Multicasting transmission of multimedia information

In a multicasting transmission system, wherein a multimedia content source includes a plurality N of multimedia contents, N is an integer, wherein a content switch is coupled to said multimedia content source, and wherein said content switch receives each said multimedia content as a primary multimedia stream transmitted at a primary high bit rate over a primary dedicated channel having a primary bandwidth, wherein said content switch further includes a bandwidth scaler configured to scale each said received primary primary_bit_rate multimedia stream into a plurality K of secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-streams, K being an integer, wherein a first secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a first low bit rate, wherein a second secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a second low bit rate, and wherein a K-th secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a K-th low bit rate, and wherein each said secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream is substantially synchronized to one said primary primary_bit_rate multimedia stream;

• a multimedia smart terminal configured to receive from said content switch over a network at least one multimedia content as a multimedia stream transmitted over a secondary channel having a secondary bandwidth, said multimedia smart terminal further comprises:
• a smart terminal sub-stream switch configured to switch between said plurality K of secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-streams in order to select a substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream having a substantially optimum low bit rate;
• wherein said substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream includes a substantially optimum relationship between an error rate level determined at the time of reception of said substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream and the quality of reception of a multimedia content supported by said substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream.

In a video multicasting transmission system, wherein a video content source includes a plurality N of video contents, N is an integer, wherein a content switch is coupled to said video content source, and wherein said content switch receives each said video content as a primary video stream transmitted at a primary high bit rate over a primary dedicated channel having a primary bandwidth, wherein said content switch further includes a bandwidth scaler configured to scale each said received primary primary_bit_rate video stream into a plurality K of secondary_bit_rate secondary video sub-streams, K being an integer, wherein a first secondary_bit_rate secondary video sub-stream has a first low bit rate, wherein a second secondary_bit_rate secondary video sub-stream has a second low bit rate, and wherein a K-th secondary_bit_rate secondary video sub-stream has a K-th low bit rate, and wherein each said secondary_bit_rate secondary video sub-stream is substantially synchronized to one said primary primary_bit_rate video stream;

• a video smart terminal configured to receive from said content switch over a network at least one video content as a secondary video stream transmitted over a secondary channel having a secondary bandwidth, said video smart terminal further comprises:
• a video smart terminal sub-stream switch configured to switch between said plurality K of secondary_bit_rate secondary video sub-streams in order to select a substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary video sub-stream having a substantially optimum low bit rate;
• wherein said substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary video sub-stream includes a substantially optimum relationship between an error rate level determined at the time of reception of said substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary video sub-stream and the quality of reception of a video content transmitted by said substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary video sub-stream.

A method of multicasting reception of multimedia information, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a plurality N of multimedia contents provided by a multimedia content source by using a content switch coupled to said multimedia content source, wherein each said multimedia content is received as a primary multimedia stream transmitted at a primary bit rate over a primary dedicated channel having a primary bandwidth;
• N being an integer;
• transmitting over a network each said multimedia content by using said content switch;
• wherein each said multimedia content is transmitted as a multimedia stream over a secondary channel having a secondary bandwidth;
• wherein said content switch further includes a bandwidth scaler;
• and wherein said step of transmitting over said network each said multimedia content further includes the step of:
• scaling each said primary primary bit rate multimedia stream transmitted at one said primary high bit rate over one said primary dedicated channel having one said primary bandwidth to a plurality K of secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-streams, K being an integer, wherein a first secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a first low bit rate, wherein a second secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a second low bit rate, and wherein a K-th secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a K-th low bit rate;
• and
• receiving over said network each said multimedia content as a multimedia stream transmitted over a secondary channel having a secondary bandwidth by at least one multimedia smart terminal;
• wherein at least one said multimedia smart terminal further includes a smart terminal sub-stream switch;
• and wherein said step of receiving over said network each said multimedia content by using said smart terminal sub-stream switch further includes the step of;
• switching between said plurality K of secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-streams in order to select a substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream having a substantially optimum low bit rate;
• wherein said substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream includes a substantially optimum relationship between an error rate level determined at the time of reception of said substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream and the quality of reception of a multimedia content supported by said substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream.

