Adaptive chunked and content-aware pacing of multi-media delivery over HTTP transport and network controlled bit rate selection

• US 9,043,467 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2011
• Issued: 05/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ribbon Communications Operating Company, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Movik Networks, Inc. (Ribbon Communications, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kovvali, Surya Kumar, Gupta, Ankush, Agarwal, Sandeep, Leary, Christopher, Purayil, Nizar K
• Primary Examiner(s): ZHANG, SHIRLEY X
• Application Number:
  US13/048,378
• Publication Number:
  US 20110167170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709223-226, 725/105
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/74 measures in reaction to resource unavailability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/18 Multiprotocol handlers, e.g. single devices capable of handling multiple protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/24 Negotiation of communication capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/12 Systems in which the television signal is transmitted via one channel or a plurality of parallel channels, the bandwidth of each channel being less than the bandwidth of the television signal H04N7/24 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A network device, capable of understanding communications between an end user and the core network on a RAN network is disclosed. In some embodiments, the device is able to decode the control plane and the user plane. As such, it is able to determine when the end user has requested multimedia content. Once this is known, the device can optimize the delivery of that content in several ways. In one embodiment, the device requests the content from the content server (located in the core network) and transmits this content in a just-in-time manner to the end user. In another embodiment, the device automatically changes the encoding and resolution of the content, based on overall monitored network traffic. In another embodiment, the device automatically selects or modifies the format and resolution options based on overall bandwidth limitations, independent of the end user.

Claims

1. A network device, adapted to operate on a cellular RAN network, wherein components in said RAN network communicate using a control plane, a user plane and a plurality of protocols, said device comprising:

first and second interface modules, each adapted to communicate with a respective first and second component in said RAN network, such that one of said interface modules receives content from a content source and a second of said interface modules delivers content to a user device on said RAN network;

a storage device; and

control logic adapted to;

decapsulate said control and user plane protocols in communications between said first and second component,

based on said decapsulated control and user plane protocols, monitor traffic and available bandwidth of said RAN network,

determine that one of said communications comprises content from said content source, wherein said content comprises a multimedia file and the byte count associated with each presentation time interval of said content, and

based on said determined byte count, said monitored traffic and said available bandwidth, control the delivery of said content to said user device to optimize resources of said RAN network.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein said content is delivered in packets to one of said interface modules from said content source;

and where said packet comprises said content and a header comprising information about said content, said information comprising presentation time and byte count.

3. The network device of claim 2, wherein said control logic is adapted to create a transmit schedule comprising information about presentation time intervals and associated byte counts.

4. The network device of claim 2, wherein said packets comprise container files and said container files utilize FLV, MP4, 3GP, or 3G2 format.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein said control logic determines a first parameter defining the amount of content to be sent to said user device at one time, said first parameter related to a time required to consume said content.

6. The network device of claim 5, wherein said control logic determines a second parameter defining a time needed to deliver said amount of said content to said user device.

7. The network device of claim 6, wherein said control logic monitors activity in said RAN network and modifies said second parameter according to said monitored activity.

8. A method of delivering content to a user device on a cellular RAN network, wherein components in said RAN network communicate using a control plane, a user plane and a plurality of protocols, said method comprising:

using a network device located between said user device and a content server to monitor communication between said user device and other components in said RAN network to decapsulate said control and user plane protocols in order to determine the byte count associated with each presentation time interval of said content to be delivered;

monitoring the activity in said RAN network;

determining a presentation time interval, said presentation time interval used to define the quantity of content to be transmitted to said user device in a single chunk;

transmitting said content destined for said user device from a content server to said network device;

dividing said delivered content into a plurality of chunks, using said network device, each chunk comprising a number of bytes of data determined to provide content that will be consumed by said user device in said presentation time interval;

estimating the time required to deliver said chunk from said network device to said user device based on said monitored activity;

transmitting a first of said plurality of chunks from said network device to said user device;

waiting a predetermined time before transmitting a second of said plurality of chunks from said network device to said user device, wherein said predetermined time is calculated based on said presentation time interval and said estimated time to deliver said chunk.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising storing said content in a storage element in said network device prior to delivery to said user device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein if, before expiration of said predetermined time, said user terminates use of said content, said second chunk is not delivered from said network device.

