System and method for providing non-guaranteed channel content in a switched digital video network using multicast ABR streaming

• US 9,843,828 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2015
• Issued: 12/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ericsson AB (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Ericsson AB (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Phillips, Chris, Reynolds, Jennifer Ann, Forsman, Robert Hammond
• Primary Examiner(s): Chae, Kyu
• Application Number:
  US14/670,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20160286248A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23805 Controlling the feeding rate to the network, e.g. by controlling the video pump
• 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 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• 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 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6338 directed to network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6373 for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64738 Monitoring network characteristics, e.g. bandwidth, congestion level data switched network analysis H04L41/14; monitoring functioning in data switched networks H04L43/0817; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64761 directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64769 for rate control flow control in packet networks H04L47/10

Abstract

A system and method for providing non-guaranteed channels in a switched digital video network using multicast adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming. In one implementation, upon receiving a request for a non-guaranteed channel is received from a subscriber station (e.g., a set-top box or STB), a bandwidth pipe modeling process is operative to model a bandwidth pipe corresponding to each edge QAM device configured to support non-guaranteed channels for selecting a particular edge QAM device that can best accommodate the requested non-guaranteed channel. Bitrates of MABR streams of existing channels of the selected edge QAM device may be adjusted in order to accommodate a particular MABR stream at chosen bitrate of the requested non-guaranteed channel. IGMP Join operations may be effectuated, as needed, to join MABR streams of the existing channels and the requested non-guaranteed channel to correct IGMP group(s). A channel change response message including one or more channel frequencies, if the change request is accommodated, may be transmitted to the requesting subscriber station.

Claims

1. A method for providing non-guaranteed channels in a switched digital video (SDV) network to a subscriber station, the method comprising:

receiving a request from the subscriber station for a non-guaranteed channel;

modeling a bandwidth pipe corresponding to each edge quadrature amplitude modulator (QAM) device operative to support non-guaranteed channels by taking into account adding the requested non-guaranteed channel in order to determine which edge QAM devices can accommodate the requested non-guaranteed channel;

computing a crowding metric for all edge QAM devices capable of accommodating the requested non-guaranteed channel and selecting a particular edge QAM with a lowest crowding metric value;

adjusting bitrates of multicast adaptive bitrate (MABR) streams of existing channels of the particular edge QAM device to accommodate a particular MABR stream having a select bitrate of the requested non-guaranteed channel;

effectuating Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) Join operations, if necessary, to join MABR streams of the existing channels and the requested non-guaranteed channel to correct IGMP groups in order to facilitate streaming of the channels via the particular edge QAM device; and

sending a channel change response message including one or more channel frequencies to the requesting subscriber station.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining coder-decoder (codec) capabilities of the subscriber station; and

performing bandwidth pipe modeling for each edge QAM device with respect to selecting the particular MABR stream of the requested non-guaranteed channel responsive to the determination of codec capabilities of the subscriber station.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, wherein the particular MABR stream of the requested non-guaranteed channel is compliant with at least one of a Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) codec, an MPEG-2 codec, an MEPG-4 codec, an H.264 codec and an H.265 codec.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the particular edge QAM device is one of a dedicated non-guaranteed channel QAM and a shared QAM supporting guaranteed channels, non-guaranteed channels, broadcast channels as well as Video-on-Demand (VOD) sessions.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the bandwidth pipe modeling of each edge QAM device further comprises:

generating a list of applied channels including currently streaming channels, guaranteed channels and desired non-guaranteed channels;

sorting the list of channels in a descending order based on a priority value for bitrate upgrading; and

simulating, for each edge QAM, network bandwidth states responsive to adding the requested non-guaranteed channel.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein each MABR stream comprises a gapped stream having predetermined gaps at stream access points (SAPs) and further wherein the gapped streams are de-gapped to form unsegmented streams for transmission to the particular edge QAM device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the particular MABR stream of the requested non-guaranteed channel is one of a Standard Definition (SD), High Definition (HD) and Ultra High Definition (UHD) stream.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request for a non-guaranteed channel is received pursuant to a channel change request from the subscriber station.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request for a non-guaranteed channel is received pursuant to the subscriber station being turned on.

10. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request for a non-guaranteed channel and the channel change response message are communicated via an HFC return channel signaling path.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the request for a non-guaranteed channel and the channel response message are communicated via a two-way communications network controller associated with the subscriber station.

