Content Caching System with MBMS Gateway for Multicast Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current multimedia content delivery systems face bandwidth limitations due to the increasing demand for popular content across multiple user devices, particularly in mobile networks, where traditional point-to-point delivery methods are inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A content caching system integrated with Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) and evolved MBMS (eMBMS) technology identifies popular content, stores it in cache memory, and redirects user device requests to a gateway for multicast delivery, allowing seamless transition from cache to MBMS/eMBMS for efficient bandwidth management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If traditional point-to-point delivery methods are used for popular content, then content can be delivered to individual user devices, but network bandwidth is insufficient and network load is excessive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines content caching systems with MBMS/eMBMS multicast services to create a hybrid delivery architecture. Popular content is first cached at a content caching system, then redirected to a gateway that provides multicast delivery to multiple user devices simultaneously. This merging of caching and multicast capabilities allows a single transmission to serve multiple users, dramatically increasing effective bandwidth availability while reducing network load.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a gateway as an intermediary component between the content caching system and user devices. The gateway receives popular content from the cache and redistributes it via multicast to multiple user devices. This intermediary enables the transition from point-to-point to point-to-multipoint delivery, resolving the bandwidth limitation without sacrificing delivery reliability.
2Loss of energy
If MBMS/eMBMS multicast service is used to deliver popular content, then bandwidth requirements are reduced and network load is alleviated, but seamless transition from cache to multicast is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-fetching and caching popular content at the content caching system before actual user requests occur. The system identifies popular content in advance and stores it in the cache, so when users request the content, it is already available for rapid redirection to the gateway for multicast delivery. This eliminates the need for complex real-time decisions during content delivery.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway serves as a mediator that simplifies the transition from cache to multicast. It receives content from the caching system and handles the redistribution to multiple user devices via MBMS/eMBMS. This intermediary absorbs the complexity of the transition mechanism, presenting a simple interface to both the cache system and user devices while managing the intricate coordination required for seamless switching.
3Speed
If popular content is delivered through cache memory first, then content delivery speed is improved, but network load on the cache system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses copying by creating a copy of the popular content in the cache memory at the content caching system. Instead of delivering the original content from the source to each user individually, the cache stores a copy that can be rapidly served to multiple users. This copy enables high-speed delivery while the gateway handles the distribution to reduce the network load on the cache system itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the content delivery function into two distinct parts: content storage and content distribution. The content caching system stores popular content in its cache memory, while the gateway handles the distribution to multiple user devices via multicast. This segmentation allows the cache system to focus on fast local access without bearing the full network load of distributing content to all users, as the gateway assumes that responsibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A content caching system intercepts a request from a user device for delivery of an item of popular content stored in the cache, redirects the request to a gateway based on a determination that the requesting device may receive the item from the gateway which provides a multicast service for the item, wherein the redirecting occurs subsequent to the device being able to join a wireless multicast of the requested content after a period of delivery of a portion of the content from the cache to the device while the content is in the midst of being delivered to the device so that delivery from the cache is terminated and delivery continues such that a subsequent portion of the popular content is delivered to the device from the gateway as part of the wireless multicast.