11. A method of controlling the content delivered to a user device on a cellular RAN network, wherein components in said RAN network communicate using a control plane, a user plane and a plurality of protocols, said method comprising:

using a network device located in said RAN network and disposed between said user device and a content server to monitor communication between said user device and said content server in said RAN network to decapsulate said control and user plane protocols in order to determine the content of communications between said user device and said content server;

receiving a communication and determining a request for content is being made by said user device to said content server;

transmitting said request to said content server;

receiving a response from said content server, said response including a list of available formats from said content server;

monitoring the activity in said RAN network;

modifying said list received from said content server based on said monitored activity; and

transmitting said modified list to said user device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said list comprises at least two available formats, and said network device removes one of said formats from said list prior to said transmission to said user device.

13. A method of controlling the content delivered to a user device on a cellular RAN network, wherein components in said RAN network communicate using a control plane, a user plane and a plurality of protocols, said method comprising:

using a network device located in said RAN network and disposed between said user device and a content server to monitor communication between said user device and a content server in said RAN network to decapsulate said control and user plane protocols in order to determine the content of communications between said user device and said content server;

receiving a communication and determining a request for content at a specific format is being made by said user device to said content server;

monitoring the activity in said RAN network;

modifying said request based on said monitored activity before forwarding to said content server;

transmitting said modified request to said content server; and

transmitting a response from said content server to said user device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said request comprises a flag requesting high definition formats and said network device removes said flag from said request prior to said transmission to said content server, based on monitored network activity.

15. A method of delivering content to a user device on a cellular RAN network, wherein components in said RAN network communicate using a control plane, a user plane and a plurality of protocols, said method comprising:

using a network device located in said RAN network and disposed between said user device and a content server to monitor communication between said user device and other components in said RAN network to decapsulate said control and user plane protocols in order to determine that a multimedia file having a first resolution is being delivered from a content server to said user device;

monitoring the activity in said RAN network;

receiving packets comprising said multimedia file having said first resolution from said content server and using said network device to transmit said packets to said user device;

determining that, based on said monitored activity, said resolution should be modified to a second resolution;

requesting said multimedia file having said second resolution to be delivered to said network device from said content server; and

delivering said multimedia file having said second resolution to said user device from said network device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said network device delivers said multimedia file having said second resolution automatically.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said network device modifies its delivery of said multimedia file to cause said user device to request said multimedia file having said second resolution.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said network device decreases its rate of delivery of said multimedia file having said first resolution so as to cause said user device to request said multimedia having said second resolution, wherein said second resolution is less than said first resolution.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein said network device increases its rate of delivery of said multimedia file having said first resolution so as to cause said user device to request said multimedia having said second resolution, wherein said second resolution is greater than said first resolution.

20. A method of controlling the content delivered to a user device on a cellular RAN network, wherein components in said RAN network communicate using a control plane, a user plane and a plurality of protocols, said method comprising:

using a network device located in said RAN network and disposed between said user device and a content server to monitor communication between said user device and a content server in said RAN network to decapsulate said control and user plane protocols in order to determine a request for content is being made by said user device to said content server;

monitoring the activity in said RAN network;

transmitting said requested content to said user device only if said monitored activity is below a predetermined threshold.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein said network device does not forward said request to said content server if said monitored activity is above said threshold.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein said network device forwards said request to said content server, and makes a determination to transmit said content to said user device after receiving at least a portion of said content from said content server.

23. The method of claim 20, wherein said network device transmits an error message to said user device if said activity is above said threshold.