Alcatel Lucent

Nokia of America Corporation

Nokia Solutions and Networks Oy

Alcatel-lucent USA Inc.

Jonathan Dean Segel

Kamakshi Sridhar

Edward Grinshpun

Bashar Said Bou-Diab

Charles Payette

Zulfiquar Sayeed

Ahmed A Tarraf

Stepan Kucera

Bijan Raahemi

Kariem Fahmi

Ahmed Tarraf

The invention includes a method and apparatus for delivering content to one or more content destination nodes. A method includes receiving content utility prediction information for a content item, selecting a content distribution mode for the content item using the content utility prediction information, and propagating the content item toward at least one of the content destination nodes using the selected content distribution mode and, optionally, with a defined priority, sequence, or schedule. The content utility prediction information is associated with the content destination nodes, and is indicative of a level of utility of the content item to the content destination nodes. The content distribution mode may include any content distribution mode, such as broadcast, switched broadcast, multicast, unicast, and the like. The content utility prediction information is received from one or more content prediction nodes. The content is distributed to one or more content destination nodes, which may include end user terminals and/or network-based caching nodes.

Method and apparatus for distributing content

In one example embodiment, a first network element includes a memory storing computer-readable instructions and at least one processor configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to cause the first network element to, obtain user equipment (UE)-side parameter values from a user domain of the UE, convert a first data stream received from a second network element into multiple second data streams over multiple data communication paths between the UE and the first network element and allocate the multiple second data streams to at least one of the multiple data communication paths based on the UE-side parameter values.

Methods and network elements for multi-connectivity control

The present disclosure generally discloses an adaptive bitrate streaming support capability configured to support adaptive bitrate streaming of content. The adaptive bitrate streaming support capability is configured to support adaptive bitrate streaming of content via a wireless access network including an application scheduler and a wireless access device. The application scheduler receives an adaptive bitrate streaming flow and sends the adaptive bitrate streaming flow toward the wireless access device based on scheduling of the adaptive bitrate streaming flow at the application scheduler. The wireless access device determines feedback information associated with the adaptive bitrate streaming flow and provides the feedback information associated with the adaptive bitrate streaming flow to the application scheduler. The application scheduler determines scheduling of the adaptive bitrate streaming flow, for transmission toward the wireless access device, based on the feedback information associated with the adaptive bitrate streaming flow.

Quality-of-experience for adaptive bitrate streaming

The present disclosure generally discloses improvements in computer performance for supporting a multipath transport throughput capability that is configured to improve throughout of a multipath transport connection of a multipath transport protocol. The multipath transport throughput capability is configured to improve the throughput of the multipath transport connection by improving delivery of acknowledgment packets acknowledging successful delivery of data packets sent from a data transmitting side to a data receiving side. The multipath transport throughput capability may be configured to improve the delivery of acknowledgment packets from the data receiving side to the data transmitting side by, for a data packet that is successfully received at the data receiving side from the data transmitting side, sending multiple acknowledgment packets from the data receiving side to the data transmitting side where the multiple acknowledgment packets associated with the received data packet may be sent over multiple transport connections of the multipath transport connection.

Multipath transport communications

The present disclosure generally discloses a scheduling control capability for controlling scheduling of transmissions where adaptive bitrate streaming is used for delivery of content (e.g., video content or other types of content which may be streamed using adaptive bitrate streaming) from source devices to end devices. The scheduling control capability may be configured to control scheduling of transmissions of adaptive bitrate streaming flows based on priority levels assigned to the adaptive bitrate streaming flows. The scheduling control capability may be configured to dynamically control the priority levels assigned to the adaptive bitrate streaming flows. The scheduling control capability may be configured to dynamically control the priority levels assigned to the adaptive bitrate streaming flows, for use in controlling the scheduling of transmissions of the adaptive bitrate streaming flows, in manner for improving user quality-of-experience, in a manner for improving spectral efficiency, or the like, as well as various combinations thereof.

Scheduling transmissions of adaptive bitrate streaming flows

A load threshold for a first carrier of a base station is set based on quality of service (QoS) classes for applications using the first carrier. Load balancing between the first carrier and one or more second carriers is performed based on the load threshold.

