Method and systems for multicast using multiple transport streams

• US 7,992,172 B1
• Filed: 10/04/2000
• Issued: 08/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/15/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Gershtein, Eugene, Feinberg, Brian, Gordon, Donald F., Bayrakeri, Sadik, Ludvig, Edward A., Comito, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shang; Annan Q
• Application Number:
  US09/679,210
• Time in Patent Office: 3,954 Days
• Field of Search: 725/82, 725 91- 94, 725114-116, 725/138, 725 37- 61, 725144-146, 348/10, 348/13, 348/460, 348/549, 348/569, 348/906
• US Class Current: 725/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/577 Motion compensation with bidirectional frame interpolation, i.e. using B-pictures
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/236 Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream multiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• 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 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26283 for associating distribution time parameters to content, e.g. to generate electronic program guide data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/0806 the signals being two or more video signals H04N7/0803, H04N7/081 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/165 Centralised control of user terminal subsequent to an upstream request signal H04N7/17345; Registering at central by two-way working H04N7/17309

Abstract

A system for delivering interactive program guide (IPG) includes a number of encoding units, at least one transport stream generator, and a session manager. The encoding units encode a number of IPG pages and generate a number of (e.g., guide, video, audio, and data) streams, with each stream being assigned a respective packet identifier (PID). Each transport stream generator receives and multiplexes selected ones of the streams from one or more encoding units into one or more transport streams. The session manager directs each transport stream generator to generate one or more transport streams based on usage. The system may further include a bandwidth manager that monitors usage and reports the usage to the session manager. The encoding units can be operated to encode only once each IPG page to be transmitted. Each transport stream generator can be operated to provide differentiated IPG for the neighborhood being served by the transport stream generator. The number of transport streams generated by each transport stream generator can be dynamically adjusted based on demands from the neighborhood being served by the transport stream generator. Each transport stream generator can be directed to generate an additional transport stream if usage exceeds the capacity of the currently transmitted transport streams.

Claims

1. A system for providing interactive program guide (IPG), the system comprising:

a plurality of encoding units, disposed within a headend of a distribution system, each of the plurality of encoding units being operative to receive content from a plurality of content sources, the content including a plurality of video inputs, a corresponding IPG page associated with each of the plurality of video inputs, an audio input and at least one data input, wherein each of the plurality of video inputs associated with IPG pages include a guide portion and a video portion, the plurality of encoding units encoding the guide portion and the video portion of each video input associated with the IPG pages, the audio input and the at least one data input and generating a guide stream for each of the video inputs and a video stream, an audio stream and at least one data stream, wherein each generated guide stream, video stream, audio stream and data stream is assigned a respective packet identifier (PID);

at least one transport stream generator operatively coupled to the plurality of encoding units, each transport stream generator being assigned to a single distribution node of the distribution system, each transport stream generator further operative to receive the generated guide stream, video stream, audio stream and data stream from one or more of the plurality of encoding units and to multiplex packets from the received streams into one or more transport streams, wherein the at least one transport stream generator generates packets conveying a program mapping table (PMT) for each transport stream;

a session manager coupled to the at least one transport stream generator and the plurality of encoding units, the session manager being operative to manage the operation of the plurality of encoding units and the at least one transport stream generator and to service demands of each distribution node of the distribution system; and

a bandwidth manager, coupled to the at least one transport stream generator for monitoring resources usage and availability for encoding by the plurality of encoding units, the bandwidth manager, in response to a demand received from a node of the distribution system, obtains information regarding whether sufficient bandwidth and PIDs are available in the one or more transport streams being transmitted to the distribution node to service the demand and communicates the obtained information to the session manager for servicing the demand, wherein the session manager controls the at least one transport stream generator to dynamically adjust the number of transport streams generated based on the obtained information received from the bandwidth manager.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of encoding units are operative to encode only once each IPG page to be transmitted from the at least one transport stream generator.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the session manager directs a particular transport stream generator to generate an additional transport stream as usage increases and exceeds the capacity of currently transmitted transport stream(s).

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the session manager directs a particular transport stream generator to generate an additional transport stream if the number of streams to be transmitted by the particular transport stream generator exceeds the capacity of currently transmitted transport stream(s).

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the session manager, in response to the information communicated by the bandwidth manager, directs a particular transport stream generator to generate an additional transport stream when the information indicates a required number of PIDs exceeds a maximum number of PIDs supported by currently transmitted transport stream(s).

