System and method for grouping program identifiers into multicast groups

• US 20090007189A1
• Filed: 06/26/2007
• Published: 01/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Gutknecht, Gary Robert, Weber, Barry Jay
• Granted Patent: US 8,434,120 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 20/63 to plural spots in a confined site, e.g. MATV [Master Antenna Television]
• CPC Class Codes: H04H 40/90 specially adapted for satellite broadcast receiving
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2221 being a cable television head-end CATV in broadcast systems H04H20/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6143 involving transmission via a satellite
• 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 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments relate to a system and method for grouping program identifiers into multimast groups. More specifically, there is provided a method comprising receiving a request for satellite services from a requester device, wherein the request includes at least one program identifier, creating a second group of program identifiers, comparing the requested program identifier with a first group of previously requested program identifiers stored on a satellite service providing device and moving the matching program identifier from the first group of program identifiers to the second group of program identifiers if the requested program identifier matches one of the program identifiers in the first group of program identifiers, wherein a multicast of the second group of program identifiers is adapted to be shared by the requester device and another device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a request for satellite services from a requester device, wherein the request includes at least one program identifier;

creating a second group of program identifiers;

comparing the requested program identifier with a first group of previously requested program identifiers stored on a satellite service providing device; and

moving the matching program identifier from the first group of program identifiers to the second group of program identifiers if the requested program identifier matches one of the program identifiers in the first group of program identifiers, wherein a multicast of the second group of program identifiers is adapted to be shared by the requester device and another device.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising transmitting service associated with the second group of program identifiers to the requester devices.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting services comprising multicasting the services over an IP distribution network.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising:

creating a third group of program identifiers comprising the requested program identifiers that did not match one of the program identifier in the first group of program identifiers; and

transmitting services associated with the program identifiers in the third group of program identifiers to the requester device.

5. The method of claim 4, comprising storing the third group of program identifiers on the satellite service providing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request for satellite services from a requester device comprises receiving a request for DirecTV satellite programming.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request for satellite services from a requester comprises receiving a satellite television request from a set top box.

8. A system comprising:

a head-end unit configured to;

receive a request for satellite services from a requester device, wherein the request includes at least one program identifier;

create a second group of program identifiers;

compare the requested program identifier with a first group of previously requested program identifiers stored on a satellite service providing device; and

move the matching program identifier from the first group of program identifiers to the second group of program identifiers if the requested program identifier matches one of the program identifiers in the first group of program identifiers, wherein a multicast of the second group of program identifiers is adapted to be shared by the requester device and another device.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the head-end unit is configured to transmit services associated with the program identifiers in the second group of program identifiers to the requesting device.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the head-end unit is configured to transmit services associated with the program identifiers in the second group of program identifiers to a set top box.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the head-end unit is configured to multicast the services over an IP distribution network to the set top box.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the head-end unit is configured:

to create a third group of program identifiers comprising the requested program identifiers that did not match one of the program identifier in the first group of program identifiers; and

to transmit services associated with the program identifiers in the third group of program identifiers.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the head-end unit is configured to receiving a request for DirecTV satellite programming.

14. A head-end unit comprising:

means for receiving a request for satellite services from a requester device, wherein the request includes at least one program identifier;

means for creating a second group of program identifiers;

means for comparing the requested program identifier with a first group of previously requested program identifiers stored on a satellite service providing device; and

means for moving the matching program identifier from the first group of program identifiers to the second group of program identifiers if the requested program identifier matches one of the program identifiers in the first group of program identifiers, wherein a multicast of the second group of program identifiers is adapted to be shared by the requester device and another device.

15. The head-end unit of claim 14, comprising means for transmitting services associated with the program identifiers in the second group of program identifiers to the requester device.

16. The head-end unit of claim 14, comprising means for transmitting services comprising multicasting the services over an IP distribution network.

17. The head-end unit of claim 14 comprising:

means for creating a third group of program identifiers comprising the requested program identifiers that did not match one of the program identifier in the first group of program identifiers; and

means for transmitting services associated with the program identifiers in the third group of program identifiers to the requester device.

18. The head-end unit of claim 14, comprising means for storing the third group of program identifiers on the head-end unit.

19. The head-end unit of claim 14, wherein the means for receiving a request for satellite services from a requester device comprises receiving a request for DirecTV satellite programming.

20. The head-end unit of claim 14, wherein the means for receiving a request for satellite services from a requester comprises a receiver configured to receive the request from a set top box.