Passive video caching for edge aggregation devices

• US 8,566,886 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2011
• Issued: 10/22/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Scholl, Thomas Bradley
• Primary Examiner(s): Parry, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): MONTOYA, OSCHTA I
• Application Number:
  US13/216,566
• Publication Number:
  US 20110314508A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/93
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/647 Control signaling between network components and server or clients; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. controlling the quality of the video stream, by dropping packets, protecting content from unauthorised alteration within the network, monitoring of network load, bridging between two different networks, e.g. between IP and wireless real-time session protocols H04L65/1101
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Techniques for delivering video on demand channel content via streaming from a first edge aggregation device are provided. A processor is provided that is coupled to a memory. The processor can be operable to receive a request from a requesting device for video on demand channel content, search an index to locate the video on demand channel content, identify a location of the requesting device with respect to a first edge aggregation device and instruct the first edge aggregation device to forward the video on demand channel content to the location of the requesting device. Other embodiments are described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request from a requesting device for video on demand channel content;

identifying a location of the requesting device with respect to a first edge aggregation device;

searching an index stored at an asset mapper device to locate the video on demand channel content; and

instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the video on demand channel content to the location of the requesting device;

wherein when the location of the requesting device is downstream of a second edge aggregation device and the first edge aggregation device is downstream of a first metro aggregation router and the second edge aggregation device is downstream of a second metro aggregation router, the method comprises instructing the first edge aggregation device to forward the video on demand channel content to the location of the requesting device through the second metro aggregation router without requesting a second stream of the video on demand channel content from a video on demand server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first edge aggregation device receives the video on demand channel content in a first stream from a video on demand server, and wherein the first edge aggregation device forwards the video on demand channel content to the location of the requesting device without requesting a second stream of the video on demand channel content from the video on demand server.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising dynamically updating the index stored at the asset mapper device.

4. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the memory and operable to;

receive a request from a requesting device for video on demand channel content;

search an index to locate the video on demand channel content;

identify a location of the requesting device with respect to a first edge aggregation device; and

instruct the first edge aggregation device to forward the video on demand channel content to the location of the requesting device;

wherein when the location of the requesting device is downstream of the second edge aggregation device and the first edge aggregation device is downstream of a first metro aggregation router and the second edge aggregation device is downstream of a second metro aggregation router, the processor is operable to instruct the first edge aggregation device to forward the video on demand channel content to the location of the requesting device through the second metro aggregation router without requesting a second stream of the video on demand channel content from a video on demand server.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first edge aggregation device receives the video on demand channel content in a first stream from a video on demand server, and wherein the first edge aggregation device forwards the video on demand channel content to the location of the requesting device without requesting a second stream of the video on demand channel content from the video on demand server.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the index is stored at an asset mapper device.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the index is stored at the first edge aggregation device.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein when the location of the requesting device is downstream of a second edge aggregation device, the processor is operable to instruct the first edge aggregation device to forward the video on demand channel content to the location of the requesting device through a first metro aggregation switch, wherein the first edge aggregation device and the second edge aggregation device are downstream of the first metro aggregation switch.

9. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is operable to request a separate multicast video on demand channel content stream from a video on demand server subsequent to receiving the request.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising computer instructions for causing a computing device to:

receive a request from a requesting device for video on demand channel content;

identify a location of the requesting device with respect to a first edge aggregation device;

search an index to locate the video on demand channel content; and

instruct the first edge aggregation device to forward the video on demand channel content to the location of the requesting device;

wherein when the location of the requesting device is downstream of a second edge aggregation device and the first edge aggregation device is downstream of a first metro aggregation router and the second edge aggregation device is downstream of a second metro aggregation router, the computer instructions cause the computing device to instruct the first edge aggregation device to forward the video on demand channel content to the location of the requesting device through the second metro aggregation router without requesting a second stream of the video on demand channel content from a video on demand server.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the first edge aggregation device receives the video on demand channel content in a first stream from a video on demand server, and wherein the first edge aggregation device forwards the video on demand channel content to the requesting device without requesting a second stream of the video on demand channel content from the video on demand server.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the index is stored at an asset mapper device.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the index is stored at the first edge aggregation device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the index is dynamically updated.