Patent ID: 8813144
Filing Date: 2014-08-19
Classification: H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method comprising the steps of: providing a switched digital video content-based network, wherein a head end obtains a first group of program streams and sends to a client only a subset of said program streams selected by subscribers in a neighborhood of said client by assigning said subset of program streams to transmission channels comprising dedicated frequency bands in said switched digital video content-based network, determining, with a switched digital video bandwidth manager located in said head end, a condition of inadequate bandwidth in that there are or imminently will be an insufficient number of said transmission channels to send to said client said subset of said program streams; and responsive to said determining of said condition of inadequate bandwidth by said switched digital video bandwidth manager: sending, from said switched digital video bandwidth manager to an encoder management system located in said head end, a signal indicative of said condition of inadequate bandwidth; responsive to said signal, said encoder management system causing an encoder bank in said head end to dynamically decrease a bit rate of at least one of said subset of said program streams selected by said subscribers in said neighborhood of said client by adjusting encoding thereof, while maintaining adequate quality for said at least one of said subset of said program streams selected by said subscribers in said neighborhood of said client, based on an objective quality measure obtained by said encoder management system from a video quality sensing system located in said head end, in order to address said condition of inadequate bandwidth, wherein said video quality sensing system comparing values of said objective quality measure of said program streams determined prior to, and immediately subsequent to, said encoding, wherein said maintaining of said adequate quality is based on said comparing of said values of said objective quality measure; and sending, from said encoder bank to said client, using one of said transmission channels over a wired network comprising at least one of a fiber optic cable and a coaxial cable, said at least one of said subset of said program streams with said dynamically decreased bit rate, said wired network forming at least a portion of said switched digital video content-based network, wherein in said video quality sensing system the method further comprises: