Broadcast video provisioning system

• US 8,910,217 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2011
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cellco Partnership, Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.), Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Aguirre, Sergio, Rogers, Brett I., Chiang, David, Bao, Derek Hongwei H., Alward, David M., Kotecha, Lalit R., Basra, Arvind, Tjio, Lee, Madhav, Vijay T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pierorazio, Michael B
• Application Number:
  US13/280,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20130104173A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.06, 725/62, 370/329
• US Class Current: 725/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/55 for traffic information
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• 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 21/26616 for merging a unicast channel into a multicast channel, e.g. in a VOD application, when a client served by unicast channel catches up a multicast channel to save bandwidth data multicast over packet-switching network H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/021 Services related to particular areas, e.g. point of interest [POI] services, venue services or geofences

Abstract

A device receives, from a network device, information associated with an event, and assigns an event identifier to the event based on the event information. The device also provides the event identifier to a cell control device located at a location associated with the event, and determines a cell capacity of the location to ensure that there is sufficient cell capacity at the location to broadcast the event. The network device instructs a device capturing the event to provide live event data to the cell control device for a predetermined time period.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server device and from a network device, information associated with an event;

using the event information and a stored template to identify multiple small cells and a geographic location associated with an evolved multimedia broadcast multicast services (eMBMS) single frequency network (MBSFN);

assigning, by the server device, an event identifier to the event based on the event information;

providing, by the server device, the event identifier to a cell control device located at a location associated with the event;

determining, by the server device, a cell capacity of the multiple small cells at the geographic location to ensure that there is sufficient cell capacity at the location associated with the event to broadcast the event to a plurality of user devices associated with attendees at the event, via an eMBMS session;

configuring an access network to the MBSFN, wherein the network device instructs a device capturing multimedia content at the event to provide live event data to the cell control device for a predetermined time period; and

provisioning, at an expiration of the predetermined time period, the multiple small cells for unicast service with respect to the plurality of user devices.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing the event identifier and the event information in a database associated with the server device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the event information includes receiving:

a title of the event,

a duration of the event,

the location of the event,

a start time of the event, and

a stop time of the event.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein capturing multimedia content at the event includes capturing video, audio, and data content at the event to provide live event data to the cell control device for the duration of the event.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information associated with the event includes receiving information associated with one of:

a live national event, or

a live regional event.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information associated with the event includes receiving information associated with one of:

a live sporting event,

a live concert, or

a live speech.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device instructs the device capturing the multimedia content at the event to provide live event data to the cell control device in response to the plurality of user devices requesting the live event data at the location associated with the event.

8. A server device, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive, from a network device, information associated with an event,

use the event information and a stored template to identify multiple small cells and a geographic location associated with an evolved multimedia broadcast multicast services (eMBMS) single frequency network (MBSFN),

assign an event identifier to the event based on the event information,

provide the event identifier to a cell control device located at a location associated with the event,

determine a cell capacity of the multiple small cells at the geographic location to ensure that there is sufficient cell capacity at the location associated with the event to broadcast the event, to a plurality of user devices associated with attendees at the event, via an eMBMS session,

configure an access network to the MBSFN, wherein the network device instructs a device capturing multimedia content at the event to provide live event data to the cell control device for a predetermined time period, and

provision, at an expiration of the predetermined time period, the multiple small cells for unicast service with respect to the plurality of user devices.

9. The server device of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

store the event identifier and the event information in a database associated with the server device.

10. The server device of claim 8, wherein the event information includes:

a title of the event,

a duration of the event,

the location of the event,

a start time of the event, and

a stop time of the event.

11. The server device of claim 8, wherein the predetermined time period includes a duration of the event.

12. The server device of claim 8, wherein the event includes one of:

a live event,

a recorded event, or

a data delivery.

13. The server device of claim 8, wherein the network device instructs the device capturing the multimedia content at the event to provide live event data to the cell control device responsive to the plurality of user devices requesting the live event data at the location associated with the event.

14. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a server device, an event identifier for an event occurring at a venue location for accommodating a plurality of attendees of the event;

reserving, by the server device, bandwidth at the venue location for user equipment associated with the attendees of the event and before the event begins at the venue location;

receiving, by the server device and based on the event identifier, live data captured at the event at the venue location;

configuring an access network to an evolved multimedia broadcast multicast services (eMBMS) single frequency network (MBSFN) to provision multiple small cells at the venue location for an eMBMS session;

broadcasting, by the server device and using the reserved bandwidth, the live data to a user equipment at the venue location, in response to requests for the live data, via the eMBMS session;

terminating, by the server device, the eMBMS session after a predetermined time period corresponding to an ending of the event at the venue location; and

provisioning, based on the terminating, the multiple small cells for unicast service with respect to the user equipment at the venue location.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein terminating the eMBMS session after the predetermined time period includes terminating the eMBMS session after a duration of the event.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving an event identifier for an event comprises receiving an event identifier for one of:

a live sporting event,

a live concert, or

a live speech.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein receiving live data captured at the event includes receiving live data associated with one of:

a live national event, or

a live regional event.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein a network device instructs a device capturing the event to provide the live data to the server device when the user equipment, requesting the live data, moves to the venue location.

19. A server device, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive an event identifier for an event occurring at a venue location for accommodating a plurality of attendees of the event,

reserve, before the event begins at the venue location, bandwidth at the venue location for user equipment associated with the attendees of the event,

receive, based on the event identifier, live data captured at the event at the venue location,

configure an access network to an evolved multimedia broadcast multicast services (eMBMS) single frequency network (MBSFN) to provision multiple small cells at the venue location for an eMBMS session,

broadcast, using the reserved bandwidth, the live data to the user equipment at the venue location, in response to requests for the live data, via an eMBMS session,

terminate the eMBMS session after a predetermined time period corresponding to an ending of the event at the venue location, and

provision, based on the termination, the multiple small cells for unicast service with respect to the user equipment at the venue location.

20. The server device of claim 19, wherein the predetermined time period includes a duration of the event.

21. The server device of claim 19, wherein the event includes one of:

a live national event, or

a live regional event.

22. The server device of claim 19, wherein a device capturing the event is instructed to provide the live data to the server device when the user equipment, requesting the live data, moves to the venue location.