An access network local protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system

Abstract

The application discloses an access network local side protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system, which comprises a local side protocol converter, an integrated service gateway server, an access switch and a home CPN network. The protocol converter converts platform side UDP multicast or DVB broadcast live service into UDP unicast or HLS / DASH media stream; the integrated service gateway realizes multi-service convergence, routing forwarding and DHCP service; and the access switch provides port convergence and transparent forwarding. That is, the Ethernet technology access network provides at least 1G / 10Gbps physical bandwidth for each household, does not need an operator exclusive in-house gateway, and realizes communication, broadband, video on demand and broadcast television live service fusion access through a home router, thereby solving the problems of bandwidth sharing, NAT penetration difficulty, double network in-house and terminal incompatibility in the prior art, and achieving the effects of bandwidth exclusive use, single network in-house, low cost, low latency and full terminal compatibility.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of network communication and multimedia transmission technology, and in particular relates to an access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of ultra-high-definition (4K / 8K) video, interactive television, and other services, users have placed higher demands on network access bandwidth and video transmission quality. Existing live TV services typically use IP multicast technology, DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting) technology, and IP broadcasting for efficient distribution in the core and access networks, but they still face many challenges when reaching users' home networks.

[0003] Currently, multi-service access primarily utilizes Passive Optical Network (PON) technology. While PON is less expensive, its point-to-multipoint topology means multiple households share the bandwidth of a single PON port, making it prone to congestion during peak hours and difficult to reliably guarantee the concurrent streaming demands of hundreds of megabits per second or even gigabits per second for each household. Furthermore, to deliver multicast services in home networks, a customized home gateway from the operator is typically deployed on the user side. This gateway needs to support complex functions such as IGMP proxying and multicast-to-unicast conversion, which not only increases equipment cost and power consumption but also blurs the boundaries of asset and maintenance responsibilities between operators and users.

[0004] To address Network Address Translation (NAT) traversal, most home routers enable NAT by default to ensure private network security. This prevents IP multicast packets from the external network or unicast connections without special establishment from reaching video receiving terminals (such as smart terminals and set-top boxes) on the internal network. Existing solutions either require users to manually configure complex rules such as IGMP (Internet Group Management Protocol) listening and static port mapping on the router, which demands high technical skills from users and is difficult to scale. Alternatively, solutions such as application layer gateways and session traversal utilities for NAT (STUN) can be used, but their efficiency and stability are insufficient in scenarios with high traffic, low latency, and long connections, such as live video streaming, making it difficult to guarantee the high quality of broadcast television programs. DVB broadcasting or IP broadcasting uses both PON and broadcast networks to enter the home, which not only results in high entry costs but also makes it difficult to solve terminal compatibility issues. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide an access network local office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system that can meet the high-quality, low-cost, and easy-to-promote requirements of broadcast 4K / 8K ultra-high-definition live streaming and multi-terminal converged access.

[0006] This application provides an access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system implemented as follows: An access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system includes: The protocol converter, deployed at the access network central office, is used to receive broadcast television live services from the platform side via UDP multicast or DVB broadcast, and convert the broadcast television live services via UDP multicast or DVB broadcast into UDP unicast or streaming media protocol live streams. The integrated service gateway server is used to aggregate and forward broadband services, video-on-demand services, and UDP unicast streams or live streaming media protocol streams output by the protocol converter from the forwarding platform side, and to provide DHCP services for user-end WiFi routers. The access switch connects to the integrated service gateway server via the northbound interface for port aggregation and port expansion, and provides a high density of user-side interfaces to transparently forward aggregation layer data to access users. The home CPN network is connected to the user-side interface of the access switch via the access network drop cable for user terminal access. The home CPN network and the access switch are connected via the drop cable. The integrated service gateway server and the access switch construct an access network based on Ethernet technology, providing each user with at least 1G / 10Gbps of physical layer access bandwidth. In the absence of a dedicated inbound gateway from the operator in the user's home, the network is connected to the WAN port of the home router via the inbound cable. Through the LAN port and WiFi interface of the home router, the network provides the user terminal with integrated services including communication services, broadband services, broadcast services supporting multiple terminal converged access, and video-on-demand services.

[0007] In one implementation, the UDP multicast is a live broadcast stream of the UDP multicast protocol, which is generated by the front-end platform encoding cluster encoding, compressing and encapsulating the baseband audio and video frames of each live program into TS packets, and then encrypting and encapsulating them. The DVB broadcast is a DVB-C standard live broadcast service stream in which the baseband audio and video frames of each live program are encoded, compressed, and encapsulated into TS packets by the front-end platform encoding cluster, and then modulated and transmitted on a designated radio frequency channel using QAM modulation technology.

[0008] In one embodiment, the protocol converter is used to receive UDP multicast or DVB broadcast live television services encrypted by the platform side CA, parse out the TS packets of UDP multicast or DVB broadcast, and encapsulate them into UDP unicast streams or HLS / DASH media stream protocols with CMAF media time segments and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists, realizing the protocol conversion from UDP multicast or DVB broadcast to UDP unicast or HLS / DASH media stream protocols. This enables the live television service to enter the home through a single network with broadband Internet services and video-on-demand services, and to access the smart TV or smart terminal with the system APP installed through the home router.

[0009] In one implementation, the protocol converter server is configured with Mode 1 and Mode 2, wherein Mode 1 is a TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast mode, and Mode 2 is a TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast and TS / RTP multicast to media stream mode, wherein: The first mode receives UDP multicast streams from the platform side via TS Over RTP Over UDP Over IP, and combines UDP multicast to UDP unicast and NAT traversal strategies to convert the UDP multicast streams into UDP unicast streams for access to the user terminal. Mode 2, while possessing the multicast to unicast function of Mode 1, also adds the TS / RTP multicast to HLS / DASH media stream function. While being fully compatible with Mode 1, it provides users with CMAF media fragmentation and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists to support HLS / DASH media stream players.

[0010] In one implementation, under Mode 1, the protocol converter includes: a multicast stream receiving module, a TS / RTP multicast stream to TS parsing module, a cache management module, and a TS / RTP unicast stream encapsulation and forwarding module, used to receive, parse, cache, and encapsulate TS / RTP multicast streams into TS / RTP unicast streams for forwarding, so as to adapt to set-top boxes and smart TVs for reception. The multicast stream receiving module is used to receive multiple multicast streams broadcast from the front-end platform via the service-side smart network card. It supports receiving in multicast group mode or listening in promiscuous mode. The multicast group mode includes dynamic multicast mode and static multicast mode. In dynamic multicast mode, the multicast source divides each program into a group. When the receiving end wants to receive the target program of the multicast content, it must apply to join the multicast group of the target program before it can receive the content. In static multicast mode, multicast is a broadcast of multiple programs. The multicast source broadcasts all programs to the receiving end, and the receiving end can choose the program it wants to watch. The TS / RTP multicast stream to TS parsing module is used to parse out the TS packets of the TS / RTP multicast stream and forward the parsed TS packets to the cache management module; The cache management module is used to maintain a fixed-duration circular buffer for each channel, numbered by channel ID, and to cache the TS packets of each channel using IDR frames as indexes. Each channel corresponds to a TS / RTP multicast stream. The TS / RTP unicast stream encapsulation and forwarding module is used to read the TS packets of the destination program in the ring buffer according to the user request and indexed by the IDR frame, encapsulate them into a UDP unicast stream, and then forward the UDP unicast stream to the user terminal through the NAT traversal strategy. The destination program is the program requested by the user in multiple channels.

[0011] In one implementation, under Mode 2, the protocol converter includes: in addition to satisfying Mode 1's TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast stream conversion mode for live streaming services, it further includes: a TS packet decryption, demultiplexing, and re-encryption module, a media fragmentation and encapsulation module, and an HTTP service module, wherein: The TS packet decryption, demultiplexing, and re-encryption module is used to read TS packets from the circular buffer, decrypt and demultiplex the read TS packets to generate unencrypted streaming media sample data that can be loaded into the mdat-box, encrypt the unencrypted streaming media sample data according to the CENC standard to obtain an encrypted file, load the encrypted file into the mdat-box, generate a description file for the encrypted file, and load the description file into the moof box. The media segmentation and encapsulation module is used to encapsulate the mdat-box and the moof box into CMAF media segments, and form corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists, and forward the CMAF media segments and the corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists to the cache management module. The HTTP service module is used to forward media stream lists and media files to the target user through the media stream output interface according to the requests of various smart terminals, so as to realize the conversion of TS / RTP multicast to HLS / DASH media stream. The media stream list is the HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd list corresponding to the CMAF media segment, and the media file is the CMAF media segment generated by the encrypted streaming media sample data loaded into the mdat-box and the metadata loaded into the moof box.

[0012] In one implementation, under Mode 1, the cache management module manages the cache of TS packets and the index table of IDR frames, maintains a fixed-duration circular buffer for each channel numbered by channel ID, and caches the TS packets of each channel respectively using IDR frames as indexes, so that the TS / RTP unicast stream encapsulation and forwarding module reads TS packets from IDR frames and encapsulates them into UDP unicast streams for forwarding. In Mode 2, the cache management module further includes: a media file list cache and a media fragment cache area. The media file list cache and media fragment cache area are used to cache the CMAF media fragments and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists of each channel, respectively, using the channel ID as the number, a fixed duration, and the file name as the index. For CMAF media fragments, a hybrid caching mode using memory and high-speed, high-capacity SSDs is used. The cache management module is used to dynamically schedule the read and write priorities of each area according to real-time bandwidth and device load, ensuring low-latency response to UDP requests by the IDR frame ring cache, while guaranteeing high-throughput supply of CMAF media fragments and lists.

[0013] In one embodiment, the system further includes a NAT mapping management module for a NAT traversal mechanism, wherein: The NAT traversal mechanism involves the set-top box obtaining the IP address of the protocol converter and the agreed source port of the UDP unicast stream in advance through EPG sharing and port binding mechanisms. It is also agreed that after the terminal set-top box completes its power-on registration, it will use the internal network port obtained during registration to send a hole punching packet from the internal network to the port of the protocol converter on the external network. The NAT mapping management module is used to monitor in real time the public IP address and public port mapped by each set-top box after it sends a hole-punching packet to the port of the protocol converter through the home router. It records the set-top box's ID, MAC address, IP address, and internal network port, as well as the public IP address and public port obtained when the hole-punching packet penetrates the home router. It binds the set-top box's ID, MAC address, and IP address with the public IP address and public port number obtained by the set-top box through hole punching, so as to provide the TS / RTP unicast stream encapsulation and forwarding module with the destination IP address and port for unicast stream forwarding, manage heartbeat keep-alive and mapping timeout, and ensure the uniqueness and real-time keep-alive between the UDP unicast stream forwarding source port and destination port.

[0014] In one embodiment, the integrated service gateway server includes: a physical layer interface module, a layer 2 switching module, a layer 3 routing module, a DHCP service module, an ACL and security module, a QoS module, and a network management module, wherein: The physical layer interface module includes a service-side interface and a user-side interface. The service-side interface is used to connect to the public network / broadband, connect to the UDP network card for protocol converters, connect to the TCP network card for protocol converters, and connect to the management platform. The user-side interface is used to connect to the access switch to realize photoelectric conversion and link aggregation. The Layer 2 switching module supports VLAN segmentation, port isolation, and MAC address learning to ensure Layer 2 isolation between user-side interfaces and prevent broadcast storms and user inter-interaction. The three-layer routing module is used to maintain a routing table, and to direct traffic to the public network interface, the protocol converter network interface, and the management platform interface according to the destination IP. It also supports static routing, policy routing, and optional dynamic routing protocols. The DHCP service module is used to assign IP addresses to the WAN port of the home router, issue default gateway and DNS parameters, and manage the address pool; The ACL and security module are used to implement access control based on the five-tuple, prohibit unauthorized access, ensure user isolation and network security, and restrict the management interface from accessing the source IP. The QoS module and network management module are used to classify and prioritize traffic to ensure that TCP signaling has high priority, UDP video streams have medium priority, and ordinary internet access has low priority. They also support queue scheduling and traffic shaping.

[0015] The access network local-end protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system provided in this application realizes the conversion of UDP multicast / DVB broadcast live services into unicast / streaming media compatible with home networks through local-end protocol conversion, dedicated Ethernet access, and integrated gateway deployment. Under the conditions of no dedicated inbound gateway, single-network inbound, and dedicated gigabit / ten-gigabit bandwidth, it provides converged service access for multiple terminals, thereby achieving the technical effects of low cost, high bandwidth, low latency, full compatibility, and easy deployment. Attached Figure Description

[0016] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system and the Ethernet-based multi-service multiplexing access network model provided in this application; Figure 2This is a schematic diagram of the access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system and the multi-service multiplexing access network architecture based on Ethernet technology provided in this application; Figure 3 This is a functional diagram of the protocol converter mode one provided in this application; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the EPG sharing protocol conversion system provided in this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the authentication gateway deployment and local authentication architecture for data synchronization provided in this application; Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the authentication and authorization process provided in this application; Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the relationship between the authentication and authorization system provided in this application; Figure 8 This is a flowchart of the token verification process provided in this application; Figure 9 This is a timing diagram of the registration and operation process of the terminal device of the protocol conversion system provided in this application; Figure 10 This is a representation of the port management and NAT mapping management of the protocol conversion system provided in this application; Figure 11 This is a functional diagram of the protocol converter mode two provided in this application; Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the protocol converter hardware platform provided in this application; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the integrated service gateway server functional modules for multi-service aggregation / routing forwarding / DHCP services provided in this application; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the background technology network architecture; Figure 15 This is a schematic diagram comparing the network architecture of the background technology with that of this application; Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the coexistence of the background technology access network and the access network of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solutions in this application, the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort should fall within the scope of protection of this application.

[0019] To address the existing problems with live TV services, this example presents an access network architecture and protocol conversion solution to provide ample, dedicated access bandwidth, simplify user-side equipment, and intelligently and automatically resolve NAT traversal issues. Furthermore, UDP (User Datagram Protocol) unicast streams are accessed to the set-top box via a home router, addressing a large existing user base. Simultaneously, a multi-mode protocol conversion system is designed to fully accommodate all terminals receiving HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) / DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP) media streams via HTTP / TCP, encapsulating and forwarding live TV programs. This achieves unified protocol, efficient, and reliable transmission of high-quality live TV services alongside other broadband services.

[0020] Specifically, an access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system is provided, which may include: 1) Protocol converter, deployed at the access network central office, is used to receive broadcast television live services from the platform side via UDP multicast or DVB broadcast, and convert the broadcast television live services via UDP multicast or DVB broadcast into UDP unicast or streaming media protocol live streams. 2) Integrated service gateway server, used to aggregate and forward broadband services, video-on-demand services and UDP unicast streams or live streaming media protocol streams output by the protocol converter from the platform side, and to provide DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) service for user-end WiFi routers; 3) Access switch, which connects to the integrated service gateway server through the northbound interface, is used for port aggregation and port expansion, and provides high-density user-side interfaces to transparently forward aggregation layer data to access users; 4) The home CPN (Customer Premises Network) is connected to the user-side interface of the access switch via the access network inlet cable for user terminal access. The home CPN network and the access switch are connected via the inlet cable. The integrated service gateway server and the access switch construct an access network based on Ethernet technology, providing each user with at least 1G / 10Gbps of physical layer access bandwidth. In the absence of a dedicated inbound gateway from the operator in the user's home, the network is connected to the WAN (Wide Area Network) port of the home router via the inbound cable. Through the LAN port and WiFi interface of the home router, the network provides the user terminal with integrated services including communication services, broadband services, broadcast services supporting multiple terminal converged access, and video-on-demand services.

[0021] Among them, the aforementioned UDP multicast is a live broadcast stream of the UDP multicast protocol, which encodes and compresses the baseband audio and video frames of each live program into TS (Transport Stream) packets, and then encrypts and encapsulates them to generate a TS Over RTP OverUDP Over IP multicast stream; DVB broadcast is a DVB-C standard live broadcast stream of the TS packets, which is generated by the front-end platform encoding cluster encoding and compressing the baseband audio and video frames of each live program into TS (Transport Stream) packets and then modulating and transmitting the TS packets on a designated radio frequency channel using QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) modulation technology.

[0022] In practical implementation, the aforementioned protocol converter can be used to receive UDP multicast or DVB broadcast live television services encrypted by CA (Conditional Access) on the platform side, parse out the TS packets of UDP multicast or DVB broadcast, and encapsulate them into UDP unicast streams of TS over RTP over UDP over IP or CMAF (Common Media Application Format) media time segments and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists of HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) / DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP) media stream protocols. This achieves protocol conversion from UDP multicast or DVB broadcast to UDP unicast or HLS / DASH media stream protocols, enabling live television services to enter homes through a single network with broadband internet services and video-on-demand services, and to access smart TVs or smart terminals with the system APP installed through a home router.

[0023] The aforementioned protocol converter server can be configured with Mode 1 and Mode 2. Mode 1 is a TS / RTP (Transport Stream Recording) multicast to TS / RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) unicast mode, and Mode 2 is a TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast and TS / RTP multicast to media stream mode. 1) In Mode 1, the UDP multicast stream from the receiving platform side (TS Over RTP Over UDP Over IP) is converted into a UDP unicast stream and accessed to the user terminal by combining UDP multicast to UDP unicast and NAT traversal strategies. In Mode 1, the protocol converter may include: a multicast stream receiving module, a TS / RTP multicast stream to TS parsing module, a buffer management module, and a TS / RTP unicast stream encapsulation and forwarding module, which are used to receive, parse, buffer, and encapsulate TS / RTP multicast streams into TS / RTP unicast streams for forwarding to adapt to set-top boxes and smart TVs. The multicast stream receiving module is used to receive multiple multicast streams broadcast from the front-end platform via the service-side smart network card. It supports receiving in multicast group mode or listening in promiscuous mode. The multicast group mode can include dynamic multicast mode and static multicast mode. In dynamic multicast mode, the multicast source divides each program into a group. When the receiving end wants to receive the target program of the multicast content, it must apply to join the multicast group of the target program before it can receive the content. In static multicast mode, multicast is a broadcast of multiple programs. The multicast source broadcasts all programs to the receiving end, and the receiving end can choose the program it wants to watch. The TS / RTP multicast stream to TS parsing module is used to parse the TS packets of the TS / RTP multicast stream and forward the parsed TS packets to the cache management module. Among them, TS Over RTP Over UDP is a UDP packet. The TS packet is the application layer container, RTP is the Real-Time Transport Protocol encapsulation, and UDP is the Transport Layer User Datagram Protocol. Therefore, TS / RTP to TS parsing and UDP multicast stream to TS layer parsing mean the same thing.

[0024] The cache management module maintains a fixed-duration circular buffer for each channel, numbered by channel ID. It caches the TS packets of each channel using IDR frames as indices. Each channel corresponds to one TS / RTP multicast stream. Here, multicast refers to the broadcast or transmission of multiple channel programs according to a multicast protocol. The TS packets of each program (each channel) are encapsulated into a TS Over RTP Over UDP multicast stream. During parsing and caching, the TS packets of each program are parsed from its TS Over RTP Over UDP stream and cached in a buffer area named after the program ID, sorted by the RTP timestamp of the TS packets. TS packets from TS Over RTP Over UDP stream-A and TS Over RTP Over UDP stream-B must not be confused; that is, each channel corresponds to one UDP / IP multicast stream.

[0025] The TS / RTP unicast stream encapsulation and forwarding module is used to read the TS packets of the destination program in the ring buffer according to the user's request and index the IDR frame, encapsulate them into a UDP unicast stream, and then forward the UDP unicast stream to the user terminal through the NAT traversal strategy. The destination program is the program requested by the user in multiple channels.

[0026] 2) Mode 2, while possessing the multicast to unicast function of Mode 1, adds the TS / RTP multicast to HLS / DASH media stream function. While being fully compatible with Mode 1, it provides users with CMAF media fragmentation and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists to support HLS / DASH media stream players.

[0027] In Mode 2, the protocol converter, in addition to fulfilling the TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast stream conversion requirement of Mode 1, may further include: a TS packet decryption, demultiplexing, and re-encryption module, a media fragmentation and encapsulation module, and an HTTP service module, wherein: The TS packet decryption, demultiplexing, and re-encryption module is used to read TS packets from the circular buffer, decrypt and demultiplex the read TS packets to generate unencrypted streaming media sample data that can be loaded into the mdat-box, encrypt the unencrypted streaming media sample data according to the CENC standard to obtain an encrypted file, load the encrypted file into the mdat-box, generate a description file for the encrypted file, and load the description file into the moof box. The media segmentation and encapsulation module is used to encapsulate the mdat-box and the moof box into CMAF media segments, generate corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists, and forward the CMAF media segments and the corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists to the cache management module. The HTTP service module is used to forward media stream manifests and media files to the target user through the media stream output interface according to the requests of various smart terminals, so as to realize the conversion of TS / RTP multicast to HLS / DASH media stream. The media stream manifest is the HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd manifests corresponding to the CMAF media segments, and the media file is the CMAF media segment generated by the encrypted streaming media sample data loaded into the mdat-box and the metadata loaded into the moof box.