A method of multicasting reception of multimedia information, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a plurality N of multimedia contents provided by a multimedia content source by using a content switch coupled to said multimedia content source, wherein each said multimedia content is received as a primary multimedia stream transmitted at a primary bit rate over a primary dedicated channel having a primary bandwidth;
• N being an integer;
• transmitting over a network each said multimedia content by using said content switch;
• wherein each said multimedia content is transmitted as a multimedia stream over a secondary channel having a secondary bandwidth;
• wherein said content switch further includes a bandwidth scaler;
• and wherein said step of transmitting over said network each said multimedia content further includes the step of:
• scaling each said primary primary bit rate multimedia stream transmitted at one said primary high bit rate over one said primary dedicated channel having one said primary bandwidth to a plurality K of secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-streams, K being an integer, wherein a first secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a first low bit rate, wherein a second secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a second low bit rate, and wherein a K-th secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a K-th low bit rate;
• and
• receiving over said network each said multimedia content as a multimedia stream transmitted over a secondary channel having a secondary bandwidth by at least one multimedia smart terminal;
• wherein at least one said multimedia smart terminal further includes a synchronous smart terminal sub-stream switch;
• and wherein said step of receiving over said network each said multimedia content further includes the steps of:
• (A) switching between said plurality K of secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-streams in order to select a substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream having a substantially optimum low bit rate;
• and
• (B) substantially synchronizing the timing of said step (A) to the timing of a set of synchronizing data transmitted by said secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia stream.

A method of multicasting reception of multimedia information, said method comprising the steps of:

• receiving a plurality N of multimedia contents provided by a multimedia content source by using a content switch coupled to said multimedia content source, wherein each said multimedia content is received as a primary multimedia stream transmitted at a primary bit rate over a primary dedicated channel having a primary bandwidth;
• N being an integer;
• transmitting over a network each said multimedia content by using said content switch;
• wherein each said multimedia content is transmitted as a multimedia stream over a secondary channel having a secondary bandwidth;
• wherein said content switch further includes a bandwidth scaler;
• and wherein said step of transmitting over said network each said multimedia content further includes the step of:
• scaling each said primary primary bit rate multimedia stream transmitted at one said primary high bit rate over one said primary dedicated channel having one said primary bandwidth to a plurality K of secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-streams, K being an integer, wherein a first secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a first low bit rate, wherein a second secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a second low bit rate, and wherein a K-th secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a K-th low bit rate;
• and
• receiving over said network each said multimedia content as a multimedia stream transmitted over a secondary channel having a secondary bandwidth by at least one multimedia smart terminal;
• wherein at least one said multimedia smart terminal further includes a synchronous smart terminal sub-stream switch further comprising a dynamically loaded database including a look-up table comprising said N multimedia content entries;
• wherein for each said content entry n, wherein n is an integer less or equal to N, said look-up table further includes a k number of secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-streams;
• wherein k is an integer less or equal to K;
• and wherein for each said secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream said look-up table further includes a lower_error_rate threshold, a higher_error_rate threshold, and a set of synchronizing data;
• and wherein said step of receiving over said network each said multimedia content further includes the steps of:
• (A) switching among a plurality of k available secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-streams in order to select for each said multimedia content a substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream based on said look-up table;
• and
• (B) substantially synchronizing the timing of a transition between a preceding_optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream and a subsequent_optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream to the timing of a set of synchronizing data provided by said look-up table in order to substantially minimize the loss of data during said transition.

In a multicasting transmission system, wherein a multimedia content source includes a plurality N of multimedia contents, N is an integer, wherein a content switch is coupled to said multimedia content source, and wherein said content switch receives each said multimedia content as a primary multimedia stream transmitted at a primary bit rate over a primary dedicated channel having a primary bandwidth;

• wherein said content switch further includes a bandwidth scaler configured to scale each said primary primary_bit_rate multimedia stream transmitted at one said primary high bit rate over one said primary dedicated channel having one said primary bandwidth into a plurality K of secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-streams, K being an integer, wherein a first secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a first low bit rate, wherein a second secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a second low bit rate, and wherein a K-th secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a K-th low bit rate, and wherein each said secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream is substantially synchronized to a set of synchronizing data;
• said multimedia smart terminal further including smart terminal sub-stream switch;
• a method of receiving from said content switch over a network at least one multimedia content as a multimedia stream transmitted over a secondary channel having a secondary bandwidth using a receiving multimedia smart terminal further comprising a receiving device and a smart terminal content switch;
• said method comprising the steps of:
• receiving said plurality N of multimedia contents from said content switch over said network using said receiving device;
• switching between said plurality N of available multimedia contents using said smart terminal content switch;
• and
• switching between said plurality K of secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-streams in order to select a substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream having a substantially optimum low bit rate.

