Patent ID: 8582584

Claim:
Network server apparatus adapted for use in a broadcast switched digital network, said network having a plurality of client devices in communication therewith and being adapted to carry a plurality of program streams that are selectively switched in or out of delivery to said client devices by a switch disposed at a node of said network, said apparatus comprising: a processor; a storage device in data communication with said processor; a network interface adapted to at least receive messages from said client devices; and a computer program operative to run on said server apparatus, said computer program being adapted to automatically: receive, over time, data from said client devices via said messages and relating to an operation of individual ones of said client devices; store said data on said storage device so as to form a historical database relating to an operation of a plurality of said client devices; analyze at least portions of said database to identify patterns of interest therein; generate one or more control values relating to an operation of said switched digital network based at least in part on said analysis; implement said one or more control values to allocate bandwidth between individual ones of said plurality of program streams to be provided to a portion of said plurality of devices serviced by said node; and evaluate whether said identified patterns of interest manifests in predicted behavior of said plurality of client devices, the evaluation useful to improve analysis of said historical database.