Method of using tokens and policy descriptors for dynamic on demand session management

• US 8,099,508 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2005
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Holdings LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Mao, Weidong, Black, Neville A., Compton, Charles L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Backer, Firmin
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chambers, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US11/275,175
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143457A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,223 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/226, 709/227, 709/229, 725/88, 725/34, 725/25, 380/281
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1066 Session management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/141 Setup of application sessions admission control or resource allocation in data switching networks H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; 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 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

Tokens and policy descriptors are used for dynamic on demand session management in a distributed and scalable architecture for on demand sessions and resource management. The architecture includes an on demand client, a purchase server, and a session manager. A purchase token is generated at the purchase server and assigned to the on demand client. The purchase token represents at least one requested asset. In response to an on demand session set-up request corresponding to the purchase token from the on demand client to the session manager, the purchase token is expanded to generate at least one dynamic policy management descriptor for the on demand session. This provides token-based purchase authorization and policy management for on demand services.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

sending to an on-demand client device via a data network a purchase token identifier;

responsive to receiving from the on-demand client device a first session request including the purchase token identifier, determining a first playlist of a plurality of video content assets based on the purchase token identifier, determining a bandwidth and a codec based on the purchase token identifier, and streaming the first playlist of video content assets encoded by the determined codec to the on-demand client device using the determined bandwidth; and

responsive to receiving from the on-demand client device a second session request including the purchase token identifier, determining a second playlist of a plurality of video content assets based on the purchase token identifier and streaming the determining second playlist of video content assets to the on-demand client device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to receiving from the on-demand client device the purchase token identifier as part of the first session request, determining a stream control protocol type based on the purchase token identifier, wherein streaming the first playlist comprises streaming the first playlist based on the determined stream control protocol type.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the first playlist comprises dynamically determining the first playlist responsive to receiving the first session request, and wherein determining the second playlist comprises dynamically determining the second playlist responsive to receiving the second session request.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising, generating, responsive to receiving the first session request, an asset list descriptor based on the purchase token identifier, wherein the asset list descriptor identifies start times of the plurality of video content assets of the first playlist.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the streaming the first playlist comprises streaming the video content assets of the first playlist beginning at the start times associated with those video content assets.

3. A method, comprising:

responsive to a request for a video content asset from an on-demand client device, sending to the on-demand client device via a data network a purchase token identifier; and

responsive to receiving from the on-demand client device a session request including the purchase token identifier, determining a playlist of a plurality of video content assets including the requested video content asset, start times of the video content assets in the playlist, a bandwidth, and a codec, each based on the purchase token identifier, and streaming the video content assets in the playlist encoded by the determined codec in accordance with the determined start times to the on-demand client device and using the determined bandwidth.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising, responsive to receiving from the on-demand client device the purchase token identifier, determining a stream control protocol type based on the purchase token identifier, wherein streaming comprises streaming the plurality of video content assets based on the determined stream control protocol type.

14. The method of claim 3, wherein determining the playlist and the start times comprises dynamically determining the playlist and the start times responsive to receiving the session request.

5. A video delivery system, comprising:

a purchase server configured to, responsive to a request from an on-demand client device, send to the on-demand client device a purchase token identifier; and

a session manager configured to, responsive to each of one or more session requests from the on-demand client device that include the purchase token identifier, send the received purchase token identifier to the purchase server, wherein the purchase server is further configured to determine, for each of the session requests, a playlist of a plurality of video content assets, a bandwidth, and a codec, each based on the purchase token identifier received from the session manager, and to instruct the session manager to set up streaming of the video content assets of the playlist to the on-demand client device.

6. The video delivery system of claim 5, wherein the purchase server and the session manager are both embodied as a same physical server.

7. The video delivery system of claim 5, wherein the session manager is further configured to, responsive to each of said session requests from the on-demand client device, send to the purchase server both the received purchase token identifier and a session group descriptor identifying a session corresponding to the respective session request.

15. The video delivery system of claim 5, wherein the purchase server is further configured to dynamically determine, for each of the session requests, the playlist based on the purchase token identifier received from the session manager.

16. The video delivery system of claim 5, further comprising an edge device configured to, for each of the playlists, stream the video content assets of the respective playlist to the on-demand client device.

17. The video delivery system of claim 5, wherein the purchase server is further configured to determine, for each of the session requests, an asset list descriptor based on the purchase token identifier, wherein each of the asset list descriptors identifies start times of the plurality of video content assets of the respective playlist.

18. The video delivery system of claim 17, further comprising an edge device configured to, for each of the playlists, stream the video content assets of the respective playlist to the on-demand client device beginning at the start times associated with those video content assets.

8. A video delivery system, comprising:

a purchase server configured to, responsive to a request for a video content asset from an on-demand client device, send to the on-demand client device a purchase token identifier; and

a session manager configured to, responsive to receiving from the on-demand client device a session request including the purchase token identifier, send the received purchase token identifier to the purchase server, wherein the purchase sewer is further configured to determine a playlist of a plurality of video content assets including the requested video content asset, a bandwidth, a codec, and start times of the assets in the playlist, each based on the purchase token identifier received from the session manager, to instruct session manager to set up streaming of the video content assets in the playlist in accordance with the determined start times to the on-demand client device.

9. The video delivery system of claim 8, wherein the purchase server and the session manager are both embodied as a same physical server.

10. The video delivery system of claim 8, wherein the session manager is further configured to, responsive to receiving from the on-demand client device the session request including the purchase token identifier, send to the purchase server both the received purchase token identifier and a session group descriptor identifying a session corresponding to the session request.

19. The video delivery system of claim 8, wherein the purchase server is further configured to dynamically determine the playlist and the start times based on the purchase token identifier received from the session manager.