Methods, apparatus and computer readable medium for managed adaptive bit rate for bandwidth reclamation
First Claim
1. A method for managing content sessions within a network, the method comprising:
- maintaining content sessions over the network;
detecting a requirement to modify bandwidth usage within the network, wherein detecting the requirement to modify bandwidth usage within the network includes proactively determining an impending bandwidth change condition within the network before occurrence of the bandwidth change condition within the network;
applying an adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique to the content sessions before the occurrence of the bandwidth change condition, the adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique adjusting a data rate of data associated with each content session, according to the requirement to modify bandwidth usage within the network, wherein the data rate adjustment for each content session is based upon a current bit rate for the content session, available bit rates for the content session, and a policy associated with the content session, wherein the policy is based upon a service level agreement associated with a service provider customer of each content session, wherein applying the adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique includes sending a first command to a server instructing the server to perform the data rate adjustment; and
applying a quality of service adjustment technique to the content sessions, the quality of service adjustment technique adjusting a bandwidth allocation assigned between a client and the server for each content session, based upon the adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique, wherein applying the quality of service adjustment technique includes sending a second command to a network element between the server and the client device, the second command instructing the network element to perform the adjustment of the bandwidth allocation assigned between the client and the server.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method, apparatus and computer program product for managing content sessions within a network is presented. The systems disclosed herein are able to detect a requirement to modify bandwidth usage within the network either proactively or reactively. In response, example embodiments apply an adaptive bit rate adjustment technique to the content sessions to adjust a data rate associated with each content session according to the requirement to modify bandwidth usage within the network. Example embodiments also then apply a quality of service adjustment technique to the content sessions to adjust a bandwidth allocation assigned between a client and server based upon the adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique. Application of the adaptive bit rate and quality of service adjustment techniques may be policy based. Example embodiments also may monitor a plurality of servers supporting content sessions, detect a failure at a first server and move content sessions to a second server.
38 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A method for managing content sessions within a network, the method comprising:
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maintaining content sessions over the network; detecting a requirement to modify bandwidth usage within the network, wherein detecting the requirement to modify bandwidth usage within the network includes proactively determining an impending bandwidth change condition within the network before occurrence of the bandwidth change condition within the network; applying an adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique to the content sessions before the occurrence of the bandwidth change condition, the adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique adjusting a data rate of data associated with each content session, according to the requirement to modify bandwidth usage within the network, wherein the data rate adjustment for each content session is based upon a current bit rate for the content session, available bit rates for the content session, and a policy associated with the content session, wherein the policy is based upon a service level agreement associated with a service provider customer of each content session, wherein applying the adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique includes sending a first command to a server instructing the server to perform the data rate adjustment; and applying a quality of service adjustment technique to the content sessions, the quality of service adjustment technique adjusting a bandwidth allocation assigned between a client and the server for each content session, based upon the adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique, wherein applying the quality of service adjustment technique includes sending a second command to a network element between the server and the client device, the second command instructing the network element to perform the adjustment of the bandwidth allocation assigned between the client and the server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A computerized device for managing content sessions within a network comprising:
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a memory; a processor; a communications interface; and an interconnection mechanism coupling the memory, the processor and the communications interface; wherein the memory is encoded with a bandwidth reclamation application that when executed in a process on the processor is capable of reclaiming bandwidth in the network by performing the operations of; maintaining content sessions over the network; detecting a requirement to modify bandwidth usage within the network, wherein the operation of detecting the requirement to modify bandwidth usage within the network includes the operation of proactively determining an impending bandwidth change condition within the network before occurrence of the bandwidth change condition within the network; applying an adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique to the content sessions before the occurrence of the bandwidth change condition, the adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique adjusting a data rate of data associated with each content session, according to the requirement to modify bandwidth usage within the network, wherein the data rate adjustment for each content session is based upon a current bit rate for the content session, available bit rates for the content session, and a policy associated with the content session, wherein the policy is based upon a service level agreement associated with a service provider customer of each content session, wherein applying the adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique includes sending a first command to a server to perform the data rate adjustment; and applying a quality of service adjustment technique to the content sessions, the quality of service adjustment technique adjusting a bandwidth allocation assigned between a client and the server for each content session, based upon the adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique, wherein applying the quality of service adjustment technique includes sending a second command to a network element between the server and the client device, the second command instructing the network element to perform the adjustment of the bandwidth allocation assigned between the client and the server. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium encoded with computer readable code that when executed on a processor in a computerized device provides content session management within a network, the medium comprising:
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instructions for maintaining content sessions over the network; instructions for detecting a requirement to modify bandwidth usage within the network, wherein detecting the requirement to modify bandwidth usage within the network includes proactively determining an impending bandwidth change condition within the network before occurrence of the bandwidth change condition within the network; instructions for applying an adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique to the content sessions before the occurrence of the bandwidth change condition, the adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique adjusting a data rate of data associated with each content session, according to the requirement to modify bandwidth usage within the network, wherein the data rate adjustment for each content session is based upon a current bit rate for the content session, available bit rates for the content session, and a policy associated with the content session, wherein the policy is based upon a service level agreement associated with a service provider customer of each content session, wherein applying the adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique includes sending a first command to a server to perform the data rate adjustment; and instructions for applying a quality of service adjustment technique to the content sessions, the quality of service adjustment technique adjusting a bandwidth allocation assigned between a client and the server for each content session, based upon the adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique, wherein applying the quality of service adjustment technique includes sending a second command to a network element between the server and the client device, the second command instructing the network element to perform the adjustment of the bandwidth allocation assigned between the client and the server.
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Specification