Multicast overlay network for delivery of real-time video

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11716368-B2
Application number	US-202117201483-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2021
Priority date	Dec 30, 2016
Publication date	Aug 1, 2023
Grant date	Aug 1, 2023

Abstract

A method of multicasting real-time video is described. The method begins by establishing a multicast network of machines capable of ingress, forwarding and broadcasting traffic, together with a mapping infrastructure. The multicast network preferably comprises a portion of an overlay network, such as a content delivery network (CDN). A video stream is published to the multicast network by (a) using the mapping infrastructure to find an ingress node in the multicast network, and then receiving the video stream from a publisher at the ingress node. One or more subscribers then subscribe to the video stream. In particular, and for subscriber, this subscription is carried out by (a) using the mapping infrastructure to find an egress node for the requesting client, and then delivering the video stream to the subscriber from the egress node. Preferably, the publisher and each subscriber use WebRTC to publish or consume the video stream, and video stream is consumed in a videoconference.

First claim

What is claimed follows below:

1. A method of simulated Internet-wide multicasting over a first network of machines providing ingress and broadcast, the first network associated with an overlay network, the method comprising:
receiving a data stream at an ingress node of the first network, the ingress node having been identified as having sufficient bandwidth and processing capability, and by being in network proximity to a publisher of the data stream;
identifying an egress node of the first network that either is co-located in an access network in which one or more client machines are located or otherwise advertises an anycast address for the stream, the egress node being distinct from the ingress node; and
delivering from the egress node, via multicast, the data stream to the one or more client machines.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the data stream is a video stream.

3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the first network is part of the overlay network.

4. The method as described in claim 3 wherein the overlay network is a content delivery network (CDN).

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein each client machine in the maintains a Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) connection or Unigram Data Protocol (UDP) session with the egress node.

6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the one or more client machines participate in a collaboration session with respect to the data stream.

7. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the data stream is delivered via the overlay network from the ingress node to the egress node.

8. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the data stream is delivered via one of: UDP, and TCP.

Assignees

• Akamai Tech Inc

Inventors

• Gero Charles E
• Lohner Martin
• Mehta Abhijit C
• Williams Brandon O

Classifications

• H04L65/611 Primary

  for multicast or broadcast (systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06) · CPC title

• H04L65/403

  Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences (data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15) · CPC title

• H04L65/612

  for unicast · CPC title

• H04L67/1074 Primary

  for supporting data block transmission mechanisms (file transfer H04L67/06) · CPC title

• H04L65/65

  Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP] · CPC title