Method and apparatus for high bandwidth data transmission in content-based networks

• US 20060130107A1
• Filed: 12/15/2004
• Published: 06/15/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Callahan, John, Patel, Vipul, Carlucci, John B., Gonder, Tom, Thomas, Jay, Mahonchak, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 8,522,293 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25751 Optical arrangements for CATV or video distribution adaptations of television systems for optical transmission H04N7/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/36 by determining packet size, e.g. maximum transfer unit [MTU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/14 Session management for real-time applications in data packet communications networks H04L65/1066
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23605 Creation or processing of packetized elementary streams [PES]
• 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 21/2383 Channel coding or modulation of digital bit-stream, e.g. QPSK modulation arrangements for detecting or preventing errors in the information received by adapting the channel coding H04L1/0009; analogue front ends or means for connecting modulators, demodulators or transceivers to a transmission line H04L27/0002
• 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 21/4344 Remultiplexing of multiplex streams, e.g. by modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6338 directed to network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6375 for requesting retransmission , e.g. of data packets lost or corrupted during transmission from serverARQ protocols H04L1/18; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6402 Address allocation for clients address allocation in data networks H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64776 for requesting retransmission, e.g. of data packets lost or corrupted during transmission from server ARQ protocols H04L1/18; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for delivering data over extant infrastructure within a content-based network. In one embodiment, the network comprises a cable network, and the infrastructure comprises that nominally used for on-demand (OD) services such as VOD. The method includes the allocation of dedicated end-to-end network resources via a “session request, as well as data flow control and packet size adaptation, by a data server based on feedback from the requesting/receiving client device (e.g., DSTB) within the network. Mechanisms for retransmission requests for error recovery are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of providing high-speed, non-content data delivery over a cable network using at least existing on-demand network infrastructure, comprising:

receiving a non-content data structure at a head-end distribution server of said network said data structure being substantially compliant with the Interactive Services Architecture (ISA) specification;

processing data contained within said structure into an MPEG packet stream;

creating a descriptive metadata structure relating to said data, said metadata structure comprising extensible markup language (XML) metadata;

establishing a substantially dedicated session and in-band downstream transmission pathway from said distribution server to a client device of said cable network based on a request received from software operating on said client device; and

transmitting the descriptive structure and packet stream over said dedicated pathway within a multiplexed transport stream and as part of said session.

2. A method of delivering data over a cable network, comprising:

delivering a data structure to a first network entity;

converting data contained within said structure into a packet stream;

creating a descriptive structure to describe said data; and

transmitting the descriptive structure and packet stream over said network via a session established between said first network entity and a second network entity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said act of delivering a data structure comprises delivering a file conforming to an interface specification, said delivering further comprising delivering said file to a head-end server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said act of creating a descriptive structure comprises creating a metadata file.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said act of transmitting comprises creating a software package that includes at least portions of said packet stream and said metadata file.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising creating a catalog entry adapted to indicate the availability of said data to said second network entity.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said session comprises an on-demand (OD) session established between an OD server and CPE of said network.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said data comprises a gaming-related application or data.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein said act of transmitting via a session comprises establishing a substantially dedicated session and transmission pathway from said first entity to a client device.

10. CPE adapted for use in a cable network, said CPE comprising:

a processor; and

at least one computer program operative to run on said processor and configured to;

initiate a session request upstream to a remote network entity;

receive information from said network to establish said session and a dedicated communication channel; and

receive non-content related data over said channel, said non-content data including associated data formatted according to a server-side object-oriented model comprising a factory object and base class.

11. The CPE of claim 10, wherein said establishment of said session and channel comprise establishing a session using protocols substantially similar to on-demand protocols resident within an on-demand computer program of said CPE.

12. The CPE of claim 10, wherein said act of establishing said communication channel comprises receiving tuning information from said network that allows said CPE to tune to at least one physical channel within said network.

13. The CPE of claim 12, wherein said at least one physical channel comprises a plurality of QAMs, and said CPE further comprises a wideband tuning apparatus adapted to tune to at least a portion of said QAMs.

14. The CPE of claim 13, wherein said non-content related data is multiplexed over said plurality of QAMs, and said CPE further comprises a demultiplexer apparatus adapted to cooperate with said tuning apparatus so as to re-assemble said multiplexed data.

15. The CPE of claim 10, wherein said non-content data comprises one or more binary executable files.

16. The CPE of claim 10, wherein said non-content data is received at said CPE at a rate exceeding 1 Mbps.

17. The CPE of claim 10, wherein said at least one computer program is further configured to:

perform a check of at least portions of said received non-content data;

determine whether errors at least potentially exist within said received data based at least in part on said check; and

request corrective action from a remote network entity.

18. The CPE of claim 17, wherein said check comprises a cyclic redundancy (CRC) function, and said corrective action comprises a retransmission of at least portions of said non-content data.

19. The CPE of claim 10, wherein said at least one computer program is further configured to generate and transmit a pause command to a network entity to initiate a pause of transmission of said data.

20. The CPE of claim 10, further comprising a mass storage device, said mass storage device being configured to store said received non-content data.

21. The CPE of claim 10, wherein said receipt of said non-content data comprises receiving a plurality of MPEG packets within a transport stream, and said at least one computer program is further configured to reassemble at least some of said packets into a data structure.

