Apparatus and methods for utilizing statistical multiplexing to ensure quality of service in a network

• US 8,300,541 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2008
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Inc. (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cholas, Chris, Hasek, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Sinkantarakorn, Pao
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zaidi, Iqbal
• Application Number:
  US12/070,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20090207866A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• Field of Search: 370200-253, 370/539, 370/522, 370/395.1, 370/396, 370/397, 370/468, 370535-537, 370/96, 725/121, 725/100, 725/32, 725/118, 725110-113, 725151-153, 455418-420, 709/203, 709/206
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23655 Statistical multiplexing, e.g. by controlling the encoder to alter its bitrate to optimize the bandwidth utilization
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43072 of multiple content streams on the same device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for utilizing bitrate or other data associated with statistically multiplexed video (e.g., programs) or other content within a network to ensure quality of service (QoS) at a subscriber premises or local network. In one embodiment, the present invention provides improved multiplexing apparatus and methods that allow a consumer premises device to obtain QoS data and employ that data to enforce and maintain one or more QoS policies. In another embodiment of the present invention, an improved consumer premises device is provided which is adapted to receive a multiplexed program stream and subsequently demultiplex and time stamp the resulting single program streams. The time stamps are then utilized to generate QoS data which is utilized to enforce and maintain a QoS policy. Business methods associated with the various features described above are also disclosed.

Claims

1. Consumer premises equipment (CPE), comprising:

a tuner configured to receive a multiplex, said multiplex comprising a plurality of content elements and descriptive data relating to at least one aspect of at least one content element;

a demultiplexer comprising a program ID (PID) filter configured to locate and retrieve said descriptive data relating to said at least one aspect of said at least one content element; and

a processor element, said processor element configured to utilize said descriptive data relating to said at least one aspect of said at least one content element to implement at least one quality of service (QoS) policy for playback of said at least one content element by said CPE.

2. The CPE of claim 1, wherein said tuner comprises a wideband tuner configured to receive a plurality of different multiplexed transports distributed across multiple radio frequency (RF) channels.

3. The CPE of claim 1, wherein said descriptive data further comprises bandwidth requirement information of said at least one content element.

4. The CPE of claim 1, wherein said descriptive data further comprises transport information of a multiplexed transport stream carrying said at least one content element.

5. The CPE of claim 1, wherein said descriptive data further comprises picture quality or resolution data for said at least one content element.

6. The CPE of claim 1, wherein said processor element comprises an integrated circuit having a computer program capable of running thereon.

7. The CPE of claim 1, further comprising a data interface to a personal media device (PMD), said PMD configured to render said at least one content element according to said at least one QoS policy.

8. The CPE of claim 1, wherein said at least one QoS policy comprises a universal plug and play (UPnP)-compliant QoS policy.

9. A method of operating a consumer device in a content delivery network, comprising:

receiving at least one output multiplex comprising at least in part a plurality of content elements;

demultiplexing said at least one output multiplex into a plurality of demultiplexed content elements;

downloading at least one application at said consumer device;

affixing time stamps to respective ones of packets within at least one of said demultiplexed content elements;

utilizing said time stamps to evaluate at least one aspect of said demultiplexed content elements;

generating data based at least in part on said evaluating, said data comprising at least quality of service (QoS) parameters for individual ones of said demultiplexed content elements; and

utilizing said data to configure said consumer device according to one or more parameters in order to provide said QoS policy for at least one of said demultiplexed content elements;

wherein said at least one application downloaded to said consumer device is configured to enable said consumer device to perform at least said acts of generating said data, and utilizing said data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said act of evaluating at least one aspect of said plurality of demultiplexed content elements comprises evaluating bandwidth requirements of said plurality of demultiplexed content elements.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said at least one application downloaded to said consumer device comprises a firmware update configured to activate at a predetermined time after said download.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein said evaluated aspect of said demultiplexed content elements comprises a transport property of at least one of said demultiplexed content elements.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said evaluated transport property enables compensation of jitter during said act of receiving said output multiplex.

14. A method of operating a consumer premises equipment (CPE), comprising:

receiving a multiplex comprising a plurality of content elements and descriptive data relating to at least one aspect of at least one content element;

demultiplexing said multiplex, via a demultiplexer comprising a program ID (PID)-based apparatus configured to locate and retrieve said descriptive data relating to said at least one aspect of said at least one content element; and

utilizing said descriptive data relating to said at least one aspect of said at least one content element to implement at least one quality of service (QoS) policy for playback of said at least one content element by said CPE.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said receiving comprises receiving, via a radio frequency (RF) tuner one or more different multiplexed transports distributed across a plurality of RF channels.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said descriptive data further comprises a statistical time-distribution of bitrates for said at least one content element.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said descriptive data further comprises jitter delay information for a multiplexed transport stream carrying said at least one content element.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein said descriptive data further comprises video quality data for said at least one content element.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said at least one QoS policy comprises a universal plug and play (UPnP)-compliant QoS policy.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said descriptive data comprises an UPnP traffic specification.

21. The method claim 20, wherein said UPnP traffic specification details one or more of:

(i) a peak rate, (ii) a mean rate, (iii) delay requirements, and (iv) loss requirements.

22. A consumer device for use in a content delivery network, said consumer device comprising:

a storage device;

a network interface;

a data processor in data communication with said network interface and said storage device, said data processor configured to run at least one computer program thereon, said at least one computer program comprising a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed;

receive, via said network interface, at least one output multiplex comprising at least in part a plurality of content elements;

demultiplex said output multiplex into a plurality of demultiplexed content elements; and

download, to said storage device, at least one application configured to enable said consumer device to;

affix time stamps to respective ones of packets within at least one of said demultiplexed content elements;

utilize said time stamps to evaluate at least one aspect of said demultiplexed content elements;

generate data based at least in part on said evaluation, said data comprising at least quality of service (QoS) parameters for individual ones of said content elements; and

utilize said data to configure said consumer device according to one or more parameters in order to provide said QoS policy for at least one of said demultiplexed content elements.

23. The consumer device of claim 22, wherein said at least one application downloaded to said consumer device comprises a firmware update.

24. The consumer device of claim 22, wherein said one or more parameters comprise a bandwidth requirement for said at least one of said demultiplexed content elements.

25. The consumer device of claim 22, wherein said evaluated aspect of said demultiplexed content elements relates to one or more transport properties of said demultiplexed content elements.

26. The consumer device of claim 25, wherein said one or more transport properties comprise one or more of (i) jitter parameters, (ii) retransmission requirements, and (iii) data rate throttling.