Systems & methods for allocating bandwidth in switched digital video systems based on interest
OwnerMichael Cranerinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for allocating bandwidth in a switched digital video (SDV) system based on channel interest. In some embodiments, bandwidth is deallocated from channels and allocated to requested channels having a higher interest. Tiered approaches for allocating bandwidth are disclosed. Embodiments in which QAMs are allocated across services in a multi-service system based on interest are also disclosed. Embodiments for accommodating emergency access system (EAS) functionality in a SDV system are also disclosed.
Claims86
A method for allocating bandwidth to channels in a switched digital video (SDV) system based on channel interest, comprising:
- determining the interest in a channel requested by an SDV client in the SDV system, wherein the interest is a function of requests for the channel from a plurality of SDV clients;
- determining whether the interest for the requested channel meets an interest threshold;
- and
- in response to determining that interest for the requested channel meets the interest threshold, allocating bandwidth to the requested channel and making the requested channel available for access by the requesting SDV client.
A method for providing alternative actions to a user of a switched digital video (SDV) client when a requested channel is denied, comprising:
- transmitting a request for an unallocated SDV channel to a switched digital video session manager;
- receiving a message from the SDV session manager denying the request;
- and
- in response to the message, informing the user that the channel is not allocated and allowing the user to wait for the channel to be allocated, providing the user with access to the requested channel as a pay-per-view channel, or providing the user with access to the requested channel as a video-on-demand (VOD) service.
A method for providing users of a switched digital video (SDV) client with notifications of reallocated channels comprising:
- detecting that bandwidth for a currently tuned channel has been deallocated from the SDV system;
- and
- subsequently notifying the user when bandwidth has been reallocated for the channel.
A method for allocating QAMs in a mixed service system as a function of interest, comprising:
- determining whether interest for a switched digital video (SDV) channel exceeds interest for a video-on-demand (VOD) channel;
- and
- allocating a QAM to the SDV channel or the VOD channel based on which of the two has higher interest.
A method for allocating QAMs in a mixed service system as a function of potential revenue from a channel, comprising:
- determining whether potential revenue derived from expected future use of a switched digital video (SDV) channel would exceed potential revenue derived from expected future use of a video-on-demand (VOD) channel;
- and
- allocating a QAM to the SDV channel or the VOD channel based on which of the two has higher potential revenue based on expected future use.
A method for assigning channels in a switched digital video (SDV) service to tiers, comprising:
- assigning channels of an SDV service to a plurality of tiers, wherein each tier of the plurality of tiers is associated with an observed or expected interest or revenue stream;
- and
- reserving QAMs within the SDV channel for each tier, wherein tiers having higher observed or expected interest or revenue streams are allocated more QAMs than tiers having lesser observed or expected interest or revenue streams.
A method for accommodating bandwidth constraints in a switched digital video (SDV) system comprising:
- receiving a request for a channel;
- determining whether sufficient bandwidth exists to allow the requested channel to be switched into the system;
- in response to determining insufficient bandwidth exists to switch the requested channel into the system, degrading the quality of a channel to allow the requested channel to be switched into the SDV system;
- and
- switching the requested channel into the SDV system.
A method for addressing program overruns in a switched digital video (SDV) system, comprising:
- detecting a program overrun on a first channel currently allocated bandwidth in the SDV system;
- determining whether the interest for the program overrun exceeds interest for a regularly scheduled program;
- in response to determining that the interest for the program overrun exceeds the interest for the regularly scheduled program, allocating bandwidth for a second channel in the SDV system to accommodate the program overrun.
A method for handling emergency access service (EAS) events in a switched digital video (SDV) system comprising:
- persistently transmitting tuning information for an EAS channel in a carousel data feed to SDV clients;
- and
- in response to an EAS event, switching clients to the EAS channel according to the tuning information.
A switched digital video (SDV) system for allocating bandwidth to channels based on channel interest, comprising:
- an edge device;
- a switched-services session manager comprising a channel-interest manager, wherein the channel interest manager is configured to:
- determine the interest in a channel in the SDV system wherein the interest is a function of requests for the channel from a plurality of SDV clients;
- and
- determine whether the interest for the requested channel meets an interest threshold;
- and
- an edge resource manager configured to, in response to the channel-interest manager determining that interest for the requested channel meets the interest threshold, direct the edge device to allocate bandwidth to the requested channel, making the requested channel available for access by the requesting SDV client.
A switched digital video (SDV) system client for providing alternative actions to a user when a requested channel is denied, comprising:
- communications circuitry;
- and
- control circuitry configured to:
- direct the communications circuitry to transmit a request for an unallocated SDV channel to a switched digital video session manager;
- and
- in response to the communications circuitry receiving a message from the SDV session manager denying the request, informing the user that the channel is not allocated and allowing the user to wait for the channel to be allocated, providing the user with access to the requested channel as a pay-per-view channel, or providing the user with access to the requested channel as a video-on-demand (VOD) service.