22. A method of processing data for delivery over a cable network, comprising:

receiving data files conforming to an interface specification at one or more network servers;

converting raw data stored in one or more of said files into a packet stream;

creating at least one descriptive metadata file to describe at least portions of the raw data;

creating at least one software package that includes the packet stream and the descriptive metadata; and

creating at least one catalog entry to indicate the availability of the data to a client device.

23. The method in claim 22, further comprising:

establishing a virtual connection between at least one of said one or more servers and said client device;

transmitting at least said packet stream over said channel;

performing flow control on said stream; and

performing error recovery on said stream when required.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said interface specification comprises the ISA specification.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the packet stream uses an MPEG transport packet structure.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said descriptive metadata file comprises an ISA ADI.XML file.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said act of creating at least one software package comprises creating said at least one package using an ISA package creation process.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein said act of creating at least one catalog entry comprises creating at least one on-demand catalog structure accessible by a client device within said network.

29. A method of operating CPE used in a cable network, said CPE being configured to initiate a session request upstream to a remote network entity, receive information from said network to establish said session and a dedicated communication channel, and, receive non-content related data over said channel, said method comprising:

receiving data other than said non-content data, yet relating thereto, from said network;

using said other data to service at least one catalogue function; and

based at least in part on user inputs received by said CPE relating to said catalogue function, selecting said non-content data for download.

30. A method of providing non-content data over a cable network, comprising:

receiving a request from a user to download said data;

initiating a session request upstream to a remote network entity;

receiving information from said network to establish said session and a dedicated communication channel;

receiving a first portion of said data over said channel as part of an in-band transport stream;

issuing a request to pause the delivery of said data using a lightweight signaling protocol;

pausing said delivery of data for at least a period of time; and

subsequently receiving a second portion of said data over said channel.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising issuing, after said request to pause, a request to resume said delivery of data, said request to resume also comprising a lightweight signaling protocol.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising immediately de-establishing said session and communication channel upon completion of the receipt of all of said data.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein said act of issuing a request comprises issuing said request in response to a signal from an application running on a CPE receiving said data.

34. A method of sending at least one data structure over a cable network using on-demand network infrastructure, comprising:

receiving a user request to download said data structure, said user request substantially comprising an on-demand session request;

establishing said session and a dedicated communication channel in response to said request;

disposing at least portions of said data structure within MPEG packets;

generating descriptive data indicating the content of said MPEG packets, said descriptive data being used by at least a portion of said on-demand network infrastructure to process said MPEG packets differently than other packets processed by said infrastructure; and

transmitting said MPEG packets and said descriptive data over said channel as part of an in-band transport stream.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said data structure comprises a gaming-related data structure, and said method further comprises determining the completion of said act of sending by at least:

receiving data relating to a check performed on at least portions of said gaming-related data structure; and

selectively initiating a retransmission of at least portions of said data structure when said data relating to said check indicates such retransmission is required.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein said data structure comprises a gaming-related structure, and said act of receiving a user request comprises receiving a signal from a gaming application program.

37. The method of claim 34, wherein said act of receiving a user request comprises receiving a signal from a catalog application program.

38. The method of claim 34, wherein said act of differently processing comprises turning off at least one feature that would otherwise be available in said infrastructure.

39. A method of sending at least one data structure over a cable network using on-demand network infrastructure, comprising:

receiving a user request to download said data structure, said user request substantially comprising an on-demand session request;

establishing said session and a dedicated communication channel in response to said request;

disposing at least portions of said data structure within packets; and

transmitting multiple time-shifted copies of said packets over said channel as part of an in-band transport stream.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein said act of transmitting only occurs during prescribed periods of time.

41. The method of claim 39, further comprising sending tuning information for said channel to other users of said network so as to enable said other users to access at least one of said time-shifted copies via said channel.

42. A network server adapted for high-speed data download service, comprising:

a digital processor;

a storage device in data communication with said processor;

a first interface adapted to receive data in a first form from at least one data source;

a computer program running on said processor and adapted to process said data in said first form to create a plurality of data structures of a second form; and

a second interface adapted to transmit said plurality of data structures onto a network for subsequent delivery to a distant entity;

wherein said computer program is further adapted to;

receive a session request from said distant entity; and

in response to said request;

establish a session for said delivery of said data structures;

allocate at least one physical channel to said delivery; and

transmit information to said distant entity regarding at least said physical channel.

43. The server of claim 42, wherein said server is ISA-compliant, said data of said first form comprises at least ADI.XML and ADI.DTD files and raw data, and said data structures of a second form comprise MPEG packets.

44. The server of claim 42, wherein said computer program is further adapted to generate catalogue information relating to said data of said first form, and provide said information to said distant entity.

45. The server of claim 44, wherein said computer program is further adapted to receive retransmission requests from said distant entity, and cause said server to retransmit at least portions of said data structures to said distant entity.

46. The server of claim 44, wherein said computer program is further adapted to receive pause requests from said distant entity, and cause said server to at least temporarily cease transmission of at least portions of said data structures to said distant entity.

47. The server of claim 42, wherein said at least one physical channel comprises a dedicated channel which would otherwise be allocated to a VOD session request.