[0028] In specific implementation, under mode one, the cache management module manages the TS packet cache and the IDR frame index table. It maintains a fixed-duration circular buffer for each channel, numbered by channel ID, and caches the TS packets of each channel using the IDR frame as the index. This allows the TS / RTP unicast stream encapsulation and forwarding module to read the TS packets from the IDR frame and encapsulate them into a UDP unicast stream for forwarding. The original video frame signal is encoded and compressed by the encoder to form a sequence of IBBPBBBPBBPBBPBB frames, consisting of IDR frames (intra-coded frames), P frames (forward predictive coded frames), and B frames (bidirectional predictive coded frames). The IDR frame is a special type of IDR frame. During decoding, once an IDR frame appears, all subsequent frames can only refer to that IDR frame and cannot refer to any frame before the IDR frame. That is, when changing channels, playback must start from the IDR frame of the new channel. Therefore, when caching the TS packets of each channel, it must also start from the IDR frame to achieve fast switching when changing channels.

[0029] In Mode 2, the cache management module may further include: a media file list cache and a media fragment cache area. The media file list cache and media fragment cache area are used to cache the CMAF media fragments and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists of each channel, respectively, using the channel ID as the number, a fixed duration, and the file name as the index. For CMAF media fragments, a hybrid caching mode using memory and high-speed, high-capacity SSDs is used. The cache management module is used to dynamically schedule the read and write priorities of each area according to real-time bandwidth and device load, ensuring low-latency response to UDP requests by the IDR frame ring cache, while guaranteeing high-throughput supply of CMAF media fragments and lists.

[0030] In one embodiment, the aforementioned access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system may further include: a NAT mapping management module with a NAT traversal mechanism, wherein: The NAT traversal mechanism involves the set-top box obtaining the IP address and UDP unicast stream source port of the protocol converter in advance through the EPG (Electronic Program Guide) sharing and port binding mechanism. It is agreed that after the terminal set-top box is registered at power-on, it will use the internal network port obtained during registration to send a hole punching packet from the internal network to the port of the protocol converter on the external network. The NAT mapping management module is used to monitor in real time the public IP address and public port mapped by each set-top box after it sends a hole-punching packet to the port of the protocol converter through the home router. It records the set-top box's ID, MAC address, IP address, and internal network port, as well as the public IP address and public port obtained when the hole-punching packet penetrates the home router. It binds the set-top box's ID, MAC address, and IP address with the public IP address and public port number obtained by the set-top box through hole punching, so as to provide the TS / RTP unicast stream encapsulation and forwarding module with the destination IP address and port for unicast stream forwarding, manage heartbeat keep-alive and mapping timeout, and ensure the uniqueness and real-time keep-alive between the UDP unicast stream forwarding source port and destination port.

[0031] The aforementioned integrated service gateway server may include: a physical layer interface module, a Layer 2 switching module, a Layer 3 routing module, a DHCP service module, an ACL (Access Control List) and security module, a QoS (Quality of Service) module, and a network management module, wherein: The physical layer interface module may include a service-side interface and a user-side interface. The service-side interface is used to connect to the public network / broadband, connect to the UDP network card for protocol converters, connect to the TCP network card for protocol converters, and connect to the management platform. The user-side interface is used to connect to the access switch to realize photoelectric conversion and link aggregation. The Layer 2 switching module supports VLAN segmentation, port isolation, and MAC address learning to ensure Layer 2 isolation between user-side interfaces and prevent broadcast storms and user communication. The Layer 3 routing module is used to maintain the routing table and direct traffic to the public network interface, the protocol converter network interface, and the management platform interface according to the destination IP. It also supports static routing, policy routing, and optional dynamic routing protocols. The DHCP service module is used to assign IP addresses to the WAN port of the home router, issue default gateway and DNS parameters, and manage the address pool; The ACL and security module are used to implement access control based on the five-tuple, prohibit unauthorized access, ensure user isolation and network security, and restrict the management interface from accessing the source IP. The QoS module and network management module are used to classify and prioritize traffic to ensure high priority for TCP signaling, medium priority for UDP video streams, and best-effort for ordinary internet access, and support queue scheduling and traffic shaping.

[0032] The above method will be described below with reference to a specific embodiment. However, it should be noted that this specific embodiment is only for better illustration of this application and does not constitute an improper limitation of this application.

[0033] Currently, broadcast television networks employ multiple modes for transmitting live broadcast services, including dynamic multicast, static multicast, and DVB-C broadcast. However, this approach suffers from issues such as high access network costs and insufficient compatibility with home networks. Specifically: Dynamic multicast is an IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) transmission technology. IPTV networks rely on the IGMP and PIM protocols in the control plane and the UDP protocol in the data plane to transmit live programs. It uses IGMP for group membership management and transmits MPEG-TS streams via UDP based on IP multicast technology. Terminals receive live services by joining the multicast group protocol. However, existing home network devices, such as home routers, do not adequately support IGMP and PIM (Protocol Independent Multicast) protocols. Most televisions also do not support IGMP by default. Therefore, it is necessary to configure home gateways and IPTV set-top boxes that support IGMP to solve the problem of home routers and televisions not supporting IGMP. Furthermore, during the transmission of IPTV services, the multicast source router to the host network segment router must pass through multiple intermediate routers and replication points, often relying on PON network access. To save investment in core and access network transmission bandwidth, the transmission bitrate of high-definition and ultra-high-definition programs in live services is compressed. Even with compressed bitrate transmission, the packet loss rate is difficult to meet broadcast-grade transmission standards.

[0034] Static multicast is a network used by IP broadcast technology to transmit digital television live programs. The data plane uses the same UDP multicast protocol technology as IPTV, and the TS packet encapsulation is the same as IPTV technology. However, the IGMP and PIM protocols are not enabled on the control plane. Static UDP multicast streams encapsulated by the UDP protocol are transmitted over a private network. Its transmission quality fully meets broadcast-grade transmission standards. However, home routers and televisions cannot directly receive static UDP multicast streams. Therefore, users need to configure a static UDP multicast stream receiver or a set-top box that can receive UDP multicast streams in their homes. This involves dual access to the home via broadband and broadcast networks, resulting in high access network costs.

[0035] DVB-C networks rely on QAM modulation technology to transmit digital television programs. However, TCP / IP protocols, which transmit communication and internet services, do not support one-way broadcasting using QAM modulation. Therefore, in the convergence of communication, internet, and broadcast television services, both the DVB-C and broadband networks are connected to the home simultaneously. Furthermore, home routers do not support one-way broadcasting using QAM modulation. Consequently, users need to configure a DVB-C set-top box in their homes to receive and watch broadcast television programs.

[0036] The above three modes lack compatibility with home networks, requiring users to equip their homes with dedicated gateways and set-top boxes from telecom operators. This not only results in high costs for network access but also causes significant inconvenience for users watching and using television.

[0037] Based on this, this example provides an access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system and a multi-service multiplexing access network method based on Ethernet technology. It provides each user with a dedicated physical access bandwidth of no less than 1Gbps or 10Gbps, ensuring high-quality transmission of multiple ultra-high-definition video streams. The access network central office provides a multi-mode protocol converter that simultaneously supports UDP unicast streams and NAT traversal technology to address existing issues and allows smart terminals to obtain live TV programs via HLS / DASH media streams. This protocol converter receives TS / RTP multicast streams or DVB-C broadcast streams from the front-end platform and converts them into TS / RTP unicast streams or HLS / DASH media streams before connecting them to set-top boxes or various smart terminals. This achieves support for existing content and transitions to future development needs. The transmission quality of high-definition and ultra-high-definition live programs reaches broadcast-level transmission quality, with user-perceived transmission time: no more than 300ms for UDP unicast streams and no more than 500ms for HLS / DASH media streams. The UDP unicast stream packet loss rate is no more than 10%. -6 The theoretical value for HLS / DASH media streaming transmission is zero packet loss.

[0038] By accessing the network based on Ethernet technology, the need for a dedicated home gateway on the operator's side is eliminated, reducing entry costs. Users can access all services using their own general-purpose home routers, clearly defining the asset interface. This allows for the converged transport of live TV, broadband internet access, and communication services on the same Ethernet network, reducing the complexity and cost of network construction and operation. It also supports advanced service functions such as "one household, multiple devices" (multiple devices watching different programs simultaneously) and "one device, multiple views" (a single device displaying picture-in-picture). The CENC (Common Encryption) standard encryption format and key management mechanism by the DRM system ensure that operators have manageable and controllable access at both the user and terminal levels.

[0039] Specifically, this example proposes an access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system, as well as a multi-service multiplexing access network method based on Ethernet technology. Specifically: A protocol converter server is deployed at the access network central office. Its core functions include: receiving live programs broadcast by the front-end platform via TS / RTP multicast or live services not supported by DVB-C technology, and converting them into TS / RTP unicast streams or streaming media protocol unicast streams. Specifically, the conversion to TS / RTP unicast streams is as follows: the protocol converter receives the TS / RTP multicast stream, parses out the TS or RTP layer, converts it into a TS / RTP unicast stream, and uses a NAT traversal mechanism to access the IP set-top box through the home router, supporting access for non-smart TVs. The conversion to streaming media protocol unicast streams is as follows: the protocol converter receives the aforementioned TS / RTP multicast stream, parses out the TS packets, decrypts and demultiplexes them to form the original video NALU and audio frame samples, encrypts them according to the CENC standard, encapsulates them into CMAF media fragments (.m4s) and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists, and forwards them through the HTTP service module. Smart terminals with HLS / DASH media stream players, such as mobile phones, computers, and smart TVs, receive the aforementioned streaming media protocol unicast streams through the home router, realizing multi-terminal converged access.

[0040] Furthermore, this example also includes the transmission mode of live streaming services from the broadcasting platform to the access network central office, the hardware platform for the protocol converter at the access network central office, the three-layer architecture of data layer, control layer and management layer constructed through the hardware platform operating system and various functional modules at each layer, NAT traversal method, port binding and EPG sharing method, unicast stream port pre-allocation method, content encryption and network layer authentication and authorization method, pre-caching and pre-encapsulation method, Ethernet-based multi-service multiplexing access network method, and compatibility method of protocol converter with different types of access networks, etc.

[0041] Specifically, this example provides an access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system and a multi-service multiplexing access network method based on Ethernet technology, including: a protocol converter, an Ethernet-based integrated service gateway server, an access network, and a CPN network within the user's home.

[0042] 1) The protocol converter is a core device deployed at the access network central office. It has two types of high-speed network interfaces: service-side and user-side, as well as management interfaces. The service-side interface has TS / RTP multicast stream reception capabilities and can receive UDP multicast streams broadcast from the front-end platform in either IGMP protocol-enabled (dynamic) mode or IGMP protocol-unenabled (static) mode. The user-side interface is used to output UDP unicast streams or HLS / DASH media streams. The server adopts a layered modular design, including but not limited to a data layer, control layer, and management layer, as well as multiple functional modules at each layer. It receives different protocol live broadcast services provided by the platform side in different reception modes, and parses, caches, unicasts, encapsulates, and forwards them. It can realize the overall protocol conversion function of protecting existing data and supporting smart terminals. The aforementioned protocol converter server can have two modes: TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast mode and TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast mode, as well as TS / RTP multicast to media stream mode. Mode 1 can receive UDP multicast streams from the platform side (TS over RTP over UDP over IP), and, combined with UDP multicast to UDP unicast and NAT traversal strategies, converts the UDP multicast stream into a UDP unicast stream for access to the user terminal, thus solving the compatibility issues of UDP multicast and IP broadcast for home networks and smart terminals. Mode 2, while possessing the multicast to unicast function of Mode 1, also adds the TS / RTP multicast to HLS / DASH media stream function. While fully compatible with Mode 1, it provides users with CMAF media fragments (.m4s) supporting HLS / DASH media stream players and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists, enabling multi-terminal converged access for mobile phones, computers, and smart TVs to receive live broadcast television services using streaming media protocols.

[0043] The two modes mentioned above correspond to the combination mode of the receiving platform providing multiple protocol live streaming services and being able to convert and output TS / RTP unicast streams, CMAF media fragments (.m4s) and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists. In actual deployment, different mode architectures and combinations are selected according to the actual needs of investment cost and migration speed, and include, but are not limited to, the two modes and multiple combinations mentioned above.

[0044] In order to achieve a perceived time (user channel selection / changing time) of less than 500ms during the protocol conversion process, the above-mentioned protocol converter proposes a pre-buffering mechanism in this example: all processes with large latency, such as receiving, parsing, decrypting, demultiplexing, re-encrypting, and encapsulating, are set before the buffer. The buffer contains: the RTP layer or TS packets of the UDP multicast stream. The UDP unicast stream encapsulation and forwarding function and the HTTP service function of the media file are set after the buffer. Thus, when the user selects or changes channels, the perceived time from the action to obtaining the first frame of the picture can reach less than 500ms, or even less.

[0045] 2) A multi-service aggregation / routing / DHCP service integrated service gateway server, which may include: a physical layer interface module, a Layer 2 switching module, a Layer 3 routing module, a DHCP service module, an ACL and security module, a QoS module, and a network management module. It is used for multi-service aggregation and distribution, physically aggregating broadband Internet access, protocol converter video streams, management traffic, etc., and achieving the goal of single-line access and multiple services running in parallel through routing and VLAN logical separation. The user-facing DHCP service assigns external IP addresses to the user's home router, forming an access network central office gateway. This allows high-speed live streaming service streams output by the protocol converter to bypass the platform-side BRAS server, significantly reducing the BRAS server load and static route management burden. The integrated gateway is compatible with IPv4 and IPv6 dual-stack protocols and can be smoothly upgraded to support IPv6 single-stack in the future, adapting to network development trends.

[0046] The service side of the integrated service gateway server, which provides multi-service aggregation / routing forwarding / DHCP service, provides (4) It provides high-speed broadband internet access (25G or 100G) for broadband, communication, and video-on-demand services, and offers two (4) high-speed broadband internet interfaces. The system includes high-speed UDP unicast stream and media stream interfaces (25G or 100G), UDP unicast stream output interfaces and media stream output interfaces for the access protocol converter, and multiple (10G / 25G) interfaces connecting to multiple access switches on the user side. Each access switch provides a 10G / 25G interface on its service side, which connects to the user-side interface of the integrated service gateway server. Each user is provided with an independent Ethernet (1GE / 10GE) interface, connected to the WAN port of the user's home router via an incoming cable. This architecture provides dedicated gigabit / 10-gigabit access bandwidth to each household, eliminating the need for a dedicated home gateway device from the operator.

[0047] 3) An Ethernet-based access network, using a full Ethernet architecture, extends directly from the central office to the user's home, consisting of a multi-service aggregation / routing forwarding / DHCP service integrated service gateway server, and access switches and home CPN networks connected to the access switches.

[0048] 4) User CPN network, which may include: a local area network composed of multiple terminals such as user home WiFi router, set-top box, TV, computer and mobile phone. The home router is connected to the access network cable through its WAN interface. Multiple terminals such as set-top box, TV, computer and mobile phone are connected to the router's LAN or WiFi interface to obtain multiple service services, such as IP set-top box or smart TV, connected to the LAN port of the home router. The terminal has built-in or installed client software that can perform functions such as registering with the protocol converter, obtaining port, initiating hole punching, sending playback requests and receiving decoded unicast video streams.

[0049] That is, while providing high-speed service interfaces to access the cable TV live broadcast service, communication service, broadband Internet service and video-on-demand service on the access platform side, the access network central office should also provide service management interfaces and connect to the authentication gateway and EPG server on the management platform side to realize the authentication and authorization of end users and EPG sharing.

[0050] The above solution boasts ultra-high bandwidth and service quality assurance. Direct Ethernet connection provides each household with dedicated gigabit or 10-gigabit bandwidth, completely avoiding congestion caused by PON shared bandwidth, and perfectly supporting concurrent 4K / 8K ultra-high-definition live streaming. Innovative adaptive NAT traversal strategy and UDP unicast technology enable plug-and-play functionality for existing terminals, allowing users to seamlessly bypass the home router. Initial video loading and channel switching latency are extremely low, achieving below 500 milliseconds after optimization. The multi-terminal converged streaming media protocol provides users with the best experience. The integrated service gateway combining multi-service aggregation / routing / DHCP services and Ethernet access technology eliminates the need for dedicated channels for broadcast services and home gateway equipment, reducing procurement, deployment, maintenance costs, and potential points of failure. The clear asset interface between operators and users (defined by the home router's WAN port) clarifies responsibilities and simplifies troubleshooting. The inherent port isolation mechanism supports multiple terminals within a single household independently watching different programs, as well as a single terminal implementing picture-in-picture and other multi-screen functions. The pure IP Ethernet architecture is easy to expand and upgrade, laying a high-bandwidth network foundation for future smart TV native apps to directly receive streaming media and for higher-speed services (such as VR / AR) to access the internet. The above solution can receive UDP multicast or DVB broadcast live services from the platform side and convert them into UDP unicast streams or streaming media protocol unicast streams. UDP unicast streams can be received by non-smart TVs through IP set-top boxes, protecting existing content while the media stream protocol unicast streams support converged access from various smart terminals.

[0051] like Figure 1 The diagram shown is a schematic of the access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system and the Ethernet-based multi-service multiplexing access network model provided in this example. It may include: central office equipment 0101, service side interfaces 0102 and 0103, management interface 0104, user interface 0105, access network drop cable 0106, home user 0107 and user CPN network 0108.

[0052] Among them, the Ethernet-based multi-service multiplexing access network is a series of transmission entities (e.g., lines, equipment, and transmission facilities) bounded by Service Function Nodes (SNIs), Management Function Nodes (Qs), and User Function Nodes (UNIs). It provides the transmission capacity required for multiple services and can be configured and managed via the management interface (Q3). In principle, there are no restrictions on the type and number of UNIs and SNIs that the access network can implement. According to the access network function definition, the functional structure of the access network can be divided into five basic functional groups: User Port Function (UPF), Service Port Function (SPF), Core Function (CF), Transport Function (TF), and Access Network System Management Function (AN-SMF). In the Ethernet access network, the User Function Node (UNI) is located at the user-side entrance of the access network, eliminating the need for a home gateway in the user's home, thus fully conforming to the access network interface definition. With clear functional definitions, the operator and user asset interfaces are straightforward, resulting in low entry costs and simple management and maintenance. Point-to-point transmission refers to a point-to-point transmission mechanism from the access network central office to the user end. The access network provides each user with an independent interface with a transmission rate of at least gigabit speeds, fully meeting the high-quality transmission requirements of broadband services and high-bitrate video services such as 4K / 8K / VR. The central office equipment 0101 is a collective term for multiple functional unit devices that can implement the innovative ideas proposed in this embodiment, including: a protocol conversion unit for UDP multicast service reception and parsing to convert UDP multicast to UDP unicast and UDP multicast streams to streaming media protocols; a UDP unicast service unit; a convergence, routing, and forwarding unit for communication services, broadband services, and video-on-demand services; a DHCP service unit; a comprehensive service gateway; and a Layer 2 switching unit that transparently forwards the above service ports and provides user access interfaces.

[0053] The aforementioned service-side interfaces 0102 and 0103, and management interface 0104, provide core network service interfaces and management interfaces for access network central office equipment; among them, interface 0102 can provide 10G / 25G / 100G high-speed interfaces for accessing core network communication services, broadband services, and video-on-demand services; interface 0103 can provide 2... 10G / 2 The 25G speed interface can realize port redundancy or access the core network and local platform for broadcast television live services. The management interface 0104 provides access network central office and core network management platform and remote management interface.

[0054] The aforementioned user interface 0105 and drop cable 0106 are as follows: The central office equipment can provide n or more user interfaces 0105 on the user side, and each user can be provided with a speed of at least gigabit or gigabit-ten-gigabit adaptive speed. The value of n is determined by the configuration of the central office equipment 0101, and must be at least several hundred to several thousand. The drop cable 0106 is the cable from the access network central office to the user, which can be copper cable or optical fiber medium.

[0055] like Figure 1 As shown, 0107 is one of the n home users in the access network, and 0108 is the user CPN network in the user's home, which consists of a home WiFi router (providing one WAN port, multiple LAN ports, and wireless access capabilities), a set-top box, a TV, a mobile phone, and a computer forming a local area network.

[0056] like Figure 2 The diagram illustrates a network topology of an access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system, as well as a multi-service multiplexing access network method based on Ethernet technology. It assumes that the front end provides multiple live channels (including multiple 8K, multiple 4K, and multiple HD and SD channels), and also provides communication services, broadband services, and video-on-demand services, covering a multi-user residential community. Figure 1 The protocol conversion unit, the multi-service aggregation / routing / DHCP service integrated service gateway server unit for communication services / broadband services / broadcast TV on-demand services / broadcast TV live services, and the access function unit that provides user access interfaces for the above-mentioned service ports and transparently forwards them, of the central office equipment 0101 shown, are composed of a protocol converter 0201, an integrated service gateway server 0202, 1 to M access switches 0203, and a management switch 0204 for the management platform; wherein: The protocol converter 0201 can be configured with a high-performance server, equipped with a multi-core (32-core) CPU, 256GB DDR5 memory, and a 1TB SSD. It is configured with dual-port 25G smart network cards as the service-side interface 0205 of the protocol converter 0201, receiving different protocol live streaming services provided by the live streaming service platform; and is configured with 100G or 4G... The 25G port smart network card serves as the 0207 forwarding interface for user-side UDP unicast streams; configured with 100G or 4G... The 25G port smart network card serves as the 0208 forwarding interface for user-side media streams. The protocol converter server is equipped with custom software optimized based on the operating system and DPDK, enabling multiple functional modules such as receiving and parsing, buffering, and unicast encapsulation and forwarding.

[0057] The integrated service gateway server 0202 is a high-performance server equipped with a 4-8 core CPU and 64GB of memory, supporting 400Gbps backplane bandwidth. It provides three 4-core CPUs on the service side. It features a 25G or 100G high-speed network card, two 10G management interfaces, and multiple 10G or 25G high-speed interfaces on the user side. This enables the reception, aggregation, routing, and forwarding of unicast streams from communication services, broadband services, broadcast TV on-demand services, and live streaming services output by the protocol converter, as well as DHCP service functions for home networks.

[0058] At the central office, one integrated service gateway server (0202) is deployed, encompassing multiple services including communication, broadband, video-on-demand, and live broadcasting, as well as routing and forwarding / DHCP services. It supports 100G or 4G networks. The integrated network management system consists of 25G uplink interfaces 0209, 0212, and 0213, management interfaces 0210 and 0211, and 16, 24, 32, or 48 (optional) 10G / 25G downlink interfaces 0214. It receives and aggregates unicast streams forwarded by the protocol converter, performs routing and forwarding of communication services / broadband services / broadcast TV on-demand services, and provides DHCP services. Multiple access switches 0203 are deployed at suitable locations within the community, each equipped with a 10G / 25G uplink interface 0215, which connects to the downlink interface 0214 (i.e., user-side interface) of the integrated service gateway server 0202. The user side of the access switches 0203 provides 48 1G or 10G downlink user interfaces 0105. The integrated gateway server and access switches are connected via fiber optic cables, and each household is connected from the access switches via Category 5 or fiber-to-the-home cables 0106.

[0059] In one embodiment, the access switch 0203 can be composed of a port aggregation transparent forwarding Layer 2 switching unit module 0216 and an access network transmission medium adaptation module 0218, realizing port aggregation, service reception, service multiplexing, Layer 2 forwarding, and transmission medium adaptation functions, adapting to copper cable or fiber optic access environments. The number of interfaces and interface speed of the aforementioned central office equipment can be reduced or increased according to requirements.

[0060] In one embodiment, the integrated service gateway server 0202 provides a service management interface 0210 and connects to the user-side interface 0220 of the management switch 0204 of the management platform through a 10G interface. It also connects to the user management, authentication and authorization, EPG server and network management server through the service-side interface 0219 of the management switch 0204 to realize the management services of the service and operation support system. In one embodiment, the UDP multicast-to-unicast protocol converter 0201 provides a service-side interface 0205 and a management interface 0206. The service-side interface 0205 of the protocol converter 0201 receives multicast services from the core network cable TV live streaming platform, while the management interface 0206 accesses the core network management platform, EPG server, and authentication gateway through an integrated service server to achieve EPG synchronization, authentication and authorization, signaling transmission, and forwarding of UDP multicast-to-unicast protocol services. The user's home uses a general-purpose home router that supports gigabit or 10-gigabit (adaptive) electrical or optical WAN ports and NAT functionality. Terminals can be traditional IP set-top boxes and various smart terminals.

[0061] The aforementioned protocol converter server can be configured in two modes: TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast, TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast, and TS / RTP multicast to media stream. Mode 1 can receive UDP multicast streams from the platform side (TS over RTP over UDP over IP), and, combined with UDP multicast to UDP unicast and NAT traversal strategies, convert the UDP multicast stream into a UDP unicast stream for access to the user terminal, thus addressing the insufficient compatibility of UDP multicast and IP broadcast with home networks and smart terminals. Mode 2, while possessing the TS / RTP multicast to unicast function of Mode 1, also adds the TS / RTP multicast to HLS / DASH media stream function. While fully compatible with Mode 1, it provides users with CMAF media fragments (.m4s) supporting HLS / DASH media stream players and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists, enabling multi-terminal converged access for mobile phones, computers, and smart TVs to receive live broadcast television services using streaming media protocols.

[0062] Mode 1: Mode 1 is the TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast mode. It can utilize the existing broadcast system TS Over RTPOver UDP multicast stream broadcast platform, combined with UDP multicast to UDP unicast and NAT traversal strategies, to access the UDP unicast stream to the user terminal, so as to solve the problem of insufficient compatibility of UDP multicast and IP broadcast with home terminals.

[0063] like Figure 3The diagram illustrates the functionality of the protocol converter in the access network central office equipment for converting TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast mode. The TS / RTP multicast stream live broadcast platform 0301 and the protocol converter 0201 may include: a UDP multicast stream receiving module 0302, a UDP multicast stream parsing module 0303, a buffer management module 0304, a UDP unicast encapsulation and forwarding module 0305, and a unicast stream output interface 0306. The protocol converter 0201 is only the functional implementation of the protocol converter. To achieve the above functions, the protocol converter may also include: hierarchical management of the data layer, control layer, and management layer, and multiple functional modules 0308 for each layer, and have an operating system and hardware platform capable of supporting multiple functional modules.

[0064] The UDP multicast stream receiving module 0302 receives the CA-encrypted TS / RTP multicast stream broadcast from the live broadcast platform 0301 via its service-side interface and forwards it to the UDP multicast stream parsing module 0303. The UDP multicast stream parsing module 0303 parses the TS packets of the multicast stream and forwards them to the buffer management module 0304 for caching. The buffer management module maintains a fixed-duration (5s) circular buffer for each channel, numbered by the program ID. After receiving each program's TS packet, the buffer management module caches it in the corresponding circular buffer numbered by the program ID, using IDR frames as the buffer. The index, UDP unicast encapsulation and forwarding module 0305, quickly locates the destination program buffer based on the ID number of the requested program. It reads the TS packet from the most recent IDR frame, encapsulates it into a TS / RTP unicast stream, and then forwards it to the destination user through the unicast stream output interface 0306 and the forwarding interface 0207. This realizes the protocol conversion and forwarding from UDP multicast to UDP unicast. It also accesses the user's router's WAN port via Ethernet technology access network. The user can receive and play the program through the LAN port of the home router, or through a smart TV, or through an IP set-top box and a non-smart TV.

[0065] To achieve the aforementioned functions, the protocol converter server must also have multiple functional modules and corresponding mechanisms and policies in its control layer, including port binding, unicast stream receiving port pre-allocation, NAT traversal mechanism, EPG synchronization, authentication and authorization, and session management. In one embodiment, the port binding mechanism is as follows: the system binds the channel ID, program name, multicast IP, multicast port, cache number, unicast source IP, and unicast source port of the received program. The protocol converter and the receiving terminal obtain these binding relationships through the system EPG sharing method. The core purpose is that the protocol converter knows the ID, name, multicast address, and multicast port of the received program; the cache manager knows the cache area for each program data cache; the unicast encapsulation and forwarding module knows the destination cache area for the user's requested program; and the user terminal knows the source IP and source port of the unicast stream. This achieves consistency in receiving, parsing, caching, and request forwarding, minimizes the number of round trips in request forwarding, reduces system latency, and obtains the best perceived time.

[0066] Specifically, taking the broadcast of 198 live channels as an example:

[0067] Among them, the unicast source IP and unicast source port are the protocol converter IP address and unicast stream forwarding port address, respectively.

[0068] Through the port binding relationships described above, the broadcast end arranges the ID / name / multicast address / multicast port of the broadcast program according to this relationship; the protocol converter receives, parses, and buffers the program according to this relationship; the user end requests according to this relationship; and the unicast stream encapsulation module quickly finds the destination program, encapsulates it, and forwards it according to this relationship. While these ports and addresses can be dynamically allocated within the system, for certain specific functions, pre-binding IP addresses and port addresses makes it easier to implement NAT traversal strategies and facilitates maintenance.

[0069] In one embodiment, the unicast stream receiving port number is the port address of the user terminal device that receives the unicast stream; from the perspective of the protocol converter, this is the destination port address of the UDP unicast stream. There are two ways for the terminal to obtain this address: one is for the terminal to allocate a port address for itself from the port range of 50000-60000 through its own operating system, such as 52001, which is called dynamic allocation; the other is for the protocol converter to manage a high-segment port pool of 50000-60000, and when the terminal device registers, it is allocated two addresses, such as 50001 and 50002. The core purpose is to avoid port conflicts as much as possible.

[0070] The specific implementation is as follows: A port management module is set up in the protocol converter control layer to manage the high-segment port pool of 50000-60000. When a terminal is powered on and registered, two port addresses are assigned according to the registration order, such as 50001 and 50002. The unicast stream receiving port of each terminal is managed according to the lease period, so that the assigned address can be reclaimed in time when the terminal fails. The allocation and management are carried out in an incremental manner to ensure that the unicast stream receiving port address of all terminals under each protocol converter is unique.

[0071] In one embodiment, the NAT traversal strategy effectively solves the technical difficulties of NAT traversal in scenarios where UDP unicast streams are accessed through a home router to a set-top box or smart TV, and can also achieve UDP broadcast to UDP unicast access to the user end. Home routers all have Network Address Translation (NAT) functionality. Most home routers enable NAT by default to ensure private network security, and NAT is friendly to the TCP protocol. This is because TCP is connection-oriented; the TCP state machine allows NAT to explicitly know when a connection starts and ends. TCP tells NAT "connection started" and "connection ended" at the protocol level, so TCP NAT mappings can be maintained for a long time (e.g., 24 hours). UDP, however, is connectionless and does not have the function of telling NAT "connection started" and "connection ended," so NAT can only guess and delete the mapping using timeout, typically within 30 to 60 seconds. This system prevents IP multicast packets from the external network or unestablished UDP unicast connections from establishing long-term connections with video receiving terminals (e.g., set-top boxes) on the internal network. Existing solutions either require users to manually configure complex rules such as IGMP listening and static port mapping on the router, which places high demands on users' technical skills and is difficult to scale up; or they use application layer gateways (ALG) or session traversal tools (STUN), but their efficiency and stability are insufficient in scenarios such as live video streaming with high traffic, low latency, and long-term connections, making it difficult to guarantee high-quality transmission of broadcast television programs. As a result, DVB broadcast or IP broadcast uses both PON and broadcast networks for home access, which not only results in high home access costs but also makes it difficult to solve terminal compatibility issues.

[0072] To address this issue, this example proposes that the intranet set-top box obtains the NAT mapping policy by punching a hole (sending a NAT mapping probe packet) to the protocol converter via the home router. The set-top box pre-obtains the protocol converter's IP address and the agreed-upon UDP unicast source port 6000 through EPG sharing and port binding mechanisms. It is agreed that after the set-top box completes its power-on registration, it uses the intranet port obtained during registration to send a hole-punching packet from the intranet to the protocol converter's port 6000 on the external network. The NAT mapping management module within the protocol converter monitors in real time each set-top box's connection to the protocol converter's port 6000 via the home router. After port punching (NAT traversal detection packet), the public IP and public port are mapped. The set-top box informs the protocol converter of the internal IP and port number in the punching packet. The NAT mapping management module records the set-top box ID, MAC, internal IP, internal port, and the public IP and public port obtained by punching. It maps the public IP and public port to the destination IP and destination port of the UDP unicast stream, so as to provide the destination IP and port for unicast stream forwarding to the unicast forwarding layer, manage heartbeat keep-alive and mapping timeout, and ensure the uniqueness and real-time keep-alive between the UDP stream forwarding source port 6000 and the destination port.

[0073] The aforementioned real-time keep-alive refers to the following: once the set-top box completes hole punching and successfully communicates with the protocol converter, it periodically sends heartbeat packets to inform the NAT that the local machine is receiving UDP unicast streams, thus preventing the NAT from deleting the mapping relationship due to UDP communication timeout.

[0074] The NAT traversal strategy solves the problem of requiring a dedicated gateway from the operator in a home when two networks (communication services, broadband services, and broadcast services) are connected to the home, or when they use the same access network. This applies to set-top boxes, non-smart TVs, and smart TVs. Under the NAT mapping strategy disclosed herein, users can directly receive broadcast TV UDP unicast streams through their home router without needing a dedicated gateway from the operator.

[0075] Specifically: The system stipulates that the UDP unicast stream source port of the protocol converter is uniformly set to port 6000, and this port is also designated as the NAT traversal detection port. After the set-top box is powered on, it first obtains an internal network IP address from the home router, such as A:192.168.1.100. Simultaneously, during startup registration, it obtains two high-segment ports from the protocol converter's port management module, such as 50001 and 50002. It then uses its internal network address 192.168.1.100:50001 to perform a NAT traversal once to the protocol converter's UDP unicast stream port 6000. Set-top box: Internal network 192.168.1.100:50001, Public network 203.0.113.10:55000 (target port 6000); Hole punching result: Public IP and public port are 203.03.113.10:55000.

[0076] The NAT mapping management module monitors each set-top box's attempts to punch a hole (NAT traversal detection packet) on its port 6000 in real time. It obtains the mapping relationship between the set-top box's internal IP address, internal port, ID, MAC address, and public IP address and port. It then binds the set-top box's public IP address and public port to the internal IP address and internal port used when punching a hole on port 6000, providing this as the destination IP address and destination port for unicast stream forwarding. This forms a NAT mapping relationship for the data forwarding layer to send UDP unicast streams through port 6000, ensuring the uniqueness between the source and destination ports of the unicast stream. The set-top box sends port keep-alive heartbeats on time to ensure port activity, and the NAT mapping management module manages the keep-alive heartbeats and mapping timeouts.

[0077] The core purpose of designating port 6000 as the unicast source port is to minimize the number of round trips and latency when set-top boxes behind different NATs request programs. Assuming there are 198 programs, the system can bind UDP unicast source ports 6001 to 6198 as protocol converters. Cone NAT has a one-to-many characteristic; after obtaining a mapping by punching a hole to a port, all set-top boxes can receive UDP unicast streams forwarded from any port from 6001 to 6198 through the public IP address and port mapped by the hole. For example, set-top box A behind a cone NAT obtains an external network mapping of 203.0.113.10:55000 by punching a hole to port 6000. When requesting any program from ports 6001 to 6198, such as 6006, the protocol converter sends the program requested by set-top box A through port 6006. The destination IP and destination port are 203.0.113.10:55000. Set-top box A can receive the unicast stream forwarded from the source port 6006. However, for symmetric NAT, because it has a one-to-one unique mapping characteristic, after obtaining the mapping on the hole punching port, it can only obtain the UDP unicast stream from the hole punching port. UDP unicast streams forwarded from any port from 6001 to 6198 are discarded. Suppose set-top box B, behind symmetric NAT, punches a hole to port 6000 to obtain an external network mapping of 203.0.113.20:55001. When set-top box B requests program 6009, the protocol converter forwards the request through 6009. Due to the uniqueness of symmetric NAT, the requested program 6009 is discarded by the home router. The solution is for set-top box B to punch a hole to port 6009 again, the protocol converter re-NAT maps the port and retransmits the requested UDP unicast stream. Moreover, the hole punching and mapping are repeated every time a channel is switched, which not only consumes a lot of CPU resources, but also makes the channel switching speed much slower than that of a set-top box behind conical NAT.

[0078] To address the aforementioned issues, the system designates UDP port 6000 of the protocol converter as both the unicast stream source port and the NAT mapping port. The NAT mapping management module records the public IP address and port number generated by each set-top box's NAT mapping to port 6000 as the destination IP address and port number of the unicast stream, and provides this information to the unicast stream forwarding module. All requests for programs from all set-top boxes are sent to port 6000 of the protocol converter. After receiving each set-top box's program request, the protocol converter uses the public IP address and port number generated by the NAT mapping to port 6000 for each set-top box as the destination IP address and port number of the unicast stream, and forwards the unicast stream request through the unified port 6000. The program is accessed by each set-top box through a mapping path between the internal and external networks obtained by punching a hole in port 6000. This ensures that all set-top boxes behind different NATs experience the same thing, and unifies the request and sending ports to guarantee the uniqueness of the connection for requests and forwarding. This ensures that set-top boxes behind different NATs receive the same treatment, and the time for channel selection and switching is the same. Otherwise, set-top boxes behind symmetric NAT would have to punch a hole every time they switch channels, which would not only consume a lot of CPU resources, but also make channel switching much slower than set-top boxes behind conical NAT. However, by handling different NAT mappings in the above way, set-top boxes behind different NATs receive the same treatment, solving the problem of UDP stream NAT traversal. After each set-top box registers and successfully performs hole punching, it initiates a program request (HTTP) through the signaling channel. The protocol converter session management, authentication and authorization module, and NAT mapping management module work together. The data layer forwards the user-requested program to the destination user through a unified port 6000 and the NAT mapping path. The terminal obtains the requested unicast stream on the internal network port 50001. At the same time, the set-top box sends a heartbeat to port 6000 at the agreed time to ensure the keep-alive of the mapped port. Therefore, the inbound UDP packets on the protocol converter port 6000 are hole punching packets and heartbeat packets, and the outbound packets are the UDP unicast streams requested by all set-top boxes.

[0079] Furthermore, considering that new problems may arise after solving the NAT traversal issue, with the unicast port agreed to be 6000, as long as one terminal watches the same program at the same time within the access network and in the home, there will be no IP and port conflicts because the public IP and internal IP of the set-top box are different. However, it cannot support the picture-in-picture function of one device for multiple viewers. To solve this problem, in this example, when the unicast stream is encapsulated into an IP packet of TS Over RTP Over UDP Over IP, SSRC (Synchronization Source Identifier) ​​is added to the RTP layer as a unique identifier for program stream identification. This is an international standard field of the RTP protocol standard, which can solve the picture-in-picture function of one household for multiple devices and one device for multiple viewers.

[0080] In one embodiment, to ensure rapid program request and forwarding between the protocol converter and the user terminal, the system proposes adding a port binding relationship between UDP multicast streams and UDP unicast streams in the system EPG file. When a user clicks to watch a program, the set-top box sends a program request according to the key descriptor of the binding relationship. The protocol converter quickly finds the buffer of the target program according to the binding relationship, reads the TS over RTP or clean TS packet of the target program from the most recent IDR frame, encapsulates the unicast stream, and forwards the UDP unicast stream of the target program requested by the set-top box through the pre-bound unicast stream source port. To achieve this, the protocol converter must meet the functions of EPG sharing, EPG hosting, and EPG mirroring.

[0081] like Figure 4 As shown, EPG sharing can include: EPG file 0401 shared by set-top box and protocol converter, port mapping table 0402, program guide file displayed by set-top box to user 0403, filter points of shared file between set-top box and protocol converter 0404, and classification tables 0405 and 0406 for parts used by set-top box and protocol converter. Among them, port mapping table 0402 contains the technical mapping content required in the configuration files of set-top box and protocol converter, and set-top box and protocol converter each obtain their own tables.

[0082] For the binding relationship, the IP address of the protocol converter is also included, which the set-top box needs to know. After these binding relationships are established, the protocol converter receives multicast streams according to this relationship and caches TS Over RTP or clean TS packets according to the binding partition. When the set-top box requests a program according to this binding relationship, the protocol conversion server quickly finds the destination program buffer, reads the destination program TS Over RTP or clean TS packets from the most recent IDR frame, quickly encapsulates them into a UDP unicast stream, and forwards it to the destination set-top box through the bound unicast source port, thereby minimizing the number of receive buffering, read encapsulation, and request return operations, as well as latency issues.

[0083] After adding the aforementioned port binding relationships to the system EPG file, the EPG file can provide electronic program guide data to the protocol converter and set-top box by splitting it into a "technical mapping section" (channel and address port binding relationships) and a "service information section" (program guide), which are then available for the protocol converter and user terminal equipment to access as needed. The "technical mapping section" (channel and address port binding relationships) of the EPG file contains the binding relationships between the protocol converter's IP address and unicast stream port used in the system for receiving, parsing, buffering, reading, encapsulating, forwarding, and requesting programs from the set-top box. The service information section (program guide) of the EPG file is the program menu displayed to the user by the set-top box through the television, including which channel starts at what time, what programs are broadcast at what time, and information such as pay channels and on-demand programs, as well as waterfall layouts and recommendations. Sharing means that both the protocol converter and the set-top box obtain the technical mapping (multicast and unicast addresses) and service information (program guide, metadata) from the EPG server. Both the protocol converter and the set-top box share this complete EPG file, filtering out their respective portions to ensure data synchronization.

