Method and device for providing programs to multiple end user devices

• US 8,627,390 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2006
• Issued: 01/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ARRIS Solutions, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Benjamim, Shai, Reister, John, Avieli, Gilat, Finkelstein, Modi, Elad, Asi
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): IDOWU, OLUGBENGA O
• Application Number:
  US11/549,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20090168679A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,640 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/95
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/26 Arrangements for switching distribution systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/42 Arrangements for resource management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• 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 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A scheme for providing programs to multiple end user devices. Two types of media streams that convey a first group of programs are provided to multiple end user devices via an edge device. The two types of programs include a unicast media stream and a multicast media stream. When a request from a first end user device to view a first program that belongs to the first group of programs is received, a type of a media stream that conveys the first program to a second end user device is selectively switched, in response to bandwidth constraints imposed on a communication path coupled to the edge device.

Claims

1. A method for providing programs to multiple end user devices, the method comprising:

defining a plurality of bandwidth thresholds, the plurality of bandwidth thresholds comprise two unicast media stream to multicast media stream conversion thresholds that differ from each other, and two multicast media stream to unicast media stream conversion thresholds that differ from each other;

providing to multiple end user devices, via an edge device, two types of media streams that convey a group of programs;

wherein the two types comprises a unicast media stream and a multicast media stream;

receiving a request from a first end user device to view a first program that belongs to the group of programs; and

selectively switching, in response to bandwidth constraints imposed on a communication path coupled to the edge device and in response to the plurality of bandwidth thresholds, a type of a media stream that conveys the first program to a second end user device;

wherein the two unicast media stream to multicast media stream conversion thresholds differ from the two multicast media stream to unicast media stream conversion thresholds.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending to the second end-user device, during a time gap between a switching point and a provision of the first multicast media stream an intermediate media stream that is a time shifted version of the first multicast media stream and is selected out multiple time shifted versions of the first multicast media stream that differ from each other by a delay between each of the multiple time shifted versions of the first multicast media stream and the first multicast media stream.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising transmitting the time shifted versions of the first multicast media stream at a changed bit rate so that after a certain period an independently decodable frame of each of the time shifted versions of the first multicast media streams is synchronized to an independently decodable frame of the first multicast media stream.

4. The method according to claim 1 further comprising sending to the second end-user device, during a time gap between a switching point and a provision of the first multicast media stream an intermediate media stream that is a time shifted version of the first multicast media stream;

wherein the intermediate media stream is transmitted at a changed bit rate so that after a certain period an independently decodable frame of the intermediate media stream is synchronized to an independently decodable frame of the first multicast media stream.

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising converting non-independently decodable frames of the first multicast media stream to independently decodable frames and sending to the second end-user device, during a time gap between a switching point and a provision of the first multicast media stream an intermediate media stream that comprises the independently decodable frames.

6. The method according to claim 1 comprising compressing at least one media stream in response to bandwidth constraints imposed on the communication path coupled to the edge device if a media stream type conversion is not adequate.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the selectively switching comprises process of pruning media streams, starting at a lowest priority programs and generating time gap filler streams.

8. The method according to claim 1 comprising calculating how many end user devices are tuned into which programs and determining how many unicast media streams to be converted to multicast media streams to change a load range, wherein load ranges are defined by the plurality of bandwidth thresholds.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising defining an upper bandwidth threshold that is higher than the two unicast media stream to multicast media stream conversion thresholds and the two multicast media stream to unicast media stream conversion thresholds;

and denying new requests to receive a program when the upper bandwidth threshold is reached.

10. A device for providing multiple programs, the device comprises

an output interface adapted to:

(i) provide to an edge device two types of media streams that convey a group of programs wherein the media streams are provided via the edge device to multiple end users;

(ii) receive a request from a first end user device to view a first program that belongs to the group of programs; and

a controller adapted to determine when to selectively switch, in response to bandwidth constraints imposed on a communication path coupled to the edge device and to a plurality of bandwidth thresholds, a type of a media stream that conveys the first program to a second end user device;

wherein the plurality of bandwidth thresholds comprise two unicast media stream to multicast media stream conversion thresholds that differ from each other, and two multicast media stream to unicast media stream conversion thresholds that differ from each other;

wherein the two unicast media stream to multicast media stream conversion thresholds differ from the two multicast media stream to unicast media stream conversion thresholds.

11. The device according to claim 10 further adapted to send to the second end-user device, during a time gap between a switching point and a provision of the first multicast media stream an intermediate media stream that is a time shifted version of the first multicast media stream and is selected out multiple time shifted versions of the first multicast media stream that differ from each other by a delay between each of the multiple time shifted versions of the first multicast media stream and the first multicast media stream.

12. The device according to claim 11 further adapted to transmit the time shifted versions of the first multicast media stream at a changed bit rate so that after a certain period an independently decodable frame of each of the time shifted versions of the first multicast media streams is synchronized to an independently decodable frame of the first multicast media stream.

13. The device according to claim 10 further adapted to receive upstream transmission from end user devices over an out of band channel.

14. The device according to claim 10 further adapted to assign priority to media streams comprising characteristic learnt from the end user viewing patterns.

15. The device according to claim 10 further adapted to prune media streams, starting at a lowest priority programs and generating time gap filler streams.

16. The device according to claim 10 further adapted to provide the user with interactive services.

17. The device according to claim 16 further adapted to select advertisements based on user participation in interactive services.

18. The device according to claim 10 further adapted to send to the second end-user device, during a time gap between a switching point and a provision of the first multicast media stream an intermediate media stream that is a time shifted version of the first multicast media stream;

wherein the intermediate media stream is transmitted at changed bit rate so that after a certain period an independently decodable frame of the intermediate media stream is synchronized to an independently decodable frame of the first multicast media stream.

19. The device according to claim 10 further adapted to deny new requests to receive program when an upper bandwidth threshold is reached;

wherein the upper bandwidth threshold is higher than the two unicast media stream to multicast media stream conversion thresholds and the two multicast media stream to unicast media stream conversion thresholds.