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the session manager directs a particular transport stream generator to tear down a transport stream if usage falls below the capacity of remaining transport streams.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein each transport stream generator is operative to serve a respective group of terminals within a particular neighborhood.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein each transport stream generator is operable to provide differentiated IPG via the one or more transport streams generated by the transport stream generator.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein a plurality of transport streams are generated by a particular transport stream generator, and wherein each of the plurality of transport streams includes a respective set of IPG pages represented by the generated streams.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of transport streams from the particular transport stream generator include transport streams with overlapping guide PIDs.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of transport streams from the particular transport stream generator includes one or more common IPG pages.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the sets of IPG pages for the plurality of transport streams from the particular transport stream generator are organized to reduce likelihood of switching between transport streams at a receiving device.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the sets of IPG pages for the plurality of transport streams from the particular transport stream generator are organized to increase likelihood of PID transitions within the same transport stream.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein each encoding unit is operative to implement a slice-based encoding scheme.

15. The system of claim 1, wherein each encoding unit is operative to implement a picture-based encoding scheme.

16. A system for providing interactive program guide (IPG), the system comprising:

at least one transport stream generator, disposed within a headend of a distribution system, wherein each transport steam generator is assigned to a single distribution node of the distribution system, each transport stream generator further including at least one encoder unit operative to receive content from a plurality of content sources, the content including a plurality of video inputs, a corresponding IPG page associated with each of the plurality of video inputs, an audio input and at least one data input, wherein each of the plurality of video inputs associated with IPG pages include a guide portion and a video portion, the plurality of encoding units encoding the guide portion and the video portion of each video input associated with the IPG pages, the audio input and the at least one data input and generating a guide stream for each of the video inputs and a video stream, an audio stream and at least one data stream, wherein each generated guide stream, video stream, audio stream and data stream is assigned a respective packet identifier (PID), each transport stream generator operative to receive the generated guide stream, video stream, audio stream and data stream from one or more of the plurality of encoding units and to multiplex packets from the received streams into one or more transport streams, wherein the at least one transport stream generator generates packets conveying a program mapping table (PMT) for each transport stream;

a session manager coupled to the at least one transport stream generator and operative to manage the operation of the plurality of encoding units and the at least one transport stream generator and to service demands of each distribution node of the distribution system; and

a bandwidth manager, coupled to the at least one transport stream generator for monitoring resources usage and availability for encoding by the plurality of encoding units, the bandwidth manager, in response to a demand received from a node of the distribution system, obtains information regarding whether sufficient bandwidth and PIDs are available in the one or more transport streams being transmitted to the distribution node to service the demand and communicates the obtained information to the session manager for servicing the demand, wherein the session manager controls the at least one transport stream generator to dynamically adjust the number of transport streams generated based on the obtained information received from the bandwidth manager.

17. A method for providing interactive program guide (IPG) from a transmission source to a plurality of terminals, the method comprising:

receiving, at a plurality of encoding units disposed within a headend of a distribution system, content from a plurality of content sources, the content including a plurality of video inputs, a corresponding IPG page associated with each of the plurality of video inputs, an audio input and at least one data input, wherein each of the plurality of video inputs associated with IPG pages include a guide portion and a video portion,

encoding, at the plurality of encoding units, the guide portion and the video portion of each video input associated with the IPG pages, the audio input and the at least one data input;

generating, at the plurality of encoding units, a guide stream for each of the video inputs and a video stream, an audio stream and at least one data stream, wherein each generated guide stream, video stream, audio stream and data stream is assigned a respective packet identifier (PID);

receiving the generated guide stream, video stream, audio stream and data stream, by at least one transport stream generator operatively coupled to one or more of the plurality of encoding units, each transport stream generator being assigned to a single distribution node of the distribution system;

multiplexing packets from the received streams into one or more transport streams, wherein the at least one transport stream generator generates packets conveying a program mapping table (PMT) for each transport stream;

monitoring, at a session manager, the operation of the plurality of encoding units encoding the plurality of IPG pages, audio input and data input and the at least one transport stream generator;

monitoring, at the session manager, demands received from the plurality of terminals via a node of the distribution system;

in response to a demand received by the session manager from a terminal via a node of the distribution system, obtaining, by a bandwidth manager, information regarding whether sufficient bandwidth and PIDs are available in the one or more transport streams being transmitted to the plurality of terminals to service the demands;

comparing the demand from the terminal against the obtained information; and

dynamically adjusting, by the session manager, the number of transport streams to be transmitted by the transport steam generator to the plurality of terminals based on a result of the comparing the demand from the terminal against the obtained information received from the bandwidth manager.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing an additional transport stream for the plurality of terminals if the demands exceeds the current capacity.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

providing an additional transport stream for the plurality of terminals if a required number of packet identifiers (PIDs) exceeds a maximum number of PIDs supported by the one or more transport streams currently being transmitted.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

tearing down a particular currently transmitted transport stream if the demands fall below the capacity of remaining transport streams.