Abstract: A method, apparatus and computer program product for managing content sessions within a network is presented. The systems disclosed herein are able to detect a requirement to modify bandwidth usage within the network either proactively or reactively. In response, example embodiments apply an adaptive bit rate adjustment technique to the content sessions to adjust a data rate associated with each content session according to the requirement to modify bandwidth usage within the network. Example embodiments also then apply a quality of service adjustment technique to the content sessions to adjust a bandwidth allocation assigned between a client and server based upon the adaptive bandwidth adjustment technique. Application of the adaptive bit rate and quality of service adjustment techniques may be policy based. Example embodiments also may monitor a plurality of servers supporting content sessions, detect a failure at a first server and move content sessions to a second server.

Abstract: A channel allocation mechanism for manages bandwidth using a channel profile to assure an available channel for supporting the highest expected bandwidth request by leaving a contiguous segment available to support such requests. Configurations discussed further below define a profile for expected media types, and associate each channel with a profile designating the media types assignable on that channel. Each media type includes a service and a bitrate, thus different formats of the same service (such as SD and HD) are distinguished. Each profile specifies a media type, and each channel is associated with one or more profiles. Further, a mapping of channels to associated profiles includes a reserve designation, indicating that other (unreserved) be fully assigned before assigning the reserved channels. The reserved channels provide a contiguous block of bandwidth, so that large bandwidth requests do not encounter assignment failure from a plurality of sparsely allocated channels.

Abstract: A method and system that computes viewing statistics for a digital video content stream received at a set-top box. The digital video content stream includes a first segment of video content, a second segment of video content, a third segment of video content, a first timing mark that indicates a transition from the first segment to the second segment, and a second timing mark that indicates a transition from the second segment to the third segment. The method initiates a transmission of the digital video content stream at the set-top box, monitors the transmission of the digital video content stream relative to the first timing mark and the second timing mark, and computes view data for the second segment based on the monitoring of the transmission. The method stores the view data at the set-top box.

Abstract: A video server delivers video on demand (VOD) and other video services responsive to a remote selection application over an IP network from a personal communication device of a user, such as a cellphone or smartphone. The remote selection application drives a user interface of available content, and transmits a user selection request to the video delivery server via a public access network such as the Internet. The video server correlates the identity of the requesting user with a video services channel in communication with a settop box or similar device of the user, and delivers the content to the client video device for rendering. In contrast to conventional VOD, in which the video services request emanates from the settop box on the same communication path (QAM channel) as the downstream signals containing the VOD content, the remote selection application is independent of the client device on an HFC network.

Abstract: Monitoring subscriber viewing interactions, such as television viewing interactions, and generating viewing characteristics therefrom. Generating at least one type of subscriber profile from at least some subset of subscriber characteristics including viewing, purchasing, transactions, statistical, deterministic, and demographic. The subscriber characteristics may be generated, gathered from at least one source, or a combination thereof. Forming groups of subscribers by correlating at least one type of subscriber profile. The subscriber groups may correlate to elements of a content delivery system (such as head-ends, nodes, branches, or set top boxes (STBs) within a cable TV system). Correlating ad profiles to subscriber/subscriber group profiles and selecting targeted advertisements for the subscribers/subscriber groups based on the correlation. Inserting the targeted ads in place of default ads in program streams somewhere within the content delivery system (head-end, node, or STB).

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, advertisement identifiers are stored in a queue in memory in the set top box or elsewhere corresponding to individual subscribers of a television service delivery network. The advertisements are retrieved and displayed in the order dictated by the queue as advertisement avails are detected in the particular channel information stream being watched by that subscriber. Accordingly, the subscriber sees the advertisements regardless of what channel or television program is being watched and sees them in the order dictated by the queue. The invention also is applicable to other information streams including Internet advertising, audio/radio advertising and advertising in electronic program guides.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving a request for content from a source in a network; determining a geographic service region for the source; determining a status of a plurality of content delivery networks in the service region. The status is indicative of at least whether each of the plurality of content delivery networks is active or impaired. The method can also include selecting a particular one of the content delivery networks having a corresponding status as active to service the request for content.

Abstract: A configuration as discussed herein includes a content management system. The content management system can reside in a central location or be distributed amongst multiple different locations in a network environment. In general, the content management system keeps track of configuration information for the retrieval of content. For example, the content management system identifies a presence of one or more content delivery sources in the network environment. The content management system utilizes the contact information to communicate with content delivery sources for discovery of configuration information. The configuration information can indicate: i) a respective address of the content delivery source, ii) a type of content outputted by the respective address, iii) a format of the content such as streaming data outputted by the respective address. The configuration information can be used to identify an address in which to retrieve requested content according to a desired format.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, advertisement identifiers are stored in a queue in memory in the set top box or elsewhere corresponding to individual subscribers of a television service delivery network. The advertisements are retrieved and displayed in the order dictated by the queue as advertisement avails are detected in the particular channel information stream being watched by that subscriber. Accordingly, the subscriber sees the advertisements regardless of what channel or television program is being watched and sees them in the order dictated by the queue. The invention also is applicable to other information streams including Internet advertising, audio/radio advertising and advertising in electronic program guides.

Abstract: A method, system and devices for delivering a switched digital video (SDV) channel to a network element, such as an end user set-top box, based on the decoding capabilities of the network element. The system determines whether to deliver the SDV channel in a first format, such as MPEG-4, or a second format, such as MPEG-2. When only network elements capable of decoding MPEG-4 content are tuned to the SDV channel, the system can realize bandwidth savings by delivering only the MPEG-4 version of the SDV channel. When legacy network elements capable of decoding only MPEG-2 content tune to a particular SDV channel, the system delivers only the MPEG-2 version of the SDV channel. The methods and devices can be used in headends, including those that deploy switched digital video, and other appropriate locations within the content distribution system, such as within the edge devices in the distribution hub.

