Network performance assessment apparatus, systems, and methods
First Claim
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1. A method to deliver real-time programming over a network, comprising:
- collecting, with a processor, performance information pertaining to a current capacity utilization of the network and a peak capacity utilization of the network, the current capacity utilization of the network being a summation of a bandwidth of each data stream of a plurality of data streams respectively allocated to the network, the peak capacity utilization of the network being a total bandwidth of the network available for allocation to the plurality of data streams;
assigning a priority to each data stream that contributes to the current capacity utilization of the network wherein a highest priority is assigned to a data stream of real-time programming;
comparing the current capacity utilization with a threshold bandwidth, the threshold bandwidth being less than or equal to eighty percent of the peak capacity of the network;
identifying an occurrence of a bandwidth request above the threshold bandwidth;
selecting at least one of the plurality of data streams based on the assigned priority;
performing, in response to the occurrence of the bandwidth request above the threshold bandwidth, a dynamic conversion of the selected one of the plurality of data streams from a higher bandwidth video encoding protocol to a lower bandwidth video encoding protocol, the dynamic conversion reducing an amount of bandwidth allocated to the selected one of the plurality of data streams thereby reducing the current capacity utilization below the threshold bandwidth;
passing the data stream of real-time programming on the network; and
performing a dynamic reversion of the selected one of the plurality of data streams from the lower bandwidth video encoding protocol back to the higher bandwidth video encoding protocol when the current capacity utilization of the network will remain less than the threshold bandwidth after performing the dynamic reversion.
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Abstract
Various embodiments of network performance assessment apparatus, systems and processes collect performance information pertaining to a current capacity utilization of a network, identify an occurrence of a capacity constraint on a portion of the network that is communicating the program to at least one presentation device, and modify at least one characteristic of the program and/or the communication thereof over the network so that a total capacity utilization of the network is less than a peak capacity of the network.
34 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method to deliver real-time programming over a network, comprising:
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collecting, with a processor, performance information pertaining to a current capacity utilization of the network and a peak capacity utilization of the network, the current capacity utilization of the network being a summation of a bandwidth of each data stream of a plurality of data streams respectively allocated to the network, the peak capacity utilization of the network being a total bandwidth of the network available for allocation to the plurality of data streams; assigning a priority to each data stream that contributes to the current capacity utilization of the network wherein a highest priority is assigned to a data stream of real-time programming; comparing the current capacity utilization with a threshold bandwidth, the threshold bandwidth being less than or equal to eighty percent of the peak capacity of the network; identifying an occurrence of a bandwidth request above the threshold bandwidth; selecting at least one of the plurality of data streams based on the assigned priority; performing, in response to the occurrence of the bandwidth request above the threshold bandwidth, a dynamic conversion of the selected one of the plurality of data streams from a higher bandwidth video encoding protocol to a lower bandwidth video encoding protocol, the dynamic conversion reducing an amount of bandwidth allocated to the selected one of the plurality of data streams thereby reducing the current capacity utilization below the threshold bandwidth; passing the data stream of real-time programming on the network; and performing a dynamic reversion of the selected one of the plurality of data streams from the lower bandwidth video encoding protocol back to the higher bandwidth video encoding protocol when the current capacity utilization of the network will remain less than the threshold bandwidth after performing the dynamic reversion. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A system to communicate a real-time program over a network, comprising:
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a network performance assessor to; collect performance information pertaining to a current capacity utilization of the network and a peak capacity utilization of the network, compare the current capacity utilization with a threshold related to the peak capacity utilization, identify an occurrence of a bandwidth request that if granted would raise the current capacity utilization above the threshold, and assign a priority to each data stream of a plurality of data streams that contribute to the current capacity utilization of the network wherein a highest priority is assigned to a data stream of real-time programming; a processor module having logic to select one of the plurality of data streams, the selected one of the plurality of data streams having a lower assigned priority than the real-time programming data stream; and a program formatter to dynamically modify, in response to the occurrence of the bandwidth request that if granted would raise the current capacity utilization above the threshold, a scaling basis characteristic of the selected one of the plurality of data streams to permit the current capacity utilization of the network to be equal or below the threshold, the scaling characteristic arranged to direct a conversion of the selected one of the plurality of data streams from a higher bandwidth video encoding protocol to a lower bandwidth video encoding protocol, the program formatter to further dynamically modify the scaling basis characteristic to direct a reversion of the selected one of the plurality of data streams from the lower bandwidth video encoding protocol back to the higher bandwidth video encoding protocol when the current capacity utilization of the network will remain less than the threshold bandwidth after performing, the dynamic reversion. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus to communicate programs over networks, comprising:
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a receiver to receive a user selection of a real-time program; a network formatter operable to; format the selected real-time program into information compatible with a communication format used by a network, and transmit the formatted real-time program onto the network; and a network performance assessor operable to; receive performance information corresponding to a current capacity utilization of the network, assess performance of the network by comparing the current capacity utilization with a threshold related to a peak capacity utilization of the network, determine an occurrence of a bandwidth constraint in response to the current capacity utilization comparison, and assign a priority to each data stream of a plurality of data streams that contribute to the current capacity utilization of the network wherein a highest priority is assigned to the selected real-time program; and a processor unit operable to select one of the plurality of data streams, the selected one of the plurality of data streams having a lower assigned priority than the selected real-time program; and the network formatter further operable to; dynamically modify the selected one of the plurality of data streams to remove the occurrence of the bandwidth constraint, the dynamic modification including a conversion of the selected one of the plurality of data streams from a higher bandwidth video encoding protocol to a lower bandwidth video encoding protocol, and further dynamically modify the selected one of the plurality of data streams with a reversion of from the lower bandwidth video encoding protocol back to the higher bandwidth video encoding protocol when the current capacity utilization of the network will remain less than the threshold bandwidth after performing the dynamic reversion. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17)
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Specification