A switched digital video (SDV) system client for providing users with notifications of reallocated channels comprising control circuitry configured to:
- detect that bandwidth for a currently tuned channel has been deallocated from the SDV system;
- and
- subsequently notifying the user when bandwidth has been reallocated for the channel.
A switched digital video (SDV) system for allocating QAMs in a mixed service system as a function of interest, comprising:
- an edge resource manager;
- and
- a channel-interest manager configured to:
- determine whether interest for a SDV channel exceeds interest for a video-on-demand (VOD) channel;
- and
- direct the edge resource manager to allocate a QAM to the SDV channel or the VOD channel based on which of the two has higher interest.
A switched digital video (SDV) system for allocating QAMs in a mixed service system as a function of potential revenue, comprising:
- an edge resource manager;
- and
- a revenue manager configured to:
- determine whether potential revenue derived from expected future use of a SDV channel would exceed potential revenue derived from expected future use of a video-on-demand (VOD) channel;
- and
- direct the edge resource manager to allocate a QAM to the SDV channel or the VOD channel based on which of the two has higher potential revenue based on expected future use.
A switched digital video (SDV) system for assigning channels in a SDV service to tiers, comprising a switched services session manager configured to:
- assign channels of an SDV service to a plurality of tiers, wherein each tier of the plurality of tiers is associated with an observed or expected interest or revenue stream;
- and
- reserve QAMs within the SDV channel for each tier, wherein tiers having higher observed or expected interest or revenue streams are allocated more QAMs than tiers having lesser observed or expected interest or revenue streams.
A switched digital video (SDV) system for accommodating bandwidth constraints, comprising:
- an edge resource manager;
- and
- a channel-interest manager configured to:
- determine whether sufficient bandwidth exists to allow a requested channel to be switched into the system;
- in response to determining insufficient bandwidth exists to switch the requested channel into the system, direct the edge resource manager to switch a channel with degraded quality into the system to allow the requested channel to be switched into the SDV system.
A switched digital video (SDV) system for addressing program overruns, comprising:
- an edge resource manager;
- and
- a channel-interest manager configured to:
- detect a program overrun on a first channel currently allocated bandwidth in the SDV system;
- determine whether the interest for the program overrun exceeds interest for a regularly scheduled program;
- and
- in response to determining that the interest for the program overrun exceeds the interest for the regularly scheduled program, direct the edge resource manager to allocate bandwidth for a second channel in the SDV system to accommodate the program overrun.
A switched digital system for handling emergency access service (EAS) events, comprising:
- an edge resource manager;
- and
- a channel-interest manager configured to:
- persistently transmit tuning information for an EAS channel in a carousel data feed to SDV clients;
- and
- in response to an EAS event, switch the clients to the EAS channel according to the tuning information.
A method for allocating bandwidth to channels in a switched digital video (SDV) system based on channel interest, comprising:
- determining the interest in a channel in an SDV system, wherein the interest is a function of a plurality of SDV client requests for that channel;
- determining whether interest for the requested channel meets an interest threshold;
- and
- in response to determining that interest for the requested channel meets the interest threshold, allocating bandwidth to the requested channel and making the requested channel available for access by the requesting SDV client.
A system for allocating bandwidth to channels in a switched digital video (SDV) system based on channel interest, comprising:
- an edge resource manager;
- and
- a channel interest manager configured to:
- determine the interest in a channel in an SDV system, wherein the interest is a function of a plurality of SDV client requests for that channel;
- determine whether interest for the requested channel meets an interest threshold;
- and
- in response to determining that interest for the requested channel meets the interest threshold, direct the edge resource manager to allocate bandwidth to the requested channel and making the requested channel available for access by the requesting SDV client.
81-120. (canceled)
A method for providing a start-over feature that allows a user to watch a program from the beginning even through the user has tuned to the channel for the program after the program has begun, comprising:
- caching a copy of the program on a video server;
- providing an option to the user to watch the program after it has already begun at a rate that is faster than the real time rate of the program so that it will fit into a duration that is less than the originally scheduled duration for the program;
- determining the time remaining for the program;
- and
- in response to the user selecting the option, streaming the program to the user from its beginning at a rate that is faster than the real time rate of the program so that the viewing time of the stream is substantially the time remaining in the originally scheduled timeslot for the program.
A system for providing a start-over feature that allows a user to watch a program from the beginning even through the user has tuned to the channel for the program after the program has begun, comprising:
- a client application, implemented on the user's set-top box, configured to provide an option to the user to watch the program after it has already begun at a rate that is faster than the real time rate of the program so that it will fit into a duration that is less than the originally scheduled duration for the program;
- and
- a video server configured to:
- cache the program;
- and
- in response to the user selecting the option, streaming the program to the user from its beginning at a rate that is faster than the real time rate of the program so that the viewing time of the stream is substantially the time remaining in the originally scheduled timeslot for the program.
125-126. (canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.