Intelligent multiplexing using class-based, multi-dimensioned decision logic for managed networks

• US 9,788,029 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2015
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ActiveVideo Networks, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: ActiveVideo Networks, Inc. (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Brockmann, Ronald A., Hoeben, Maarten, Gorter, Onne, Hiddink, Gerrit
• Primary Examiner(s): Zhu, Alvin
• Application Number:
  US14/696,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20150312599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 898 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0896 Bandwidth or capacity management, i.e. automatically increasing or decreasing capacities flow or congestion control using dynamic resource allocation, e.g. in-call renegotiation, H04L47/76
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/521 Static queue service slot or fixed bandwidth allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23614 Multiplexing of additional data and video streams arrangements for simultaneous broadcast of plural pieces of information H04H20/28
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23655 Statistical multiplexing, e.g. by controlling the encoder to alter its bitrate to optimize the bandwidth utilization
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2368 Multiplexing of audio and video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• 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 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64792 Controlling the complexity of the content stream, e.g. by dropping packets intermediate media network packet handling H04L65/765; proxy provisioning conversion or adaptation for reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data H04L67/5651; negotiation of resources in wireless networks H04W28/16

Abstract

Switched digital television programming for video-on-demand and other interactive television services are combined utilizing a class-based, multi-dimensional decision logic to simultaneously optimize video quality and audio uniformity while minimizing latency during user interactions with the system over managed networks such as cable and satellite television networks. A group of user sessions are assigned to a single modulator. The user sessions include data in a plurality of classes, each class having a respective priority. In response to a determination that an aggregate bandwidth of the group of user sessions for a first frame time exceeds a specified budget, bandwidth is allocated for the group of user sessions during the first frame time in accordance with the class priorities. The group of user sessions is multiplexed onto a channel corresponding to the modulator in accordance with the allocated bandwidth and transmitted over a managed network.

Claims

1. A method for prioritizing content classes in multiplexed content streams, comprising:

at a server system;

assigning a group of user sessions to a single modulator, wherein the user sessions comprise data in a plurality of classes, each class having a respective priority, wherein the plurality of classes includes, in order of priority from highest priority to lowest priority, audio data, video data, and user-interface graphical elements;

computing an aggregate bandwidth of the group of user sessions for a first frame time;

determining that the aggregate bandwidth for the first frame time exceeds a specified budget for the modulator;

in response to determining that the aggregate bandwidth for the first frame time exceeds the specified budget, allocating bandwidth for the group of user sessions during the first frame time in accordance with the class priorities;

using the modulator, multiplexing the group of user sessions onto a channel corresponding to the modulator, in accordance with the allocated bandwidth; and

transmitting the multiplexed group of user sessions over a managed network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of classes further includes transport control information and error-correction information, wherein the transport control information has a higher priority than the audio data and the error-correction information has a lower priority than the user-interface graphical elements.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein allocating the bandwidth comprises:

providing bandwidth for all transport control information in the group of user sessions for the first frame time; and

dropping packets containing error-correction information for one or more user sessions of the group of user sessions.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein allocating the bandwidth comprises dropping all packets containing error-correction information for the group of user sessions during the first frame time.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein allocating the bandwidth further comprises:

after dropping all packets containing error-correction information, determining that the aggregate bandwidth for the first frame time still exceeds the specified budget; and

in response to determining that the aggregate bandwidth for the first frame time still exceeds the specified budget, reducing the size of one or more user sessions in the group of user sessions until the aggregate bandwidth for the first frame time does not exceed the specified budget,

wherein reducing the size of the one or more user sessions is performed in accordance with the class priorities.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein reducing the size of the one or more user sessions comprises, for a respective user session of the group of user sessions:

determining that an importance of a user-interface graphical element satisfies a criterion; and

in response to determining that the importance of the user-interface graphical element satisfies the criterion, allocating bandwidth to the user-interface graphical element.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein reducing the size of the one or more user sessions comprises, for a respective user session of the group of user sessions:

determining that an importance of a user-interface graphical element does not satisfy a criterion; and

in response to determining that the importance of the user-interface graphical element does not satisfy the criterion, delaying the user-interface graphical element until a second frame time subsequent to the first frame time.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein reducing the size of the one or more user sessions comprises, for a respective user session of the group of user sessions:

determining that a count of previously dropped video frames does not satisfy a threshold; and

