US Patent 7,757,259 — Intelligent asset management in a cable services system

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Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for intelligently managing on-demand content in a cable services system. High demand video programs (e.g., movies, documentaries, mini-series, educational films, and the like) are stored at cable system hubs that service a number of individual cable customers. When a given video program is requested, the requested title is steamed from the hub servicing the requesting customer rather than streaming the requested program from the cable system head end. The video programs cached at the cable system hubs are determined based on attributes associated with individual video programs including time since initial release, association with other programs, association with hub locations, association with current events, and the like.

Claims

20 · 3 independent · depth 3

20 granted claims

›1.independentIn a cable services system, a method for managing on-demand content, the method comprising:npopulating a cable services system head end with a plurali…+10

In a cable services system, a method for managing on-demand content, the method comprising:npopulating a cable services system head end with a plurality of on-demand video programs;determining a subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs to be distributed to at least one cable services system hub;distributing the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs to the at least one cable services system hub, wherein distributing the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs to the at least one cable services system hub comprises predictively propagating content to the at least one cable services system hub based on the following: content metadata, content usage patterns, prioritized load distribution, and statistical algorithms comprising functions of variable content bandwidth requirements;caching the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs at the at least one cable services system hub for provisioning the cached on-demand video programs comprising the subset to cable services customers associated with the at least one cable services system hub;receiving a request for a given on-demand video program at the at least one cable services system hub;if the requested on-demand video program is cached at the at least one cable services system hub, streaming the requested on-demand video program from the at least one cable services system hub to a requesting cable services customer;calculating a given period of time based upon the following: an expected number of hours of popular content within each service type, an average time a given title remains popular, a number of services, a refresh rate for each service, and an average time prior to start of availability window for popular content;if the requested on-demand video program is not cached at the at least one cable services system hub, determining whether the request for the given on-demand video program meets a threshold number of requests for the given on-demand video program during the given period of time; andif the request for the given on-demand video program meets the threshold number of requests during the given period of time, caching the requested on-demand video program at the at least one cable services system hub, the threshold number of requests and the given period of time each being selected to cause at least 80% of requests for on-demand video programs at the at least one cable services system hub to be serviced from the at least one cable services system hub.

›2.↳ 1The method of claim 1, further comprising if the requested on-demand video program is not cached at the at least one cable services system hub, stream…d2+1

›3.↳ 1The method of claim 1, after receiving the request for the given on-demand video program at the at least one cable services system hub, determining wh…d2

›5.↳ 1The method of claim 1, further comprising if any one of the cached on-demand video programs is not requested by any of the cable services customers du…d2

›6.↳ 1The method of claim 1, further comprising if any one of the cached on-demand video programs is not requested at least the threshold number of times du…d2

›7.↳ 1The method of claim 1, wherein determining the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs that are presently in demand includes predicting in…d2

›8.↳ 1The method of claim 1, wherein determining the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs that are presently in demand includes predicting in…d2

›9.↳ 1The method of claim 1, wherein determining the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs that are presently in demand includes predicting in…d2

›10.↳ 1The method of claim 1, wherein predictively propagating content to the at least one cable services system hub based on the statistical algorithms comp…d2

›11.↳ 1The method of claim 1, wherein calculating the given period of time comprises calculating the given period of time comprising approximately 4 hours.d2

›12.independentA system for managing on-demand content in a cable services system, the system comprising:na cable services system head end operative to:nstore a plur…+4

A system for managing on-demand content in a cable services system, the system comprising:na cable services system head end operative to:nstore a plurality of video programs for provision to cable services customers;generate a subset of the plurality of video programs to be distributed to a cable services system hub;distribute the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs to the cable services system hub by predictively propagating content to the cable services system hub based on the following: prioritized load distribution and statistical algorithms comprising functions of content bandwidth requirements; andcache the subset of the plurality of video programs at the cable services system hub for provisioning the cached video programs comprising the subset to the cable services customers associated with the cable services system hub; andthe cable services system hub operative to:nreceive a request for a given video program from at least one of the cable services customers;determine whether the requested video program is cached at the cable services system hub;stream the requested program from the cable services system hub to the at least one requesting cable services customer if the requested video program is cached at the cable services system hub;calculate a given period of time based upon the following: an expected number of hours of popular content within each service type, an average time a given title remains popular, a number of services, a refresh rate for each service, and an average time prior to start of availability window for popular content;if the requested video program is not cached at the cable services system hub, the cable services system hub being further operative to determine whether the request for the given video program meets a threshold number of requests for the given video program during the given period of time; andif the request for the given video program meets the threshold number of requests during the given period of time, the cable services system hub being further operative to cache the requested video program at the cable services system hub, the threshold number of requests and the given period of time each being selected to cause at least 80% of requests for on-demand video programs at the at least one cable services system hub to be serviced from the at least one cable services system hub.

›13.↳ 12The system of claim 12, further comprising if the requested video program is not cached at the cable services system hub, the cable services system he…d2

›14.↳ 12The system of claim 12, further comprising if any one of the cached on-demand video programs is not requested by any of the cable services customers d…d2

›15.↳ 12The system of claim 12, further comprising if any one of the cached on-demand video programs is not requested at least the threshold number of times d…d2

›16.↳ 12The system of claim 12, wherein the cable services system head end being operative to calculate the given period of time comprises the cable services …d2

›17.independentA non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a m…+3

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions which when executed by a computer perform a method for managing on-demand content in a cable services system, the method comprising:ngenerating a subset of a plurality of video programs available from a cable services system head end that are presently in demand by cable services customers;distributing the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs to a cable services system hub, wherein distributing the subset of the plurality of on-demand video programs to the cable services system hub comprises predictively propagating content to the cable services system hub based on statistical algorithms comprising functions of content bandwidth requirements, a day of week, and a time of day;caching the subset of the plurality of video programs at the cable services system hub for provisioning the cached video programs comprising the subset to the cable services customers associated with the cable services system hub;in response to receiving a request for a given video program at the cable services system hub, streaming the requested video program from the cable services system hub to a requesting cable services customer if the requested video program is cached at the cable services system hub;if the requested video program is not cached at the cable services system hub, streaming the requested video program from the cable services system head end to the requesting cable services system customer via the cable services system hub;calculating a given period of time based upon the following: an expected number of hours of popular content within each service type, an average time a given title remains popular, a number of services, a refresh rate for each service, and an average time prior to start of availability window for popular content;if the requested video program is not cached at the cable services system hub, determining whether the request for the given video program meets a threshold number of requests for the given video program during a given period of time; andif the request for the given video program meets the threshold number of requests during the given period of time, caching the requested video program at the cable services system hub, the threshold number of requests and the given period of time each being selected to cause at least 80% of requests for on-demand video programs at the at least one cable services system hub to be serviced from the at least one cable services system hub.

Classifications

9 codes

IPC · International Patent Classification

Section H — Electricity

H04L12/54
H04N7/173

USPC · US Patent Classification

725/92725/96725/91370/428725/87725/95370/429

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Pendency

5.5 y

2,007 days filing → grant

Office actions

3

non-final + final

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3

2 RCE

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2

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Examiner

Gigi L Dubasky

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Priority chain

1 priority documents

Priority

13 Jan 2004

earliest claimed

›Priority documents — 1

Type	Document	Date
provisional	US 60536331 00	13 Jan 2004

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