Methods and apparatus for predictive delivery of content over a network

• US 9,060,208 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2008
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Rieger, Remi, Brooks, Paul D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Rong
• Application Number:
  US12/012,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20090193485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,694 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• 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 21/251 Learning process for intelligent management, e.g. learning user preferences for recommending movies details of learning user preferences for the retrieval of video data in a video database G06F16/739; computer systems using learning methods G06N3/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26216 involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26241 involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42607 for processing the incoming bitstream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6338 directed to network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for optimizing bandwidth utilization in a cable network. In one embodiment, the method comprises predicting which content will be requested by a set of users based upon the exhibited viewing habits of those users (and/or others). A server process gathers viewership data comprising a listing of programs requested by users at various times of the day. The server process aggregates the viewership data, identifies patterns within the aggregated data, and extrapolates a schedule of programs likely to be requested. In certain embodiments, the server process additionally gathers the capabilities of each cable device in an associated subnetwork. Based upon these capabilities, and based upon the total bandwidth predicted to remain available in the network over a target broadcast period, the server process may also select an optimal compression scheme and video quality level before broadcasting a certain program.

Claims

1. A network apparatus adapted to determine which of a plurality of content elements to distribute over a content delivery network at a given future time, said apparatus comprising:

a storage element; and

a processor, said processor configured to execute at least one computer program thereon, said computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are adapted to when executed;

collect viewership data from a plurality of devices;

determine individual ones of said plurality of content elements that are predicted to be requested by said plurality of devices at said future time based at least in part upon said viewership data;

at said future time, generate a multiplexed stream comprising said individual ones of said plurality of content elements predicted to be requested by said plurality of devices at said future time equal to an available bandwidth;

receive a request for content from at least one of said plurality of devices;

determine whether said requested content is within said multiplexed stream currently being delivered to said plurality of devices; and

when said requested content is within said multiplexed stream currently being delivered to said plurality of devices, provide a requesting device information to tune thereto, otherwise, selectively switch said requested content into said multiplexed stream.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said viewership data comprises data which indicates which of a plurality of channels were requested at given parts of a day.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said viewership data comprises data which indicates which of a plurality of programs were requested at given parts of a day.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said computer program when executed receives capability-related data from at least a portion of said plurality of devices;

and

wherein said determination of said individual ones of said plurality of content elements that are predicted to be requested is based at least in part upon said viewership data and based at least in part upon said capability data.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said capability data comprises decoding capabilities of at least a portion of said plurality of devices.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein said computer program when executed selects an optimal codec to compress said requested content based at least in part upon said decoding capabilities.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said capability data comprises display resolution capabilities of at least a portion of said plurality of devices.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said apparatus is further adapted to select an optimal bit rate to transmit said requested content based at least in part upon said display resolution capabilities.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said determination of said individual ones of said plurality of content elements that are predicted to be requested further comprises discovery of at least one pattern in said viewership data, and generation of at least one prediction or projection based at least in part on said at least one pattern.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said at least one pattern comprises a pattern of receipt of a request for content from at least one user at a certain time of day.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said at least one pattern comprises a pattern of receipt of a request for content from at least one user during a certain day of a week.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said at least one pattern comprises a pattern of receipt of a request for content from at least one user during a certain period of a year.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said at least one pattern comprises a pattern of receipt of a request for content provided on a certain channel from at least one user.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said at least one pattern comprises a pattern of receipt of a request for a certain program from at least one user.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said at least one pattern comprises a pattern of receipt of a request for programs having popularity ratings exceeding a certain threshold from at least one user.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said computer program when executed prioritizes respective ones of patterns discovered in said viewership data.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein prioritization of said patterns comprises assignment of a higher priority to more recent viewing patterns than that assigned to older viewing patterns.

18. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said computer program when executed synthesizes patterns discovered in said viewership data so as to create a synthesized pattern;

and wherein said determination of said individual ones of said plurality of content elements that are predicted to be requested further comprises a determination of said individual ones of said plurality of content elements using at least said synthesized pattern.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein said synthesis of said patterns comprises assignment of a certain amount of weight to each pattern.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said determination of said individual ones of said plurality of content elements that are predicted to be requested further comprises a determination of said individual ones of said plurality of content elements based at least in part upon said viewership data and bandwidth available in said network at a time of said delivery.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said computer program when executed replaces a lower quality version of a content element with a higher quality version of said element.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said computer program when executed replaces a higher quality version of a content element with a lower quality version of a content element.

23. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein said computer program when executed provides designated services to said plurality of devices when sufficient bandwidth is available.

24. A method of operating a content distribution network, comprising:

at a service node of said network, predicting based at least in part on historical data collected from each of a group of client devices serviced by said service node a plurality of content elements to be requested by said group of client devices at a given point in time; and

at said given point in time, delivering a multiplex comprising said predicted plurality of content elements to said group of client devices, an available bandwidth of said multiplex being filled via said predicted plurality of content elements;

wherein operation of at least one of said group of client devices to receive said plurality of content elements from said service node occurs without communicating a selection of said plurality of content elements from said at least one of said group of client devices to said network; and

wherein when a selection of a particular content element by a particular one of said group of client devices comprises selection of a content element not within said predicted plurality of content elements is received, dynamically adjusting said multiplex to include said particular one content elements not previously predicted to be requested.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein said operation without communicating comprises operation of said at least one of said group of client devices without a functional upstream communication channel.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said operation of said at least one of said group of client devices without communicating data from said at least one of said group of client devices to said network comprises operation of different ones of said group of devices without communicating data at different times.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said act of predicting is based at least in part on viewership data obtained from said group of client devices.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein said viewership data comprises data relating to a same time of day, but for different calendar days.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said method further comprises weighting respective ones of said data relating to said same time of day, but for different calendar days, differently.

30. A method of providing content in a bandwidth constrained network having a broadcast switched architecture, said method comprising:

delivering via a first content multiplex a first subset of available programming to a plurality of client devices in a service group, each of said first subset of available programming comprising only programming particularly requested by at least one of said plurality of client devices;

delivering via said first content multiplex a second subset of available programming to said plurality of client devices in said service group to fill an available bandwidth thereof, each of said second subset of available programming comprising only programming which is predicted to be requested by at least one of said plurality of client devices at a particular time, said prediction based at least in part upon aggregation and analysis of viewership data collected from all of said plurality of client devices in said service group;

receiving a request for programming not previously requested from a first one of said plurality of client devices;

determining whether said requested programming is within said second subset;

when said requested programming is within said second subset, providing said first one of said plurality of client devices information to cause said device to tune to said requested programming; and

when said requested programming is not within said second subset, adding said requested programming to said first content multiplex.

31. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions, which, when executed, cause delivery of a plurality of content elements over a content delivery network via at least:

evaluation of historical viewership data from each of a group of client devices serviced by a service node;

prediction, based at least in part on said historical viewership data, of a first subset of said plurality of content elements which have a threshold likelihood of being requested for delivery at a future time by at least one of said group of client devices;

at said future time and in an absence of a user request for any of said first subset of said plurality of content elements, delivery of a multiplex comprising said first subset of said plurality of content elements to fill an available bandwidth thereof; and

upon receipt of a user request for a particular one of said plurality of content elements not predicted to have a threshold likelihood of being requested for delivery at said future time, addition of said particular one of said plurality of content elements to said multiplex for delivery simultaneously with said first subset of said plurality of content elements.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein at least one of said group of client devices comprises a device unable to perform upstream communication to said apparatus.

33. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said viewership data comprises data relating to a same time of day, but for different calendar days.

34. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein respective ones of said data relating to said same time of day, but for different calendar days, are weighted differently than one another.

35. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said plurality of instructions, when executed:

identify a plurality of patterns in said historical viewership data;

prioritize at least one of said plurality of patterns identified in said historical viewership data; and

utilize said prioritized pattern to predict said first subset of said plurality of content elements.

36. The apparatus of claim 35, wherein said at least one pattern comprises a plurality of patterns, and said utilization of said prioritized pattern comprises assignment of a certain amount of weight to each of said plurality of patterns.

37. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said viewership data comprises data which indicates which channels were requested at certain times of day and/or data configured to indicate which programs were requested at certain times of day.

38. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said plurality of instructions when executed, receive capability data from said group of client devices, delivery said plurality of content elements being based at least in part upon said capability data.

39. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said plurality of instructions when executed, replace a lower quality version of a content element with a higher quality version of said same content element when:

(i) each device from said plurality can accommodate said higher quality version, and (ii) there is sufficient bandwidth available to replace said lower quality version with said higher quality version.

40. The apparatus of claim 31, wherein said plurality of instructions when executed, replace a higher quality version of a content element with a lower quality version of a content element when:

(i) there is insufficient bandwidth available to sustain a broadcast of said higher quality version to said group of client devices, or (ii) at least some of said group of client devices are not configured to decode or utilize said higher quality version.