Methods and systems for providing video on demand over a communication network using managed quality of service, bandwidth allocation and/or user profiles

A method for providing a video on demand service to a user from an Application Service Provider (“ASP”) over a Regional/Access Network (“RAN”) that provides end-to-end transport between the ASP and an access associated with a user, the method comprising:

• forwarding a generic VoD default profile to the RAN that specifies generic VoD default policies for the video on demand service;
• receiving a request for a video on demand application flow from the user;
• determining if the requested video on demand application flow can be supported under the policies of the generic VoD default profile;
• and
• providing the video on demand application flow to the RAN for transmission to the user.

A method of providing video on demand using Quality of Service (“QoS”) in a Regional/Access Network (“RAN”) that provides end-to-end transport between an Application Service Provider (“ASP”) and an access associated with a user, the method comprising:

• receiving a request for a video on demand application flow from the user;
• requesting from the RAN a desired QoS and/or a maximum downstream data rate for a video on demand session that will deliver the requested video on demand application flow;
• and
• activating the video on demand application flow using the desired QoS and/or maximum downstream data rate.

A method for a Regional/Access Network (“RAN”) to forward a video on demand application flow from an Application Service Provider (“ASP”) to a user, the method comprising:

• determining at the RAN at least one capability of one or more items of an access associated with the user;
• providing information regarding the at least one capability of the one or more items of access associated with the user from the RAN to the ASP;
• receiving at the RAN a profile for the user forwarded from the ASP that specifies at least one policy regarding transmission of the video on demand application flow over the RAN responsive to providing information regarding the at least one capability of the one or more items of the access associated with the user to the ASP;
• and
• forwarding the video on demand application flow from the ASP to the user based on the received profile.

A system for use by an Application Service Provider (“ASP”) to provide a video on demand service to a user over a communication network, the comprising:

• means for receiving a request for a video on demand application flow from the user;
• means for obtaining information from the communication network regarding the capabilities of an access associated with the user;
• means for forwarding a profile for the user to the communication network in response to obtaining the information regarding the capabilities of the access associated with the user, wherein the forwarded profile specifies at least one policy regarding transmission of the video on demand application flow over the communication network;
• and
• means for providing the video on demand application flow to the communication network for transmission to the user based on the forwarded profile,
• wherein the forwarding of the profile for the user to the communication network is done in conjunction with obtaining information from the communication network regarding at least one capability of the access associated with the user.

A system for providing a video on demand service to a user from an Application Service Provider (“ASP”) over a Regional/Access Network (“RAN”), comprising:

• means for forwarding a generic VoD default profile to the RAN that specifies generic VoD default policies for the video on demand service;
• means for receiving a request for a video on demand application flow from the user;
• means for determining if the requested video on demand application flow can be supported under the policies of the generic VoD default profile;
• and
• means for providing the video on demand application flow to the RAN for transmission to the user.