Methods and apparatus for format selection for network optimization

• US 8,166,509 B2
• Filed: 08/12/2010
• Issued: 04/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Brooks, Paul D., Rieger, Remi
• Primary Examiner(s): Saltarelli, Dominic D
• Application Number:
  US12/855,592
• Publication Number:
  US 20100306810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 621 Days
• Field of Search: 725/86, 725/95, 725/105
• US Class Current: 725/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2405 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the server, e.g. server load allocation of resources in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/50; performance measurement of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26216 involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64792 Controlling the complexity of the content stream, e.g. by dropping packets intermediate media network packet handling H04L65/765; proxy provisioning conversion or adaptation for reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data H04L67/5651; negotiation of resources in wireless networks H04W28/16
• 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

Abstract

Method and apparatus for optimizing network bandwidth utilization by delivering to users only the minimum number of programs required by service provider policies. In one embodiment, the method comprises switching some users from lower quality versions of programs to higher quality versions of the same programs, and removing those lower quality versions of programs from a given service group. In another embodiment, some users are switched from higher quality versions of programs to lower quality versions of those same programs, and the higher quality versions of programs removed from a given service group.

Claims

1. A method of operating a content distribution network, comprising:

making available at least a standard definition (SD) version and a high definition (HD) version of a program;

identifying at least one bandwidth surplus on said network, said surplus being insufficient to accommodate said HD version without removal of at least one other program;

determining a persistence associated with said at least one surplus; and

based at least in part on said identifying and determining, selecting one of said SD or HD versions for delivery over said network, said act of selecting comprising;

selecting said HD version of the program; and

consolidating a plurality of tuners of said network onto said HD version so as to permit removal of at least one SD version of said program from delivery.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second versions comprise a low bitrate version and a high bitrate version of the same program encoded according to the same encoding scheme, respectively.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said same encoding scheme is selected from the group consisting of:

(i) MPEG encoding schemes, and (ii) Windows Media Video schemes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said identifying comprises identifying a bandwidth surplus that is sufficient to accommodate the higher-bandwidth version of said first and second versions;

said determining a persistence comprises evaluating whether said persistence associated with said surplus is sufficient to accommodate substantially all of said higher-bandwidth version; and

where said persistence is sufficient, selecting the higher-bandwidth version for delivery.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying comprises identifying a future bandwidth surplus based at least in part on a predictive analysis.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said determining is based at least in part on said predictive analysis.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said predictive analysis comprises analysis of historical bandwidth consumption or allocation data.

8. A method of operating a content delivery network, comprising:

delivering at least a standard definition (SD) version and a high definition (HD) version of a program to a plurality of users;

identifying at least one projected bandwidth deficiency on said network; and

consolidating a plurality of users of said network onto said HD version so as to permit removal of at least one SD version of said program from delivery, based at least in part on said projected deficiency.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said selectively switching comprises switching enough ones of said plurality of users to substantially consume said surplus, or substantially mitigate said deficiency, respectively.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said identifying comprises:

determining a projected available bandwidth some time in the future;

determining a projected demand for said program; and

determining said surplus or deficiency based at least on said projected available bandwidth and said projected demand.

11. A method of operating a content delivery network, comprising:

delivering a standard definition (SD) version of a program stream to at least one user of said network;

providing a high definition (HD) version of said program stream;

identifying at least one time where said HD version can be substituted for said SD version;

substituting said HD version for said SD version at least at said one time so as to reduce duplication of programming; and

tuning a plurality of other users of said network to said HD program stream after said substitution.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one operational goal comprises reduced bandwidth consumption, said first version comprises an encoding consuming a first bandwidth, and said second encoding comprises an encoding consuming a second bandwidth, said second bandwidth being less than said first bandwidth.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said at least one time when said second version can be substituted for said first comprises at least one time when there is no demand for said first version.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said at least one time when said second version can be substituted for said first comprises at least one time when all users tuned to said SD program stream have HD-capable receivers.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said second version comprises a program stream encoded at a different bitrate than said first version, different bitrate being selected based at least in part on the display resolution capabilities of at least one user of said network.

16. A method of operating a content distribution network having a plurality of consumer premises equipment (CPE) associated therewith, comprising:

providing a plurality of programs for delivery over said network, at least a portion of said programs being provided in a first and a second format, said first format consuming less bandwidth than said second format;

controllably switching at least some CPE of said network from said first format to said second format for a given program, said switching being based at least in part on an identified bandwidth deficiency; and

in order to accommodate said greater bandwidth consumption of said second format, removing said first format from programming being delivered over said network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said first format comprises a lower quality version of said given program, and said second format comprises a higher quality version of said given program.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said lower quality version comprises a standard definition (SD) version, and said higher quality version comprises a high definition (HD) version.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said network comprises a broadcast switched architecture (BSA) network, and said removing comprises switching off said first format for said given program for at least a portion of a given service group.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein said first format comprises an MPEG2 encoded format, and said second format comprises an AVC encoded format.

21. The method of claim 16, wherein said controllably switching comprises selectively switching certain ones of said CPE using a network-side supervisory process.

22. A method of utilizing bandwidth on a content-based network, comprising:

evaluating bandwidth available on said network;

generating a first version of a program delivered to at least one user device over said network, said generating based at least in part on said evaluating; and

selectively substituting said first version of said program for a second version of said program that is delivered over said network;

wherein said selective substituting is based at least in part on an identified bandwidth deficiency and a determination that said available bandwidth is insufficient to accommodate said second version without removal of at least said first version.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said first version comprises a lower quality version of said program than said second version.

24. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

identifying a plurality of user devices associated with said network that are capable of utilizing said generated version; and

causing at least a portion of said devices to tune said program rendered in said generated version, thereby reducing instances of duplicate programming delivery in said network.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein said generated version comprises a high definition (HD) version, and said another version comprises a standard definition (SD) version.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein said generated version comprises a version encoded according to a first bitrate, and said another version comprises a version encoded according to said second bitrate, said first and second bitrates being not equal.