System and method for seamless switching between data streams

An apparatus for use in a content-based network for providing seamless redundancy in an output data stream, the apparatus being located in a headend of said content-based network, the apparatus comprising:

• a first hashing module configured to receive a first unencrypted data stream originating from a first content source residing in a first location, the first data stream being conveyed over a first network path, the first hashing module computing first hash values as a function of first data segments from the first data stream;
• a demodulation and decryption module configured to receive and decrypt an encrypted second data stream originating from a second content source residing in a second location that is geographically distinct from the first location, the second data stream comprising nominally identical content relative to the first data stream, the second data stream being conveyed over a second network path that is topologically distinct from the first network path, the second data stream being encrypted between the second content source and the headend;
• a second hashing module configured to receive the decrypted second data stream, the second hashing module computing second hash values as a function of second data segments from the second data stream following decryption of the second data stream;
• and
• a controller coupled with the first and second hashing modules, the controller being operative to combine first data segments from the first data stream and second data segments from the second data stream based at least in part on the first hash values and the second hash values in a manner which generates a single, uninterrupted output data stream having a reduced likelihood of at least one of overlapping, missing and corrupt data segments;
• wherein the apparatus is configured to simultaneously receive at least a portion of the first data stream and at least a portion of the second data stream.

A data stream repair device for providing seamless switching between data streams in a content-based network, the data stream repair device being located in a headend of the content-based network, the data stream repair device comprising:

• a first hashing module configured to receive a first unencrypted data stream originating from a first content source residing in a first location, the first data stream being conveyed over a first network path, the first hashing module computing first hash values as a function of first data segments from the first data stream;
• a demodulation and decryption module configured to receive and decrypt an encrypted second data stream originating from a second content source residing in a second location that is geographically distinct from the first location, the second data stream comprising nominally identical content relative to the first data stream, the second data stream being conveyed over a second network path that is topologically distinct from the first network path, the second data stream being encrypted between the second content source and the headend;
• a second hashing module configured to receive the decrypted second data stream, the second hashing module computing second hash values as a function of second data segments from the second data stream following decryption of the second data stream;
• and
• a controller coupled with the first and second hashing modules, the controller being operative to combine the first data segments and the second data segments based at least in part on the first hash values and the second hash values in a manner which generates a single, uninterrupted output data stream having a reduced likelihood of at least one of overlapping, missing and corrupt data segments;
• wherein the device is configured to simultaneously receive at least a portion of the first data stream and at least a portion of the second data stream.

An article of manufacture comprising a computer program product for providing seamless redundancy in an output data stream distributed in a content-based network, said computer program product comprising:

• a tangible computer-readable recordable storage medium, which stores in a non-transitory manner computer readable program code that when loaded in a processor of a content-based network headend causes the processor to facilitate a method comprising:
• receiving a first unencrypted data stream originating from a first content source residing in a first location, the first data stream being conveyed over a first network path;
• receiving and decrypting at least a portion of an encrypted second data stream simultaneously with at least a portion of the first data stream, the encrypted second data stream originating from a second content source residing in a second location that is geographically distinct from the first location, the second data stream comprising nominally identical content relative to the first data stream, the second data stream being conveyed over a second network path that is topologically distinct from the first network path, the second data stream being encrypted between the second content source and the headend;
• computing first hash values as a function of first data segments from the first data stream;
• computing second hash values as a function of second data segments from the second data stream following decryption of the second data stream;
• and
• combining the first data segments and the second data segments based at least in part on the first hash values and the second hash values to generate a single, uninterrupted output data stream having a reduced likelihood of at least one of overlapping, missing and corrupt data segments.

An apparatus, located in a headend of a content-based network, for providing seamless redundancy in an output data stream, the apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving a first unencrypted data stream originating from a first content source residing in a first location, the first data stream being conveyed over a first network path;
• means for receiving and decrypting at least an encrypted second data stream originating from a second content source residing in a second location that is geographically distinct from the first location, the second data stream comprising nominally identical content relative to the first data stream, the second data stream being conveyed over a second network path that is topologically distinct from the first network path, the second data stream being encrypted between the second content source and the headend;
• means for computing first hash values as a function of first data segments from the first data stream;
• means for computing second hash values as a function of second data segments from the second data stream following decryption of the second data stream;
• and
• means for combining first data segments from the first data segments and the second data segments based at least in part on the first hash values and the second hash values to generate a single, uninterrupted output data stream having a reduced likelihood of at least one of overlapping, missing and corrupt data segments;
• wherein the apparatus is configured to simultaneously receive at least a portion of the first data stream and at least a portion of the second data stream.