[0084] Shared data source (database / file), channel and port binding relationships, program guides, metadata: Protocol converter: Extract: Channel and port binding relationship: used for configuration management of related modules; Set-top box: Extraction: Channel and port binding relationship: used for on-demand playback of target programs based on the binding relationship; Extraction: Program schedule and metadata: Display of user menu.

[0085] Protocol converter and set-top box share data:

[0086] After the aforementioned 6000 serves as a unified port for each unicast stream, in order to support the functions of one machine for multiple screens and one screen for multiple pictures (picture-in-picture), when the unicast stream is encapsulated into an IP packet of TS Oer RTP Over UDP Over IP, an SSRC (Synchronization Source) is added at the RTP layer to serve as a unique identifier for program stream identification.

[0087] The SSRC identifier can be: SSRC = Program ID 1000 001 1000=1000 002 1000=2000 .............. 198 1000 = 198000 EPG metadata required by the set-top box: 1) Network Information Table: The EPG master "directory" lists transport flows in the network, and the services under each transport flow; 2) Business Description Table: Business ID, Business Provider Name, Business Name, Business Type; 3) Service Attribute Table: Describes all program services and their basic attributes in the current transport stream; 4) Event Information Table: Event ID, Start Time, Duration, Program Title, Program Name, Program Description, Program Details, Program Type, Content Rating, Display Language, Audio Track Information; 5) Time Offset Table: The offset relationship between the local time zone and UTC time, ensuring that the local time is displayed.

[0088] Both the protocol converter and the set-top box obtain this file via file sharing (such as NFS) or HTTP, and then each takes what they need. The protocol converter only needs to read the channel_mappings part, while the set-top box needs to read both channel_mappings and emg_programs.

[0089] In this example, the file can be provided via an HTTP service, or it can be shared directly. If using HTTP, two interfaces can be provided: one returning the complete shared file (for the set-top box), and the other returning only the `channel_mappings` portion (for the protocol converter). This way, the protocol converter only needs to obtain the `channel_mappings`, while the set-top box receives the complete data. However, since both interfaces source their data from the same file, consistency is guaranteed.

[0090] In one embodiment, during the authentication and authorization process, the protocol converter also has identity authentication and permission management functions. The authentication and authorization module completes the authentication and authorization process. The core functions of the authentication and authorization module are: identity authentication, permission verification, session management, and security auditing.

[0091] Authentication and authorization can be implemented in various ways, including real-time API calls, data synchronization and local verification, and hybrid approaches. In practice, this can be achieved through a protocol converter with a built-in authentication module or a separate authentication gateway. However, these approaches may involve the protocol conversion unit directly interfacing with the BOSS system, increasing the complexity of the protocol conversion unit, introducing more latency, and impacting its core data stream forwarding functionality. To minimize the complexity of the protocol converter and maintain the core functionality of the dedicated data stream forwarding function, an authentication and authorization mode that bypasses the protocol converter's token verification is adopted.

[0092] In one embodiment, the system is divided into three specialized components: such as Figure 5 The diagram shows the local authentication architecture for authentication gateway deployment and data synchronization, which may include: set-top box 0501, protocol converter 0502, authentication gateway 0503, and business support system 0504, wherein: Set-top box 0501 is used to receive UDP unicast streams by obtaining a token; Protocol converter 0502 is designed for efficient forwarding of media streams while maintaining technical integrity. Authentication gateway 0503 is used to specifically handle all user authentication and permission checks. Business Support System 0504 is used for the company's existing user management, billing, and package systems.

[0093] When a user turns on the set-top box to watch a program, the entire process begins, and the authentication and authorization process can be as follows: Figure 6 As shown, it includes: 1) User login and identity authentication: S1-1: Set-top box 0501 first sends a login request to authentication gateway 0503, providing username, password and device identifier.

[0094] S1-2: Upon receiving a request, authentication gateway 0503 communicates directly with the enterprise's business support system 0504 to verify the legitimacy of the user's identity.

[0095] S1-3: The business support system 0504 checks the user account status, password correctness, device binding relationship, etc., and returns the verification result to the authentication gateway 0503.

[0096] S1-4: Based on the verification result, if the user is legitimate, the authentication gateway creates a temporary session credential for the user. This credential contains the user's basic information and validity period. The authentication gateway sends this token to set-top box 0501 and simultaneously records this session information in its own database.

[0097] 2) Channel Selection and Permission Check: Users browse the electronic program guide on the set-top box and select the channel they want to watch, such as "CCTV-1 HD Channel." The set-top box needs to confirm whether the user has permission to watch this channel. S2-1: The set-top box contacts the authentication gateway again, saying, "User [user's name], using device [device's name], wants to watch channel 1001." Upon receiving the request, the authentication gateway first verifies the validity of the session credentials, ensuring they are valid and not expired.

[0098] S2-2: If the credentials are valid, the authentication gateway then contacts the business support system to inquire: "Does user XXX's package include channel 1001? Is the user in arrears? Has the maximum number of devices that can watch simultaneously been reached? Is the user in an allowed geographical area?"

[0099] S2-3: The business support system provides a clear authorization or denial response based on the user's purchased package, account balance, current usage, etc.

[0100] S2-4: The authentication gateway prevents the set-top box from directly connecting to its selected protocol converter. Instead, it uses a "redirection" mechanism. It gives the set-top box a special "redirection token" containing all the necessary information: which protocol converter, which port, which channel, and the validity period. This token is cryptographically signed to prevent forgery.

[0101] S2-5: The authentication gateway securely notifies the selected protocol converter in advance of a redirection message token, requesting that the converter verify the token before providing service. This notification can be accomplished through a shared database, message queue, or a direct secure interface.

[0102] 3) Redirection and Streaming Services: S3-1: After the set-top box receives the redirection token, it directly connects to the protocol converter and displays the token, network address, and port.

[0103] S3-2: The protocol converter verifies the token's validity—checking the signature, validity period, channel information, etc. After successful verification, the protocol converter begins a UDP unicast stream to the address and port specified on the set-top box. Throughout the stream forwarding process, the protocol converter does not need to know who the viewer is, what their subscription plan is, or how much they have paid. It only needs to know that the request is legally authorized and then provide high-quality streaming media forwarding services.

[0104] 4) Maintain the session until the session ends or the channel is switched.

[0105] During viewing, the authentication gateway continuously monitors the session status. If the user switches to another channel, the set-top box will again perform a permission check through the authentication gateway, obtain a new redirect token, and then connect to a new or identical protocol converter.

[0106] If the user stops watching, the set-top box notifies the authentication gateway that the session has ended. The authentication gateway then clears the session information and may notify the protocol converter to release related resources. If the user's inactivity for an extended period causes the session to time out, the authentication gateway will automatically clean up expired sessions to ensure that system resources are not wasted.

[0107] Different protocols are used for different types of communication throughout the process: Between the authentication gateway and the set-top box: A RESTful API based on HTTP / HTTPS is used, which is a standard web technology that is easy to develop and maintain. The communication content mainly consists of control information and business data.

[0108] Between the authentication gateway and the business support system: the use of internal enterprise integration interfaces (e.g., SOAP, REST, gRPC, etc.) depends on the existing system's technical architecture. These interfaces handle core business logic.

[0109] Between the authentication gateway and the protocol converter: a lightweight control interface is used, possibly based on HTTP or a dedicated control protocol. Communication primarily involves service authorization and state synchronization.

[0110] Between the set-top box and the protocol converter: The media stream is transmitted using the efficient UDP protocol, which is the standard practice for streaming media, ensuring real-time performance and low latency.

[0111] In one embodiment, the authentication and authorization system from the set-top box to the authentication gateway to the protocol converter uses the protocol converter's public key to obtain a local authentication implementation scheme. The relationship diagram between the set-top box, protocol converter, authentication gateway, and BOSS system is shown below. Figure 7 As shown: Set-top box 0701 requests an authentication token from authentication gateway 0703. The authentication gateway authenticates the set-top box based on the information presented by the set-top box by the backend BOSS system 0704. After successful authentication, the gateway issues a valid token with anti-counterfeiting features to the set-top box and simultaneously issues a verification public key to the protocol converter. After receiving the token, the set-top box presents the token to request a program from the protocol converter 0702. At this time, the protocol converter already has the verification public key issued by the authentication gateway. The protocol converter verifies the authenticity and validity of the token using the public key. After successful verification, the protocol converter sends the UDP unicast stream of the target program according to the requested program on the token. This process continues until the session ends or the channel is switched. During this period, the token is continuously updated and re-verified to maintain user permissions and token validity.

[0112] like Figure 8 The following is a flowchart of the token verification process for this example, including: S1-1: The set-top box registers and authenticates with the authentication gateway; S1-2: The authentication gateway requests backend authentication from the BOSS system; S1-3: The BOSS system returns authentication to the authentication gateway; S1-4: The authentication gateway issues a token to the set-top box; S2: The authentication gateway pushes the public key to the protocol converter (or the protocol converter pulls the public key). S3-1: The set-top box presents a token to the protocol converter to request a program; S3-2: The protocol converter sends the destination program UDP unicast stream to the set-top box.

[0113] from Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, obtaining local authentication using the protocol converter's public key is an efficient solution. The business rules in user authentication include user identity verification, package validity checks, paid channel authorization, device quantity limits, and regional access control. In actual implementation, these can be expanded, modified, and selected according to requirements. Furthermore, user authentication can be integrated with the enterprise's user management system, billing system, and customer relationship management system. All these processes bypass the protocol converter, significantly reducing its complexity and hardware costs while ensuring dedicated data forwarding functionality.

[0114] Specifically, public key management includes: periodically fetching the latest public key from the authentication gateway (e.g., hourly), storing and managing multiple public keys (supporting multiple authentication gateways), and handling public key rotation and expiration. Token verification includes: verifying the anti-counterfeiting signature of the token (using the corresponding public key), checking the token's validity period, verifying whether the user has the right to watch the requested channel, and optionally: verifying device binding. Result return includes: returning the verification result (pass / reject), and returning user information (e.g., a list of viewable channels).

[0115] In one embodiment, the process by which an access network user terminal obtains a UDP unicast stream from a protocol converter via Ethernet is as follows: Taking 198 program streams as an example, the multicast addresses and ports are planned as follows: 239.1.1.1:5000 to 239.1.1.198:5000. The service-side network card on the protocol converter is configured to join all the above multicast groups (if in IGMP dynamic mode) or enter promiscuous mode (if in static flooding mode) to receive the streams. The system EPG server establishes a channel mapping table shared by the set-top box and the protocol converter, including program ID, program name, multicast port, unicast source port, burrowing port, and unicast source IP. The protocol converter synchronizes the channel mapping table from the EPG server and configures the mapping tables for the UDP multicast stream receiving, parsing, buffering, and forwarding modules through its configuration management module. The protocol converter includes a port management module for set-top boxes to receive UDP unicast streams. This module manages a high-segment UDP port pool (50000-60000). When a set-top box boots up and registers with the protocol converter via HTTP, the port management module pre-allocates two UDP ports (e.g., 50001 and 50002) to the registered set-top box. Port allocation is sequential, ensuring the uniqueness of the port obtained by each set-top box under each protocol converter. The purpose is to minimize the risk of port conflicts in the system's NAT traversal mechanism while resolving issues related to multiple devices per household and multiple playback on a single device. (Alternatively, the set-top box can allocate a UDP unicast stream receiving port (e.g., 52001) from a high-segment port (50000-60000) through its operating system.) Optional: Binding a UDP port (6000) as the UDP hole-punching port from the intranet to the home router to the protocol converter. The mechanism ensures that after the set-top box is powered on, it punches a hole in the UDP port 6000 of the protocol converter through the assigned UDP port 50001. This allows the NAT mapping module of the protocol converter to obtain the NAT mapping relationship between the set-top box's public IP address and public port after passing through the home router's NAT (Network Address Translation). The NAT mapping management module within the protocol converter records the public IP address and public port of the corresponding port 6000. The NAT mapping management module provides the public IP address and public port of port 6000 for each set-top box to be punched to the unicast forwarding module. After each set-top box successfully punches the hole, it requests the destination program stream from port 6000 of the protocol converter. The unicast stream forwarding module of the protocol converter sets the destination port based on the public IP address and public port mapped to port 6000 for each set-top box, and forwards the destination unicast stream to the destination set-top box through the unicast source port 6000.

[0116] In actual implementation, the sequence diagram of the set-top box obtaining internal and external network IPs and multicast ports, as well as the service activation process and port management and NAT mapping table, can be as follows: Figure 9 and Figure 10As shown, the user connects the WAN port of the home router to the incoming cable provided by the operator (if the incoming cable is fiber optic and the WAN port is electrical, an optical-to-electrical converter is required). The home router obtains a public IP address from the operator's network via DHCP: 203.0.113.10.

[0117] like Figure 9 The diagram shown is a sequence diagram of the terminal device registration and operation process of the protocol conversion system. Figure 10 The diagram illustrates the port management and NAT mapping management of the protocol conversion system. The registration and execution process may include: Step 1: Set-top box power-on registration: i.e. Figure 9 T1.1 and T1.2: When the user turns on the set-top box, the set-top box obtains an internal network IP address from the home router, such as 192.168.1.100; Step 2: The set-top box automatically executes the initialization process, i.e. Figure 9 T2.1 and T2.2: Send a registration to the HTTP registration interface of the protocol converter (assuming the IP is 10.0.0.100), including its device ID and MAC address, and obtain two pre-assigned ports: 50001 and 50001; Step 3: Set-top box NAT mapping: i.e. Figure 9 T3.1 to T3.4: The set-top box uses the assigned UDP port 50001 to send a hole punching packet to the server port 6000 through the home router, so that the server associates the internal IP:port and the external IP:port; Hole punching successful: NAT mapping: 55000; Step 4: The set-top box requests a unicast stream: i.e. Figure 9 In T4.1 and T4.4: The set-top box uses its assigned internal network port and internal network IP to request the program from port 6000 of the protocol converter. 192.168.1.100:50001:6000, the set-top box receives the requested destination program UDP unicast stream on port 50001; Step 5: Maintain the session, continuously receive data, and keep the public port alive with a heartbeat until the session terminates or the channel is switched. Figure 9 T5 in the middle.

[0118] In the example above, each household should have a stable bandwidth of no less than 940Mbps when accessing the GE interface; for both power-on viewing and channel switching, over 95% of requests should display the first frame within 150 milliseconds; for 20 mainstream home routers on the market, the NAT traversal success rate should reach 100%; when two TVs in the same household are simultaneously watching different 4K / 8K programs, the picture should be smooth without any stuttering; when a user purchases a 500M broadband service, at least 400M of bandwidth should still be available for watching live broadcasts. Channel switching perception time: no more than 300ms for set-top boxes and no more than 500ms for smart terminals.

[0119] In one embodiment, the input signal for Mode 1 can also be a TS / QAM modulated broadcast stream from the DVB-C platform. Figure 3 The TS / RTP multicast stream broadcast service platform 0301 shown broadcasts a QAM modulated broadcast stream after CA encryption of the TS stream. The UDP multicast stream receiving module 0302 and the UDP multicast stream parsing module 0303 of the protocol converter 0201 receive and parse the QAM broadcast stream. After the TS packet is parsed by the UDP multicast stream parsing module 0303, it is cached by the forwarding buffer management module, realizing the protocol conversion from QAM to TS / RTP unicast stream.

[0120] In one embodiment, Mode 2 is a TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast and TS / RTP multicast to media stream mode. It has the TS / RTP multicast to unicast function of Mode 1, and adds CA decryption to DRM re-encryption and TS / RTP multicast to HLS / DASH media stream function. While being fully compatible with Mode 1, it provides users with CMAF media fragments (.m4s) and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists to support HLS / DASH media stream players, enabling multi-terminal converged access for mobile phones, computers and TVs to receive live broadcast and on-demand services.

[0121] like Figure 11The diagram illustrates the functionality of the protocol converter on the access network's central office equipment in implementing TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast and TS / RTP multicast to media stream modes. While fully meeting the requirements of Mode 1 for implementing TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast streams for live streaming services, a TS decryption, demultiplexing, re-encryption, and encapsulation module 1102 and an HTTP service module 1103 are added. This not only ensures the protection of the original encrypted UDP unicast stream received by the set-top box, but also allows the newly added TS decryption, demultiplexing, and re-encryption and encapsulation module 1102 to read encrypted TS packets from the cache, parse them, and write them to the cache management module 0304. It then decrypts and demultiplexes these packets, generates original video NALU and audio frame sample files that can be loaded into the mdat-box, implements standard DRM encryption on the NALU payload, loads it into the mdat-box, and generates an encrypted mdat description file which is then loaded into the moof. The box is encapsulated into a CMAF media fragment, forming a CMAF media fragment (.m4s) and the corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd list, which are then forwarded to the cache management module 0304 for caching. This allows the HTTP service module 1103 to forward the target media stream list and media files requested by various smart terminals to the target user through the media stream module 1104, realizing the conversion of TS / RTP multicast to HLS / DASH media streams. This is compatible with the access of smart terminals with the system APP installed. After the smart TV installs the system APP, it can listen to and watch live broadcast TV programs without the need for a set-top box.

[0122] Mode 2 receives and is compatible with CA-encrypted multicast streams broadcast from the front end. Figure 3 While outputting UDP unicast streams in the transparent transmission mode, the CA-encrypted or non-standard DRM-encrypted streams are decrypted, re-encrypted (standard DRM), and encapsulated into CMAF media fragments (.m4s) media files, and then output in media stream mode, thereby realizing the function of outputting both UDP unicast and HLS / DASH media unicast streams. Figure 11 The functions of the UDP multicast stream receiving module 0302, UDP multicast stream parsing module 0303, UDP unicast encapsulation and forwarding module 0305, and unicast stream output interface 0306 are as follows: Figure 3 The modes are the same, but the cache management module 0304 has some changes. Figure 11In the middle, the cache management module 0304 needs to manage the cache of two contents: one is the cache of TS packets, and the other is the cache of CMAF media segments (.m4s) and the corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists. The cache of the two contents is managed in two areas. At the same time, the TS packets and media files of each program are cached in two circular caches divided into two areas with fixed durations: TS packets are cached with a duration of (5s) and indexed by IDR frames, and media files are cached with a duration of (60s) and indexed by file names. When the media segment length is 2s, the 60s circular cache can cache 30 CMAF media segments (.m4s) and the corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists. The circular cache is numbered with the program ID number so that the subsequent modules can read and forward quickly. Since the CMAF media segments (.m4s) and the corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists are cached in units of segments and list files, a large cache area is required. Therefore, a combination of memory and high-speed large-capacity SSD caching can also be considered.

[0123] Figure 11 In the TS decryption, demultiplexing, re-encryption, and encapsulation module 1102, the functions are as follows: read encrypted TS packets from the cache, decrypt and demultiplex them, generate original video and audio sample files that can be loaded into mdat-box, and encrypt the original video and audio sample data in the CENC standard format with key management by the DRM system. The encrypted data is then loaded into mdat-box, and a description file of the encrypted mdat is generated and loaded into moof box. The data is then encapsulated into CMAF media fragments, forming CMAF media fragments (.m4s) and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd manifests. These are then forwarded to the cache management module 0304 for caching, so that the HTTP service module 1103 can forward the target media stream and manifest to the target user through the output interface according to the requests of various smart terminals.

[0124] Figure 11The system shown utilizes existing platform resources, protecting existing content through UDP multicast to UDP unicast stream conversion, while simultaneously adding a TS decryption, demultiplexing, re-encryption, and encapsulation module 1102 and an HTTP service module 1103. This enables access for various smart terminals and ensures operator control over these terminals. Decryption and re-encryption require association with the front-end platform. This involves obtaining authorization and decryption keys from the original encryption system, as well as issuing DRM-compliant encrypted content licenses on the front-end platform. The generated encryption key is transmitted in a secure mode to the license server, the corresponding KID is written to the moof box, and the URL is written to the manifest. When a smart terminal requests content, it presents the KID and related information to the license server via the URL and requests a decryption license. After verification, the server issues the license, and the smart terminal parses the key to decrypt and play the content. The DRM encryption process must fully comply with the CENC standard format, with key management handled by the DRM system. Re-encryption can be done in two series of encrypted segments. One is to encrypt the decrypted TS packet with DRM and encapsulate it into a CMAF media segment. The advantage is that the process is simple, but the disadvantage is that it has poor compatibility with smart terminals. The other is to demultiplex the decrypted TS packet into the original video NALU and audio samples in the CMAF segment, and then encrypt and encapsulate them into an encrypted file of the CMAF media segment. The advantage is that it has better compatibility, but the disadvantage is that the process is complex. Live streaming services can be received and played on all smart terminals that support the standard DRM protocol, while also meeting the requirements of manageability and controllability of access users.

