Dynamic bandwidth load balancing in a data distribution network

• US 9,313,554 B2
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/24/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Salinger, Jorge
• Primary Examiner(s): Won, Michael Y
• Application Number:
  US13/762,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20130160067A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,159 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/125 by balancing the load, e.g. traffic engineering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1089 by adding media; by removing media
• 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: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/236 Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream multiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• 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 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/654 Transmission by server directed to the client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, and software are described for implementing dynamic bandwidth load balancing in a data distribution network that provides a plurality of simultaneous video streams over a plurality of channels arranged as a plurality of bonded groups. Various factors may affect the assignment of bonded groups, from initial client device registration through subsequent video stream requests.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

transmitting a plurality of data streams to a plurality of devices comprising a first device, the plurality of data streams being grouped as a plurality of groups;

receiving, by at least one computing device, a request for a first data stream;

determining, by the at least one computing device, responsive to a determination that none of the plurality of groups comprises both the first data stream and all data streams that are currently assigned to the first device, a first one of the groups that comprises both;

the first data stream, and

a subset of all the data streams that are currently assigned to the first device;

adding, to the first one of the groups, at least one other data stream of all the data streams that are currently assigned to the first device; and

assigning, to the first device, the first one of the groups that was determined.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the first one of the groups that comprises the first data stream, the subset, and the at least one other data stream.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining a capacity of the first one of the groups, and wherein the determining the first one of the groups comprises determining the first one of the groups so as to comprise a largest subset of all the data streams currently assigned to the first device, and such that the capacity of the first one of the groups is sufficient to add the at least one other data stream.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data stream comprises video data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning comprises communicating, by the at least one computing device, with the first device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data stream is one of the plurality of data streams.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein when the determining is performed, the first data stream is currently unassigned to the first device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the assigning comprises the first device receiving, and presenting for display, at least the first data stream.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting each of at least some of the plurality of data streams in a different channel, each of the different channels having a bandwidth other than 6 MHz.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting at least some of the plurality of data streams to the first device over a telephone network.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one group of the plurality of groups has a bandwidth different from a bandwidth of another group of the plurality of groups.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a bandwidth of at least one group of the plurality of groups dynamically changes over time.

13. A method, comprising:

transmitting a plurality of data streams to a plurality of devices comprising a first device;

determining, by at least one computing device, whether one of a plurality of groups of the plurality of data streams comprises both;

a first data stream, and

all data streams that are currently assigned to the first device;

responsive to determining that none of the plurality of groups comprises both the first data stream and all the data streams that are currently assigned to the first device, determining at least a first group of the plurality of groups that comprises both;

the first data stream, and

a subset of all the data streams that are currently assigned to the first device; and

adding, to the first group, at least one other data stream of all the data streams that are currently assigned to the first device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein prior to performing both of the determining steps, the first device is assigned to a second group, different from the first group, of the plurality of groups.

15. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by at least one transmitter device, a plurality of data streams to a plurality of devices comprising a first device;

determining, by at least one computing device, responsive to finding no group of the plurality of data streams that comprises both a first data stream and all data streams that are currently assigned to the first device, a first group that comprises both;

a first data stream, and

a subset of all data streams that are currently assigned to the first device;

adding, to the first group, at least one other data stream of all the data streams that are currently assigned to the first device; and

transmitting, by the at least one transmitter device to at least the first device, the first group that comprises the first data stream, the subset, and the at least one other data stream.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein each of a plurality of groups of the plurality of data streams comprises at least two data streams of the plurality of data streams.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining whether the first group has bandwidth available to add the at least one other data stream, and if so, then performing the adding.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the determining the first group comprises determining the first group such that the first group has a largest subset of all the data streams that are currently assigned to the first device, as compared with others of a plurality of groups of the plurality of data streams.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the transmitting comprises transmitting each of a plurality of groups of the plurality of data streams over a different frequency band.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising tuning, by the first device, to at least the first data stream included in the first group.