Method for reduced bandwidth for on-demand data streaming using mini-clusters

• US 7,143,431 B1
• Filed: 08/07/2000
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (University of Wisconsin System)
• Original Assignee: Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (University of Wisconsin System)
• Inventors: Eager, Derek L., Vernon, Mary K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kelley, Chris
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sheleheda, James
• Application Number:
  US09/633,506
• Time in Patent Office: 2,304 Days
• Field of Search: 725/97, 725/95, 725/101, 725/87, 725/90, 725/89, 725/88, 725/102, 709/231, 709/232
• US Class Current: 725/101
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1881 with schedule organisation, e.g. priority, sequence management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• 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 21/26275 for distributing content or additional data in a staggered manner, e.g. repeating movies on different channels in a time-staggered manner in a near video on demand system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47208 for requesting near-video-on-demand content
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17309 Transmission or handling of upstream communications

Abstract

An improvement on dynamic skyscraper delivery of continuous media programs, such as video, divides the channels used for the delivery of the video into leading and trailing groups. A cluster defining on transmission of a program can then be broken into mini-clusters in the leading group which may be freely matched to full clusters in the lower group with loosened alignment requirements. This decoupling provides more efficient allocation of bandwidth to on-demand consumer requests and permits strategic opportunities to merge requests with concurrently allocated bandwidth for similar programs.

Claims

1. In a method of transmitting continuous media programs over a number of channels to multiple consumers, wherein the continuous media program is divided into a set of different segments that may be repeatedly transmitted on separate channels whereby segments from each channel may be assembled into a program thread, the improvement comprising the steps of:

(a) dividing the channels into a leading and trailing group;

(b) within the leading group, creating a first and second mini-cluster, each mini-cluster initially configured to merge with a common trailing group segment, each mini-cluster holding segments forming a program thread with different final segments of the leading group; and

(c) independently allocating at least the first mini-cluster of the leading group for transmission of the continuous media program in response to one or more program requests; and

(d) determining a characteristic of the one or more program requests and depending on the characteristic of the one or more program requests, mapping the first and second mini-clusters into the common trailing group segment or mapping the first and second mini-clusters into different trailing group segments;

whereby channel bandwidth may be more efficiently allocated.

2. The method of claim 1, including the further step of:

(e) when no previously allocated segment in the trailing group would include a select one or more of the mini-cluster allocated in step (c), allocating a latest possible segment in the trailing group that would include the select one or more mini-clusters allocated in step (c).

3. The method of claim 1 including the further step of:

(e) allocating at least one transmission of a given initial trailing group segment; and

(f) buffering the transmission of the given initial trailing group segment for use in

creating a program thread with the segments of the second mini-cluster;

whereby a larger range of leading group initial segments may form program threads with the given initial trailing group segments.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein at step (c) when no previously allocated trailing segment of the trailing group will provide a program thread for the request, allocating a latest possible trailing segment that would provide a program thread for the request.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the buffering of step (f) is performed by the consumer.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the trailing group is stored at a first location and the leading group is stored at a second location wherein the first location is further from the consumer than the second location and wherein the buffering of step (f) is performed by the second location.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the trailing group is stored at a first location and the leading group is stored at a second location wherein the first location is further from the consumer than the second location.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the continuous media programs are selected from the group consisting of:

music, movies, television shows, news clips, product advertisements, medical information, recreational information and educational programs.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the segments on each channel within the mini-clusters are substantially contiguous.

11. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the characteristic is an identification of the requested media program.

10. In a method of transmitting continuous media programs over a number of channels to multiple consumers, wherein the continuous media program is divided into a set of different segments that may be repeatedly transmitted on separate channels whereby segments from each channel may be assembled into a program thread, the improvement comprising the steps of:

(a) dividing the channels into a leading and trailing group;

(b) within the leading group, creating a first and second mini-cluster, each mini-cluster initially configured to merge with a common trailing group segment, each mini-cluster holding segments forming a program thread with different final segments of the leading group; and

(c) independently allocating at least the first mini-cluster of the leading group for transmission of the continuous media program in response to one or more program requests; and

(d) depending on a characteristic of the one or more program requests, mapping the first and second mini-clusters into the common trailing group segment or mapping the first and second mini-clusters into different trailing group segments, wherein the trailing group segment for the second mini-cluster is time-shifted relative to the trailing group segment for the first mini-cluster;

whereby channel bandwidth may be more efficiently allocated.