portion of the customer supplied information as a preemptible data, based on a determined media transport method;

determining whether the information payload is presented in a compressible format;

ascertaining a file size of information payload;

identifying a required delivery time for the information payload;

establish a service priority based on the file size and requested delivery time;

confirming an availability of transport facilities;

supplying a price quote matrix to the customer for transmission service options;

transforming the information payload of the customer supplied information into a selected format;

storing the information payload in its selected formatted form on a non-volatile storage medium;

encapsulating the information payload in its selected format within a media transport format;

transmitting the encapsulated information payload to the transmission destination;

determining receipt of the encapsulated information payload at the transmission destination; and

requesting re-transmission of any missing encapsulated information payload.

2. The method of claim 1, in which determining a format to be selected comprises the steps of:

receiving a customer request for a transmission service to transmit customer supplied information;

determining whether customer supplied information is video based information;

advising the customer of available compression facilities consistent with the customer supplied information;

discerning whether the customer selected a compression facility from the available compression facilities; and

linking the selected compression facility to the customer supplied information.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the information payload is presented in a compressible format, the price quote matrix comprising:

a price quote for an earliest in time transmission of the information payload in the compressible format;

a price quote for a delayed in time transmission of the information payload in the compressible format;

a price quote for an earliest in time transmission of the information payload in a compressed format; and

a price quote for a delayed in time transmission of the information payload in a compressed format.

4. The method of claim 3, in which the delayed in time transmission is a plurality of delayed in time transmission times.

5. The method of claim 4, by steps further comprising:

receiving final format in delivery instructions from the customer based on supplied price matrix; and

confirming to the customer the completion of the transmission of the information payload.

6. The method of claim 1, in which the transforming step comprises the steps of:

transforming the information payload into a file packet format when the information payload is in a streamed format; and

storing the transformed information payload in a non-volatile storage medium.

7. The method of claim 1, in which the encapsulating step comprises the steps of:

identifying header information;

associating the identified header with the information payload; and

encapsulating the identified header and information payload within the media transport format.

8. The method of claim 1, in which the scheduling step comprises the steps of:

analyzing the customer supplied information to determine an applicability of a pre-emptible data reservation to the information payload;

advising the customer of the availability of pre-emptible data reservations;

associating a pre-emptible data reservation with the information payload consistent with the customer selected pre-emptible data reservation;

scheduling transmission of the information payload based on availability of transmission resources; and

rescheduling transmission of the information payload when a non-pre-emptible information payload preempts the pre-emptible information payload.

9. The method of claim 1, in which the transmitting step comprises the steps of:

confirming availability of the transmission resources; and

transmitting the information payload to the determined transmission destination.

10. The method of claim 9, in which transmission resource is selected from a group consisting of wireless and wire line facilities.

11. The method of claim 1, in which the determining receipt of the encapsulated information payload comprises the steps of:

comparing the received encapsulated information payload with an expected encapsulated information payload; and

identifying encapsulated information payloads absent from the expected encapsulated information payloads.

12. The method of claim 11, in which the requesting retransmission step comprises the steps of:

requesting retransmission of absent encapsulated information payloads when said encapsulated information payloads are identified as being absent;

retransmitting said identified absent encapsulated information payloads; and

acknowledging receipt by the transmission destination of the identified absent encapsulated information payloads;

else acknowledging receipt by the transmission destination of the encapsulated information payloads when the received encapsulated information payloads match the expected encapsulated information payloads.

13. The method of claim 1, in which determining a format comprises the steps of:

receiving a customer request for a transmission service to transmit the information payload;

determining whether the information payload is file based information;

advising the customer of available compression facilities consistent with the information payload;

discerning whether the customer selected a compression facility from the available compression facilities; and

linking the selected compression facility to the information payload.

14. The method of claim 1, in which determining a transmission destination for the information payload comprising the steps of:

analyzing the information payload;

advising the customer of available transmission destinations consistent with the information payload;

discerning a transmission destination selected by the customer from the available transmission destinations; and

linking the selected transmission destination to the information payload.

15. The method of claim 1, in which determining available transmission resources comprising the steps of:

analyzing the information payload;

identifying resources capable of transmitting the information payload;

advising the customer of available destinations for the information payload based on the identified capable resources;

discerning a transmission destination selected by the customer from the advised available transmission destinations; and

associating the selected destination to the information payload.

16. The method of claim 1, in which the customer supplied information comprises service order and metrics associated with the information payload.

17. A method of transmission of information by steps comprising:

analyzing customer supplied information received by way of a network access unit to determine from the customer supplied information a format to be selected, transmission priority, available transmission resources, and transmission destination;

determining a media transport method based on the transmission priority, transmission destination, and available transmission resources;

scheduling transmission of an information payload portion of the customer supplied information as a preemptible data, based on a determined media transport method;

transforming the information payload of the customer supplied information into a selected format;

storing the information payload in its selected formatted form on a non-volatile storage medium;

encapsulating the information payload in its selected format within a media transport format;

transmitting the encapsulated information payload to the transmission destination;

determining receipt of the encapsulated information payload at the transmission destination; and

requesting re-transmission of any missing encapsulated information payload;

in which determining a transmission priority comprises the steps of;

receiving from a customer a request for a transmission service to transmit the information payload;

providing a plurality of available transmission priority levels;

advising the customer of available transmission priority levels for the requested transmission service based on the information payload;

supplying a price to the customer based on the available transmission priority levels;

discerning the transmission priority level selected by the customer; and

linking the selected transmission priority level to the information payload;

in which the price comprises;

a cost associated with each of the available transmission priority levels for transmission of the information payload in a compressible format; and

a cost associated with each of the available transmission priority levels for transmission of the information payload in a compressed format.

18. The method of claim 17, in which the cost associative each of the available transmission party levels for transmission of the information payload in a compressed format includes a cost of compressing the information payload in to a compressed format when said information payload is presented in a compressible format.