A multicasting system for wireless reception of multimedia information, said system comprising:

• a content switch coupled to a multimedia content source;
• wherein said multimedia content source includes a plurality N of multimedia contents, N being an integer, and wherein said content switch receives each said multimedia content over a first wireless network as a primary multimedia stream transmitted at a primary bit rate over a primary dedicated channel having a primary bandwidth;
• and
• at least one multimedia smart terminal, each said multimedia smart terminal configured to receive from said content switch over a wireless network each said multimedia content as a multimedia stream transmitted over a secondary channel having a secondary bandwidth;
• wherein said content switch further includes:
• a bandwidth scaler configured to scale each said primary primary_bit_rate multimedia stream transmitted at one said primary high bit rate over one said primary dedicated channel having one said primary bandwidth to a plurality K of secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-streams, K being an integer, wherein a first secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a first low bit rate, wherein a second secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a second low bit rate, and wherein a K-th secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a K-th low bit rate, and wherein each said secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream is substantially synchronized to one said primary primary_bit_rate multimedia stream;
• and wherein at least one said multimedia smart terminal further includes:
• a smart terminal sub-stream switch configured to switch between said plurality K of secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-streams in order to substantially minimize an error rate level determined at the time of reception of each said secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream.

A multicasting system for reception of real-time multimedia information, said system comprising:

• a content switch coupled to a multimedia content source;
• wherein said multimedia content source includes a plurality N of multimedia contents, N being an integer, and wherein said content switch receives each said multimedia content as a primary multimedia stream transmitted at a primary bit rate over a primary dedicated channel having a primary bandwidth;
• and
• at least one multimedia smart terminal, each said multimedia smart terminal configured to receive from said content switch over a network each said multimedia content as a multimedia stream transmitted over a secondary channel having a secondary bandwidth;
• wherein said content switch further includes:
• a bandwidth scaler configured to scale each said primary primary_bit_rate multimedia stream transmitted at one said primary high bit rate over one said primary dedicated channel having one said primary bandwidth to a plurality K of secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-streams, K being an integer, wherein a first secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a first low bit rate, wherein a second secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a second low bit rate, and wherein a K-th secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a K-th low bit rate, and wherein each said secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream is substantially synchronized to one said primary primary_bit_rate multimedia stream;
• and wherein at least one said multimedia smart terminal further includes:
• a smart terminal sub-stream switch configured to switch between said plurality K of secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-streams in order to substantially minimize an error rate level determined at the time of reception of each said secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream.

A multicasting system for reception of multimedia information from a multimedia content source including a plurality N of multimedia contents, N being an integer;

• said system comprising:
• a content switch means for receiving each said multimedia content transmitted as a primary multimedia stream at a primary bit rate over a primary dedicated channel having a primary bandwidth;
• and
• at least one multimedia smart terminal means for receiving from said content switch over a network each said multimedia content as a multimedia stream transmitted over a secondary channel having a secondary bandwidth;
• wherein said content switch means further includes:
• a bandwidth scaling means for scaling each said primary primary bit rate multimedia stream transmitted at one said primary high bit rate over one said primary dedicated channel having one said primary bandwidth to a plurality K of secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-streams, K being an integer, wherein a first secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a first low bit rate, wherein a second secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a second low bit rate, and wherein a K-th secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-stream has a K-th low bit rate, and wherein said plurality K of secondary bit rate secondary multimedia sub-streams is substantially synchronized;
• wherein at least one said multimedia smart terminal means further includes:
• a smart terminal sub-stream switch means for switching between said plurality K of secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-streams in order to select a substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream having a substantially optimum low bit rate;
• wherein said substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream includes a substantially optimum relationship between an error rate level determined at the time of reception of said substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream and the quality of reception of a multimedia content supported by said substantially optimum secondary_bit_rate secondary multimedia sub-stream.