TECHNIQUES FOR UNGRADING SOFTWARE IN A VIDEO CONTENT NETWORK

• US 20100313236A1
• Filed: 10/05/2009
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Straub, Albert
• Granted Patent: US 8,533,771 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/146
• 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 21/27 Server based end-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4349 by extracting from data carousels, e.g. extraction of software modules from a DVB carousel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4722 for requesting additional data associated with the content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/485 End-user interface for client configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8173 End-user applications, e.g. Web browser, game
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/818 OS software

Abstract

It is determined that a substantial portion of set-top terminals connected to a video content network require a software upgrade. In-band video bandwidth (e.g., video-on-demand or switched digital video) is allocated for the software upgrade. The software upgrade is broadcast to the set-top terminals from a carousel in a first remote node of the video content network, via the allocated in-band video bandwidth, until a predetermined number of the set-top terminals have received the software upgrade. Subsequent to the predetermined number of set-top terminals receiving the software upgrade, the in-band video bandwidth is de-allocated and the software upgrade is made available out-of-band to the remaining portion of the set-top terminals, via individual sessions with an application server in a second remote node of the video content network. An exemplary system, which can implement the method, includes a controller, a dynamic bandwidth allocation device, the carousel, and the application server.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

determining that a substantial portion of set-top terminals connected to a video content network require a software upgrade;

allocating in-band video bandwidth for said software upgrade;

broadcasting said software upgrade to said set-top terminals from a carousel in a first remote node of said video content network, via said allocated in-band video bandwidth, until a predetermined number of said set-top terminals have received said software upgrade; and

subsequent to said predetermined number of said set-top terminals receiving said software upgrade, de-allocating said in-band video bandwidth and making said software upgrade available out-of-band, to a remaining portion of said set-top terminals, via individual sessions with an application server in a second remote node of said video content network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined number comprises a predetermined fraction of said set-top terminals.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said predetermined number comprises a predetermined absolute number of said set-top terminals.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said application server has a threshold capacity of a certain number of downloads of said software upgrade per unit time, further comprising monitoring, during said broadcasting step, a number of said set-top terminals downloading said software upgrade from said carousel per unit time, wherein said predetermined number corresponds to a number of said set-top terminals which have received said software upgrade from said carousel at a point in time when said number of said set-top terminals downloading said software upgrade from said carousel per unit time is no greater than said threshold capacity.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said application server comprises a hypertext transfer protocol server and said carousel comprises a digital storage media command and control object carousel.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said application server comprises a trivial file transfer protocol server and said carousel comprises a common download carousel.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said first and second remote nodes are identical and comprise a head end of said video content network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

said allocating of said in-band video bandwidth comprises a controller;

requesting said in-band video bandwidth, for said carousel, from a dynamic bandwidth allocation device; and

indicating, in a transport field of an extended application information table broadcast to said set-top terminals, that said software upgrade is available on said allocated in-band video bandwidth; and

said de-allocating of said in-band video bandwidth comprises said controller;

advising said dynamic bandwidth allocation device to de-allocate said bandwidth from said carousel; and

indicating in said transport field of said extended application information table broadcast to said set-top terminals that said software upgrade is now available via said individual sessions with said application server.

9. A system for interacting with a plurality of set-top terminals over a video content network, said system comprising:

a controller configured to facilitate determining that a substantial portion of the set-top terminals connected to the video content network require a software upgrade;

a dynamic bandwidth allocation device, coupled to said controller, configured to allocate in-band video bandwidth on the video content network for said software upgrade;

a carousel, coupled to said controller and said dynamic bandwidth allocation device, configured to broadcast said software upgrade to the set-top terminals, via said allocated in-band video bandwidth, until a predetermined number of the set-top terminals have received said software upgrade; and

an application server coupled to said dynamic bandwidth allocation device and said controller;

