Wireless multicast/broadcast integration with content management system

• US 9,668,173 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Parker, Benjamin J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Parth
• Application Number:
  US13/411,028
• Publication Number:
  US 20130229915A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,915 Days
• Field of Search: 370230, 370329, 370312
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/20 Negotiating bandwidth
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/26 Resource reservation

Abstract

A system is provided that can include one or more devices to: identify an event that has a predefined start time and end time, determine that a particular amount of bandwidth is needed for the event, and generate a notification that identifies the particular amount of bandwidth and the predefined start time and end time for the event, where the particular amount of bandwidth is reserved on a channel for the predefined start time and end time, for the event, in response to the notification.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more devices to;

identify an event that has a predefined start time and end time,

determine that a particular amount of bandwidth is needed for the event,

wherein determining the particular amount of bandwidth comprises at least one of;

determining the particular amount of bandwidth based on the number of user devices that will access the event, or

determining the particular amount of bandwidth based on information for previous events similar to the event;

generate a notification that identifies the particular amount of bandwidth and the predefined start time and end time for the event,

where the particular amount of bandwidth is reserved on a channel for the predefined start time and end time, for the event, in response to the notification,

reserve bandwidth, in response to the notification for the event, for the channel on which content for the event is to be transmitted, and

dynamically determine whether bandwidth adjustments are needed for the channel or another channel in order to reserve the particular amount of bandwidth for the event.

2. The system of claim 1, where the one or more devices are further to:

transmit the content, for the event, at the predefined start time, and

adjust a bandwidth of at least one channel after the predefined start time and before the predefined end time,

where the at least one channel includes the channel or the other channel that is different from the channel.

3. The system of claim 2, where, when reserving bandwidth, the one or more devices are to at least one of:

reserve available bandwidth for the channel for the event,

adjust the bandwidth of the other channel to create available bandwidth, or

reserve unassigned bandwidth, for the channel and the other channel, for the event.

4. The system of claim 2, where the one or more devices include a content management system to reserve the channel before the predefined start time of the event and transmit the content on the channel at the predefined start time.

5. The system of claim 2, where the one or more devices comprises a content management system to adjust the bandwidth for the channel relative to the other channel to maximize throughput and minimize network congestion based on bandwidth demands for the channel and the other channel.

6. The system of claim 1, where, when identifying the event, the one or more devices are to at least one of:

determine that the particular amount of bandwidth needed for the event is more than a scheduled bandwidth for the channel between the predefined start time and end time, or

receive a notification, from a content provider or a network administrator, where the notifications include signals, messages, or alerts, and where the notifications identify the event, the predefined start time and end time, amount of demand, and an identified amount of bandwidth.

7. The system of claim 1, where the one or more devices include a broadcast multicast service center (BMSC) to generate a notification identifying the particular amount of bandwidth and the predefined start time and end time for the event, where the particular amount of bandwidth is reserved for the predefined start time and end time, for the event, in response to the notification by requesting bandwidth for the channel for the event relative to one or more bandwidth for one or more other channels that will be using bandwidth between the predefined start time and end time.

8. The system of claim 1, where the one or more devices are further to:

start an event media stream using the channel, and

stop transmission of the event media stream when the predefined end time for the event is reached.

9. The system of claim 8, where the one or more devices are further to:

remove bandwidth from the channel after the predefined end time, or

adjust the bandwidth for another channel after the predefined end time.

10. A method comprising:

identifying an event that has a predefined start time and end time;

determining that a particular amount of bandwidth is needed for the event,

wherein determining the particular amount of bandwidth comprise at least two of;

determining the particular amount of bandwidth based on the number of user devices that will access the event,

determining the particular amount of bandwidth based on content provider information associated with demand for the event, or

determining the particular amount of bandwidth based on information for previous events similar to the event;

generating a notification that identifies the particular amount of bandwidth and the predefined start time and end time for the event,

where the particular amount of bandwidth is reserved on a channel for the predefined start time and end time, for the event, in response to the notification,

reserving bandwidth, in response to the notification, for the channel on which content, for the event is to be transmitted; and

determining whether bandwidth adjustments are needed for the channel or another channel in order to reserve the particular amount of bandwidth for the event.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

transmitting the content, for the event, at the predefined start time; and

adjusting a bandwidth of at least one channel after the predefined start time and before the predefined end time, where the at least one channel includes the channel or another channel different from the channel.

12. The method of claim 11, where the reserving bandwidth includes:

reserving available bandwidth for the channel for the event,

adjusting the bandwidth of the other channel to create available bandwidth, and

reserving unassigned bandwidth, for the channel and the other channel for the event.

13. The method of claim 11, where the adjusting bandwidth includes:

adjusting the bandwidth for the channel relative to the other channel or other channels to maximize throughput and minimize network congestion based on bandwidth demands for the channel and the other channel.

14. A system comprising:

a broadcast multicast service center (BMSC) to;

identify an event that has a predefined start time and end time;

determine that a particular amount of bandwidth is needed for the event,

wherein determining the particular amount of bandwidth comprises at least two of;

determining the particular amount of bandwidth based on the number of user devices that will access the event,

determining the particular amount of bandwidth based on provider information, or

determining the particular amount of bandwidth based on information associated with previous events similar to the event, and

generate a notification that identifies the particular amount of bandwidth and the predefined start time and end time for the event,

where the particular amount of bandwidth is reserved on a channel for the predefined start time and end time, for the event, in response to the notification; and

a content management system (CMS) to;

reserve bandwidth in response to the notification for the channel on which content, for the event is to be transmitted,

transmit the content, for the event, at the predefined start time, and

adjust a bandwidth of at least one channel after the predefined start time and before the predefined end time, where the at least one channel includes the channel or another channel.

15. The system of claim 14, where, when reserving bandwidth, the CMS is to:

reserve available bandwidth for the channel for the event, and

adjust the bandwidth of the other channel to create available bandwidth, and reserve the available bandwidth for the channel for the event.

16. The system of claim 14, where, when adjusting the bandwidth, the CMS is to:

adjust the bandwidth for the channel relative to the other channel to maximize throughput and minimize network congestion based on bandwidth demands for the channel and the other channel.

17. The system of claim 14, where, when identifying the event, the CMS is to:

determine that the particular amount of bandwidth needed for the event is more than a scheduled bandwidth for the channel between the predefined start time and end time, and

receive a notification, from a content provider or a network administrator, where the notifications include signals, messages, or alerts, and where the notifications identify the event, the predefined start time and end time, amount of demand, and an identified amount of bandwidth.

18. A method, comprising:

identifying, by a broadcast multicast service center (BMSC), an event that has a predefined start time and end time;

determining, by the BMSC, that a particular amount of bandwidth is needed for transmission of event content associated with the event based on at least one of determining the particular amount of bandwidth based on the number of user devices that will access the event, or information associated with previous events similar to the event;

generating, by the BMSC, a notification that identifies the particular amount of bandwidth and the predefined start time and end time for the event;

sending, from the BMSC to a content management system (CMS), the notification for the event;

determining, by the CMS, whether to adjust a plurality of channels in order to reserve the particular amount of bandwidth for the event;

reserving, by the CMS, the particular amount of bandwidth for the event between the predefined start time and end time according to the notification; and

transmitting, by the BMSC to the CMS, the event content at the predefined start time.