Video on demand using combined host and client addressing

• US 9,197,919 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2013
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mediacom Communications Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mediacom Communications Corporation
• Inventors: Ross, Joseph Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Hai V
• Assistant Examiner(s): TESFAYE, AKLIL M
• Application Number:
  US13/916,217
• Publication Number:
  US 20140373078A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 725 80- 81, 725/87
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21 Server components or server architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25816 involving client authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/418 External card to be used in combination with the client device, e.g. for conditional access
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42684 Client identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number, MAC address, socket ID network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440218 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 conversion of standards in analogue television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application

Abstract

A system and method for streaming a Video on Demand (VOD) asset includes receiving, at a host, a VOD asset request from a client over an internal network, and sending the VOD asset request from the host over an external network using a client/host address that includes a host address and a client address. The VOD asset targeted for the client including the client/host address is received at the host over the external network, and the VOD asset is streamed from the host to the client over the internal network.

Claims

1. A method for streaming a Video on Demand (VOD) asset, comprising:

receiving, at a host, a VOD asset request from a client over an internal network;

sending the VOD asset request from the host over an external network using an unmodified combination address that includes a host address and a client address;

tuning a host tuner of the host to a frequency corresponding to the VOD asset;

receiving, at the host over the external network, the VOD asset targeted for the client including the unmodified combination address; and

streaming the VOD asset from the host tuner to the client over the internal network, such that the client accesses the VOD asset from the host tuner.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the internal network uses a different network protocol than the external network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the internal network uses a protocol that modifies Ethernet to be transmitted over a radio frequency physical transport.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising transcoding the VOD asset, by the host, from the first format to the second format.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the VOD asset is received at the host in a first format, and streamed to the client in a second format.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at a head end:

receiving the VOD asset request from the host; and

verifying that the client is authorized to view the VOD asset.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the host, an address request from the client; and

assigning, by the host, the client address.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the host address is a media access control (MAC) address.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the client address is at least a 3-bit address.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the unmodified combination address comprises the host address having the client address concatenated thereto.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein only the host address is a MAC address.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the VOD asset request over the external network using an out-of-band frequency, and receiving the VOD asset at the host over an in-band frequency.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving, at the host, a location of an in-band frequency, and tuning a tuner of the host to the in-band frequency.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the client is prevented from communicating directly with a head end providing access to the VOD asset.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the client device lacks a media access control (MAC) address.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the host tuner comprises a plurality of tuners selectively assignable to one or more clients.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the client is unable to directly tune to a frequency corresponding to the VOD asset.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the client does not use a media access control (MAC) address.

19. A method for transmitting a Video on Demand (VOD) asset, comprising:

receiving a VOD asset request, at a host, from a client over an internal network;

sending the VOD asset request using an out-of-band frequency, from the host over an external network, using an unmodified combination address that includes a host address and a client address;

using an out-of-band frequency, receiving, at the host over the external network, an in-band frequency location of the VOD asset;

tuning a host tuner coupled to the host to the in-band frequency of the VOD asset requested by the client; and

transmitting the VOD asset accessed by the host tuner, from the host to the client, over the internal network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the internal network uses a different network protocol than the external network.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the internal network uses a protocol that modifies Ethernet to be transmitted over a radio frequency physical transport.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising transcoding the VOD asset, by the host, from the first format to the second format.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the VOD asset is received at the host in a first format, and streamed to the client in a second format.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the host address is a media access control (MAC) address.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the client address is at least a 3-bit address.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the unmodified combination address comprises the host address having the client address concatenated thereto.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the VOD asset is streamed from the host to the client.

28. The method of claim 19, further comprising verifying access to the VOD asset by analyzing the unmodified combination address, wherein the client address alone is insufficient to verify access.

29. The method of claim 19, wherein the client device does not have a tuner.

30. A method for streaming a Video on Demand (VOD) asset, comprising:

receiving, at a head end from a host over an out-of-band frequency, a VOD asset request including an unmodified combination address that includes a host address identifying a host and a client address identifying a client;

sending, from the head end to a VOD server, the VOD asset request including the unmodified combination address;

receiving, at the head end from the VOD server, an in-band frequency location of the VOD asset; and

sending, from the head end to the host over the out-of-band frequency, the in-band frequency location of the VOD asset.

31. A system for streaming a Video on Demand (VOD) asset, comprising:

a host that communicates over an internal network and an external network; and

a client that communicates over the internal network, the client having a client address assigned by the host;

wherein the host requests and receives the VOD asset over the external network using an unmodified combination address that includes a host address and the client address, and send the received VOD asset to the client over the internal network.