[0125] The TS decryption, demultiplexing, re-encryption, and encapsulation module 1102 described above can decrypt, demultiplex, and output TS packets as follows: It obtains the original video NALU and audio frame samples; the decryption and demultiplexing module obtains the CK to encrypt the original video; it obtains the CEK from the DRM key server and encrypts it according to CENC cbcs; the license server manages the DRM key and the encrypted CMAF fragments (.m4s); then, a cache management module is placed to cache the encrypted encapsulated CMAF media fragments (.m4s) and the corresponding HLSm8h and DASHmpd lists; the HTTP service module reads and forwards the CMAF media fragments (.m4s) and the corresponding HLSm8h and DASHmpd lists according to user requests; the smart TV requests a license from the DRM system; and the player decrypts to obtain the CEK and plays the video.

[0126] In its implementation, ChinaDRM is fully compatible with encryption standards and adopts the internationally recognized CENC standard and an independent and complete digital rights management system, possessing China's independent security architecture and national cryptographic algorithms.

[0127] Specifically, the parsing, decryption, and re-encryption process is as follows: The process of stream reception, parsing, decryption, re-encryption, buffering, and forwarding in the Mode 2 system can include: Platform side (original live source TS stream): CA encryption system: CA encryption of TS packets; broadcast system: TS over RTP over UDP over IP multicast stream.

[0128] On the platform side, a new key server and a license server are established: Key server: Generates CK and KID according to the content management policy, and provides CK and KID for the protocol converter to re-encrypt the content; at the same time, it synchronizes the generated CK and KID to the license server for management; License server: Provides decryption CK according to the client's request; Network side: Multicast network: TS over RTP over UDP over IP multicast stream.

[0129] Protocol Converter 0201: Stream Parsing Module: Receives TS over RTP over UDP over IP multicast streams, parses out encrypted TS packets, and forwards them to the cache management module; Cache Management Module: Caches TS packets in a circular buffer at fixed intervals (5s), using IDR frames as indexes; Unicast Encapsulation and Forwarding Module: Reads TS packets using IDR frames as indexes, encapsulates them into UDP unicast for set-top boxes and non-smart TVs to access; Decryption, Demultiplexing, and Reencryption Module: Reads TS packets using IDR frames as indexes, decrypts and demultiplexes them, obtains the original video NALU and audio frame samples, retrieves CK and KID from the key server, reencrypts them in CENC standard format, outputs complete CMAF media fragments (.m4s files) and the corresponding DASHmpd playlist, and forwards them to the cache management module for caching.

[0130] The cache management module caches media segments (.m4s files) in a circular cache at fixed intervals (10s) indexed by filenames. Complete CMAF media segments (.m4s files) and their corresponding HLSm3u8 / DASHmpd playlists are forwarded to the cache management module for caching.

[0131] The HTTP service module provides services such as client request guidance and license services.

[0132] On the user side: The set-top box obtains the playlist and complete CMAF segments from the HTTP service module, supporting non-smart TVs; the smart TV obtains the playlist and complete CMAF segments from the HTTP service module; DRM client: obtains the decryption key from the license server; the player parses the playlist, requests and plays the CMAF segments.

[0133] In one embodiment, the input signal for Mode 2 can also be a TS / QAM modulated broadcast stream from the DVB-C platform. Figure 11The TS / RTP multicast stream broadcast service platform 0301 broadcasts a QAM modulated broadcast stream after CA encryption of the TS stream. The UDP multicast stream receiving module 0302 and the UDP multicast stream parsing module 0303 of the protocol converter 0201 receive and parse the QAM broadcast stream. After the TS packet is parsed by the UDP multicast stream parsing module 0303, it is forwarded to the cache management module for caching, thus realizing the protocol conversion from QAM to TS / RTP unicast stream.

[0134] Meanwhile, the parsed TS packet is decrypted and demultiplexed by the TS decryption, demultiplexing, re-encryption and encapsulation module 1102, then re-encrypted in the CENC standard format, and encapsulated into CMAF media segments (.m4s) and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists, realizing QAM to live streaming media conversion and supporting converged access of smart terminals.

[0135] Modes 1 and 2 can shorten the perception time. Perception time is the time from when a user sends a program request to when the first frame of the program is played on the user's terminal, or when the user switches channels and receives the first frame of the new channel's program. From a perception perspective, the shorter this time, the better. According to the broadcasting industry standard "GY / T 170-2001 Cable Digital Television Broadcasting Channel Coding and Modulation Specification," the channel switching time of a digital TV set-top box should not exceed 2 seconds. This 2-second time refers to the entire end-to-end time from when the user presses the channel change button on the remote control to when the new channel's picture is stably displayed and the accompanying audio is played normally; this is a widely followed technical requirement in the industry.

[0136] In the current transmission of live television programs using UDP multicast or DVB-C technology, the UDP multicast or DVB-C broadcast system encapsulates the TS packet of each program into a UDP multicast stream or QAM modulation before broadcasting it to the user terminal. The user terminal, upon request, filters out the program selected by the user from all the broadcast streams broadcast to the receiving end, decrypts it, and plays it. During this time, only the set-top box filters out the selected program and decrypts it for playback; there is no time for network transmission, re-encapsulation, forwarding, and subsequent reception and parsing. Therefore, it is easy to achieve the standard-specified channel switching time of 2 seconds or less.

[0137] In this disclosure, during the process of receiving and parsing multicast streams into unicast streams, the protocol converter first receives all UDP multicast or DVB-C broadcast streams from the platform side, receives and parses the TS packets, buffers them, and then reads the TS packets of the user-selected program from the buffer according to the user's request, encapsulates them into a UDP unicast stream, and forwards it to the user terminal. The user terminal receives the unicast stream, then parses, decrypts, and plays it. Especially in mode two, there is a complex process of decryption, demultiplexing, re-encryption, and encapsulation into a media stream. This time is much longer than the time required in a UDP multicast or DVB-C broadcast system to push all programs to the set-top box, select programs through filters, and play them. The goal is to achieve the channel switching time specified by industry standards, and even surpass the time specified by the standards. Specifically, time management can be implemented in the following ways: By accurately defining the start and end points of the perception time, and ensuring that the complex processing flow ends before the start point of the perception time, the protocol converter is viewed as a "broadcast platform" close to the user. The protocol converter handles the complex and time-consuming (thousands of milliseconds) process of receiving all program UDP multicast streams or DVB-C broadcast streams, parsing TS packets, buffering, decrypting, demultiplexing, reencrypting, and encapsulating them into streaming media fragments and writing them to the buffer before the user request. Upon receiving a user's channel switching command, the converter quickly reads the TS packets or streaming media files of the user-selected program from the buffer and forwards them via UDP unicast stream encapsulation or HTTP service. Simultaneously, the server employs network card offloading, hardware acceleration, FPGA board acceleration, DPU acceleration, zero-copy DMA transfer, and multi-core CPU multi-threaded processing technologies to reduce the UDP unicast stream encapsulation and media stream HTTP service time to tens of milliseconds. This minimizes the buffer reading and encapsulation forwarding time of the protocol converter during the user's channel switching time, allowing the protocol converter to contribute to the entire end-to-end perception time.

[0138] To provide accurate random access points for terminal players and ensure fast playback after receiving programs, the original audio and video frames are encoded and compressed into intra-coded frames (IDR frames), forward prediction frames (P frames), and bidirectional prediction frames (B frames) by an encoder. These frames are then fragmented and loaded into NALUs (Network Abstraction Units) to form NALU streams. At the same time, these NALU streams are encapsulated into Groups of Pictures (GOPs) of image frames according to a certain duration. The duration is generally 2s, 4s, or 6s. Regardless of the duration, each GOP consists of multiple frames, such as IBBBPBBBPBBBPBB, arranged continuously from the start of an IDR frame to the beginning of the next IDR frame. The GOP length for live programs is generally 2s, and each GOP must begin with an IDR frame. Moreover, there is only one IDR frame in a closed GOP. This IDR frame is the random access point for the player to decode and play the program. The player can only start playback after finding the IDR frame when decoding and playing the program.

[0139] In this disclosure, the protocol converter receives a UDP multicast stream that has been segmented into TS packets and encapsulated into UDP packets. After receiving these TS packets, the receiving end must find the IDR frame with the random access point before it can start decoding and playback. Therefore, when the protocol converter forwards the UDP unicast stream to the user terminal, it must start forwarding from the TS packet with the IDR frame as the payload. Once the terminal receives the TS packet with the IDR frame as the payload, it can start decoding and playback immediately. Otherwise, it may take up to 2 seconds to wait for the next IDR frame TS packet before it can start decoding and playback of the subsequent TS packet content. This is because the front-end platform segments each 2-second GOP into thousands to tens of thousands of TS packets and transmits them via UDP. Among the thousands to tens of thousands of TS packets segmented into each GOP, only the TS packet at the beginning of the GOP has a random access point for decoding and playback. Therefore, when the protocol converter forwards the UDP unicast stream to the user terminal, it must start forwarding from the TS packet with the IDR frame as the payload. Otherwise, it may take up to 2 seconds to wait for the second IDR frame before it can start decoding and playback. Adding the network transmission latency and parsing time, this will exceed the perceived time of 2 seconds, which is an unacceptable channel switching time.

[0140] To address this issue, in this example, the UDP multicast stream parsing module 0303 of the protocol converter scans the random_access_indicator flag in the header of the TS packet during the process of receiving each program's UDP multicast stream, parsing the TS packet, and writing it into the buffer. This is because when the encoder divides the GOP into TS packet payloads and encapsulates them into TS packets, the random_access_indicator flag in the header of the first TS packet of each GOP is set to 1, so that the receiving end can find the TS packet of the IDR frame according to the flag after receiving the TS packet. When the UDP multicast stream parsing module 0303 scans and caches TS packets, once it sees a TS packet with the random_access_indicator flag set to 1, it creates a special cache index for the cached location of this TS packet. After the protocol converter receives a request from the user terminal, the UDP unicast encapsulation and forwarding module 0305 quickly finds the nearest IDR frame TS packet according to the index of the IDR frame, encapsulates it into a UDP unicast stream in sequence, and forwards it to the terminal. As long as the terminal receives the UDP unicast stream and parses it, it can find the IDR frame TS packet and start decoding and playback. The overall perception time can be less than 300ms, which is far less than the 2s channel switching time given by the industry standard.

[0141] Because media segments are much larger than TS packets, and depending on the program bitrate, a single media segment may contain thousands to tens of thousands of TS packets, the download time for a media segment will be longer than that for a UDP unicast stream. In typical streaming media transmission, this time is between 2 and 6 seconds, which is much longer than the 2-second channel switching time given by the industry standard. For streaming media segmentation, the TS decryption, demultiplexing, re-encryption, and encapsulation module 1102 of the Mode 2 protocol converter reads TS packets and encapsulates them into media segments. Each media segment also starts from the TS packet of the IDR frame. Since the duration of each media segment equals the length of the GOP (Group of Pictures) and is 2 seconds, each media segment encapsulates all the TS packets of a GOP. Moreover, the segment must start with the IDR frame of this GOP. When the terminal requests a program or switches channels, the protocol converter forwards the requested program media segment to the terminal through the HTTP service module. Once the terminal receives the media segment, it parses it into the IDR frame and can start decoding and playback. This allows the perception time to be as low as 500ms. Although it is a streaming media protocol transmission, its perception time is close to that of a UDP live stream and is much smaller than the industry standard.

[0142] Dual buffering measures for TS packets and TS packet IDR frame indexes: Two buffers are set up for TS packets to ensure that the UDP unicast encapsulation and forwarding module 0305 and the TS decryption, demultiplexing, and re-encryption encapsulation module 1102 can quickly and accurately find the TS packets of the IDR frame. When the UDP multicast stream parsing module 0303 parses the TS packets and writes them into the buffer, two buffers are set up: a large circular buffer is set up to store the TS packet data (pure data). The other circular buffer (index table) is used to store the index information of each GOP header (i.e., the first TS packet of each IDR / IDR frame).

[0143] The TS data buffer is a linear byte stream, while the index entries are fixed-size structures. Separating them prevents index information from being overwritten by data and facilitates fast lookup and updates. When a user requests a program, they only need to look up the nearest GOP header entry in the index table to obtain its starting address in the data buffer, and can directly jump to the corresponding position to begin transmission. This is more efficient than traversing the data buffer to find the frame header. Both buffers are designed as circular queues to match the lifecycle of streaming data. The data buffer is written in chronological order, overwriting the oldest data; the index table also records each GOP header entry in chronological order, and when the corresponding data is overwritten, the index entry is also overwritten or marked as invalid.

[0144] Index table structure and synchronization: Entry content typically includes the following fields: the starting pointer / offset of the GOP header in the data buffer; the PTS / DTS corresponding to the GOP header (used for time synchronization); and further auxiliary information such as channel ID and GOP length.

[0145] Circular index table size: Generally smaller than the data cache size, because the number of GOP headers is much smaller than the number of TS packets. For example, if the average GOP length is 2 seconds, then a 5-second cache can contain a maximum of 3 GOP headers (assuming GOP boundaries are aligned).

[0146] The index flags can be designed as follows: Entry content: Cache ID, the address of the first TS packet of this IDR frame in the circular buffer, and the PTS of this frame (for time synchronization). Update frequency: A new entry is inserted for each IDR frame, overwriting the old entries (the circular buffer will overwrite, therefore the index table also needs to be circular, with a size corresponding to the buffer duration). Fast lookup: Binary search (based on PTS) can be used or a pointer to the most recent IDR frame can be maintained.

[0147] The aforementioned TS data cache and independent circular index table are key patterns for implementing high-performance protocol converters. They ensure that the appropriate starting point is quickly located in O(1) or O(log n) time complexity when a user requests it, meeting the requirements of 300ms perceived latency for UDP unicast streams and 500ms perceived latency for streaming media fragmentation.

[0148] In this example, the protocol converter can include three layers and multiple functional modules. Specifically, the three layers can include a management layer, a control layer, and a data layer. The management layer is primarily responsible for configuration management, monitoring, logging, and system maintenance. The control layer is primarily responsible for logical control such as session management, EPG synchronization, authentication token processing, port pre-allocation management, NAT mapping, cache index management, and DRM control modules. The data layer is primarily responsible for high-speed data reception, parsing, caching, and forwarding, and is the core for achieving low-latency reception, parsing, caching, and forwarding. The functional modules can include: a service-side receiving module, a stream parsing module, a decryption and re-encryption module, a cache management module, a unicast sending module, an HTTP service module, a user-side interface module, an EPG synchronization module, a port pre-allocation management module, an authentication and authorization module, a session management module, a cache index management module, a NAT mapping management module, a DRM control module, a terminal type identification module, a DHCP module (optional), a configuration management module, a monitoring and statistics module, a logging and alarm module, and a system maintenance interface module. However, the above functional modules are only an exemplary description. In actual implementation, the functional modules may include, but are not limited to, these modules, and can be added, removed, or optimized according to actual needs and circumstances.

[0149] The hierarchical relationship of each functional module and the three-tier architecture can be shown in Tables 1, 2, and 3 below. Table 1 shows the nine modules of the data layer, Table 2 shows the nine modules of the control layer, and Table 3 shows the four modules of the management layer. Table 1

[0150] Table 2

[0151] Table 3

[0152] The access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system and the Ethernet-based multi-service multiplexing access network method presented in this example, compared to existing PON networks, eliminate the cost of a drop gateway and can eliminate the need for a set-top box. However, the ownership cost of fiber optic resources is higher than that of a PON network. Assuming the higher cost is less than the cost of a drop gateway, there is a cost advantage without considering the central office equipment. But the real advantage should be the overall cost, such as the cost of the OLT (Optical Line Terminal) and the central office equipment of this solution, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The cost of the central office equipment shown needs to be controlled so that the cost of fiber optic cables plus the cost of the central office equipment is close to or lower than the average cost per user of the current access network. That is, it should be equal to or slightly higher. However, considering the repeated investment and maintenance costs of continuous upgrades and replacements of PON networks, and the fact that upgrades and replacements are always related to the user-side access equipment, this solution will have a significant cost advantage. Providing at least 1000M of dedicated access bandwidth makes the life cycle of the central office equipment much longer than its own life cycle. The upgrade and replacement cycle is long, and upgrades and replacements are not related to users. The repeated investment costs are much lower than those of PON networks. Even with these advantages, the selection of platform hardware should focus on cost control, and the overall cost should be better than that of the current network.

[0153] The current main problem with access networks is insufficient compatibility with user terminals, leading to high installation costs (dedicated gateway plus set-top box) and significant inconvenience for users watching television. A comprehensive solution would require substantial investment. In this example, various modes of the protocol converter protect existing infrastructure while enabling converged access for smart terminals. Users can gradually migrate to a fully compatible mode without being aware of the changes, thus resolving the aforementioned compatibility issues. Furthermore, this example utilizes standard protocols to ensure the quality of broadcast television program transmission. For instance, the efficient and low-latency UDP protocol transmits live broadcast services from the platform to the access network, especially static UDP multicast. This eliminates the need for significant investment in routing, switching, CDN nodes, and replication points in the core network. Instead, low-cost hubs and relay transmission technologies deliver high-quality broadcast television live broadcast services, fully meeting the future demand for high-definition and ultra-high-definition programs, with a packet loss rate of no more than 10%. -6 Broadcast-quality transmission, relay transmission of live streaming services, with bandwidth in the core network and metropolitan area network always equal to the platform-side egress bandwidth. Compared with dynamic multicast or unicast methods, it can significantly reduce the investment cost of the core network for live streaming services.

[0154] Based on the above factors, the hardware platform can be as follows: Figure 12The protocol converter 0201 shown may include: a management interface 1201, which enables platform-side access through management interface 0206, and facilitates signaling transmission, key acquisition, authentication and authorization, and remote management; and a service-side smart NIC / DPU NIC 1202, providing 2 10G or 2 The 25G high-speed service-side interface 0103 enables live streaming services by receiving TS / RTP, CMA / RTP multicast streams or streaming media files. Equipped with dual interfaces, it allows for primary and backup reception, ensuring secure broadcasting of live services. It also supports cascading and load balancing for device-level backup. The service-side smart NIC / DPU NIC 1202 provides data layer reception and parsing functions. The user-side smart NIC / DPU NIC 1208 is a user-side NIC that provides 4 The 25G or 100G forwarding interface 0207 reads the destination program from the cache according to the user request, encapsulates it into a unicast stream that the terminal can recognize, and then forwards it to the destination user through the user-side interface; the multi-core CPU / operating system 1205 is used to support multi-threaded concurrent processing of control layer and management layer logic, implements data layer configuration management and operation management through the management layer and logic layer, and can also participate in data layer data processing; the FPGA acceleration board 1203 is used to realize fast processing of stream parsing, decryption and re-encapsulation; the memory 1204 can be a high-speed large-capacity SSD for storing EPG files, system logs, and configuration backups; the multi-core CPU / operating system 1205 can be a high-speed DDR5 memory module for ring cache, session table, and EPG data cache; the power management 1207 is used to ensure the power supply and management of the entire server.

[0155] Specifically, Mode 1 uses a smart network interface card, multi-core CPU, and high-speed cache architecture. The components, specifications, and the role of each component in Mode 1 are shown in Table 4 below: Table 4

[0156] Mode 2 is fully compatible with Mode 1 and adds TS decryption, demultiplexing, re-encryption, and re-encapsulation functions. It decrypts the original CA-encrypted TS packets to extract the clean stream, demultiplexes the TS packets to the original video NALU and audio frame samples, encrypts them using the CENC standard DRM, and encapsulates them into CMAF media time slices (.m4s) and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists. In terms of CPU and smart network card configuration in Scheme 1, it adopts a heterogeneous acceleration architecture (higher performance) of FPGA, DPU, and CPU. Specifically, Mode 2 is a heterogeneous acceleration architecture consisting of FPGA, DPU, and CPU. The components, specifications, and roles of each component in Mode 2 are shown in Table 5 below: Table 5

[0157] This example presents an access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system, and a multi-service multiplexing access network method based on Ethernet technology, which can be described as follows: Figure 2 As shown, Figure 2 The integrated service gateway server 0202 is used to access the network central office and realize the aggregation, routing and forwarding, and DHCP service functions of communication services, broadband services, broadcast television on-demand services and broadcast television live services.

[0158] Among the existing access networks that provide users with communication services, broadband services, video-on-demand services, and live broadcast television services, Figure 2 The integrated service gateway server 0202 in the network is located at the aggregation layer or aggregation switch and does not have DHCP (address allocation) function. Especially in cable TV networks, only communication services, broadband services, and video-on-demand services pass through the aggregation layer and access layer and are accessed to home terminals through the home router. However, broadcast TV services cannot pass through the home router and therefore do not pass through the aggregation switch. They can only enter the home through a separate channel and are accessed to the TV through the operator's dedicated gateway and set-top box. In other words, the broadband network and broadcast services enter the home through two separate networks, which will inevitably increase the cost of entry and terminal. In the IPTV service network, the IPTV service can enter the home through the access network aggregation layer and access layer, which is the same network as the broadband service. However, a dedicated gateway in front of the home router or a VLAN mapping module is added to the home router to separate the IPTV service and access it to the TV through the IPTV set-top box. This requires the configuration of an operator's dedicated gateway and IP set-top box.

