Method and apparatus for allocating channel bandwidth in wireless internet protocol television systems

• US 8,374,141 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2010
• Issued: 02/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Sungkyunkwan University Foundation For Corporate Collaboration (SungKyunKwan University)
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., Sungkyunkwan University Foundation For Corporate Collaboration (SungKyunKwan University)
• Inventors: Kim, Jun Hyung, Hwang, Sung Oh, Kim, Joon Hwang, Kim, Kyung Tae, Youn, Hee Yong, Lee, Hyun Chul
• Primary Examiner(s): HSU, ALPUS
• Application Number:
  US12/722,131
• Publication Number:
  US 20100232383A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,069 Days
• Field of Search: 370/329, 370/477, 375/240.01, 455/3.01, 455/450, 725/87, 725/95, 725/118
• US Class Current: 370/329
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/10 Scheduling measurement reports ; Arrangements for measurement reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/0453 Resources in frequency domain, e.g. a carrier in FDMA

Abstract

A method and apparatus for allocating channel bandwidths in a wireless IPTV system is provided. The method includes measuring, if an additional service offering request is received in a saturation channel state, remaining execution times until a service of each terminal that is currently receiving a service is terminated, and setting a minimum of the measured remaining execution times to a unit time; calculating a securable channel bandwidth per the unit time with respect to each terminal that is currently receiving a service; and allocating, if the summation of the securable channel bandwidths per the unit time is equal to or greater than a channel bandwidth required to provide the additional service, the requested channel bandwidth in order to provide the additional service.

Claims

1. A method for allocating channel bandwidths in a wireless Internet Protocol TeleVision (IPTV) system, the method comprising:

receiving an additional service offering request from a user in a channel saturation state that exceeds a number of users who can use the service;

measuring remaining execution times until a service of each terminal that is currently receiving the service is terminated;

setting a minimum of the measured remaining execution times to a unit time;

calculating a securable channel bandwidth per the unit time with respect to each terminal that is currently receiving the service;

summing the securable channel bandwidths per the unit time for all terminals that are currently receiving the service; and

allocating the requested channel bandwidth in order to provide the additional service, if a summation of the securable channel bandwidths per the unit time is at least equal to the channel bandwidth required to provide the additional service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein allocating the requested channel bandwidth further comprises:

reducing and re-allocating each channel bandwidth allocated to the terminals that are currently receiving the service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the service includes a Video on Demand (VoD) service.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving information regarding an executable time using data stored in buffers of terminals from the terminals that are currently receiving a service, wherein the received information is information regarding a data-not-reception executable time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the securable channel bandwidth per the unit time with respect to a terminal B from among the terminals that are currently receiving a service is acquired from:

Securable channel bandwidth=transmission speed to user terminal B×

unit time,

wherein the data-not-reception executable time of one of the terminals is greater than or equal to the unit time.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the securable channel bandwidth per the unit time with respect to a terminal B from among the terminals that are currently receiving a service is acquired from:

Securable channel bandwidth=(transmission speed to terminal B×

data-not-reception executable time)+(transmission speed to terminal B−

lowest transmission speed to user terminal B)×

(unit time-data-not-reception executable time),

wherein the data-not-reception executable time of one of the terminals is smaller than the unit time.

7. An apparatus for providing a wireless Internet Protocol TeleVision (IPTV) service, comprising:

a channel bandwidth calculating unit for measuring, if an additional service offering request is received from a user, by the apparatus in a saturation channel state that exceeds a number of users who can use the service, remaining execution times until the service of each terminal that is currently receiving the service is terminated, for setting a minimum of the measured remaining execution times to a unit time, and for calculating a securable channel bandwidth per the unit time with respect to each terminal that is currently receiving the service;

a device for summing the securable channel bandwidth per the unit time for all terminals that are currently receiving the service; and

a channel bandwidth allocating unit for allocating, if the summation of the securable channel bandwidths per the unit time is at least greater than a channel bandwidth required to provide the additional service, the requested channel bandwidth in order to provide the additional service.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the channel bandwidth allocating unit reduces and re-allocates each channel bandwidth allocated to the terminals that are currently receiving the service.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the service includes a Video on Demand (VoD) service.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

a time information receiving unit for receiving information regarding an executable time using data stored in buffers of terminals from the terminals that are currently receiving a service, wherein the received information is information regarding a data-not-reception executable time.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the securable channel bandwidth per the unit time with respect to a terminal B from among the terminals that are currently receiving a service is acquired from:

Securable channel bandwidth=transmission speed to terminal B×

unit time,

wherein the data-not-reception executable time of one of the terminals is greater than or equal to the unit time.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the securable channel bandwidth per the unit time with respect to a terminal from among the terminals that are currently receiving a service is acquired from:

Securable channel bandwidth=(transmission speed to terminal B×

data-not-reception executable time)+(transmission speed to terminal B−

lowest transmission speed to user terminal B)×

(unit time-data-not-reception executable time),

wherein the data-not-reception executable time of one of the terminals is smaller than the unit time.