Self-monitoring and optimizing network apparatus and methods

1. 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.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said analysis to identify patterns comprises statistical analysis of usage patterns of said plurality of client devices.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said analysis to identify patterns comprises analysis of a first moving window of data having a first duration, and analysis of a second moving window of data having a second duration, said first duration being shorter than said second duration.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said one or more control values comprise at least one of: (i) total program stream pool size by service area; (ii) individual program stream reclamation times; and (iii) individual program stream initiation time.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said computer program is further adapted to determine a plurality of parameters relating to collection of said data by said client devices, and send information relating to these parameters to said client devices.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein said plurality of parameters comprise at least one of (i) frequency of data sampling, and (ii) an interval or conditions upon which said data is sent to server apparatus.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said data comprises at least one of: (i) tuning activity on each client device and an associated timestamp; and (ii) remote control activity associated with each client device.

8. A method of allocating resources within a content distribution network comprising a plurality of consumer premises equipment (CPE) and first and second substantially independent content delivery subsystems, the method comprising:

obtaining historical data from individual ones of said plurality of CPE;

storing said historical data in a database; and

analyzing said historical data to determine one or more patterns of behavior, said patterns of behavior being applied to each of said plurality of CPE via generation of operational control signals for said network, said control signals controlling allocation of said resources between said first and second delivery sub-systems and said plurality of CPE;

wherein:

when said one or more patterns of behavior predict similar viewership among a first portion of said plurality of CPE, said control signals causing said first portion of said plurality of CPE to receive content delivery from said first delivery sub-system; and

when said one or more patterns of behavior predict similar viewership among a second portion of said plurality of CPE, said control signals causing said second portion of said plurality of CPE to receive content delivery from said second delivery sub-system.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein said first and second subsystems comprise broadcast-switched and video-on-demand (VOD) systems, respectively.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein said act of controlling allocation of said resources comprises controlling an allocation of bandwidth within at least one edge quadrature amplitude modulator (QAM) of said network.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein said act of controlling allocation of said resources comprises controlling an allocation of bandwidth based at least in part on said historical data obtained from a plurality of said CPE.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein said historical data comprises at least one of:

data regarding tuning activity of said CPE and an associated timestamp; and

data regarding an operational status of said CPE.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein said act of controlling allocation of said resources comprises controlling an instantiation or termination of one or more program streams delivered via at least one of said first or second content delivery sub-systems.

14. A method for carrying a plurality of program streams that are selectively switched in or out of delivery to a plurality of client devices via a switch disposed at a node of a broadcast switched digital network, said method comprising:

receiving data from said client devices, said data relating to an operation of individual ones of said client devices;

creating a historical database relating to said operation of said individual ones of said plurality of said client devices;

allocating bandwidth between individual ones of a plurality of program streams to be provided to at least a portion of said plurality of client devices serviced by said node based at least in part on one or more control values relating to said operation of said individual ones of said client devices derived from information in said historical database;

identifying at least one pattern of interest in said historical database;

evaluating whether said identified patterns of interest manifests in predicted behavior of said plurality of client devices, said evaluation useful to improve analysis of said historical database.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein said act of receiving said data from said client devices occurs over an extended period of time.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein said act of allocating bandwidth further comprises said switch speculatively switching either to deliver or to not deliver individual ones of program streams to said client devices serviced thereby.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein said one or more control values are used to switch said node.

18. The method of claim 14 , wherein said data relating to an operation of individual ones of said client devices comprises channel tuning data and duration data.

19. The method of claim 14 , wherein said act of receiving data from said client devices is performed according to a periodic scheme and/or according to rules provided by a server application running on said node.

20. A network server apparatus configured to allocate resources within a content distribution network, said network comprising a plurality of consumer premises equipment (CPE) and at least two substantially independent content delivery subsystems, said apparatus comprising:

a first interface configured to obtain historical data from individual ones of said plurality of CPE;

a storage apparatus configured to store said historical data; and

a processor configured to run a computer application thereon, said computer application comprising a plurality of instructions which are configured to, when executed:

analyze said historical data to determine one or more patterns of behavior therein;

generate a plurality of operational control signals for said network based at least in part on said one or more patterns of behavior; and

utilizing said control signals to control allocation of said resources between said at least two substantially independent content delivery subsystems, such that:

when said one or more patterns of behavior predict similar viewership among a first portion of said plurality of CPE, cause said first portion of said plurality of CPE to receive content delivery from a first delivery sub-system; and

when said one or more patterns of behavior predict similar viewership among a second portion of said plurality of CPE, cause said second portion of said plurality of CPE to receive content delivery from a second delivery sub-system.

21. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said content distribution network comprises a digital network and said CPE comprise digital set-top boxes (DSTBs).

22. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said historical data comprises data relating to activity of one or more remote control units associated with said individual ones of said plurality of CPE.

23. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said analysis comprises identification of one or more parameters comprises identifying at least one correlation between a historical event and a change in said data from a plurality of said client devices.

24. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said analysis comprises a statistical analysis of said data from said individual ones of said plurality of CPE.

25. The apparatus of claim 20 , wherein said plurality of CPE comprise devices within a service group served by a hub of a broadcast switched network.