Access Device Multicast Billing for IP Video
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing IP broadband video technologies lack effective user management and charging mechanisms, leading to inefficiencies in network resource utilization and revenue generation, particularly in multicast services, where users are charged uniformly regardless of usage patterns, resulting in wasted resources and reduced profitability.
Innovation Solution
An access device is introduced that receives program demand requests from user terminals, determines viewing rights, sends multicast streams, and generates billing records including view duration, enabling precise charging based on user-specific, program-specific, and time-specific metrics, and sends these records to a video service support system for real-time billing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If monthly fee mode is used for charging users, then user management complexity is reduced, but charging precision and fairness deteriorate as it does not account for actual usage
Solution Approach 1:
The access device automatically generates billing records by monitoring user demand and view duration without requiring manual intervention. The system self-manages user rights verification and billing information collection, reducing management complexity while maintaining precise charging based on actual usage metrics.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the access device monitors user viewing behavior, generates billing records based on actual demand and duration, and sends these to the video service support system. This closed-loop feedback enables precise charging while automatically managing user rights and demand tracking.
2Ease of manufacture
If time-based charging is used, then implementation simplicity is improved, but charging fairness deteriorates as it does not account for actual program demand duration
Solution Approach 1:
The access device preliminarily monitors and records user demand information and view duration before generating billing records. This preliminary data collection enables the system to implement fair charging based on actual usage patterns while maintaining relatively simple implementation through automated tracking mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the charging parameter from simple time-based metrics to demand duration-based metrics. By tracking actual program demand duration rather than just elapsed time, the system achieves fairer charging while the automated parameter tracking maintains implementation simplicity.
3Device complexity
If access device only tracks user presence in port, then device complexity is reduced, but information about user demand and billing capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The access device performs multiple functions: it verifies user rights, tracks user demand information, monitors view duration, and generates billing records. By making the access device multi-functional, the system avoids information loss while the centralized processing maintains manageable complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The access device acts as an intermediary between the user terminal and the video service support system. It collects and processes user demand information, view duration data, and billing information, preventing information loss while managing complexity through intermediate processing rather than direct complex tracking.
4Loss of energy
If multicast technology is used for video transmission, then network bandwidth efficiency is improved, but user right configuration and control complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The access device automatically verifies user rights and configures multicast parameters without manual intervention. The system self-manages user right configuration by checking authorized programs and automatically applying appropriate multicast settings, reducing configuration complexity while maintaining bandwidth efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts user rights and multicast configuration based on real-time demand and viewing behavior. By making the right configuration dynamic rather than static, the system handles complex user requirements flexibly while maintaining efficient multicast transmission.
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and an access device for implementing an IP broadband video service, the method is executed by an access device, comprising: receiving by an access device located between a user terminal and a router, a request for demanding a program from the user terminal; determining by the access device that the user terminal has a watching or previewing right for the program; sending by the access device a multicast stream of the program to the user terminal; generating by the access device a billing record comprising the program on demand and information indicating a view duration of the program; and sending by the access device, the billing recording to a video service support system for billing purpose.