in response to determining that the count of previously dropped video frames does not satisfy the threshold, dropping a video frame.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein reducing the size of the one or more user sessions comprises, for a respective user session of the group of user sessions:

determining that a count of previously dropped video frames satisfies a threshold; and

in response to determining that the count of previously dropped video frames satisfies the threshold, increasing a quantization level of a video frame to reduce the quality of the video frame.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein reducing the size of the one or more user sessions comprises, for a respective user session of the group of user sessions:

in response to a determination that all possible size reductions for video data and user-interface graphical elements have been achieved or that size reductions for video data and user-interface graphical elements cannot be achieved, sending audio data for the first frame time in an earlier frame time that precedes the first frame time.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein reducing the size of the one or more user sessions comprises, for a respective user session of the group of user sessions:

in response to a first determination that all possible size reductions for video data and user-interface graphical elements have been achieved or that size reductions for video data and user-interface graphical elements cannot be achieved, dropping packets containing audio data and issuing an overflow alarm.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein:

allocating the bandwidth comprises;

providing bandwidth for all audio data in the group of user sessions;

delaying packets containing data for a user-interface graphical element until a second frame time subsequent to the first frame time; and

allocating bandwidth freed by delaying the packets containing data for the user-interface graphical element to video data.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

allocating the bandwidth comprises;

providing bandwidth for all audio data in the group of user sessions;

reducing a frame rate for a user-interface graphical element; and

allocating bandwidth freed by reducing the frame rate for the user-interface graphical element to video data.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the server system, altering the class priorities in real time, the altering comprising prioritizing a user-interface graphical element higher than video data for a video frame;

wherein allocating the bandwidth comprises;

providing bandwidth for all audio data in the group of user sessions;

dropping the video frame; and

allocating bandwidth freed by dropping the video frame to the user-interface graphical element.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein prioritizing the user-interface graphical element higher than the video data for the video frame, dropping the video frame, and allocating the bandwidth freed by dropping the video frame to the user-interface graphical element are performed in response to the user-interface graphical element containing a user-interface update generated based on user input.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein:

allocating the bandwidth comprises;

providing bandwidth for all audio data in the group of user sessions;

reducing the quality of an update for a user-interface graphical element; and

allocating bandwidth freed by reducing the quality of the update for the user-interface graphical element to video data.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein assigning the group of user sessions to the single modulator comprises:

allocating bandwidth headroom to the channel corresponding to the modulator;

adding successive user sessions for client devices in a client service area served by the modulator to the group of user sessions until the group is full;

for each successive user session added to the group of user sessions, allocating a base amount of bandwidth to the channel; and

as each successive user session is added to the group of user sessions, reducing the bandwidth headroom.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the modulator is a quadrature-amplitude-modulation (QAM) modulator.

19. A server system, comprising:

a plurality of modulators to multiplex respective groups of user sessions onto respective channels for transmission over a managed network, in accordance with allocated bandwidth;

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs configured to be executed by the one or more processors, the one or more programs including instructions for;

assigning a group of user sessions to a single modulator of the plurality of modulators, wherein the user sessions comprise data in a plurality of classes, each class having a respective priority, wherein the plurality of classes includes, in order of priority from highest priority to lowest priority, audio data, video data, and user-interface graphical elements;

computing an aggregate bandwidth of the group of user sessions for a first frame time;

determining that the aggregate bandwidth for the first frame time exceeds a specified budget for the modulator; and

in response to determining that the aggregate bandwidth for the first frame time exceeds the specified budget, allocating bandwidth for the group of user sessions during the first frame time in accordance with the class priorities.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs configured for execution by one or more processors of a server system that further comprises a plurality of modulators to multiplex respective groups of user sessions onto respective channels for transmission over a managed network in accordance with allocated bandwidth, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

assigning a group of user sessions to a single modulator of the plurality of modulators, wherein the user sessions comprise data in a plurality of classes, each class having a respective priority, wherein the plurality of classes includes, in order of priority from highest priority to lowest priority, audio data, video data, and user-interface graphical elements;

computing an aggregate bandwidth of the group of user sessions for a first frame time;

determining that the aggregate bandwidth for the first frame time exceeds a specified budget for the modulator; and

in response to determining that the aggregate bandwidth for the first frame time exceeds the specified budget, allocating bandwidth for the group of user sessions during the first frame time in accordance with the class priorities.