Switching a client from unicasting to multicasting by simultaneously providing unicast and multicast streams to the client
View Patent ↗Switching a client from unicasting back to multicasting involves simultaneously providing the digital video content to the client via unicasting and multicasting until the client has buffered duplicate frames (i.e., frames that contain the same digital video content). Once the client has buffered duplicate frames, the client can transition from playing out of a buffer that holds frames received via unicasting to playing out of a buffer that holds frames received via multicasting without skipping a frame. Once the transition back to multicasting is complete, unicasting is terminated and any frames remaining in the unicast buffer are flushed.
1. A method for switching a client from displaying digital video content provided via unicasting to displaying digital video content provided via multicasting, the method comprising:
providing digital video content to a client via unicasting;
providing digital video content to the client via multicasting such that digital video content related to the same channel is provided to the client simultaneously via multicasting and unicasting; and
once the client begins receiving duplicate frames of digital video content via both unicasting and multicasting, switching to providing the digital video content to the client via multicasting instead of unicasting;
further comprising servicing channel change requests in a digital video network that distributes digital video content to clients via multicasting and unicasting, the method comprising:
providing digital video content to the client via multicasting, the digital video content being related to a first channel;
detecting a channel change request related to the client, the channel change request requesting a change to a second channel;
providing digital video content related to the second channel to the client via unicasting in response to the channel change request; and
continuing to provide digital video content related to the second channel to the client via unicasting until a pre-established condition is met, wherein continuing to provide digital video content related to the second channel to the client via unicasting until a pre-established condition is met involves unicasting multiple frames of the digital video content related to the second channel to the client.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising terminating the unicasting of digital video content to the client in response to the client receiving duplicate frames of digital video content.
3. The method of claim 1 further including determining whether the digital video content provided via multicasting includes a duplicate frame of the digital video content provided via unicasting.
4. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing a multicast buffer for buffering frames received via multicasting.
5. The method of claim 4 further comprising playing digital video content out of the multicast buffer after the multicast buffer receives a frame of digital video content that is a duplicate of a frame received via unicasting.
6. The method of claim 1 further comprising switching to providing digital video content related to the second channel to the client via multicasting after the pre-established condition is met.
7. A system for switching a client from displaying digital video content provided via unicasting to displaying digital video content provided via multicasting, the system comprising:
a processor and memory, configured to:
provide digital video content to a client via unicasting;
provide digital video content to the client via multicasting such that digital video content related to the same channel is provided to the client simultaneously via multicasting and unicasting; and
once the client begins receiving duplicate frames of digital video content via both unicasting and multicasting, switch to providing the digital video content to the client via multicasting instead of unicasting;
provide digital video content to a client via multicasting, the digital video content being related to a first channel;
detect a channel change request related to the client, the channel change request requesting a change to a second channel;
provide digital video content related to the second channel to the client via unicasting in response to the channel change request; and
continue to provide digital video content related to the second channel to the client via unicasting until a pre-established condition is met, wherein continuing to provide digital video content related to the second channel to the client via unicasting until a pre-established condition is met involves unicasting multiple frames of the digital video content related to the second channel to the client.
8. The system of claim 7 wherein the multicast return controller is further configured to terminate the unicasting of digital video content to the client in response to the client receiving duplicate frames of digital video content.
9. The system of claim 7 wherein the multicast return controller is further configured to determine whether the digital video content provided via multicasting includes a duplicate frame of the digital video content provided via unicasting.
10. The system of claim 7 wherein the multicast return controller is further configured to establish a multicast buffer for buffering frames received via multicasting.
11. The system of claim 10 further comprising playing digital video content out of the multicast buffer after the multicast buffer receives a frame of digital video content that is a duplicate of a frame received via unicasting.
12. The system of claim 7 further comprising means for switching to providing digital video content related to the second channel to the client via multicasting after the pre-established condition is met.
13. A method for switching a client from displaying digital video content provided via unicasting to displaying digital video content provided via multicasting, the method comprising:
receiving digital video content via unicasting;
playing out the digital video content that is received via unicasting;
receiving digital video content via multicasting such that digital video content related to the same channel is received simultaneously via unicasting and multicasting;
buffering the digital video content received via multicasting; and
once duplicate frames of digital video content are received via both unicasting and multicasting, switching to playing out the buffered digital video content received via multicasting instead of the digital video content received via unicasting;
further comprising servicing channel change requests in a digital video network that distributes digital video content to clients via multicasting and unicasting, the method comprising:
providing digital video content to the client via multicasting, the digital video content being related to a first channel;
detecting a channel change request related to the client, the channel change request requesting a change to a second channel;
providing digital video content related to the second channel to the client via unicasting in response to the channel change request; and
continuing to provide digital video content related to the second channel to the client via unicasting until a pre-established condition is met, wherein continuing to provide digital video content related to the second channel to the client via unicasting until a pre-established condition is met involves unicasting multiple frames of the digital video content related to the second channel to the client.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising terminating the unicasting of digital video content to the client in response to the client receiving duplicate frames of digital video content.
15. The method of claim 13 further including determining whether the digital video content received via multicasting includes a duplicate frame of the digital video content received via unicasting.
16. The method of claim 13 further comprising establishing a multicast buffer for buffering frames received via multicasting.
17. The method of claim 16 further comprising playing digital video content out of the multicast buffer after the multicast buffer receives a frame of digital video content that is a duplicate of a frame received via unicasting.
18. The method of claim 13 further comprising switching to providing digital video content related to the second channel to the client via multicasting after the pre-established condition is met.
19. The method of claim 13 further comprising:
establishing a unicast buffer at the client for buffering frames received at the client via unicasting;
establishing a multicast buffer at the client for buffering frames received at the client via multicasting;
determining whether the buffered digital video content received at the client via multicasting includes a duplicate frame of the digital video content received at the client via unicasting; and
wherein switching to playing out the buffered digital video content received via multicasting instead of the digital video content received via unicasting comprises playing out digital video content from the multicast buffer instead of from the unicast buffer.
20. The method of claim 19 wherein determining whether the buffered digital video content received at the client via multicasting includes a duplicate frame of the digital video content received at the client via unicasting comprises making a unique identification between a frame in the unicast buffer and the corresponding and identical frame in the multicast buffer.