Method and apparatus for network bandwidth conservation

• US 9,930,387 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2016
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: LaJoie, Michael L.
• Primary Examiner(s): ALAM, MUSHFIKH I
• Application Number:
  US15/083,037
• Publication Number:
  US 20160269764A1
• Time in Patent Office: 729 Days
• Field of Search: 725 74-104
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 60/33 Arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• 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 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26216 involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26241 involving the time of distribution, e.g. the best time of the day for inserting an advertisement or airing a children program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26275 for distributing content or additional data in a staggered manner, e.g. repeating movies on different channels in a time-staggered manner in a near video on demand system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for conserving bandwidth within a network based on two or more different service levels. In an exemplary embodiment, programming that is simulcast on two or more program channels is mapped to one physical channel during periods when the programming is scheduled at only one service level (e.g., standard definition), thereby conserving bandwidth on the network that would otherwise be consumed by the simultaneous broadcast on the two or more channels. When the programming service level becomes heterogeneous across the channels (e.g., SD and HD simulcast), physical channel(s) supporting the HD content are provided within a local service area only “on-demand” using, for example, a switched digital channel allocation. Accordingly, no HD broadcast occurs within a given area until at least one user requests it, thereby further conserving network bandwidth.

Claims

1. A computerized method of bandwidth management in a content delivery network having a plurality of computerized client devices, said computerized method comprising:

identifying a first and a second digitally rendered program content associated with a session, said first and said second digitally rendered program content comprising digitally rendered primary content and configured for delivery in sequence, said session established between an entity of said content delivery network and at least one of said plurality of computerized client devices;

algorithmically evaluating one or more criteria associated with said at least one of said plurality of computerized client devices to determine a likelihood of said at least one of said plurality of computerized client devices requiring said session, after completion of said first digitally rendered program content, for viewing of said second digitally rendered program content, said algorithmically evaluating said one or more criteria comprising analyzing metadata, said metadata indicative of whether;

(i) said first digitally rendered program is of a common genre as said second digitally rendered program, and (ii) a tendency of said at least one of said plurality of computerized client devices to transmit data requesting digitally rendered primary content of said common genre in sequence; and

determining, based at least in part on said algorithmically evaluating, whether to maintain or initiate disestablishment of said session upon completion of said first digitally rendered program content.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, based at least in part on said algorithmically evaluating, maintaining said session for delivery of digitally rendered secondary content and said second digitally rendered program content, wherein said first and said second digitally rendered program content are separated spatially only by said digitally rendered secondary content.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing disestablishment of said session prior to a beginning of said second digitally rendered program based on said determining.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said causing disestablishment of said session prior to said beginning of said second digitally rendered program comprises maintaining said session for a period time after completion of first digitally rendered content, said first and second digitally rendered program content being separated spatially only by said digitally rendered secondary content, said maintaining based at least in part on channel switching pattern data associated with said at least one of said plurality of computerized client devices, said channel switching pattern data indicative of at least one user behavior.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said session comprises a session used to deliver high-definition (HD) content.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising causing disestablishment of said session based on said determining, wherein said session used to deliver said HD content is replaced with a simulcast of standard-definition (SD) content upon or after said disestablishment.

7. The method of Claim 2, wherein said digitally rendered secondary content comprise one or more of:

(i) an advertisement, (ii) a promotion, and/or (iii) an introduction.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more criteria is/are related to a total number of digitally rendered programs provided in said session.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said analyzing metadata comprises (i) identifying that said first digitally rendered program is of said common genre of said second digitally rendered program, and (ii) identifying that said at least one of said plurality of computerized client devices does not tend to request digitally rendered primary content of said common genre in sequence; and

said method further comprises initiating disestablishment of said session upon completion of said first program content based at least on said analyzing.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said analyzing metadata comprises (i) identifying that said first digitally rendered program is of said common genre of said second digitally rendered program, and (ii) identifying that said at least one of said plurality of computerized client devices tends to request digitally rendered primary content of said common genre temporal succession; and

said method further comprises maintaining said session after completion of said first program content based at least on said analyzing.

