At&t Intellectual Property I, L.p.

At&t Knowledge Ventures, LP

Pacific Bell

Kuo-Hui Liu

Yongdong Zhao

Wenge Chen

Donald M Smith

Shih Chung Soon

Chin Yuan

Cheng-Hong Hu

Michael P Sinwald

Peter Chou

Chou Lan Pok

Holly Chen

Bei Zhou

Michael Recchia

Mohammad M Islam

Christopher J Chase

Shih-Chung Tom Soon

Thomas Bradley Scholl

Gregory O Harp

A method and apparatus for monitoring connectivity in a network at a bearer path layer are disclosed. For example, the method receives a request to monitor a user endpoint, identifies an internet protocol address of the user endpoint, an internet protocol address of each transport network element between the user endpoint and a bearer trace server, a bearer path identification of each bearer used by the user endpoint, a quality of service associated with each bearer used by the user endpoint, and a tunnel identification of each bearer used by the user endpoint; and performs a fault isolation and performance monitoring at a bearer path layer, wherein the fault isolation identifies a particular segment where a fault is detected at the bearer path layer.

Method and apparatus for monitoring connectivity in a long term evolution network

A system and method of delivering video content is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method includes receiving channel selection data from a set-top box device via an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) access network. The channel selection data indicates a selection of an IPTV channel. The method also includes sending a rapid channel change (RCC) request to a distribution switch/router system via a subscriber virtual local area network (VLAN) associated with the set-top box device after receiving the channel selection data. The RCC request indicates the selected IPTV channel.

System and method of delivering video content

A method includes receiving, at a server, a retry request from a media device. The retry request requests a data packet associated with video content and includes an overhead bandwidth factor corresponding to a ratio between an overhead bandwidth to be used to send the data packet in response to the retry request and a nominal bandwidth used to send video content to the media device. The method further includes, in response to the retry request, sending the data packet to the media device based on the overhead bandwidth factor.

A method includes receiving at a set-top box device first video content associated with a requested channel from a first source. The method includes, in response to receiving the first content, requesting second video content associated with the requested channel from a second source. The method includes, in response to receiving the second video content, determining whether at least one data packet associated with the requested channel was not received based on a comparison of first data packets corresponding to the first video content and second data packets corresponding to the second video content. In response to a determination that at least one data packet was not received, sending a retry request to the first source. The retry request includes an overhead bandwidth factor.

A method includes receiving data from a set-top box device at an access system via an access network, the data indicating a selection of a channel at the set-top box device, the data including a multicast group address. The method also includes sending copies of video data packets of the channel from the access system for storage in a first-in first-out cache associated with the channel. The method further includes automatically connecting the set-top box device to a multicast stream of the selected channel after a particular number of video data packets are sent to the set-top box device from the cache. The particular number of video data packets corresponds to a time period between communicating successive random access point packets of the channel and is less than a capacity of the cache.

A particular method includes measuring port usage data related to each of a plurality of physical ports associated with a link aggregation group. A bandwidth requirement of a requested media stream is estimated and added to a traffic load at each of the plurality of physical ports to produce an estimated total traffic load of each of the plurality of physical ports. When the requested media stream includes non-video data, the requested media stream is sent to a destination device via a physical port that selected in accordance with a static bandwidth allocation. When the requested media stream includes video data, the requested media stream is sent to the destination device via a least loaded physical port that is dynamically identified based on the estimated traffic loads of each of the plurality of physical ports.

System and method of communicating a media stream

Particular embodiments of the disclosed subject matter provide methods and systems to support a multicast source selection system. In an example embodiment, the system includes a network element in data communication with a network, the network element being operable to: receive a request for withdrawal of a server as a source of a multicast data stream; and propagate information to the network indicating withdrawal of the server as a source of the multicast data stream, the propagation of information by the network element being responsive to the request for withdrawal of the server as a source of the multicast data stream.

Controlling multicast source selection in an anycast source audio/video network

Systems and methods of automatically determining a set of route targets is provided. The method includes receiving network topology data specifying configuration of a network. The method also includes automatically converting the network topology data into route targets to be assigned to virtual routing and forwarding elements. The route targets are grouped into sets and duplicate sets of route targets are removed. The method further includes generating a data record including information related to the set of route targets.

System and method to provision an MPLS/VPN network

A method includes sending a data packet, or a copy of the data packet, from a first video distribution hub to a second video distribution hub. The first video distribution hub is coupled to a first link and to a second link. The method also includes, in response to the second link being intact, sending the data packet, or the copy of the data packet, from the first video distribution hub to the second video distribution hub via a primary network path that includes the second link and excludes the first link. The method also includes, in response to a failure of the second link, sending the data packet, or the copy of the data packet, from the first video distribution hub to the second video distribution hub via a backup network path that includes the first link and that does not include the second link.

System and method of distributing digital content

Systems and methods of automatically determining a set of route targets is provided. The method includes receiving network topology data specifying configuration of a network. The method also includes automatically converting the network topology data into route targets to be assigned to virtual routing and forwarding elements. The route targets are grouped into sets and duplicate sets of route targets are removed based on the route targets between duplicate sets of route targets identified as being the same. The method further includes generating a data record including information related to the set of route targets.

System and method to provision MPLS/VPN network

A system and method of delivering video content is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the method includes storing video data packets of an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) channel at an access switch/router system that communicates with an IPTV access network. The method also includes receiving data at the access switch/router system indicating a selection of the IPTV channel from a set-top box device via the IPTV access network. Further, the method includes sending copies of the stored video data packets of the IPTV channel to the set-top box device via the IPTV access network.

A method is disclosed that includes receiving a data packet at a first video distribution hub via a first link. The method also includes determining whether a second link has failed, wherein the first video distribution hub communicates with a second video distribution hub via a primary network path that includes the second link. When the second link has failed, a backup network path to send the data packet, or a copy thereof, to the second video distribution hub, is determined based on data stored at the first video distribution hub. The method also includes sending the data packet, or the copy thereof, to the second video distribution hub via the backup network path, wherein the backup network path does not include the second link.

A method to deliver video content is disclosed and includes sending a bandwidth change request from a set-top box device associated with a home network to a server via an Internet Protocol Television (IPTV) access network. The bandwidth change request includes a requested bandwidth change event and an upper limit overhead bandwidth factor. The method also includes receiving video packets related to the bandwidth change event from the server at an increased rate corresponding to the upper limit overhead bandwidth factor.

Growing community of inventors

San Ramon, CA, United States of America

Kuo-Hui Liu