wherein said controller and said dynamic bandwidth allocation device are cooperatively configured such that, subsequent to said predetermined number of said set-top terminals receiving said software upgrade, said in-band video bandwidth is de-allocated and said software upgrade is made available out-of-band, to a remaining portion of said set-top terminals, via individual sessions with said application server over the video content network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein said predetermined number comprises a predetermined fraction of the set-top terminals.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein said predetermined number comprises a predetermined absolute number of the set-top terminals.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein said application server has a threshold capacity of a certain number of downloads of said software upgrade per unit time, and wherein said controller is further configured to monitor, during said broadcasting, a number of the set-top terminals downloading said software upgrade from said carousel per unit time, wherein said predetermined number corresponds to a number of the set-top terminals which have received said software upgrade from said carousel at a point in time when said number of the set-top terminals downloading said software upgrade from said carousel per unit time is no greater than said threshold capacity.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein said application server comprises a hypertext transfer protocol server and said carousel comprises a digital storage media command and control object carousel.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein said application server comprises a trivial file transfer protocol server and said carousel comprises a common download carousel.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein said controller, said dynamic bandwidth allocation device, said carousel, and said application server are located in a head end of the video content network.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein:

said controller allocates said in-band video bandwidth by;

requesting said in-band video bandwidth, for said carousel, from said dynamic bandwidth allocation device; and

indicating, in a transport field of an extended application information table broadcast to the set-top terminals, that said software upgrade is available on said allocated in-band video bandwidth; and

said controller de-allocates said in-band video bandwidth by;

advising said dynamic bandwidth allocation device to de-allocate said bandwidth from said carousel; and

indicating in said transport field of said extended application information table broadcast to the set-top terminals that said software upgrade is now available via said individual sessions with said application server.

17. An apparatus comprising:

means for determining that a substantial portion of set-top terminals connected to a video content network require a software upgrade;

means for allocating in-band video bandwidth for said software upgrade;

means for broadcasting said software upgrade to said set-top terminals from a carousel in a first remote node of said video content network, via said allocated in-band video bandwidth, until a predetermined number of said set-top terminals have received said software upgrade; and

means for, subsequent to said predetermined number of said set-top terminals receiving said software upgrade, de-allocating said in-band video bandwidth and making said software upgrade available out-of-band, to a remaining portion of said set-top terminals, via individual sessions with an application server in a second remote node of said video content network.

18. A computer program product comprising a tangible computer readable recordable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, said computer readable program code comprising:

computer readable program code configured to determine that a substantial portion of set-top terminals connected to a video content network require a software upgrade;

computer readable program code configured to allocate in-band video bandwidth for said software upgrade;

computer readable program code configured to broadcast said software upgrade to said set-top terminals from a carousel in a first remote node of said video content network, via said allocated in-band video bandwidth, until a predetermined number of said set-top terminals have received said software upgrade; and

computer readable program code configured to, subsequent to said predetermined number of said set-top terminals receiving said software upgrade, de-allocate said in-band video bandwidth and making said software upgrade available out-of-band, to a remaining portion of said set-top terminals, via individual sessions with an application server in a second remote node of said video content network.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said predetermined number comprises a predetermined fraction of said set-top terminals.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said predetermined number comprises a predetermined absolute number of said set-top terminals.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said application server has a threshold capacity of a certain number of downloads of said software upgrade per unit time, further comprising computer readable program code configured to monitor, during said broadcasting step, a number of said set-top terminals downloading said software upgrade from said carousel per unit time, wherein said predetermined number corresponds to a number of said set-top terminals which have received said software upgrade from said carousel at a point in time when said number of said set-top terminals downloading said software upgrade from said carousel per unit time is no greater than said threshold capacity.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said application server comprises a hypertext transfer protocol server and said carousel comprises a digital storage media command and control object carousel.

23. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said application server comprises a trivial file transfer protocol server and said carousel comprises a common download carousel.

24. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said first and second remote nodes are identical and comprise a head end of said video content network.

25. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein:

said computer readable program code configured to allocate said in-band video bandwidth comprises;

computer readable program code configured to request said in-band video bandwidth, for said carousel, from a dynamic bandwidth allocation device; and

computer readable program code configured to indicate, in a transport field of an extended application information table broadcast to said set-top terminals, that said software upgrade is available on said allocated in-band video bandwidth; and

said computer readable program code configured to de-allocate said in-band video bandwidth comprises;

computer readable program code configured to advise said dynamic bandwidth allocation device to de-allocate said bandwidth from said carousel; and

computer readable program code configured to indicate in said transport field of said extended application information table broadcast to said set-top terminals that said software upgrade is now available via said individual sessions with said application server.