11. A computer readable apparatus comprising a non-transitory storage medium comprising at least one computer program having a plurality of instructions, said plurality of instructions configured to, when executed on a processing apparatus:

identify a first and a second digitally rendered program content associated with a session, said session established between an entity of said content delivery network and at least one of said plurality of client device, said first and second program content comprising digitally rendered primary content and configured for delivery in sequence;

algorithmically evaluate one or more criteria associated with said at least one of said plurality of client devices to predict whether said at least one of said plurality of client devices will request said second digitally rendered program content after completion of said first digitally rendered program content, said algorithmic evaluation of said one or more criteria comprising analysis of metadata, said metadata indicative of whether;

(i) said first digitally rendered program is of a common service level as said second digitally rendered program, and (ii) a tendency of said at least one of said plurality of computerized client devices to request digitally rendered primary content of said common service level in sequence; and

based at least in part on said algorithmic evaluation, implement computerized logic comprising;

when said prediction indicates that said at least one of said plurality of client devices will not request said second digitally rendered program content based on said analysis identifying that;

(i) said first digitally rendered program comprising said common service level as said second digitally rendered program, and (ii) said at least one of said plurality of computerized client devices has a tendency to not request digitally rendered primary content of said common service level in sequence, initiate disestablishment of said session upon completion of said first digitally rendered program content.

12. The computer readable apparatus of claim 11, wherein said implementation of said computerized logic further comprises when (i) said first and said second digitally rendered program content are further configured for delivery with digitally rendered secondary content inserted spatially between said first and said second digitally rendered program content, and (ii) said prediction indicates that said at least one of said plurality of client devices will not request said second digitally rendered program content, maintain said session for delivery of at least a portion of said secondary content, and

initiate said disestablishment prior to a beginning of said second digitally rendered program content.

13. The computer readable apparatus of claim 11, wherein said session comprises a session established to deliver only high-definition (HD) content.

14. The computer readable apparatus of claim 13, wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to instantiate a session established to deliver only standard-definition (SD) content in place of said session established to deliver said HD content.

15. The computer readable apparatus of claim 12, wherein said digitally rendered secondary content comprises one or more of:

(i) an advertisement, (ii) a promotion, and/or (iii) an introduction.

16. The computer readable apparatus of claim 11, wherein said one or more criteria is/are related to a total number of programs provided in said session.

17. The computer readable apparatus of claim 11, wherein said plurality of instructions are further configured to, when executed, disestablish said session based at least in part on data indicative that said at least one of said plurality of client devices has tuned away from a logical channel associated with said first digitally rendered program content and/or said second digitally rendered program content.

22. The computer readable apparatus of claim 11, wherein said computerized logic further comprises logic configured to, based at least on said prediction indicates that said at least one of said plurality of client devices will request said second digitally rendered program content, maintain said session upon completion of said first digitally rendered program content.

18. Computerized network apparatus configured for use within a network having a plurality of computerized client devices associated therewith, said computerized network apparatus comprising:

one or more interfaces, said interfaces configured to provide first and second content digital streams to said plurality of computerized client devices via said network;

processing apparatus;

storage apparatus in data communication with said processing apparatus and comprising computerized logic executable on said processing apparatus, said computerized logic configured to, when executed;

cause download of an application to an individual one of said plurality of computerized client devices;

receive, via said application, a channel switching pattern associated with said individual one of said plurality of computerized client devices;

evaluate said channel switching pattern, said evaluation comprising an identification of at least one user behavior associated with a user of said individual one of said plurality of computerized client devices; and

based at least on said at least one user behavior, optimize said provision of said first and second digital content streams, said optimization comprising a delay of a disestablishment of said second digital content stream.

19. The network apparatus of claim 18, wherein said computerized logic comprises an algorithm configured to facilitate said optimization.

20. The network apparatus of claim 18, wherein:

said at least one user behavior comprises rapid channel hopping; and

said first digital content stream is associated with one or more logical channels tuned to or tuned away from as part of said rapid channel hopping.

21. The network apparatus of claim 18, wherein said first and second content streams comprise standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) content data streams, respectively.