Apparatus, method and computer program product for error correction in variably reliable and/or hierarchical networks

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9621934-B2
Application number	US-201414463810-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 20, 2014
Priority date	Jan 10, 2011
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A file is multicast from an error-correcting multicast apparatus to a plurality of endpoints forming a first multicast group, over a network segmented into at least second and third multicast groups. The second and third multicast groups are subsets of the first multicast group. Given ones of the endpoints are assigned to the second and third multicast groups based on likelihood of experiencing similar errors. At the error-correcting multicast apparatus, over the network, a retransmission request is obtained from a first one of the endpoints, based on at least one of loss and corruption of a portion of the file during the multicasting of the file to the first one of the endpoints. The portion of the file is retransmitted, via multicasting, over the network, to one of the second and third multicast groups.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising the steps of:
multicasting a file from an error-correcting multicast apparatus to a plurality of endpoints comprising a first multicast group, over a network segmented into at least second and third multicast groups, said second and third multicast groups being subsets of said first multicast group, given ones of said endpoints being assigned to said second and third multicast groups based on likelihood of experiencing similar errors;
obtaining, at said error-correcting multicast apparatus, over said network, a retransmission request from a first one of said endpoints, based on at least one of loss and corruption of a portion of said file during said multicasting of said file to said first one of said endpoints; and
retransmitting said portion of said file, via multicasting, over said network, to one of said second and third multicast groups.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said retransmitting comprises retransmitting to one of said second and third multicast groups which includes said first one of said endpoints but not to another of said second and third multicast groups which does not include said first one of said endpoints.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein said network comprises a content distribution network, such that:
said multicasting of said file comprises multicasting said file over said content distribution network;
said obtaining of said retransmission request comprises obtaining said retransmission request over said content distribution network; and
said retransmitting of said portion of said file comprises retransmitting said portion of said file over said content distribution network.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said content distribution network comprises a hybrid fiber-coaxial network, such that:
said multicasting of said file comprises multicasting said file over said hybrid fiber-coaxial network;
said obtaining of said retransmission request comprises obtaining said retransmission request over said hybrid fiber-coaxial network; and
said retransmitting of said portion of said file comprises retransmitting said portion of said file over said hybrid fiber-coaxial network.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:
assigning a first subset of said endpoints to said second multicast group based on service by a first local service node; and
assigning a second subset of said endpoints to said third multicast group based on service by a second local service node.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said network is further segmented into at least fourth and fifth multicast groups, said fourth and fifth multicast groups being subsets of said first multicast group, said second and third multicast groups being subsets of said fourth multicast group, given ones of said endpoints being assigned to said fourth and fifth multicast groups based on likelihood of experiencing similar errors, further comprising the additional steps of:
assigning a third subset of said endpoints to said fourth multicast group based on service by a first fiber node;
assigning a fourth subset of said endpoints to said fifth multicast group based on service by a second fiber node;
obtaining, at said error-correcting multicast apparatus, over said network, a retransmission request from a second one of said endpoints, based on at least one of loss and corruption of a portion of said file during said multicasting of said file to said second one of said endpoints; and
retransmitting said portion of said file, via multicasting, over said network, to one of said fourth and fifth multicast groups which includes said second one of said endpoints but not to another of said fourth and fifth multicast groups which does not include said second one of said endpoints.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein said network is further segmented into at least sixth and seventh multicast groups, said sixth and seventh multicast groups being subsets of said first multicast group, said fourth and fifth multicast groups being subsets of said sixth multicast group, given ones of said endpoints being assigned to said sixth and seventh multicast groups based on likelihood of experiencing similar errors, further comprising the additional steps of:
assigning a fifth subset of said endpoints to said sixth multicast group based on service by a first cable modem termination system;
assigning a sixth subset of said endpoints to said seventh multicast group based on service by a second cable modem termination system;
obtaining, at said error-correcting multicast apparatus, over said network, a retransmission request from a third one of said endpoints, based on at least one of loss and corruption of a portion of said file during said multicasting of said file to said third one of said endpoints; and
retransmitting said portion of said file, via multicasting, over said network, to one of said sixth and seventh multicast groups which includes said third one of said endpoints but not to another of said sixth and seventh multicast groups which does not include said third one of said endpoints.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein said network is further segmented into at least eighth and ninth multicast groups, said eighth and ninth multicast groups being subsets of said first multicast group, said sixth and seventh multicast groups being subsets of said eighth multicast group, given ones of said endpoints being assigned to said eighth and ninth multicast groups based on likelihood of experiencing similar errors, further comprising the additional steps of:
assigning a seventh subset of said endpoints to said eighth multicast group based on service by a first head end;
assigning an eighth subset of said endpoints to said ninth multicast group based on service by a second head end;
obtaining, at said error-correcting multicast apparatus, over said network, a retransmission request from a fourth one of said endpoints, based on at least one of loss and corruption of a portion of said file during said multicasting of said file to said fourth one of said endpoints; and
retransmitting said portion of said file, via multicasting, over said network, to one of said eighth and ninth multicast groups which includes said fourth one of said endpoints but not to another of said eighth and ninth multicast groups which does not include said fourth one of said endpoints.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said network is further segmented into at least tenth and eleventh multicast groups, said tenth and eleventh multicast groups being subsets of said first multicast group, said eighth and ninth multicast groups being subsets of said tenth multicast group, given ones of said endpoints being assigned to said tenth and eleventh multicast groups based on likelihood of experiencing similar errors, further comprising the additional steps of:
assigning a ninth subset of said endpoints to said tenth multicast group based on service by a first regional data center;
assigning a tenth subset of said endpoints to said eleventh multicast group based on service by a second regional data center;
obtaining, at said error-correcting multicast apparatus, over said network, a retransmission request from a fifth one of said endpoints, based on at least one of loss and corruption of a portion of said file during said multicasting of said file to said fifth one of said endpoints; and
retransmitting said portion of said file, via multicasting, over said network, to one of said tenth and eleventh multicast groups which includes said fifth one of said endpoints but not to another of said tenth and eleventh multicast groups which does not include said fifth one of said endpoints.

10. The method of claim 2 , wherein said network is further s

Assignees

• Time Warner Cable Entpr Llc

Inventors

• Seastrom Robert
• George Iv Wesley E
• Roosenraad Chris R

Classifications

• H04N21/2385

  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

• H04N21/6118

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

• H04N21/2402 Primary

  Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available (traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876) · CPC title

• H04L12/18

  for broadcast or conference {, e.g. multicast} · CPC title

• H04L1/08

  by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system {(H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence)} · CPC title