Network management, monitoring, and flow control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10057608-B2
Application number	US-201314058947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2013
Priority date	Oct 21, 2013
Publication date	Aug 21, 2018
Grant date	Aug 21, 2018

Abstract

A data analyzer engine receives feedback associated with delivery of content (such as streaming content) to multiple subscriber domains in a cable network environment. The data analyzer engine analyzes the feedback to identify attributes of current content consumption by playback devices operated in the subscriber domains. Based on the analyzed feedback, the data analyzer engine produces control information specifying data flow control rates in which the playback devices are assigned to retrieve content over a shared communication link in the cable network environment. Accordingly, data flow rates in a network environment (such as a subscriber domain) can be controlled to promote fairness and optimal use of available bandwidth amongst multiple playback devices sharing a respective communication link.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method comprising:
receiving feedback associated with consumption of content by multiple playback devices in a cable network environment;
analyzing the feedback associated with the consumption of content by the multiple playback devices; and
based on analysis of the feedback, producing control information specifying data flow control rates in which the multiple playback devices are assigned to retrieve content over a shared communication link in the cable network environment;
controlling retrieval of the content by the multiple playback devices via distribution of the control information to the multiple playback devices;
wherein producing the control information includes: producing first control information assigned to a first playback device of the multiple playback devices, the first control information indicating a flow rate at which the first playback device is assigned to retrieve data over the shared communication link; and producing second control information assigned to a second playback device of the multiple playback devices, the second control information indicating a flow rate at which the second playback device is assigned to retrieve data over the shared communication link; and
wherein distribution of the control information includes: communicating the first control information to the first playback device, the first playback device using the first control information to limit a rate of retrieving data over the shared communication link; and communicating the second control information to the second playback device, the second playback device using the second control information to limit a rate of retrieving data over the shared communication link.

2. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the playback devices reside within a particular subscriber domain of the cable network environment, the particular subscriber domain being one of multiple subscriber domains in the cable network environment; and
wherein the control information specifies allocation of portions of available bandwidth to the multiple playback devices.

3. The method as in claim 2 , wherein the data flow control rates specify maximum rates at which each of the playback devices in the particular subscriber domain are assigned to retrieve adaptive bit rate encoded content transmitted over the shared communication link.

4. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the first playback device of the multiple playback devices resides within a first subscriber domain of the cable network environment;
wherein the second playback device of the multiple playback devices resides within a second subscriber domain of the cable network environment; and
wherein the control information specifies an allocation of a portion of available bandwidth to the first playback device and a portion of available bandwidth to the second playback device.

5. The method as in claim 4 , wherein the first control information indicates a first maximum rate at which the first playback device is assigned to retrieve adaptive bit rate encoded content over the shared communication link; and
wherein the second control information indicates a second maximum rate at which the second playback device is assigned to retrieve adaptive bit rate encoded content over the shared communication link.

6. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the feedback includes status information specifying, for each of multiple subscriber domains in the cable network environment, usage of available bandwidth in the shared communication link; and
wherein the available bandwidth is allocated for delivery of content made available by a cable network service provider, services of which the multiple subscriber domains subscribe.

7. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the feedback indicates attributes of the playback devices, the method further comprising:
assigning the data flow control rates to the playback devices based on a type associated with each playback device.

8. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
receiving the first control information at the first playback device, the first playback device present in a respective subscriber domain of the cable network environment; and
at the first playback device, utilizing the first control information to control a data rate of retrieving content over the shared communication link.

9. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the feedback indicates different content currently transmitted over the shared communication link and consumed by the multiple playback devices, the method further comprising:
producing the data flow control information based at least in part on types of content consumed by the multiple playback devices.

10. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
receiving the control information at a distribution resource disposed in a particular subscriber domain in the cable network environment, the distribution resource facilitating distribution of content received over the shared communication link to a set of one or more playback devices in the particular subscriber domain; and
in the distribution resource, utilizing the control information to control a rate of data conveyed to each of the one or more playback devices in the set.

11. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the data flow control rates specify maximum rates at which the playback devices in different subscriber domains of the cable network environment are assigned to retrieve adaptive bit rate encoded content transmitted over the shared communication link.

12. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:
receiving the feedback as substantially real-time feedback from resources in the cable network environment facilitating delivery of the content to the playback devices.

13. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the feedback includes status information specifying, for each of multiple subscriber domains in the cable network environment, usage of available bandwidth in the shared communication link; and
wherein the available bandwidth is allocated for delivery of content made available by a cable network service provider, services of which the multiple subscriber domains subscribe.

14. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the feedback indicates identities of users operating the multiple playback devices; and
the method further comprising: producing the control information based at least in part on the identities of users operating the multiple playback devices.

15. The method as in claim 1 , wherein the feedback indicates the consumption of the content by the multiple playback devices, the feedback further indicating attributes of the multiple playback devices.

16. The method as in claim 15 , wherein the feedback indicates that the first playback device of the multiple playback devices has a first sized display screen; and
wherein the feedback indicates that the second playback device of the multiple playback devices has a second sized display screen, the second sized display screen larger than the first sized display screen.

17. The method as in claim 16 , wherein the first playback device of the multiple playback devices is operated in a first subscriber domain of the cable network environment;
wherein the second playback device of the multiple playback devices is operated in the first subscriber domain of the cable network environment.

18. The method as in claim 17 , wherein the data flow control rates specify maximum rates at which each of the multiple playback devices is assigned to retrieve adaptive bit rate encoded content transmitted over the shared communication link.

19. Th

Assignees

• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Wolf Ethan
• Vanderborgh Craig

Classifications

• H04N21/44222

  Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programmes or purchase activity (monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33) · CPC title

• H04N21/6118

  involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem · CPC title

• H04N21/266

  Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel · CPC title

• H04N21/6582

  Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number (arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38) · CPC title

• H04N21/2385 Primary

  Channel allocation (H04N21/266 takes precedence); Bandwidth allocation (H04N21/24 takes precedence {; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16}) · CPC title