SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING CONCATENATED TRANSPORT STREAMS FROM ADAPTIVE MEDIA STREAMS

• US 20140189765A1
• Filed: 02/28/2013
• Published: 07/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Green, Don
• Granted Patent: US 10,547,882 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23805 Controlling the feeding rate to the network, e.g. by controlling the video pump
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

Embodiments of a method executable by an adaptive stream concatenation server to deliver a concatenated transport stream to a video distribution system are provided, as are embodiments of adaptive stream concatenation servers. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving an adaptive media stream containing television programming in an adaptive packet format at the adaptive stream concatenation server via a digital network. The contents of the adaptive media stream are concatenated by the adaptive stream concatenation server to create a concatenated transport stream containing the television programming in a streaming format different from the adaptive packet format and compatible with the video distribution system. The concatenated transport stream containing the television programming is then transmitted in the streaming format to the video distribution system.

Claims

1. A method executable by an adaptive stream concatenation server to deliver a concatenated transport stream to a video distribution system, the method comprising:

receiving first and second adaptive media streams containing television programming in an adaptive packet format at the adaptive stream concatenation server via a digital network, the first adaptive media stream containing at least a first television channel, and the second adaptive media stream containing at least a second television channel;

concatenating the contents of the first and second adaptive media streams at the adaptive stream concatenation server to create a concatenated transport stream containing multi-channel television programming in a streaming format that is not an adaptive packet format and that is compatible with the video distribution system; and

transmitting the concatenated transport stream containing the television programming in the streaming format to the video distribution system.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprises transmitting a request for packets of the adaptive media stream from the adaptive stream concatenation server.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the packets are requested from one of the group consisting of a network server and an adaptive encoder

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the television programming comprises a plurality of television channels, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a separate adaptive media stream for each of the plurality of channels, and wherein the concatenating comprises concatenating the contents of each of the separate adaptive media streams into separate transport streams.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the video distribution system is a television distribution system and wherein the transport stream is modulated for radio frequency (RF) delivery to a cable television headend associated with the television distribution system.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising encrypting the transport stream prior to transmitting the transport stream to the video distribution system.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising subscribing the adaptive stream concatenation server to the playlist files for multiple adaptive media streams.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising encapsulating the concatenated transport stream as a multicast Internet Protocol (“

IP”

) stream.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein transmitting comprises routing the multicast IP stream to a headend distributor of the video distribution system.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein multicast IP stream is encapsulated in accordance with a protocol selected from the group consisting of User Datagram Protocol or Real-time Transport Protocol.

2-3. -3. (canceled)

13. An adaptive stream concatenation server to provide television programming for distribution to a plurality of television receivers by a video distribution system, the adaptive stream concatenation system comprising:

an interface to a digital network;

a processor configured to;

receive a first adaptive media stream containing at least a first television channel in an adaptive packet format at the adaptive stream concatenation server via a digital network;

receive a second adaptive media stream containing at least a second television channel in an adaptive packet format at the adaptive stream concatenation server via the digital network;

concatenate the contents of the first and second adaptive media streams by the adaptive stream concatenation server to create a concatenated transport stream containing multi-channel television programming in a streaming format that is not an adaptive packet format and that is compatible with the video distribution system; and

transmit the concatenated transport stream containing the television programming in the streaming format to the video distribution system.

15. The adaptive stream concatenation server of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured to transmit a request for packets of the adaptive media stream from the adaptive stream concatenation server.

16. The adaptive stream concatenation server of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured to modulate the transport stream for radio frequency (RF) delivery to a cable television headend associated with the television distribution system.

17. The adaptive stream concatenation server of claim 13 wherein the processor is further configured to:

encapsulate the concatenated transport stream as a multicast Internet Protocol (“

IP”

) stream; and

route the multicast IP stream to a headend distributor of the video distribution system.

18. The adaptive stream concatenation server of claim 13 wherein the adaptive stream concatenation server is implemented in a residential gateway device located within a user'"'"'s home, and wherein the method further comprises distributing the concatenated transport stream to at least one television receiver located within the user'"'"'s home.

19. The adaptive stream concatenation server of claim 18 wherein the residential gateway device comprises a satellite receiver.

14. (canceled)

20. A method executable by an adaptive stream concatenation server to deliver a concatenated transport stream to a television distribution system distributing a multi-channel television programming to a plurality of television receivers, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of adaptive media streams each containing different television channels in an adaptive packet format at the adaptive stream concatenation server via a digital network;

concatenating the contents of the plurality of adaptive media streams at the adaptive stream concatenation server to create a multicast Internet Protocol (“

IP”

) stream containing a multi-channel television programming in a streaming format different from the adaptive packet format and compatible with the video distribution system;

encrypting the multicast IP stream containing the multi-channel television programming; and

transmitting the encrypted multicast IP stream containing the television programming in the streaming format to a headend distributor of the television distribution system for distribution to the plurality of television receivers.