Channel switching method, channel switching device, and channel switching system

• US 8,935,736 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2011
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Yang, Peilin, Li, Jun, Qin, Xia
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US13/158,068
• Publication Number:
  US 20110258674A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 725/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• 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 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6408 Unicasting

Abstract

A channel switching method, a channel switching device, and a channel switching system are provided. The method includes that: a network buffer apparatus determines whether a buffered video stream burst in unicast is synchronous with a channel video stream pushed by a network node to a client in multicast; notifies the client of sending a request for joining a multicast group, so as to implement fast channel switching; and dynamically adjusts the speed of pushing the video stream in unicast, so that the number of concurrent connections of the client and the channel switching efficiency are increased, and the deployment and operation cost of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) system is decreased. In this case, the channel switching scheme achieves universality and expandability, and the level of user experience is improved.

Claims

1. A channel switching method, comprising:

sending a channel switching request to a network buffer apparatus to request switching from a first channel to a second channel;

receiving and detecting a unicast video stream of the second channel sent by the network buffer apparatus, and feeding back a detection result to the network buffer apparatus, so that the network buffer apparatus dynamically adjusts a sending speed of sending the unicast video stream to a client according to the detection result, the detection result comprising a sending speed of the network buffer apparatus requested by the client;

sending a request for joining a multicast group of the second channel to a network node;

receiving a multicast video stream of the second channel sent by the network node; and

sending a message to the network buffer apparatus, wherein the message comprises a sequence number of a first packet in the received multicast video stream, the sequence number is used for the network buffer apparatus to determine an end of the unicast video stream.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the detection result further comprises an increment of the sending speed of the network buffer apparatus.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein sending the request for joining the multicast group of the second channel to the network node comprises:

sending the request for joining the multicast group to the network node according to a notification of the request for joining the multicast group sent by the network buffer apparatus.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

when switching from the second channel to a third channel, receiving a video stream of the third channel sent by the network buffer apparatus at an adjusted sending speed, wherein the adjusted sending speed is obtained according to a sending speed carried in a channel switching request or obtained according to local storage of the network buffer apparatus.

5. A channel switching device, comprising:

a sending module, configured to send a channel switching request to a network buffer apparatus to request switching from a first channel to a second channel;

a receiving module, configured to receive a unicast video stream of the second channel sent by the network buffer apparatus according to the channel switching request sent by the sending module;

a detection module, configured to detect the unicast video stream, and feed back a detection result to the network buffer apparatus, so that the network buffer apparatus dynamically adjusts a sending speed of sending the unicast video stream to the channel switching device according to the detection result, the detection result comprising a sending speed of the network buffer apparatus requested by the channel switching device;

wherein,

the sending module is further configured to send a request for joining a multicast group of the second channel to a network node;

the receiving module is further configured to receive a multicast video stream of the second channel sent by the network node according to the request for joining the multicast group sent by the sending module; and

the sending module is further configured to send a message to the network buffer apparatus, wherein the message comprises a sequence number of a first packet in the received multicast video stream, the sequence number is used for the network buffer apparatus to determine an end of the unicast video stream.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein the detection result further comprises an increment of the sending speed of the network buffer apparatus.

7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the sending module is configured to send the request for joining the multicast group to the network node according to a notification of the request for joining the multicast group sent by the network buffer apparatus.

8. The device according to claim 5, wherein the receiving module is further configured to:

receive a video stream of a third channel sent by the network buffer apparatus at an adjusted sending speed when switching from the second channel to the third channel, wherein the adjusted sending speed is obtained according to a sending speed carried in a channel switching request or obtained according to local storage of the network buffer apparatus.

9. A channel switching system, comprising a network buffer apparatus and a client, wherein

the client is configured to:

send a channel switching request to the network buffer apparatus to request switching from a first channel to a second channel;

receive and detect a unicast video stream of the second channel sent by the network buffer apparatus, and feed back a detection result to the network buffer apparatus, so that the network buffer apparatus dynamically adjusts a sending speed of sending the unicast video stream to the client according to the detection result, the detection result comprising a sending speed of the network buffer apparatus requested by the client;

send a request for joining a multicast group of the second channel to a network node;

receive a multicast video stream of the second channel sent by the network node; and

send a message to the network buffer apparatus, wherein the message comprises a sequence number of a first packet in the received multicast video stream, the sequence number is used for the network buffer apparatus to determine an end of the unicast video stream;

the network buffer apparatus is configured to;

buffer the video stream of the second channel;

receive the channel switching request sent by the client;

push the unicast video stream of the second channel to the client according to the channel switching request;

receive the detection result fed back from the client, and dynamically adjust a sending speed of sending the unicast video stream to the client;

receive the message comprising the sequence number of the first packet in the received multicast video stream, the sequence number being used for the network buffer apparatus to determine the end of the unicast video stream;

determine an end packet; and

send the unicast video stream of the second channel until the end packet is sent.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein the client is configured to send the request for joining the multicast group to the network node according to a notification of the request for joining the multicast group sent by the network buffer apparatus.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein the detection result further comprises an increment of the sending speed of the network buffer apparatus.