Patent ID: 8464303

Claim:
A method for caching a plurality of video content titles in an Internet Protocol TeleVision (IPTV) network comprising a plurality of caches at a plurality of network locations, the method comprising: defining a network traffic cost dependent on a distribution of the plurality of video content titles to the plurality of caches; distributing the plurality of video content titles to the plurality of caches by distributing different ones of the video content titles to each of the plurality of caches; retrieving at least one video content title from a remote neighbor cache among the plurality of caches in response to a request generated by a subscriber for the at least one video content title received at a local cache among the plurality of caches; defining a total incremental transport cost of the plurality of video content titles, wherein the total incremental transport cost is defined as a sum of products including an incremental transport cost per unit of local traffic multiplied by a traffic bit rate, an incremental transport cost per unit of U-turn traffic multiplied by a u-turn traffic bit rate, and an incremental transport cost per unit of remote traffic multiplied by a remote traffic bit rate; and transmitting the at least one video content title to the subscriber.