12. An apparatus for providing non-guaranteed channels in a switched digital video (SDV) network to a subscriber station, the apparatus comprising:

a resource manager node, responsive to a request received from the subscriber station for a non-guaranteed channel, configured to;

model a bandwidth pipe corresponding to each edge quadrature amplitude modulator (QAM) device operative to support non-guaranteed channels by taking into account adding the requested non-guaranteed channel in order to determine which edge QAM devices can accommodate the requested non-guaranteed channel; and

compute a crowding metric for all edge QAM devices capable of accommodating the requested non-guaranteed channel and select a particular edge QAM device having a lowest crowding metric value; and

a stream processor node, responsive to the bandwidth pipe modeling of the particular edge QAM device provided by the resource manager node, configured to;

adjust bitrates of multicast adaptive bitrate (MABR) streams of existing channels of the particular edge QAM device to accommodate a particular MABR stream having a select bitrate of the requested non-guaranteed channel; and

effectuate Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) Join operations, if necessary, to join MABR streams of the existing channels and the requested non-guaranteed channel to correct IGMP groups in order to facilitate streaming of the channels via the particular edge QAM device.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the resource manager node is further operative to determine coder-decoder (codec) capabilities of the subscriber station relative to the requested non-guaranteed channel.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 13, wherein the particular MABR stream of the requested non-guaranteed channel is compliant with at least one of a Moving Pictures Expert Group (MPEG) codec, an MPEG-2 codec, an MEPG-4 codec, an H.264 codec and an H.265 codec.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the stream processor node is operative to join the particular MABR stream to an edge QAM device comprising one of a dedicated non-guaranteed channel QAM and a shared QAM supporting guaranteed channels, non-guaranteed channels, broadcast channels as well as Video-on-Demand (VOD) sessions.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the resource manager node includes a QAM bandwidth pipe modeling block configured to:

generate a list of applied channels including currently streaming channels, guaranteed channels and desired non-guaranteed channels;

sort the list of channels in a descending order based on a priority value for bitrate upgrading; and

simulate, for each edge QAM, network bandwidth states responsive to adding the requested non-guaranteed channel.

17. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein each MABR stream comprises a gapped stream having predetermined gaps at stream access points (SAPs) and further wherein the streaming processor node includes a de-gapper block configured to remove the gaps and from unsegmented streams for transmission to the particular edge QAM device.

18. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the particular MABR stream of the requested non-guaranteed channel is one of a Standard Definition (SD), High Definition (HD) and Ultra High Definition (UHD) stream.

19. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the request for a non-guaranteed channel is received pursuant to a channel change request from the subscriber station.

20. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the request for a non-guaranteed channel is received pursuant to the subscriber station being turned on.

21. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the request for a non-guaranteed channel and the channel change response message are transmitted via an HFC return channel signaling path.

22. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the resource manager node comprises a session resource manager (SRM) node, an edge resource manager (ERM) node, or a combination of the SRM and ERM nodes.

23. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the resource manager node and the stream processor node are integrated as an SDV server platform.

24. The apparatus as recited in claim 12, wherein the request for a non-guaranteed channel and the channel response message are communicated via a two-way communications network controller associated with the subscriber station.

25. A stream processor node operative to facilitate streaming of non-guaranteed channels in a switched digital video (SDV) network to a subscriber station, the stream processor node comprising:

one or more processors;

a network interface configured for transmission of non-guaranteed channel content to an edge quadrature amplitude modulator (QAM) device serving one or more subscriber stations via a Hybrid Fiber-Coaxial (HFC) network; and

a persistent memory module including program instructions that perform the following when executed by the one or more processors;

responsive to bandwidth pipe modeling performed by a resource manager node, wherein the bandwidth pipe modeling is operative to select a particular edge quadrature amplitude modulator (QAM) device among a plurality of edge QAM devices operative to support non-guaranteed channels by taking into account adding a requested non-guaranteed channel from a subscriber station, the particular edge QAM device having a lowest crowding metric value, adjusting bitrates of multicast adaptive bitrate (MABR) streams of existing channels of the particular edge QAM device to accommodate a particular MABR stream at a select bitrate of the requested non-guaranteed channel; and

effectuating Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP) Join operations, if necessary, to join MABR streams of the existing channels and the requested non-guaranteed channel to correct IGMP groups in order to facilitate streaming of the channels via the particular edge QAM device.

26. The stream processor node as recited in claim 25, wherein the particular MABR stream is a gapped stream having a predetermined gap at stream access points (SAPs), and further wherein the program instructions comprise instructions for de-gapping the particular MABR stream of the requested non-guaranteed channel to form an unsegmented stream for transmission to the particular edge QAM device.

27. The stream processor node as recited in claim 25, wherein the particular MABR stream of the requested non-guaranteed channel is one of a Standard Definition (SD), High Definition (HD) and Ultra High Definition (UHD) stream.

28. The stream processor node as recited in claim 26, wherein the predetermined gap is based on a segment size of media segments forming the gapped stream of the particular MABR stream.

29. The stream processor node as recited in claim 26, wherein the predetermined gap is about 300 to 350 milliseconds.