Selective distribution of cell based video streams over packet based networks

An edge router, comprising:

• an interface configured to receive, from a cell based network, video data associated with a virtual circuit, the video data transmitted over a cell-based network and comprising a video stream, wherein the virtual circuit is one of a plurality of virtual circuits of the cell based network, each virtual circuit associated with a different video stream;
• a processor configured to identify a virtual local area network of the packet based network on which to forward the received video data by mapping the virtual circuit associated with the video data to a virtual local area network associated with the packet based network, and
• identify label information associated with one or more label switched paths of the packet based network, for the purpose of forwarding the video data associated with the virtual circuit, by mapping the virtual local area network and/or the virtual circuit to the label information,
• wherein the virtual local area network is associated with a subset of nodes in the packet based network, and wherein the virtual circuit is mapped to the virtual local area network, and the virtual local area network and/or virtual circuit are mapped to the label information, using a table identifying related virtual circuits, virtual local area networks, and label information, and the virtual local area network is associated with the subset of nodes in the packet based network using the table, wherein the label information is used by nodes in the packet based network to forward the video data to the subset of nodes in the packet based network.

An apparatus for transmitting video data, the apparatus comprising:

• means for receiving, from a cell based network, video data associated with a virtual circuit, the video data transmitted over a cell-based network and comprising a video stream, wherein the virtual circuit is one of a plurality of virtual circuits of the cell based network, each virtual circuit associated with a different video stream;
• means for identifying a virtual local area network of a packet based network on which to forward the received video data by mapping the virtual circuit associated with the video data to a virtual local area network associated with the packet based network, wherein the virtual local area network is associated with a subset of nodes of the packet based network, the subset of nodes comprising a plurality of nodes;
• means for identifying label information associated with one or more label switched paths of the packet based network, for the purpose of forwarding the video data associated with the virtual circuit to the subset of nodes, by mapping the virtual local area network and/or the virtual circuit to the label information, wherein the virtual circuit is mapped to the virtual local area network, and the virtual local area network and/or the virtual circuit are mapped to the label information, using a table identifying related virtual circuits, virtual local area networks, and label information;
• means for associating the virtual local area network with the corresponding label information relating to the packet based network using the table, wherein the label information is used by nodes in the packet based network to forward the video data to the subset of nodes in the packet based network.