Load balancing based on an aggregate quality of service for applications using a carrier for wireless communication

One or more content sequences are created from a store of video content, which could simply be broadcast content which has been captured and stored at a server within a network. The content sequences are generated according to the viewer's specified, or demonstrated, viewing preferences. The viewer preferences are captured form entry by the user themselves, or by observation of their viewing habits. Multiple 'users' per household and multiple content sequences per viewer are possible. A content sequences is then streamed to the viewer, and looks to him/her just like a TV channel: when one program ends, another starts automatically. It is also possible for a viewer to select an item within the content sequence using an interactive program controller.

Personalized video entertainment system

The invention controls presentation of content at an end user terminal to allow an end user to consume any kind of content without specifying anything about how the content is delivered. A method includes creating a content schedule, determining content presentation control information using the content schedule, and using the content presentation control information to control the presentation of content on one or more end user terminals. The content schedule, which identifies a plurality of content items intended for the end user terminal, includes at least one content characteristic associated with each of the content items. The content presentation control information is adapted for controlling presentation of the content items at the end user terminal in a manner tending to render the content characteristics transparent to the end user. The content items may be distributed using different content distribution modes, which include at least one time-dependent distribution mode and at least one time-independent distribution mode. The content presentation control information controls the presentation of content at the end user terminal.

Method and apparatus for controlling presentation of content at a user terminal

The invention includes a method and apparatus for predicting value of caching content items. In one embodiment, a method for selecting ones of a plurality of content items to be cached includes, for each of the content items, determining a probability of use of the content item comprising a probability that the content item will be used if cached, determining a value of caching the content item, and computing a caching value estimate associated with the content item using the probability of use of the content item and the value of caching the content item. The content items to be cached may then be selected using the respective caching value estimates of the content items.

Method and apparatus for predicting value of caching content items

Instead of implementing per flow measurement at every interface of every IGMP Router or Snooping Proxy in the aggregation network, as in the prior art 'per flow measurement' approaches, the present invention relates to a scheme where the IGMP Router or Snooping Proxy tracks the multicast subscription of each host (for IGMPv3) or subnet (for IGMPv1 and IGMPv2) and stores the information such as host id, the time the host joined a channel, the duration of the channel delivery, etc. in a database. This database (MIB) can then be pulled by a network management tool using SNMP or WSDM MUWS. According to the invention a mechanism for multicast host authorization is also provided.

Multicast host authorization tracking, and accounting

A Session Admission Control (SAC) for negotiating admission control in a multi-services communications network including multicast services is described. The module distributes the admission process between a centralized decision function (SAC-PDP) and a distributed decision function (SAC-M) in a fashion that solves admission control scaling problems. The mechanism for interaction between the SAC-PDP and SAC-M is defined. Mechanisms are defined for the SAC-PDP to discover or learn the network capacity against which the admission control decisions will be made. Systems are also described for incorporating SAC-M in multicast replication points in the network, allowing multicast replication points to participate in the admission control process.

Multi-service session admission control

Communication traffic congestion management systems and methods are disclosed. Communication traffic is analyzed to determine its type, and a traffic congestion management function to be applied to the received communication traffic is selected based on the determined type and a level of communication traffic congestion. Congestion levels may be determined from congestion feedback signals provided by downstream communication components to which a traffic flow controller outputs communication traffic. A traffic congestion management function may be selected and applied on a packet-by-packet or other block-specific basis, or to an entire stream of communication traffic.

Communication traffic congestion management systems and methods

In various exemplary embodiments, a method for the distribution of content within a network of constrained capacity uses distributed content storage nodes functioning to achieve optimal service quality and maximum service session capacity. The method, which functions in unicast, broadcast, switched broadcast, and multicast mode networks, uses predictions of the utility of particular content items to download or record the highest utility items to distributed content stores during periods and in modes that will not increase demand peaks. These predictions of utility may be based on, for example, the number of potential users, the likelihood of their use, and the value to the service provider. The method uses signaling between network nodes to identify the best source for particular content items based on which nodes hold that content and the nature of network constraints.

Growing community of inventors

Kanata, Canada

Jonathan Dean Segel