Apparatus and methods for utilizing variable rate program streams in a network

Network apparatus for use in a content distribution network configured to provide one or more program streams having at least primary and secondary data therein to one or more consumer premises equipment (CPE) associated with one or more users in said network, said apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• a storage device in data communication with said processor;
• a network interface in operative communication with said processor, said interface configured to receive one or more first constant bitrate streams, said first constant bitrate streams comprising a first variable amount of said primary data and a second variable amount of null data;
• and
• a computer program operative to run on said network apparatus, said computer program configured to:
• remove at least a portion of said null data from said one or more first constant bitrate streams to produce one or more second variable bitrate program streams;
• selectively insert a third variable amount of said secondary data into said one or more second variable bitrate streams, said amount inserted comprising an amount necessary to generate one or more third constant bitrate streams;
• and
• transmit said one or more third constant bitrate streams to said one or more CPE associated with at least one of said plurality of users;
• wherein at least one of said removal or selective insertion is performed in response to said at least one user selecting said secondary data for download at said CPE.

A method for transmission of content to a plurality of client devices in a content distribution network, said method comprising:

• receiving information identifying at a future time during which an amount of contiguous bandwidth will be available within one or more variable rate program streams;
• identifying secondary data for insertion into said one or more of said variable rate program streams;
• at said future time, inserting said secondary data into said one or more of said variable rate program streams to produce one or more constant bitrate streams;
• and
• transmitting said one or more constant bitrate streams to said plurality of client devices;
• wherein said secondary data comprises time-sensitive content and non-time sensitive content, and said act of inserting comprises:
• determining at least in part that a temporal requirement associated with said time sensitive secondary content can be met, and inserting said time sensitive content;
• or
• determining that said temporal requirement cannot be met, and inserting non-time sensitive secondary data;
• and
• wherein an amount of said secondary content for insertion is based at least in part on a calculation of a difference between rates of said one or more variable rate program streams and a maximum rate for said network.

A non-transitory computer readable medium for use in a content distribution network, said network being configured to carry a plurality of data streams, said computer readable medium comprising a plurality of instructions configured to, when executed:

• receive a message from a first entity of said distribution network, said message comprising descriptive data of one or more of said plurality of data streams;
• receive a first one of said plurality of data streams comprising variable rate data and non-content data;
• remove at least a portion of said non-content data from said first one of said plurality of data streams;
• identify secondary data for combination with said variable rate data;
• combine said secondary data with said variable rate data based at least in part on said descriptive data to create a second data stream;
• and
• deliver said second data stream to one or more client devices in said network;
• wherein said secondary content comprises time-sensitive data, and said descriptive data comprises data received in advance of said first one of said plurality of data streams and that enables said network to determine in advance of said combination of said time-sensitive data with said variable rate data that a temporal-related requirement associated with said time-sensitive data can be accommodated.