# US 12,003,560 B2 · Content delivery—setting the unicast rate > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,003,560 B2 - Document ID: US12003560B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/764,821 - Filed: 2020-08-19 - Published: 2022-10-27 - Granted: 2024-06-04 - Earliest claimed: 2019-09-30 - Assignees: British Telecommunications public limited company - Applicants: British Telecommunications Public Limited Company - Inventors: Rory Turnbull; Timothy Stevens; Stephen Appleby - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12003560B2 ## CPC - H04L 65/612: for unicast - H04L 65/80: Responding to QoS - H04L 1/0002: {by adapting the transmission rate} - H04L 65/611: for multicast or broadcast (systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06) - H04L 65/762: {at the source (reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355)} - H04N 21/23439: {for generating different versions} - H04N 21/6405: Multicasting {(data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18)} - H04N 21/6408: Unicasting - H04N 21/64322: {IP} - H04N 21/8456: {by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) - H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION ## Abstract Described is a method of managing a network for delivering content in a hybrid unicast/multicast network, where content is requested by clients over unicast, but all or some of the content is delivered in part over multicast. Typically, a client requests content (in the form of segments) via a first proxy. The segments are delivered to the first proxy over multicast from a second proxy, before onward transmission to the requesting client over unicast. The segments are also cached at the first proxy, and can be transmitted over unicast to other clients requesting those segments. However, problems can arise if cached segments are transmitted to clients too quickly. In one solution, the first proxy measures the multicast rate of delivery of segments from the second proxy over multicast, and limits the transmission rate of those segments over unicast to requesting clients to no greater than the measured multicast delivery rate. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of managing content delivery at a network element to a client device, wherein the content comprises a plurality of segments, said method comprising: i) receiving one or more segments over multicast at a first network element, and caching the one or more segments at the first network element; ii) determining a network bit rate at which the one or more segments is received; iii) receiving unicast requests for segments from a client device at the first network element; and iv) transmitting the requested segments from the first network element to the client device over unicast at a network transmission rate no greater than the determined network bit rate. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the determined network bit rate is a multicast network rate. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the received segments at the first network element are transmitted by a second network element. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) A method according to claim 3, wherein the first and second network elements are proxy servers. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A method according to claim 1, wherein the content is media content. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A method according to claim 5, wherein the media content comprises a video sequence. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising sending, from the first network element, consumption report data relating to requests that have been received by the first network element. ### Claim 8 A network element, including a processor, for managing content delivery to a client device, wherein the network element is adapted to: receive one or more segments over multicast; cache one or more received segments; determine a network bit rate at which the one or more segments is received; receive unicast requests for segments from a client device; and transmit the requested segments to the client device over unicast at a network transmission rate no greater than the determined network bit rate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The network element according to claim 8, wherein the determined network bit rate is a multicast network rate. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The network element according to claim 8, wherein the network element is a first proxy server and the received segments at the first proxy server are transmitted by a second proxy server. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The network element according to claim 8, wherein the content comprises a video sequence. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The network element according to claim 8, wherein the network element is further adapted to send consumption report data relating to requests that have been received by the network element.