[0159] In the above scenario, the home router only serves communication services, broadband services, and video-on-demand services, and the home router's gateway is... Figure 2 The original system's Broadband Remote Access Server (BRAS) is shown. The BRAS is located at the first layer of the access network. The BRAS assigns IP addresses to home routers and manages the authentication, billing, and policy control of all services passing through the home routers. It is also the aggregation point of the access layer for user communication services, broadband services, and video-on-demand services, realizing the aggregation and forwarding of user data to the core network and the forwarding of core network data to users.

[0160] The home router obtains an external IP address from the BRAS server and manages the allocation of internal IP addresses. At the same time, it forwards broadband service requests from terminals such as mobile phones and computers to the BRAS server through the IP address obtained from the BRAS server, and then obtains the broadband service requested by the mobile phones, computers and other terminals through the BRAS server.

[0161] This disclosure proposes an access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system, as well as a multi-service multiplexing access network method based on Ethernet technology. This system converts the UDP multicast or DVB broadcast protocol of live television services into UDP unicast or HLS / DASH media stream protocol CMAF media time segments (.m4s) and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists. These segments, along with broadband services, pass through the access network aggregation and access layers, enabling them to enter the home via the same network. The broadband services are then connected to smart terminals and televisions via a home router. This addresses the problems of high access network investment and operation costs, and inconvenience for users watching and using television, caused by requiring live television and broadband services to enter the home through two separate networks or dedicated gateway devices.

[0162] Based on this, considering how to obtain the home router's IP address, if the home router's IP address is still obtained from the original BRAS server, the service from the protocol converter to the home router can be seamless, allowing it to enter the home through the access network along with communication services, broadband services, and video-on-demand services, and also through the router. However, this will place a huge load on the BRAS server. Firstly, all service routes from the home router to the protocol converter must be written into the static routing table of the BRAS server. This is because the WAN port address of the home router is assigned by the BRAS, which acts as the gateway for the home router. Since the home router does not know the IP address of the protocol converter or the route from its WAN port to the protocol converter, it forwards all unknown information to the gateway server (BRAS) for resolution. Therefore, the route from the home router to the protocol converter is written into the static routing table of the BRAS server. Because a single BRAS manages tens of thousands of users, this static routing table becomes a huge routing table. Furthermore, this static routing table is manually configured and distributed to the BRAS server, which is prone to configuration errors that could affect services. Secondly, all registration, authentication, authorization, and requests for live streaming services on user terminals, as well as the live streaming service stream, are forwarded through the BRAS server. Because live streaming services are large-granularity, long-connection services, they will put enormous bandwidth and data processing pressure on the BRAS server.

[0163] The surge in the load of the two aforementioned services will necessitate BRAS server expansion or upgrades, resulting in new investment and operational costs. To address these issues, this example employs the following approach: Figure 2The diagram shows the addition of DHCP (Network Address Allocation) functionality to the access network aggregation layer, making it a comprehensive service gateway server 0202 that provides multi-service aggregation, routing, and DHCP services.

[0164] Specifically, on the one hand, the DHCP function for assigning IP addresses to home routers is moved from the BRAS to the integrated service gateway server 0202. The integrated service gateway server 0202 manages the IP address pool from the integrated service gateway server 0202 to the WAN port of each home router, and also manages the IP addresses of all interfaces from the integrated service gateway server 0202 to the protocol converter 0201. This enables terminals in the home network to obtain CMAF media time fragments (.m4s) and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists of UDP unicast or HLS / DASH media stream protocols from the protocol converter, no longer managed by the BRAS server, simplifying address management and service processes. On the other hand, for broadband service paths, a high-speed interface is provided between the integrated service gateway server 0202 and the BRAS server. The integrated service gateway server 0202 obtains IP addresses from the BRAS server, points the gateway to the BRAS server, and writes a static routing table for broadband services returning to the BRAS server, thereby resolving the request and forwarding paths for communication services, broadband services, and video-on-demand services from home routers to the BRAS server.

[0165] The integrated service gateway server 0202 and address management measures designed and configured according to the above scheme can achieve the goal of communication services, broadband services, video-on-demand services and broadcast services entering the home through the same access network without upgrading or expanding the original system BRAS server. This can save the cost of dual-network access and the cost of configuring a dedicated gateway.

[0166] In the example above, the roles and address assignments of the protocol converter 0201, integrated service gateway server 0202, BRAS server, and home router are as follows: 1) The downlink interface 0214 of the integrated service gateway server 0202 is the interface facing the user's home router: The user-side VLAN interface of the integrated service gateway server 0202 is configured as 192.168.100.1 / 24, serving as the default gateway for the WAN ports of all home routers. The WAN ports of the home routers obtain addresses (e.g., 192.168.100.10 / 24) from the DHCP service of the integrated service gateway server 0202, with the gateway pointing to 192.168.100.1 (the IP address of interface 0214 of 0202). This enables the aggregation and access of address allocation, communication services, broadband services, video-on-demand services, and broadcast services for the home routers. 2) The management interface 0211 of the integrated service gateway server 0202 faces the management interface 0206 of the protocol converter 0201: The management interface 0211 of the integrated services gateway server 0202 is configured as 10.10.1.1 / 24, serving as the gateway for the protocol converter signaling interface network card. The management interface 0206 network card facing the protocol converter 0201 is configured as 10.10.1.2 / 24, with its gateway pointing to the IP address 10.10.1.1 of the management interface 0211 of the integrated services gateway server 0202; this enables the registration and authentication of broadcast service terminals, program requests, and the aggregation and access of signaling services.

[0167] 3) The uplink interface 0212 of the integrated service gateway server 0202 faces the forwarding interface 0207 of the protocol converter 0201: The uplink interface 0212 of the integrated service gateway server 0202 is configured as 10.10.2.1 / 24, serving as the gateway for the UDP network interface card of the protocol converter 0201. The forwarding interface 0207 of the protocol converter 0201 is configured as 10.10.2.2 / 24, with its gateway pointing to the IP address 10.10.2.1 of the uplink interface 0212 of the integrated service gateway server 0202; this enables NAT traversal detection, NAT keep-alive heartbeat, and forwarding of UDP unicast streams for UDP unicast services.

[0168] 4) The forwarding interface 0208 of the integrated service gateway server 0202 for user-side media streams facing the protocol converter 0201: The uplink interface 0213 of the integrated service gateway server 0202 is configured as 10.10.3.1 / 24, serving as the gateway for the streaming media network card of the protocol converter 0201. The user-side media stream forwarding interface 0208 is configured as 10.10.3.2 / 24, with its gateway pointing to the IP address 10.10.3.1 of the uplink interface 0212 of the integrated service gateway server 0202; this is to enable the forwarding of CMAF media time-segmented (.m4s) live streaming services using the HLS / DASH media stream protocol.

[0169] 5) User-side interface 0220 of the integrated service gateway server 0202 facing the management switch 0204 of the management platform: The management interface 0210 of the integrated services gateway server 0202 is configured with IP address 10.10.4.1 / 24, serving as the gateway for the management switch 0204 of the management platform. The user-side interface 0220 of the management switch 0204 of the management platform is configured with IP address 10.10.4.2 / 24, with its gateway pointing to the IP address 10.10.4.1 of the management interface 0210 of the integrated services gateway server 0202; this enables access to the management platform, and facilitates authentication and authorization of broadcast service terminals and EPG synchronization by the management platform.

[0170] 6) Uplink interface 0209 of the integrated service gateway server 0202 facing the BRAS server: The uplink interface 0209 of the integrated service gateway server 0202 is typically configured with a public network or a large internal network IP address from the ISP, such as 100.64.0.2 / 30. Its default gateway points to the BRAS server (e.g., 100.64.0.1). This address can be automatically obtained from the BRAS server by the integrated service gateway server 0202 or statically configured; this enables the aggregation of signaling sent by home terminals through the home router and the forwarding of broadband service data.

[0171] A special configuration is required here: Before the integrated service gateway server 0202 was installed, the IP address allocation of the home router, session management, authentication, billing, policy control, and service forwarding of broadband services were all handled by the BRAS server. In this example, considering that broadcast services and broadband services enter the home through the same access network, the integrated service gateway server 0202, which provides multi-service aggregation, routing forwarding, and DHCP services, was added to the access network aggregation layer to manage the IP address allocation of the home router. While enabling multiple services to be reused and enter the home through the same access network, it ensures that session management, user authentication, billing management, policy control, and service forwarding of broadband services are still handled by the BRAS server.

[0172] Although the WAN port IP (192.168.100.x) of the home router is assigned by the integrated service gateway server 0202, the BRAS can still identify the user in the following ways: 1) Access Session ID: If the home router uses PPPoE dialing: the PPPoE session is established between the home router and the BRAS, and the integrated service gateway server 0202 only performs Layer 2 forwarding. The BRAS maintains a Session ID for each PPPoE session and associates it with the user's authentication information (username, password).

[0173] If the home router uses IPoE (DHCP): The home router requests an IP address via DHCP. When forwarding the DHCP request, the Integrated Service Gateway Server 0202 can insert Option 82 (relay agent information), carrying the user's physical port information (such as access switch port, VLAN, etc.). The BRAS uniquely identifies the user's location and identity based on Option 82.

[0174] 2) Authentication message pass-through: When authentication messages (PPPoE PADI / PADR or DHCP Discovery) sent by the home router pass through the Integrated Services Gateway Server 0202, the server does not make any modifications and only performs Layer 2 forwarding. Upon receiving the message, the BRAS performs authentication based on the username, MAC address, or Option 82 information carried in the message.

[0175] 3) IP address and session binding: Although BRAS does not assign IP addresses to home routers (assigned by device 0202), it records that the IP address corresponding to this user session (Session ID) is 192.168.100.x.

[0176] When a user accesses the internet, the BRAS sees a data packet with a source IP of 192.168.100.x. By querying the session table, it can determine which user's traffic it is, and then perform billing and policy control.

[0177] Meanwhile, in order for the BRAS to correctly identify users, the Integrated Service Gateway Server 0202 should meet the configuration requirements shown in Table 6 below: Table 6

[0178] Simultaneously, a static route for the public network service return path is written into the BRAS server, for example: `ip route 192.168.100.0 255.255.255.0 100.64.0.2`, to tell the BRAS that traffic destined for 192.168.100.0 / 24 should have its next hop at the IP address of interface 0209 (100.64.0.2) of device 0202. The explanations for static and dynamic routes are as follows: 1) The necessity of writing static routes: The WAN port IP of the home router (such as 192.168.100.10) is assigned by device 0202, and the BRAS is unaware of the IP assignment process.

[0179] When a home router accesses the public network, the data packet is forwarded to the BRAS server via the uplink interface 0209 of the integrated service gateway server 0202. The source IP is 192.168.100.10, and the destination IP is a public IP. The BRAS will not reject the request, nor will it look up the user corresponding to this source IP, because the BRAS only cares about the public IP that the home router wants to access. Therefore, it forwards the request from 192.168.100.10 to the public IP.

[0180] The destination IP of the return data packet from the public network server is 192.168.100.10. After the packet arrives at the BRAS, the BRAS must know how to forward the packet to the uplink interface 0209 of the integrated service gateway server 0202 facing the BRAS server. To handle the return of this functional cabinet data, the above is written into the static routing table of the BRAS server: For example, in the static routing table for ip route 192.168.100.0 255.255.255.0 100.64.0.2, if there is no such static route, when the BRAS receives a data packet with a destination IP of 192.168.100.10, it will look up the routing table. If there is no matching entry, it will discard the data packet, causing the user to be unable to access the Internet.

[0181] With the aforementioned static route: the BRAS directs the next hop of the destination network segment 192.168.100.0 / 24 to the port IP (100.64.0.2) of the uplink interface 0209 of the Integrated Services Gateway Server 0202 facing the BRAS server. The data packet is then correctly forwarded to the Integrated Services Gateway Server 0202, which then forwards it to the corresponding home router according to its internal routing.

[0182] 2) The location of static routes in the data flow: From the public network server, to the BRAS (routing table lookup: 192.168.100.0 / 24 via 100.64.0.2), then to the uplink interface 0209 of the integrated service gateway server 0202 facing the BRAS server, then to the integrated service gateway server 0202 (routing table lookup: 192.168.100.10 is a directly connected network segment, forwarded from the downlink interface 0214), then to the access switch, and then to the home router and intranet terminals.

[0183] Using the methods described above, this disclosure proposes an access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system, as well as a multi-service multiplexing access network method based on Ethernet technology. It utilizes a protocol converter to convert UDP multicast or DVB broadcast protocols into UDP unicast or HLS / DASH media stream protocol CMAF media time segments (.m4s) and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists. Through a multi-service aggregation / routing / DHCP service integrated service gateway server for communication services / broadband services / broadcast TV on-demand services / broadcast TV live services, the above services are connected to the home router. This allows for multi-service converged access through the home router without requiring dual network access or a dedicated gateway.

[0184] In one embodiment, the integrated service gateway server consists of a data layer, a control layer, and a management layer, and the functional module interface definition of each layer can be as follows: Figure 13 As shown, Figure 13 The diagram shows the functional modules and interfaces of the integrated service gateway server, where: Data layer: Composed of a Layer 2 switching module, a Layer 3 forwarding module, an ACL execution management module, a QoS scheduling management module, a port mirroring management module, a statistics and counting management module, and a physical interface module; The physical interface is: 1×100G QSFP28 (uplink interface 0209): Connected to the BRAS server; 1×100G QSFP28 (uplink interface 0212): Connected to the UDP unicast stream interface of the protocol converter; 1×100G QSFP28 (uplink interface 0213): Connected to the media stream interface of the protocol converter; 1×10G SFP+ (Management Interface 0211): Access Protocol Converter Signaling Interface; 1×10G SFP+ (Management Interface 0210): Interface for accessing the management platform; 24×10G / 25G SFP+ (Downlink Interface 0214): User-side interface of integrated gateway.

[0185] Control layer: consists of routing protocol management module, DHCP service module, ARP / ND management module, VLAN management module, ACL management module, interface management module, and QoS policy management module; Management layer: Consists of CLI / Web management module, SNMP / NetConf module, log / alarm management module, configuration file management module, and software production management module.

[0186] The layered architecture design described above enables the data layer hardware forwarding of the integrated business gateway server 0202 to meet 100G throughput, control layer protocol protection, management layer monitoring and alarm, and modular design of each layer to facilitate function upgrades.

[0187] The core functions and hardware support design of each functional module are as follows: 1) Management Plane: This plane is responsible for the configuration, monitoring, and maintenance of equipment, and provides the interface for interaction between people and equipment or network management systems. Specific functional modules, detailed roles, and hardware support are shown in Table 7 below. Table 7

[0188] That is, all management tasks are handled by the CPU, which is usually a multi-core ARM or x86 processor, memory is used to run management processes and save log buffers, and flash memory is used to store system software and configuration files.

[0189] 2) The Control Plane is responsible for network protocol operation, topology calculation, and forwarding information generation; it is the "brain" of the device. The data it generates (such as routing tables and ACL tables) is sent to the data layer for execution. Specific functional modules, detailed roles, and hardware support are shown in Table 8 below: Table 8

[0190] 3) Data Plane: Responsible for high-speed packet forwarding and processing; all user traffic passes through here. The data plane must be hardware-accelerated to meet high throughput and low latency requirements. Specific functional modules, detailed roles, and hardware support are shown in Table 9 below: Table 9

[0191] Specifically, the switching chip / NPU is the core data plane processing unit, responsible for Layer 2 switching, Layer 3 forwarding, QoS, ACL, etc.; TCAM is used to store ACL rules and routing table entries to achieve parallel and fast lookup; packet buffer is used for congestion management and stores data packets waiting to be forwarded; physical interface module: 100G, 10G, 25G ports, connecting to fiber optic cables or network cables.

[0192] The following explains the integration of the BRAS server and the integrated service gateway server 0202: In newly built or reasonably sized and cost-effective scenarios, Figure 2 The integrated service gateway server, which combines communication services / broadband services / on-demand broadcast TV services / live broadcast TV services / routing and forwarding / DHCP services with the original system BRAS server (user authentication and authorization, billing management, IP address allocation), is integrated into a single device and deployed in [location missing]. Figure 2 The location of the integrated business gateway server 0202 forms a "converged BRAS server" or "multi-service edge gateway" that integrates authentication and authorization, billing management, IP address allocation, multi-service aggregation of communication services, broadband services, broadcast TV on-demand services, and broadcast TV live services, routing and forwarding, and DHCP services.

[0193] The convergence of BRAS and Integrated Services Gateway Server 0202 essentially integrates the User Management Plane (BRAS) and the Service Forwarding Plane (Integrated Services Gateway Server 0202) into a single device. This converged architecture aligns with the industry trend of BRAS 3.0: achieving intelligent evolution of broadband network gateways through a converged computing and network hardware platform.

[0194] 1) Functional module adjustment: From separation to integration: The comparison of modules before and after integration is shown in Table 10 below: Table 10

[0195] The converged architecture (referencing the iBNG three-plane architecture) can be organized in a three-plane, one-platform pattern according to the BRAS 3.0 architecture definition, as shown in Table 11 below: Table 11

[0196] The layered architecture described above enables converged devices to maintain high-speed forwarding performance while flexibly expanding intelligent functions.

[0197] 2) Hardware configuration assessment for a scale of 5000 households: The performance requirements calculation results are shown in Table 12 below: Table 12

[0198] Hardware configuration recommendations (for a scale of 5000 users): Based on experience in selecting edge computing gateways and converged communication equipment, the following configurations are provided in Table 13: Table 13

[0199] The cost estimation comparison results are shown in Table 14 below: Table 14

[0200] Therefore, at a scale of 5,000 households, the converged solution can save about 30% of the total cost of ownership (TCO) compared to the separate solution, mainly due to the reduction in the number of devices, the saving of interconnect modules, and the simplification of operation and maintenance.

[0201] 3) Summary of the advantages of the integrated solution: Reducing the number of devices lowers data center space and power consumption. User traffic no longer needs to travel between device 0202 and BRAS, resulting in more thorough local traffic offloading. Authentication, billing, routing, and traffic offloading are configured on the same device, avoiding inconsistent policies across devices. Overall costs are reduced by about 30% for a scale of 5,000 users. Bandwidth limiting and other policies can be uniformly executed within the device without the need for CoA protocol interaction.

[0202] In the converged gateway device, only interface 0209 no longer connects to external BRAS devices; it serves directly as the public network uplink port. Authentication, accounting, policy management, and address allocation are all completed within the converged device, resulting in a simpler architecture and more efficient operation and maintenance.

[0203] In the context of triple-play integration, access networks not only transmit communication services and broadband internet services, but also broadcast television services. Currently, triple-play access networks take various forms. Taking the fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) network's drop wavelength as an example, there are dual-wavelength and triple-wavelength FTTH networks. Taking the number of drop cables as an example, there are single-fiber FTTH and dual-fiber FTTH networks. Figure 14 The diagram shows three representative network types currently used in triple-play access networks. Among them: Figure 14 Figure A shows a dual-wavelength single-fiber home access network, also called a single-fiber dual-wavelength network; Figures B and C show dual-fiber home access networks, also called dual-fiber triple-wavelength networks. The core reason for these different access network architectures is the difference in transmission protocols used for certain services. For example, in transmitting communication services and broadband internet services, the three networks share not only the same transmission protocol but also the same access network technology—this is their commonality. However, these three networks employ different transmission mechanisms or protocols for transmitting live broadcast television services—this is their difference. These commonalities and differences lead to different home access network architectures. Specifically: The common points are: Figure 14The three networks shown all use PON technology for transmitting communication and broadband internet services. Their characteristics are: the optical signal output from each PON port of the central office equipment (OLT) is used to access N users through a 1:N splitting mode. Based on the 1 / N static access bandwidth of one PON port, each user's communication and broadband internet services are transmitted using dynamic access bandwidth. Because the PON network uses a tree structure to access N users through a 1:N splitting mode, each PON port uses a downlink wavelength (1490nm) to transmit downlink data via broadcast, while uplink data uses a time-division multiplexing technique via an uplink wavelength (1310nm). Therefore, a home gateway (ONU) must be installed in the user's home to enable the transmission of communication and broadband internet services. Furthermore, since both uplink and downlink services are transmitted using two wavelengths on a single optical fiber, the home network can be a single-fiber dual-wavelength network.

