Time-Staggered Multicast Streams for On-Demand Content Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
The delivery of on-demand content in multicast networks faces challenges such as unnecessary replication and bandwidth consumption due to the inability to pause or rewind multicast streams, leading to inefficiencies and Quality of Service (QoS) issues.
Innovation Solution
The method generates multiple time-staggered multicast streams with controlled time delays, allowing destinations to join streams from different starting points, and uses unicast streams to supplement multicast streams when necessary, optimizing network resource usage and content delivery based on predicted requests and network conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If unicast methods are used to send data directly to users who have requested the data, then content delivery flexibility is improved, but network bandwidth consumption increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments content delivery into multiple time-staggered multicast streams with different delays. Each stream carries the same content but starts at different times, allowing receivers to join at different points in the content timeline. This segmentation resolves the contradiction by providing unicast-like flexibility through multiple discrete stream options while maintaining multicast efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic stream selection where receivers can choose which multicast stream to join based on their arrival time and content position requirements. The system dynamically adapts to receiver needs by allowing selection from multiple streams with different time offsets, providing flexibility similar to unicast while using multicast infrastructure.
2Loss of energy
If multicast techniques are used to distribute content efficiently, then network bandwidth usage is reduced, but the ability to pause or rewind content for individual users is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments a single multicast stream into multiple time-staggered streams with different delays. This allows receivers to join at different points in the content timeline and control playback by selecting appropriate streams, effectively providing pause and rewind capabilities through stream selection rather than actual pausing of the multicast transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary function at the receiver end that buffers and reassembles content from multiple time-staggered streams. This intermediary mechanism allows the receiver to control playback timing and position by selectively buffering and playing back content from different streams, providing unicast-like control over multicast content.
3Productivity
If multiple time-staggered multicast streams are generated, then content delivery efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic time-staggered streams with fixed delay intervals between them. This periodic structure simplifies stream management by creating predictable, regularly spaced stream options that are easier to generate, track, and manage compared to arbitrary stream timings, reducing the complexity overhead while maintaining delivery efficiency.
Data Source
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AI summary
There are described methods and systems for distributing content in a network, in particular a multicast network. One method includes delivering content from a source to a destination in a content delivery network. A request for an item of content is received and a first multicast stream is identified or established, the first multicast stream comprising a first copy of the content. At least one second multicast stream is also identified or established, the second stream comprising a second copy of the content. The second copy of the content is time-shifted by a time, M, from corresponding portions of the first copy of the content. The content is then delivered to the destination using both the first and the second multicast streams.