IGMP Packet Bypass for Faster IPTV Channel Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
In IP TV systems, the conventional IGMP network devices rely heavily on host processing for IGMP packet handling, leading to increased load and delayed channel changes due to the need for continuous IGMP packet generation and processing, especially as the number of IGMP clients increases.
Innovation Solution
The proposed solution involves processing and transmitting IGMP packets directly through a packet transmission/reception unit, bypassing the host for certain packets, and only processing query responses from the first client using a channel, thereby reducing host load and network load during channel changes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If IGMP packet processing is performed through the host, then accurate IGMP protocol handling is achieved, but host load increases and channel change response time delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the IGMP packet transmission function from the host to a dedicated transmission unit. The transmission unit independently handles IGMP packet transmission without host intervention, while the host focuses on multicast table management. This separation resolves the contradiction by improving response speed through dedicated hardware handling while maintaining protocol accuracy through the host's supervisory role.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a multicast table as an intermediary data structure between the host and transmission unit. The multicast table stores channel-subscription mappings and enables the transmission unit to autonomously determine which IGMP packets to transmit based on multicast group information, reducing host processing load while ensuring accurate protocol handling.
2Reliability
If all IGMP client packets are processed by the host, then complete IGMP protocol compliance is maintained, but network load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the IGMP report suppression function from the host to the transmission unit. The transmission unit independently suppresses redundant IGMP report packets by checking the multicast table before transmission, reducing network load. The host maintains protocol compliance by managing the multicast table that enables this intelligent suppression.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements selective IGMP packet transmission rather than transmitting all received packets. The transmission unit performs partial action by transmitting only necessary IGMP packets determined through multicast table lookup, reducing network traffic while maintaining sufficient protocol compliance for proper multicast group management.
Data Source
AI summary
An Internet group membership protocol (IGMP) network device and a signal processing control method thereof in an Internet protocol (IP) digital broadcasting system are provided. The method includes: when an IGMP packet is received from an IGMP client, determining, at a packet transmission/reception unit, whether or not the received IGMP packet is transmitted via bypass; when it is determined that the IGMP packet received from the IGMP client is transmitted via bypass, copying, at the packet transmission/reception unit, the received IGMP packet and bypass-transmitting an original IGMP packet to an upper IGMP network device; transmitting, at the packet transmission/reception unit, the copied IGMP packet to a host; and receiving, at the host, the IGMP packet from the packet transmission/reception unit, processing the IGMP packet, and simultaneously updating its multicast table and a multicast table of the packet transmission/reception unit.