[0204] The differences are as follows: Regarding the transmission methods of live broadcast television (TS) streams after digitization and encoding compression, there are methods such as IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) technology, DVB-C technology, and IP broadcasting technology for transmitting live broadcast television services. Among these: IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) technology encapsulates TS packets using TS over RTP over UDP over IP or TS over UDP over IP, and then initiates the multicast group (TGMP) protocol to transmit UDP multicast streams for live cable TV services. The process involves: the multicast source registering with the multicast source router via the PIM protocol; the host sending an IGMP membership report to the router in its network segment; the router maintaining an IGMP membership table (e.g., an IGMP Snooping table) and relaying the host's membership report back to the multicast source router; and a distribution tree being built between the multicast source router and the router in the host's network segment using multicast routing protocols (e.g., PIM SPT / RPT). The multicast source router then sends the multicast packets requested by the host to the router in the host's network segment via the distribution tree. The router in the host's network segment receives the multicast packets based on the host's request and forwards them to the host. Here, the host is an IPTV set-top box, through which users watch live broadcast television programs. Meanwhile, because IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) utilizes UDP multicast streams of the Initiation Multicast Group (IGMP) protocol, it can share uplink and downlink wavelengths on the PON network with other data services. Figure 14 In section A, a single-fiber dual-wavelength network with single-fiber access to the home is used.

[0205] DVB-C technology modulates the TS packets of a digital television signal onto the carrier frequency using QAM (quadrature amplitude modulation). This modulation is then transmitted from the access network central office to the user end via a power allocation mechanism. The user end, equipped with a QAM demodulation set-top box, receives, demodulates, and decodes the audio and video signals before connecting them to a television set to watch the desired programs. However, DVB-C uses QAM modulation for broadcast television services, which PON networks cannot support. Therefore, a dedicated broadcast wavelength (1550nm) must be used for the home. Figure 14 The network shown in B is a dual-fiber three-wavelength network with dual-fiber-to-the-home.

[0206] The technology for transmitting digital television signals using UDP multicast streams without IGMP (Internet Group Multicast) protocol involves encapsulating the digital television signal TS packets into UDP multicast messages (TS Over UDP Over IP), transmitting them to the access network central office via hub relay (non-switched routing), and then connecting them to the user's home via power distribution. The user's end is configured with an IP broadcast receiver set-top box with UDP packet filtering capabilities. This box filters out the desired TS Over UDP Over IP packets, decapsulates them, decodes the audio and video signals, and connects to the set-top box to receive the desired television programs. However, while UDP multicast technology uses the TS Over UDP Over IP encapsulation format for transmitting digital television signals, it uses a UDP multicast protocol without IGMP protocol to transmit UDP multicast (broadcast-like) streams. PON networks cannot support the transmission of UDP multicast services without IGMP protocol. Figure 14 Like B, C requires a separate broadcast service wavelength (1550nm) for home access, therefore Figure 14 The network shown in C is also a dual-fiber three-wavelength network with dual-fiber-to-the-home.

[0207] The three methods of transmitting digital television programs mentioned above all have common and unique problems, among which: The common problem is that the three types of set-top boxes are incompatible with each other: such as IPTV set-top boxes, QAM demodulation set-top boxes, and IP broadcast receiver set-top boxes. The technical systems of the set-top boxes are different. Regardless of whether the set-top box is an operator's asset or a user's asset, when a user switches networks, the original network set-top box is abandoned, which not only wastes resources but also increases the cost of accessing the network to the home.

[0208] The main reason is that IPTV networks rely on the IGMP and PIM protocols in the control plane and the UDP protocol in the data plane to transmit live programs. Specifically, they rely on IGMP for group membership management and use UDP to transmit MPEG-TS streams based on IP multicast technology. However, existing devices, such as home routers, do not support IGMP and PIM protocols by default, and most televisions also do not support IGMP by default. Therefore, configuring an IPTV set-top box that supports IGMP is necessary to resolve the issue of home routers and televisions not supporting IGMP.

[0209] DVB-C network transmission of digital television programs relies on one-way broadcasting using QAM modulation technology. TCP / IP protocol technology, used for transmitting communication and internet services, does not support one-way broadcasting using QAM modulation. Therefore, in the convergence of communication, internet, and broadcast television services, both the DVB-C and broadband networks are connected to the home simultaneously. Furthermore, home routers do not support the one-way broadcasting service of DVB-C network transmission of digital television programs relying on QAM modulation technology. Consequently, users need to configure a DVB-C set-top box in their homes to receive and watch broadcast television programs.

[0210] IP broadcasting technology transmits digital television live programs over a network. The data plane uses the same UDP multicast protocol technology as IPTV technology. The TS packet encapsulation is the same as IPTV technology, but the IGMP and PIM protocols are not enabled on the control plane. Therefore, it also uses a private network to transmit UDP multicast streams encapsulated with the UDP protocol. Home routers and televisions cannot directly receive UDP multicast streams, so users need to configure a UDP multicast stream receiver or a set-top box that can receive UDP multicast streams in their homes.

[0211] Besides protocol issues that necessitate the use of set-top boxes, the above three types of networks also have reasons related to factors such as the operator's requirements for transmission quality and unified management.

[0212] The so-called personalization problem is as follows: In the IPTV system, at the broadcast end, the TS packets of all programs to be transmitted are encapsulated into TS Over RTP Over UDP Over IP or TS Over UDP Over IP multicast packets. Then, the multicast source registration protocol from the multicast source to the multicast source router, the multicast packet distribution tree protocol between the multicast source router and the host network segment router, the receiving host (set-top box) joining the multicast group protocol, and the group member management protocol in the transmission system are used to transmit digital TV programs. From the multicast source end to the receiving end, the IGMP protocol is used to implement group member management, and the MPEG-TS stream is transmitted based on the UDP multicast protocol. The transmission path is the multi-level routing and switching of the core network and the multi-level routing and switching network of the metropolitan area network from the multicast source end to the host network segment to transmit digital TV services. At the same time, due to the connectionless nature of the UDP protocol, its transmission quality is difficult to reach broadcast-level transmission quality. Moreover, multicast services are long-connection services. Although multicast replication technology is used to improve transmission bandwidth efficiency, it still occupies a large amount of transmission bandwidth in the transmission network. Therefore, it is difficult to guarantee the broadcast-grade transmission bitrate standard for high-definition and ultra-high-definition programs.

[0213] DVB-C technology uses a dedicated network to transmit live broadcast television services. Its latency and packet loss rate fully meet broadcast-grade transmission quality standards. However, to ensure anti-interference and transmission quality, DVB-C technology generally uses a 64QAM modulation order. Therefore, the transmission bit rate on a single carrier frequency is 38M. When transmitting standard definition programs, one frequency point can transmit 6 to 8 programs, and the transmission bandwidth can meet the transmission bandwidth of several hundred programs. When transmitting high definition programs, one frequency point can transmit 2 to 3 programs, and the transmission bandwidth is also sufficient. However, when transmitting ultra-high definition programs, such as 4K standard ultra-high definition programs, one frequency point can only transmit 1 program. When transmitting 8K standard ultra-high definition programs, 2 to 3 frequency points need to be bundled to transmit 1 8K program. Due to the limited number of transmission frequency points, the transmission bandwidth of these limited frequency points is difficult to meet the transmission bandwidth requirements for future 4K / 8K programs.

[0214] UDP multicast streaming of digital television programs without IGMP protocol enabled uses the same TS packet encapsulation as IPTV technology on the data plane, but the control plane does not enable IGMP. Instead, all programs to be transmitted are encapsulated into TS over UDP over IP packets. Transmission from the core network to the access network bypasses routing protocols entirely, employing multicast flooding and hub relay methods. This is similar to DVB-C transmitting broadcast services over a dedicated network, using a dedicated channel. Therefore, its latency and packet loss rate fully meet broadcast-grade transmission quality standards. Furthermore, its transmission bandwidth can be selected at 10G or 25G, far exceeding the 64QAM bandwidth of DVB-C, fully meeting the future bandwidth requirements for high-definition and ultra-high-definition programs. The only drawback is the high cost of home delivery due to the need for a UDP-to-unicast filter at the user end to select the programs the user wants to listen to.

[0215] Figure 14 The diagram shows a network model for transmitting live broadcast television services using the three methods described above. Wherein: Figure 14 Figure A is a schematic diagram of a model for transmitting broadcast television programs using IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) technology. On the platform side, the digitized audio and video bitstream is encoded and compressed into TS packets, and then encapsulated into TS OverRTP Over UDP Over IP or TS Over UDP Over IP packets via the UDP / IP protocol. The IGMP protocol is initiated from the source end to the access end to transmit UDP packets. During the transmission of multicast packets, the transmission bandwidth is not constant. As the number of users joining the multicast group increases or decreases, the multicast replication function is initiated in the core network, metropolitan area network, and access network to improve bandwidth utilization. Even though the multicast replication function is used, 30% of the protection bandwidth is reserved in the transmission link to cope with bandwidth congestion during high-concurrency periods.

[0216] Figure 14 The access network from the central office to the user end in China A uses PON technology, which presents several problems in existing IPTV services: First, the PON network adopts an access mechanism where multiple users are connected to each PON port. Downlink data is transmitted in a broadcast manner, and uplink data is transmitted using time-division multiplexing technology. For example, when N users are connected to each PON port, the average bandwidth allocated to each user is 1 / N of the PON port bandwidth. Taking a 2.5G GPON system as an example, when N=32, each user obtains an average bandwidth of 80M, and IPTV services and other services share this downlink bandwidth. For telecommunications and internet services, this bandwidth is more than sufficient; for example, when the concurrency rate reaches 20%, each concurrent user receives nearly 360 Mbps of bandwidth. However, for IPTV services, when the concurrency rate of 4K programs with a broadcast standard bitrate of 36 Mbps might reach 80% during a specific period, the IPTV service's concurrent bandwidth will reach 1 GE, significantly impacting the transmission bandwidth of other services. Furthermore, because downlink services are transmitted in broadcast mode, even users without on-demand IPTV services are still using 36 Mbps of bandwidth. If telecommunications and internet services still experience 20% concurrent users at this time, the average bandwidth received by concurrent users drops to 200 Mbps, resulting in a significant degraded user experience. If future transmissions involve 8K ultra-high-definition programs with a broadcast standard bitrate of P60, this problem will severely impact the user experience. To address these issues, two approaches are proposed: First, reduce the splitting ratio to increase the average bandwidth per user, or upgrade the PON network's PON port bandwidth, or upgrade to XGPON or 50GPON. This would increase the cost of accessing the network to the home or lead to repeated investment costs due to upgrades and expansions. Second, IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) technology aims to minimize the transmission bitrate of each program when transmitting broadcast television programs, making it difficult to meet the transmission rates required for broadcast-grade 4K / 8K ultra-high bitrate programs.

[0217] Secondly, since home routers or TVs do not support the IGMP protocol by default, the ONU in Figure A is configured with LAN1 and LAN2 ports. LAN1 is connected to the home WiFi router to provide access for communication and broadband services, while LAN2 is set to support the IGMP protocol to connect to set-top boxes that support IPTV services. Although the home is a physical network, in reality, the user's home still has two networks using TCP and UDP protocols. This not only increases the cost of the access network but also brings inconvenience to the user.

[0218] Thirdly, the live streaming service, from the IPTV platform to the user's set-top box, is transmitted through a multi-level router distribution tree, making it difficult for its latency and packet loss rate to meet non-broadcast transmission standards.

[0219] Figure 14Figure B is a schematic diagram of a DVB-C technology system for transmitting live broadcast television programs. As shown in the diagram, live broadcast television programs are transmitted entirely through a dedicated channel from the broadcast platform to the receiving end. If the transmission frequency is calculated at 70 frequencies in 64QAM, the total transmission bandwidth is 2.5G. Furthermore, since it is transmitted in broadcast mode, the concurrency rate is independent of the transmission bandwidth, allowing for the transmission of multiple broadcast-quality high-definition and ultra-high-definition live programs. Simultaneously, the latency and packet loss rate fully meet broadcast-quality transmission standards.

[0220] However, its problem is that, from Figure 14 As shown in the user terminal diagram of B, the broadband network and the broadcast network are two separate networks that enter the home independently. Although the broadcast service bandwidth does not occupy the broadband network bandwidth, users must be equipped with a DVB-C set-top box at home, which not only increases the cost of the access network entering the home, but also brings problems such as the inability to change the operation for users.

[0221] Figure 14 In the C-C mode, the network access is provided by IP broadcasting and PON technology. On the platform side, the digitized audio and video streams are encoded and compressed into TS packets, and then encapsulated into TS Over RTP Over UDP Over IP or TS Over UDP Over IP packets via the UDP / IP protocol. The UDP packet flooding (broadcast-like) mechanism of the IGMP protocol is not activated for broadcasting. In the backbone network, metropolitan area network, and access network, the TS Over RTP Over UDP Over IP or TS Over UDP Over IP packets of all programs are transmitted via dedicated channel hub relay. After the broadband network and broadcast network enter the home through two independent channels, they are simultaneously connected to the ONU with UDP packet filtering and multicast to unicast modules, and then connected to the television through an IP set-top box. The advantages of this solution are: firstly, the transmission bandwidth for broadcast programs can be 10G / 25G, which is 4 to 8 times that of the DVB-C solution, fully meeting the transmission requirements of multiple broadcast-grade standard 4K / 8K bitrate programs in the future; secondly, the transmission quality is high, fully meeting broadcast-grade latency and packet loss rate indicators, with the packet loss rate of broadcast-grade standard 4K / 8K bitrate programs being kept to no more than 10%. -6 Third, a UDP packet filtering and multicast-to-unicast protocol conversion module is added to the ONU. The ONU may not support the IGMP protocol. The unicast stream output from its LAN port can be accessed through a home router. An IP set-top box can be accessed through the home router. If the TV can load an APP to receive UDP unicast streams, the set-top box can be eliminated, thereby reducing the cost of accessing the network to the home and improving the convenience of user operation.

[0222] Figure 14The shortcomings of the C network are: first, broadcast services must not only enter the home through an independent channel, but also can only support fiber optic access and cannot support the reuse of existing network access resources; second, UDP packet filtering and multicast to unicast modules must be added to the ONU, which is not compatible with ONUs in other networks, thereby increasing the cost of access network transformation and home access.

[0223] like Figure 15 The diagram shows a comparison of three background technology access network architectures and the access network architecture proposed in this application. Figure 15 In the diagram, D represents a schematic representation of a multi-service multiplexing unified protocol Ethernet access network system proposed in this application. Figure 15 In this application, D shares similarities and differences with A, B, and C. The similarities lie in retaining the best aspects of each while preserving their advantages. The similarities also include compatibility; when transitioning from the original technical solution to a new one, both solutions can coexist, and some features and resources of the original solution can be reused and are compatible with the new solution. The differences lie in the innovative aspects proposed in this application by optimizing the shortcomings of the original technology.

[0224] It should be noted that, Figure 15 For transmission protocols from the core layer to the CPN network in communication services and broadband internet services, A, B, C, and D are the same as those in this application. The difference lies in the access network central office equipment and the method of access to the home. For the transmission of live broadcast television programs, the background technology and this application have similarities, differences, and similarities. Therefore, the comparison described here is mainly a comparison of the encapsulation, transmission, and reception of live broadcast television programs, as well as the comparison of the access network central office equipment and the method of access to the home.

[0225] Depend on Figure 15 It can be seen that: D's encapsulation format for the digital TV live broadcast service TS stream is exactly the same as that of A and C. They all encapsulate the digital TV live broadcast service TS stream into IP packets of UDP protocol TS Over RTP Over UDP Over IP or TS Over UDP Over IP to transmit the digital TV live broadcast service. However, B's encapsulation format is different from that of D and A and C. Therefore, in the comparison, only D and A and C are compared, and D and B are not compared.

[0226] pass Figure 15 The comparison between D and A and C in this example illustrates the innovation and advantages of the method presented: 1) Advantages of D over A: Transmission quality advantages: Although D's encapsulation of the TS stream for digital television live broadcast services is exactly the same as A's, A, for TS over RTP over UDP over IP transmission, initiates IGMP protocol transmission through multiple routers from the multicast source to the multicast source router and to the router in the host's network segment. Therefore, compared with the broadcast transmission mechanism, A has higher transmission latency and higher packet loss rate (10) in transmitting live television programs. -4 The shortcomings of this specification pose a significant challenge when transmitting high-definition and ultra-high-definition 4K / 8K programs at broadcast-grade standard bitrates.

[0227] In transmitting UDP multicast streams packaged into TS over RTP over UDP over IP packets, D, like C, uses a flooding (broadcast-like) mechanism without IGMP protocol activation. Its characteristics include low transmission latency and extremely low packet loss rate, achieving a packet loss rate of 10%. -6 (One packet may be lost when transmitting 1 million packets) In transmitting digital TV live programs, D has a transmission quality far superior to A, and fully meets the requirements for transmitting broadcast-grade standard bitrate HD and ultra-HD 4K / 8K programs.

[0228] Advantages of the access network architecture: Compared with D, A is a PON technology access network. The PON network adopts an access mechanism of 1:N optical splitting to access N users under each PON port. Downlink data is transmitted in broadcast mode, and uplink data is transmitted in time-division multiplexing technology. For example, when N users are accessed under each PON port, the average bandwidth allocated to each user is 1 / N of the PON port bandwidth. Taking a 2.5G rate GPON system as an example, when N=32, each user gets an average bandwidth of 80M, and IPTV services and other services share this downlink bandwidth. For telecommunications and the internet, this bandwidth is more than sufficient; for example, with a concurrency rate of 20%, each concurrent user receives nearly 360 Mbps of bandwidth. However, for IPTV services, when the concurrency rate of 4K programs with a broadcast standard bitrate of 36 Mbps reaches 80% during a specific period, the concurrent bandwidth for IPTV services will reach 1 GE, significantly impacting the transmission bandwidth of other services. Furthermore, because downlink services are transmitted via broadcast, even users without on-demand IPTV services are still using 36 Mbps of bandwidth. If telecommunications and internet services still experience 20% concurrent users at this time, the average bandwidth received by concurrent users drops to 200 Mbps, drastically reducing their service experience. If future transmission of broadcast standard bitrate P60 8K ultra-high-definition programs is required, this problem will severely impact user experience. To address these issues, the splitting ratio could be reduced to increase the average bandwidth per user, or the PON network PON port bandwidth could be upgraded, or upgrades could be made to XGPON or 50GPON, leading to increased access network costs or redundant investment costs associated with upgrades and expansions.

[0229] However, D adopts a comb-structure access network based on Ethernet technology. Each user can exclusively enjoy the transmission bandwidth of the user-side interface of the access network's central office equipment. Moreover, the central office equipment can provide gigabit / 10-gigabit selectable speed interfaces. Compared with the PON network in A, where N users share the transmission bandwidth of a single PON port, the physical bandwidth obtained by each user is much greater than the transmission bandwidth available to each user in the PON network. Furthermore, since the access network is based on Ethernet technology and does not employ time-division multiplexing, users do not need to have an access network gateway in their homes. This not only reduces the cost of accessing the network but also clarifies the property interface between the operator and the user. At the same time, because the access bandwidth obtained by each user in a PON network is 1 / N of the PON bandwidth, as access services increasingly demand larger access bandwidth, the PON network is constantly being upgraded. Each upgrade requires not only upgrading the central office equipment but also upgrading the user-side gateway; upgrades are always related to the user side. D's central office equipment can provide users with access bandwidth far exceeding that of the PON network. The equipment's re-network lifespan may be longer than its own lifespan, which not only greatly reduces the repeated investment costs brought about by access network equipment upgrades and expansions, but also ensures that access network upgrades and replacements are always irrelevant to users.

[0230] Compatibility advantages: such as Figure 16 The diagram illustrates the multi-service multiplexing unified protocol Ethernet access network system proposed in this application. It demonstrates the system's ability to fully or partially utilize existing network service platforms and core network resources while simultaneously sharing and coexisting with existing access networks. Because the cable TV UDP multicast / UDP broadcast to UDP unicast protocol conversion function is located at the access network central office, the central office equipment can receive UDP multicast streams with and without IGMP protocol enabled. Therefore, it possesses the advantage of compatibility and coexistence with existing IPTV platforms. Furthermore, its UDP multicast stream relay transmission via hub in the IGMP-less mode is identical to that of C, thus fully possessing the advantage of sharing service platforms and core network resources with IP broadcast and PON access networks. The multi-service multiplexing unified protocol Ethernet access network system proposed in this application offers the advantages of compatibility and utilization of existing network resources and coexistence with existing IPTV networks and IP broadcast and PON access networks. This not only reduces the investment cost of new networks but also significantly improves access network transmission quality and user experience.

[0231] Specifically, it will fully share the service platform and core network resources with the existing IPTV network and coexist with it: Figure 16 The diagram in Figure E illustrates the coexistence of the access network and the existing PON technology IPTV access network, sharing existing IPTV platform resources and core network resources. Figure 16In the E-type network, below the access network aggregation layer, the left side represents the PON technology access network, and the right side represents the multi-service multiplexing unified protocol Ethernet technology access network system proposed in this application. Both access networks share service platform resources and core network resources and coexist, but the difference between them lies in: In existing IPTV networks, since most home routers and TVs do not support the IGMP protocol by default, users must be equipped with a gateway and IPTV set-top box that support the IGMP protocol in order to obtain the UDP multicast stream encapsulated by TS over RTP over UDP over IP that they want to listen to or watch. When a user watches a program, the IPTV set-top box sends a request to join the multicast group of that program in order to obtain the UDP multicast stream of the target program.