Abstract: A dynamic service group discovery and mapping approach avoids manual assignment of stream channels for transporting video services to the client devices that provide the video services to an end user. Client devices, such as set-top boxes, receive video services such as video on demand (VOD), switched digital video (SDV), pay-per view (PPV) and other narrowcast types of video for selective transmission. Each client device scans for visible stream channels, and sends a report indicative of visible stream channels to a dynamic mapping server. The dynamic mapping server applies aggregation rules for determining, based on the reported stream channels, which client devices are in the same service group. By receiving reports from each client device, the dynamic mapping server identifies groupings of service groups by combining sets of client devices receiving common channels, and “builds” the service groups as additional reports indicate common stream channels visible to multiple set top boxes.

Abstract: Profiling a television viewer by monitoring and processing, locally at a television viewing environment, the viewer's interactivity (e.g., via a remote control unit) with the television viewing environment. Generating one or more profiles for each viewer based on one or more of the multitude of interactions of each viewer and on, in general, the viewing habits and preferences of the viewer. Automatically and reliably, detecting or inferring at a particular time, which specific individual or individuals, are actually interacting with the TV in household comprising more than one individual. Such viewer identification and profile generation can be used to facilitate the delivery of targeted content, including targeted advertising.

Abstract: A distributed resource management mechanism allocates transmission resources by distributing the resources among a plurality of service nodes each responsible for a portion of the resources according to a hash function. A data center receives resource allocation requests from applications, such as video services applications, including a computed hash value based on the desired resource and indicative of the service node for providing the requested resource. A remote resource management client identifies the resource and computes the hash based on a request from the application, and transmits the request to a resource management server on the service node having the resource indicated by the hash, thus avoiding centralized queuing or caching of the resource requests and instead delegating to the service nodes. Service nodes may redundantly share responsibility for the resources through a root node or a cluster arrangement, providing failover if a service node becomes inoperational.

Abstract: A system and method for scheduling advertisements in a television service network environment. An ad scheduler prepares an ad insertion schedule based on channel change statistical information and avail time information. The scheduler evaluates the statistical information, time durations between adjacent avails in a presentation stream, and the relatedness of market segments assigned to a plurality of advertisements. It schedules the ads into presentation stream groups based on this evaluation. The statistical ad scheduling allows the system to eliminate “forced” switching between multiple presentation streams, whereby system wears and malfunctions can be decreased.

Abstract: A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving a uniform resource locator (URL) at a content router; selecting at least a portion of a content delivery network to access content associated with the URL; and formatting the URL that was received based on the portion of the content delivery network that was selected. In more particular embodiments, the method can include parsing a source URL to extract a delivery service to format the URL that was received. Additionally, the method can include evaluating associated variables for the delivery service; applying a replacement pattern that utilizes the variables; and using the replacement pattern to construct a target URL format for a subsequent communication to the portion of the content delivery network.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, advertisement identifiers are stored in a queue in memory in the set top box or elsewhere corresponding to individual subscribers of a television service delivery network. The advertisements are retrieved and displayed in the order dictated by the queue as advertisement avails are detected in the particular channel information stream being watched by that subscriber. Accordingly, the subscriber sees the advertisements regardless of what channel or television program is being watched and sees them in the order dictated by the queue. The invention also is applicable to other information streams including Internet advertising, audio/radio advertising and advertising in electronic program guides.

Abstract: A switched digital video (SDV) system and method that provides a seamless transition when tuning a set-top box from a first SDV service to a second SDV service. The method detects a set up service trigger in a content stream before a tune request time to transition the content stream from the first SDV service to the second SDV service, and sends a request to set up the second SDV service at a time before the tune request time, where a time difference between the time and the tune request time is greater than a service set up time for the second SDV service. The method detects a tune request in the content stream for the second SDV service, sends a service select request to tune to the second SDV service, and receives the second SDV service at the tune request time.

Abstract: A switched digital video (SDV) system includes an SDV manager for coordinating SDV sessions requested by subscriber terminals associated with at least one service group. The SDV system also includes an input for receiving content to be delivered during the SDV sessions and at least one edge device for receiving transport streams that include an SDV program provided by the input and for transmitting each transport stream over an access network to at least one of the subscriber terminals on one of a plurality of SDV channels. In response to receipt of a message from a subscriber terminal in a first service group indicating that an EAS event is occurring, the SDV manager is configured to suspend reclamation of network resources allocated to the first service group which otherwise occurs when subscriber terminals tune off an SDV channel.

Abstract: A video server delivers video on demand (VOD) and other video services responsive to a remote selection application over an IP network from a personal communication device of a user, such as a cellphone or smartphone. The remote selection application drives a user interface of available content, and transmits a user selection request to the video delivery server via a public access network such as the Internet. The video server correlates the identity of the requesting user with a video services channel in communication with a settop box or similar device of the user, and delivers the content to the client video device for rendering. In contrast to conventional VOD, in which the video services request emanates from the settop box on the same communication path (QAM channel) as the downstream signals containing the VOD content, the remote selection application is independent of the client device on an HFC network.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, advertisement identifiers are stored in a queue in memory in the set top box or elsewhere corresponding to individual subscribers of a television service delivery network. The advertisements are retrieved and displayed in the order dictated by the queue as advertisement avails are detected in the particular channel information stream being watched by that subscriber. Accordingly, the subscriber sees the advertisements regardless of what channel or television program is being watched and sees them in the order dictated by the queue. The invention also is applicable to other information streams including Internet advertising, audio/radio advertising and advertising in electronic program guides.