Control plane architecture for multicast cache-fill

• US 8,681,680 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2010
• Issued: 03/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Mao, Weidong, Salinger, Jorge
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi
• Assistant Examiner(s): ADHAMI, MOHAMMAD SAJID
• Application Number:
  US13/000,909
• Publication Number:
  US 20110188439A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,287 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/44 for identifying broadcast stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2433 Allocation of priorities to traffic types
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1014 based on the content of a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2389 Multiplex stream processing, e.g. multiplex stream encrypting
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/24 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth, upstream requests monitoring of server performance or load G06F11/34; arrangements for observation, testing or troubleshooting for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4353 involving decryption of additional data arrangements using cryptography for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4524 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; systems specially adapted for using geographical information in broadcast systems H04H60/70; protocols in which the network application is adapted for the location of the user terminal in communication control or processing H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• 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 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64723 : Monitoring of network processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of network load traffic related reporting in data switching networks H04L43/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 : Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A multicast content delivery system can use both multicast and unicast streams to efficiently use available bandwidth to deliver content. Available multicast content can be identified to gateways serving consumption devices, and the gateways can receive requests for unicast content deliver, but honor the requests with multicast group sessions.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a gateway device, a multicast listing identifying content items available for multicast reception;

receiving a content request from a consumption device, the content request being a request to establish a unicast session to obtain requested content;

determining that the requested content is listed in the multicast listing;

joining a multicast group identified in the multicast listing;

supplying the requested content from the multicast group to the consumption device in response to the consumption device'"'"'s content request;

receiving a content request for a second item of content from the consumption device;

determining that a requested version of the second item of content is not listed in the multicast listing;

determining that a similar version of the second item of content is listed in the multicast listing;

transmitting a message to the consumption device, informing the consumption device that the similar version is available; and

receiving approval from the consumption device to supply the similar version of the second item of content instead of the requested version of the second item of content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

while supplying the requested content to the consumption device, the gateway device switching from the multicast group to a unicast transmission for the requested content without further input from the consumption device, and without informing the consumption device of the switching.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the gateway device remaining a member of the multicast group after determining that the consumption device no longer needs the requested content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein if the consumption device does not resume consumption of the requested content within a predetermined period of time, the gateway device leaves the multicast group.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising storing parameters identifying different lengths of time to be used as the predetermined period of time for different programs or services.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising, after determining that the consumption device no longer needs the requested content, remaining a member of the multicast group for an amount of time that depends on a user preference corresponding to the requested content or a service offering the requested content.

7. The method of claim 3, further comprising the gateway device remaining a member of the multicast group of the requested content and storing portions of the requested content received while the consumption device needs the requested content, and after the consumption device no longer needs the requested content, remaining a member of the multicast group without storing portions of the requested content received while the consumption device no longer needs the requested content.

8. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a gateway device, a multicast listing identifying content items available for multicast reception;

receiving a unicast content request from a consumption device, the unicast content request being a request to establish a unicast session to obtain content;

determining that the requested content is listed in the multicast listing;

subscribing to a multicast group identified in the multicast listing;

supplying the requested content from the multicast group to the consumption device in response to the consumption device'"'"'s unicast content request; and

conducting a cache join of the multicast group upon the consuming device ceasing to access the requested content in the multicast group, wherein the cache join includes remaining a member of the multicast group without caching content from the multicast group.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

while supplying the requested content to the consumption device, switching from the multicast group to a unicast transmission for the content without further input from the consumption device, and without informing the consumption device of the switching.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a unicast content request for a second item of content from the consumption device;

determining that a requested version of the second item of content is not listed in the multicast listing;

determining that a similar version of the second item of content is listed in the multicast listing;

transmitting a message to the consumption device, informing the consumption device that the similar version is available; and

receiving approval from the consumption device to supply the similar version of the second item of content instead of the requested version of the second item of content.

11. The method claim 10, further comprising selecting the similar version based on available bandwidth between the computing device and a termination system.

12. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

remaining a member of the multicast group after determining that the consumption device no longer needs the requested content.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

leaving the multicast group if the consumption device does not resume consumption of the requested content within a predetermined period of time.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising managing bandwidth usage by adjusting multicast sessions.

15. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a gateway device, a multicast listing identifying content items available for multicast reception;

receiving a content request from a consumption device, the content request being a request to establish a unicast session to obtain requested content;

determining that the requested content is listed in the multicast listing;

joining a multicast group identified in the multicast listing;

supplying the requested content from the multicast group to the consumption device in response to the consumption device'"'"'s content request; and

the gateway device remaining a member of the multicast group after determining that the consumption device no longer needs the requested content.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

while supplying the requested content to the consumption device, switching from a multicast group to a unicast transmission for the content without further input from the consumption device, and without informing the consumption device of the switching.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

receiving a content request for a second item of content from the consumption device;

determining that a requested version of the second item of content is not listed in the multicast listing;

determining that a similar version of the second item of content is listed in the multicast listing;

transmitting a message to the consumption device, informing the consumption device that the similar version is available; and

receiving approval from the consumption device to supply the similar version of the second item of content instead of the requested version of the second item of content.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

leaving the multicast group if the consumption device does not resume consumption of the requested content within a predetermined period of time.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the predetermined period of time is a user-configured parameter.