[0232] The multi-service multiplexing unified protocol Ethernet access network system proposed in this application has a cable TV UDP multicast / UDP broadcast to UDP unicast protocol converter in the central office equipment. It can start working in IGMP protocol mode, so it can receive all multicast streams on the platform side in the mode of joining the multicast group and buffer the TS packets of each UDP multicast stream in a ring buffer at a certain time interval (such as 5 seconds). When the user's TV selects a program, the UDP multicast / UDP broadcast to UDP unicast protocol conversion function unit encapsulates the destination TS packet into a UDP unicast stream and forwards it to the destination user. Therefore, the user's home does not need to be equipped with a gateway or IPTV set-top box with IGMP protocol function. The set-top box can be an ordinary IP set-top box that does not need to meet the IGMP protocol function. In the future, when smart TVs have operator management functions, the UDP unicast stream forwarded by the central office equipment can be accessed to the user's TV through a home Wi-Fi router.

[0233] There are also two extension methods: Firstly, the central office equipment of the multi-service multiplexing unified protocol Ethernet access network system can pre-add popular programs to the multicast group for reception and cache locally so that users can watch them on demand. Meanwhile, non-popular programs are only added to the multicast group for reception and protocol conversion when users request them, which can reduce the pressure on the central office equipment to receive and cache all programs in the multicast group.

[0234] Secondly, when a user's home router and TV have IGMP protocol functionality, the UDP multicast stream can be directly forwarded to the user, reducing the buffering and protocol conversion pressure of the protocol conversion function unit. Alternatively, when a user clicks on a program, the UDP unicast stream can be used to access the user first. Once the user has a stable viewing experience, the UDP multicast stream can be used to continue accessing the program. This greatly improves the perceived time for users when switching channels and reduces the processing threads of the central office equipment.

[0235] In the above-mentioned approach, although the multi-service multiplexing unified protocol Ethernet access network system proposed in this application can achieve coexistence with existing PON technology IPTV access networks by sharing existing IPTV platform resources and core network resources, its transmission quality may not meet the requirements due to the influence of the original platform. Figure 15 The transmission quality of the system shown in D.

[0236] Figure 15 Compared to D Figure 15 Advantages of C: Although D is the same as C in the transmission of TS over UDP over IP packets, D has more advantages than C: First: Figure 15 The access network equipment of C consists of a PON network OLT and a UDP broadcast amplifier. The PON network uses time-division multiplexing technology to transmit communication services and broadband services. Therefore, when communication services and broadband services are delivered to the home, the PON network must be equipped with an ONU (On-Demand Unit). However, UDP broadcast cannot be delivered to the home through the PON network, but through the UDP broadcast network. As a result, data services and broadcast services are delivered to the home through dual networks.

[0237] at the same time, Figure 15 After the UDP broadcast from C enters the home through an independent channel, the UDP filtering module is located in the user's home gateway. The filtered unicast stream can be connected to the user's home WiFi router and can also be directly connected to a regular IP set-top box, but the UDP filtering module must be installed in the home.

[0238] and Figure 15 The central office equipment of the D network is an access network central office equipment based on Ethernet technology, consisting of a cable TV UDP multicast / UDP broadcast service receiving and unicast service forwarding unit, a UDP multicast / UDP broadcast to UDP unicast protocol conversion unit, a communication service and broadband service aggregation and forwarding unit, and a user-side multi-service multiplexing and cross-connection functional unit. Moreover, the UDP filtering and multicast to unicast functions are located in the access network central office equipment. The filtered UDP unicast stream can be unified with other data services and enter the home through a single channel (single fiber dual wave). Without the need for an access gateway in the user's home, it can be connected to a home WiFi router. Communication services, broadband services, and live broadcast TV services can be accessed through the home WiFi router to mobile phones, computers, and televisions, realizing multi-service unified protocol multi-terminal service.

[0239] Second: due to Figure 15 The UDP multicast / UDP broadcast to UDP unicast protocol conversion function for cable TV in China D is located at the access network office. Figure 15 The central office equipment of China D can be compatible with and utilize Figure 15The C-channel business platform can share and coexist with all resources in the metropolitan area network, reducing investment costs while significantly improving the quality of network transmission and user experience.

[0240] Figure 16 The diagram in Figure F illustrates the sharing and coexistence of PON technology and IP broadcast network service platform core network resources between this application and existing PON technology and IP broadcast network. Figure 16 In section F, the left side below the aggregation layer represents existing PON technology and IP broadcast access network, while the right side represents the proposed multi-service multiplexing unified protocol Ethernet technology access network system.

[0241] Figure 16 This application demonstrates the multi-service multiplexing unified protocol Ethernet technology access network system proposed in this application, which is compatible with existing IPTV platforms and UDP broadcast platforms, and can share and coexist with existing IPTV access networks or UDP broadcast access networks. Figure 16 The diagram in Figure E illustrates the reuse and compatibility of the existing IPTV platform with the multi-service multiplexing unified protocol Ethernet technology access network system proposed in this application, as well as its coexistence with the existing IPTV access network. Figure 16 In the E, the left part below the aggregation layer is the existing IPTV platform access network, and the right part is the multi-service multiplexing unified protocol Ethernet technology access network system proposed in this application. The access network proposed in this application receives UDP multicast in the IGMP protocol mode. Figure 16 In F, the left part below the aggregation layer is the existing IP broadcast and PON network access network, and the right part is the multi-service multiplexing unified protocol Ethernet technology access network system proposed in this application. The UDP broadcast stream receiving mode of the access network proposed in this application is to receive the UDP broadcast stream in IGMP protocol enabled mode or IGMP protocol not enabled mode.

[0242] Advantages of Set-Top Box Standardization: In current mainstream access networks, set-top boxes from different network architectures are incompatible. The multi-service multiplexing unified protocol Ethernet access network system proposed in this solution not only ensures compatibility with existing IPTV or IP broadcast and PON network core network resources and coexists with existing access networks, but also achieves set-top box standardization, making set-top boxes compatible across different regions. This significantly reduces resource waste and lowers the cost of network access for operators.

[0243] Optimize existing resource advantages: Figure 2 The protocol conversion unit in the central office equipment of the multi-service multiplexing unified protocol Ethernet access network system shown can be separated to form an independent protocol converter, and this protocol converter not only has Figure 2The protocol conversion unit in the central office equipment of the multi-service multiplexing unified protocol Ethernet access network system, as shown, can simultaneously perform all functions, receive DVB-C standard QAM modulated signals or receive UDP multicast streams. After receiving the QAM modulated signal or UDP multicast stream, it converts it into a unicast stream according to the program the user wants to watch or listen to, and then connects it to the service-side interface of the PON network OLT. Through the aggregation, multiplexing, and forwarding functions of the OLT and the user-end ONU, the protocol-converted UDP unicast stream is connected to the IP set-top box. The advantage of this is that it utilizes the existing PON network to achieve IP-based, two-way, and fiber-optic transformation of the existing cable TV network at a low cost.

[0244] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to interchangeably. Each embodiment focuses on its differences from other embodiments. In particular, hardware + program embodiments are relatively simple in description because they are fundamentally similar to method embodiments; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments.

[0245] The foregoing has described specific embodiments of this specification. Other embodiments are within the scope of the appended claims. In some cases, the actions or steps recited in the claims may be performed in a different order than that shown in the embodiments and may still achieve the desired result. Furthermore, the processes depicted in the drawings do not necessarily require the specific or sequential order shown to achieve the desired result. In some embodiments, multitasking and parallel processing are possible or may be advantageous.

[0246] While this application provides the method operation steps as described in the embodiments or flowcharts, more or fewer operation steps may be included based on conventional or non-inventive labor. The order of steps listed in the embodiments is merely one possible execution order among many and does not represent the only execution order. In actual device or client product execution, the methods shown in the embodiments or drawings can be executed sequentially or in parallel (e.g., in a parallel processor or multi-threaded processing environment).

[0247] While this specification provides method operation steps as described in the embodiments or flowcharts, more or fewer operation steps may be included based on conventional or non-inventive means. The order of steps listed in the embodiments is merely one possible execution order among many and does not represent the only execution order. In actual device or end product execution, the methods shown in the embodiments or drawings may be executed sequentially or in parallel (e.g., in a parallel processor or multi-threaded processing environment, or even a distributed data processing environment). The terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, product, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, product, or apparatus. Without further limitations, the presence of other identical or equivalent elements in the process, method, product, or apparatus that includes said elements is not excluded.

[0248] For ease of description, the above devices are described in terms of function, divided into various modules. Of course, in implementing the embodiments of this specification, the functions of each module can be implemented in one or more software and / or hardware components, or a module that performs the same function can be implemented by a combination of multiple sub-modules or sub-units. The device embodiments described above are merely illustrative. For example, the division of units is only a logical functional division; in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces, or indirect coupling or communication connection between devices or units, and may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0249] Those skilled in the art will also know that, besides implementing the controller using purely computer-readable program code, the same functions can be achieved by logically programming the method steps, making the controller function as logic gates, switches, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic controllers (PLCs), and embedded microcontrollers. Therefore, such a controller can be considered a hardware component, and the devices within it used to implement various functions can also be considered structures within that hardware component. Alternatively, the devices used to implement various functions can be considered as both software modules implementing the method and structures within a hardware component.

[0250] This application is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this application. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, generate instructions for implementing the flowchart... Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0251] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable storage medium produce an article of manufacture including instruction means, which are implemented in a process Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0252] These computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing equipment to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable equipment to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable equipment for implementing the process. Figure 1 One or more processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The steps of the function specified in one or more boxes.

[0253] In a typical configuration, a computing device includes one or more processors (CPU), input / output interfaces, network interfaces, and memory.

[0254] Memory may include non-persistent storage in computer-readable media, such as random access memory (RAM) and / or non-volatile memory, such as read-only memory (ROM) or flash RAM. Memory is an example of computer-readable media.

[0255] Computer-readable media includes both permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media that can store information using any method or technology. Information can be computer-readable instructions, data structures, modules of programs, or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase-change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile optical disc (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other non-transferable medium that can be used to store information accessible by a computing device. As defined herein, computer-readable media does not include transient computer-readable media, such as modulated data signals and carrier waves.

[0256] Those skilled in the art will understand that the embodiments of this specification can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, the embodiments of this specification can take the form of entirely hardware embodiments, entirely software embodiments, or embodiments combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, the embodiments of this specification can take the form of computer program products implemented on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer-usable program code.

[0257] The embodiments described in this specification can be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, that are executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform a specific task or implement a specific abstract data type. The embodiments of this specification can also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices connected via a communication network. In distributed computing environments, program modules can reside in local and remote computer storage media, including storage devices.

[0258] The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner. Similar or identical parts between embodiments can be referred to mutually. Each embodiment focuses on describing the differences from other embodiments. In particular, system embodiments are basically similar to method embodiments, so the description is relatively simple; relevant parts can be referred to the descriptions in the method embodiments. In the description of this specification, the terms "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "example," "specific example," or "some examples," etc., refer to specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection with that embodiment or example, which are included in at least one embodiment or example of the embodiments in this specification. In this specification, the illustrative expressions of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Furthermore, the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described can be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments or examples. Moreover, without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and integrate the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples.

[0259] The above description is merely an embodiment of the present specification and is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present specification. For those skilled in the art, various modifications and variations can be made to the embodiments of the present specification. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principle of the embodiments of the present specification should be included within the scope of the claims of the embodiments of the present specification.

Claims

1. A protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system for access network central office, characterized in that, include: The protocol converter, deployed at the access network central office, is used to receive broadcast television live services from the platform side via UDP multicast or DVB broadcast, and convert the broadcast television live services via UDP multicast or DVB broadcast into UDP unicast or streaming media protocol live streams. The integrated service gateway server is used to aggregate and forward broadband services, video-on-demand services, and UDP unicast streams or live streaming media protocol streams output by the protocol converter from the forwarding platform side, and to provide DHCP services for user-end WiFi routers. The access switch connects to the integrated service gateway server via the northbound interface for port aggregation and port expansion, and provides a high density of user-side interfaces to transparently forward aggregation layer data to access users. The home CPN network is connected to the user-side interface of the access switch via the access network drop cable for user terminal access. The home CPN network and the access switch are connected via the drop cable. The integrated service gateway server and the access switch construct an access network based on Ethernet technology, providing each user with 1G / 10Gbps physical layer access bandwidth. In the absence of a dedicated inbound gateway from the operator in the user's home, the network is connected to the WAN port of the home router via the inbound cable. Through the LAN port and WiFi interface of the home router, the network provides the user terminal with integrated services including communication services, broadband services, broadcast services supporting multiple terminal converged access, and video-on-demand services. The protocol converter is configured with Mode 1 and Mode 2. Mode 1 is a TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast mode, and Mode 2 is a TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast and a TS / RTP multicast to media stream mode. In the first mode, the cache management module in the protocol converter is used to manage the cache of TS packets and the index table of IDR frames. It maintains a fixed-duration circular buffer for each channel, numbered by the channel ID, and caches the TS packets of each channel separately with the IDR frame as the index, so that the TS / RTP unicast stream encapsulation and forwarding module can read the TS packets from the IDR frame and encapsulate them into UDP unicast streams for forwarding. In the second mode, the protocol converter includes: in addition to satisfying the TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast stream conversion mode of live streaming service in mode one, it further includes: a TS packet decryption, demultiplexing, and re-encryption module. The TS packet decryption, demultiplexing, and re-encryption module is used to read TS packets from the circular buffer, decrypt and demultiplex the read TS packets to generate unencrypted streaming media sample data that can be loaded into mdat-box, encrypt the unencrypted streaming media sample data according to the CENC standard to obtain an encrypted file, load the encrypted file into mdat-box, generate a description file for the encrypted file, and load the description file into moof box. In Mode 2, the cache management module further includes a media file list cache and a media fragment cache area. The media file list cache and media fragment cache area are used to cache the CMAF media fragments and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists of each channel, respectively, using the channel ID as the number, a fixed duration, and the file name as the index. For CMAF media fragments, a hybrid caching mode using memory and high-speed, high-capacity SSDs is used. The cache management module is used to dynamically schedule the read and write priorities of each area according to real-time bandwidth and device load, ensuring low-latency response to UDP requests using the IDR frame as the index ring cache, while ensuring high-throughput supply of CMAF media fragments and lists.

2. The access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The UDP multicast is a live broadcast stream of the UDP multicast protocol, which is generated by the front-end platform encoding cluster encoding and compressing the baseband audio and video frames of each live program and encapsulating them into TS packets, and then encrypting and encapsulating them. The DVB broadcast is a DVB-C standard live broadcast service stream in which the baseband audio and video frames of each live program are encoded, compressed, and encapsulated into TS packets by the front-end platform encoding cluster, and then modulated and transmitted on a designated radio frequency channel using QAM modulation technology.

3. The access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protocol converter is used to receive UDP multicast or DVB broadcast live television services encrypted by CA on the platform side, parse out the TS packets of UDP multicast or DVB broadcast, and encapsulate them into UDP unicast streams or HLS / DASH media stream protocols with CMAF media time segments and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists. This realizes the protocol conversion from UDP multicast or DVB broadcast to UDP unicast or HLS / DASH media stream protocols, enabling live television services to enter homes through a single network with broadband Internet services and video-on-demand services, and to be accessed through a home router to smart TVs or smart terminals with the system APP installed.

4. The access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system according to claim 3, characterized in that, The first mode receives UDP multicast streams from the platform side via TS Over RTP Over UDP Over IP, and combines UDP multicast to UDP unicast and NAT traversal strategies to convert the UDP multicast streams into UDP unicast streams for access to the user terminal. Mode 2, while possessing the multicast to unicast function of Mode 1, also adds the TS / RTP multicast to HLS / DASH media stream function. While being fully compatible with Mode 1, it provides users with CMAF media fragmentation and corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists to support HLS / DASH media stream players.

5. The access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system according to claim 4, characterized in that, In the case of Mode 1, the protocol converter includes: a multicast stream receiving module, a TS / RTP multicast stream to TS parsing module, a buffer management module, and a TS / RTP unicast stream encapsulation and forwarding module, which are used to receive, parse, buffer, and encapsulate TS / RTP multicast streams into TS / RTP unicast streams for forwarding to adapt to set-top boxes and smart TVs. The multicast stream receiving module is used to receive multiple multicast streams broadcast from the front-end platform via the service-side smart network card. It supports receiving in multicast group mode or listening in promiscuous mode. The multicast group mode includes dynamic multicast mode and static multicast mode. In dynamic multicast mode, the multicast source divides each program into a group. When the receiving end wants to receive the target program of the multicast content, it must apply to join the multicast group of the target program before it can receive the content. In static multicast mode, multicast is a broadcast of multiple programs. The multicast source broadcasts all programs to the receiving end, and the receiving end can choose the program it wants to watch. The TS / RTP multicast stream to TS parsing module is used to parse out the TS packets of the TS / RTP multicast stream and forward the parsed TS packets to the cache management module; The cache management module is used to maintain a fixed-duration circular buffer for each channel, numbered by channel ID, and to cache the TS packets of each channel using IDR frames as indexes. Each channel corresponds to a TS / RTP multicast stream. The TS / RTP unicast stream encapsulation and forwarding module is used to read the TS packets of the destination program in the ring buffer according to the user request and indexed by the IDR frame, encapsulate them into a UDP unicast stream, and then forward the UDP unicast stream to the user terminal through the NAT traversal strategy. The destination program is the program requested by the user in multiple channels.

6. The access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system according to claim 5, characterized in that, In the second mode, the protocol converter includes: in addition to satisfying the TS / RTP multicast to TS / RTP unicast stream conversion mode of live streaming services in mode one, it further includes: a media segmentation and encapsulation module and an HTTP service module, wherein: The media segmentation and encapsulation module is used to encapsulate the mdat-box and the moof box into CMAF media segments, generate corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists, and forward the CMAF media segments and the corresponding HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists to the cache management module. The HTTP service module is used to forward media stream lists and media files to the target user through the media stream output interface according to the requests of various smart terminals, so as to realize the conversion of TS / RTP multicast to HLS / DASH media stream. The media stream list is the HLSm3u8 and DASHmpd lists corresponding to the CMAF media segments, and the media file is the CMAF media segment generated by the encrypted streaming media sample data loaded into the mdat-box and the metadata loaded into the moof box.

7. The access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system according to claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: The NAT mapping management module of the NAT traversal mechanism includes: The NAT traversal mechanism involves the set-top box obtaining the IP address and UDP unicast stream source port of the protocol converter in advance through EPG sharing and port binding mechanism. It is agreed that after the terminal set-top box completes the power-on registration, it will use the internal network port obtained during registration to send a hole punching packet from the internal network to the port of the protocol converter on the external network. The NAT mapping management module is used to monitor in real time the public IP address and public port mapped by each set-top box after it sends a hole punching packet to the port of the protocol converter through the home router. It records the set-top box's ID, MAC address, IP address, and internal network port, as well as the public IP address and public port obtained when the hole punching packet penetrates the home router. It binds the set-top box's ID, MAC address, and IP address with the public IP address and public port number obtained by the set-top box through hole punching, so as to provide the TS / RTP unicast stream encapsulation and forwarding module with the destination IP address and port for unicast stream forwarding, manage heartbeat keep-alive and mapping timeout, and ensure the uniqueness and real-time keep-alive between the UDP unicast stream forwarding source port and destination port.

8. The access network central office protocol conversion and integrated service gateway system according to claim 1, characterized in that, The integrated service gateway server includes: a physical layer interface module, a layer 2 switching module, a layer 3 routing module, a DHCP service module, an ACL and security module, a QoS module, and a network management module, wherein: The physical layer interface module includes a service-side interface and a user-side interface. The service-side interface is used to connect to the public network / broadband, connect to the UDP network card for protocol converters, connect to the TCP network card for protocol converters, and connect to the management platform. The user-side interface is used to connect to the access switch to realize photoelectric conversion and link aggregation. The Layer 2 switching module supports VLAN segmentation, port isolation, and MAC address learning to ensure Layer 2 isolation between user-side interfaces and prevent broadcast storms and user inter-interaction. The three-layer routing module is used to maintain a routing table, and to direct traffic to the public network interface, the protocol converter network interface, and the management platform interface according to the destination IP. It also supports static routing, policy routing, and optional dynamic routing protocols. The DHCP service module is used to assign IP addresses to the WAN port of the home router, issue default gateway and DNS parameters, and manage the address pool; The ACL and security module are used to implement access control based on the five-tuple, prohibit unauthorized access, ensure user isolation and network security, and restrict the management interface from accessing the source IP. The QoS module and network management module are used to classify and prioritize traffic to ensure that TCP signaling has high priority, UDP video streams have medium priority, and ordinary internet access has low priority. They also support queue scheduling and traffic shaping.

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