Apparatus and methods for packetized content delivery over a bandwidth efficient network
First Claim
1. A method of operating a content distribution network to deliver both and Internet Protocol (IP) packetized content and legacy non-IP encoded content via a switched digital system, said method comprising:
- receiving data indicative of a request for said IP packetized content at said switched digital system, said data indicative of said request issued from a requesting IP enabled device;
determining whether said requested IP packetized content is currently being delivered over said switched digital system; and
in response to a determination that said requested IP packetized content is not currently being delivered, switching in at least one stream via said switched digital system to effect delivery of said requested IP packetized content; and
concurrent with said delivery of said requested IP packetized content to said requesting IP enabled device, delivering said legacy non-IP encoded content via said switched digital system to at least one non-IP enabled user device in a same service group as that of said requesting IP enabled device;
wherein said legacy non-IP encoded content delivered from said content distribution network to said non-IP enabled device and said IP packetized content concurrently delivered from said content distribution network to said requesting IP enabled device are configured to intermix without regard to an encoding thereof in a first IP format and/or a second legacy non-IP format.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Methods and apparatus for providing packetized content to users via a bandwidth-optimized network. In one embodiment, legacy and IPTV streams are carried over the same switched digital infrastructure, and freely intermixed without regard to their encoding or type. A user'"'"'s selection for IPTV content is transmitted to an IP proxy (such as a gateway apparatus or a headend server), then on to the switched digital server which causes provision of the requested content back to the proxy for formatting. The formatted content is then delivered to the requesting IP-capable device. The entire carrier class program stream is therefore available as IP-encapsulated content to the IP capable devices (and as legacy content to legacy devices) without any significant modifications to the network infrastructure or bandwidth penalty.
362 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method of operating a content distribution network to deliver both and Internet Protocol (IP) packetized content and legacy non-IP encoded content via a switched digital system, said method comprising:
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receiving data indicative of a request for said IP packetized content at said switched digital system, said data indicative of said request issued from a requesting IP enabled device; determining whether said requested IP packetized content is currently being delivered over said switched digital system; and in response to a determination that said requested IP packetized content is not currently being delivered, switching in at least one stream via said switched digital system to effect delivery of said requested IP packetized content; and concurrent with said delivery of said requested IP packetized content to said requesting IP enabled device, delivering said legacy non-IP encoded content via said switched digital system to at least one non-IP enabled user device in a same service group as that of said requesting IP enabled device; wherein said legacy non-IP encoded content delivered from said content distribution network to said non-IP enabled device and said IP packetized content concurrently delivered from said content distribution network to said requesting IP enabled device are configured to intermix without regard to an encoding thereof in a first IP format and/or a second legacy non-IP format. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 17)
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5. A computer readable apparatus comprising a non-transitory storage medium configured to store at least one computer program, said computer readable apparatus in data communication with a processor apparatus of a network controller apparatus, said at least one computer program configured to, when executed, cause said network controller apparatus to:
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receive a request for Internet Protocol (IP) packetized content at a switching system, said request for IP packetized content issued from at least one requesting IP enabled device; deliver legacy non-IP encoded content via said switching system to at least one other non-IP enabled device in a same service group as that of said requesting IP enabled device; determine whether said IP packetized content is currently being delivered over said switching system; based at least in part on a determination that said content is currently being delivered, enable said at least one requesting IP enabled device to access said IP packetized content; based at least in part on a determination that said IP packetized content is not currently being delivered, switch-in at least one stream via said switching system to effect delivery of said IP packetized content to said at least one requesting IP enabled device simultaneous with delivery of said legacy non-IP encoded content to said at least one other non-IP enabled device; and enable free intermix of said IP packetized with said non-IP content during said simultaneous delivery, via said switching system, of deliver said IP packetized content to said at least one requesting IP enabled device and said legacy non-IP encoded content to said at least one other non-IP enabled device. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 16)
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11. A server apparatus within a switching system, comprising:
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a processor apparatus; and at least one storage device in data communication with said processor, said at least one storage device configured to store at least one computer program thereon, said at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed by said processor apparatus, cause said server apparatus to; receive data indicative of a request for Internet Protocol (IP) packetized content from one or more of a first client device or a first proxy thereof; in a first stream, deliver legacy non-IP content to one or more of a second client device or a second proxy thereof in a same service group as that of said one or more of said first client device or said first proxy thereof; determine whether said IP packetized content is currently being delivered over said switching system; based at least in part on a determination that said IP packetized content is currently being delivered, provide, to said one or more of said first client device or said first proxy thereof, information on how to access said IP packetized content; based at least on part on a determination that said IP packetized content is not currently being delivered, switch-in at least one additional stream via a switching device of said switching system to effect delivery of said IP packetized content simultaneous to said delivery of said legacy non-IP content; and during said simultaneous delivery, via said switching system, of (i) said IP packetized content to said one or more of said first client device or said first proxy thereof and (ii) said legacy non-IP content to said one or more of said second client device or said second proxy thereof, enable intermix of said first stream and said at least one additional stream irrespective of a content type being carried on one or more of said first stream or said at least one additional stream. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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Specification