Patent ID: 8839317
Filing Date: 2014-09-16
Classification: H04J,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method of providing video on-demand and switched digital video using bandwidth to a first set of customer premise equipment devices, the method comprising: apportioning said bandwidth so that it includes a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, said first portion of bandwidth being dedicated for communicating video-on demand, said second portion of bandwidth being dedicated for communicating switched digital video, and said third portion of bandwidth being available for communicating either video on-demand or switched digital video; using said first dedicated portion of said bandwidth to provide video on-demand services; using said second dedicated portion of said bandwidth to provide switched digital video services; and using said third portion of said bandwidth to provide both video on-demand and switched digital video services, the size of a video on-demand portion of said third portion of bandwidth varying as a function of requests for video on-demand content received from one or more customer premise equipment devices and a video on-demand service priority relative to a switched digital video service priority; responding to a request for service based on the type of service requested, responding to a request for service including, when said request for service is a request for video on-demand-service and said first dedicated portion of said bandwidth does not have sufficient unused bandwidth available to support the requested video on-demand service: (i) determining the priority of the requested video on-demand service as a function of at least two of the following features: a video on-demand service type, time of day, stream type, programming package type, stream format type, tuner priorities, and viewership priority, wherein said determining the priority of the requested video on-demand service includes summing numerical priority values associated with different features corresponding to the requested video on-demand service to generate said priority of the requested video on-demand service; and (ii) determining if the requested video on-demand service has a higher priority than another service currently utilizing either some of said third portion of bandwidth or some of said first portion of bandwidth.