Unicast/multicast architecture
View Patent ↗A system and method for providing content to users including a multicast sub-system providing content to multiple users and a unicast sub-system providing content to individual users. The multicast sub-system being operative to push to each of a plurality of user communities, content relating to the community and the unicast sub-system being operative to provide on demand to a user, content which has not been previously pushed to the user.
1. A system for providing content to users comprising:
a multicast sub-system providing content to multiple users;
a unicast sub-system providing content to individual users, said unicast sub-system is operative to provide on demand to a user, content which has not been previously pushed to said user;
wherein said multicast sub-system is operative to push to each of a plurality of user communities, content relating to said each user community based on at least a-priori determinations and current demand;
wherein the system also provides broadcast, including transmission of content to all users within a geographical foot print of the broadcast, including transmission of content in a pay access regime; and
wherein there is defined a minimum multicast threshold which is a relative threshold determined by relative demands for various available content.
2. A system according to claim 1 and also comprising a plurality of satellites having at least one of the following functionalities: broadcast, multicast and unicast.
3. A system according to claim 1 and also comprising at least one of cable networks, digital terrestrial networks, microwave networks, cellular networks and DSL networks having at least one of the following functionalities:
broadcast, multicast and unicast.
4. A system according to claim 1 and comprising PSTN facilities providing unicast functionality.
5. A system according to claim 1 and wherein unicast functionality is provided by facilities which also simultaneously provide broadcast and multicast functionalities.
6. A system according to claim 1 and wherein multicast includes transmission of content to all users within a community having a predefined common interest, within a geographical footprint of a broadcast.
7. A system according to claim 1 and wherein unicast includes transmission of content to an individual user based on a request from that user.
8. A system according to claim 1 and wherein as a community grows, the amount of bandwidth allocated to that community increases.
9. A system according to claim 1 and wherein as a community decreases in size, the amount of bandwidth allocated to that community decreases.
10. A method for providing content to users comprising:
multicasting content to multiple users;
unicasting content to individual users, said unicasting including providing on demand to a user, content which has not been previously pushed to said user;
wherein said multicasting includes pushing to each of the plurality of user communities, content relating to said each user community based on at least a-priori determinations and current demand;
including broadcast of content to all users within a geographical footprint of a broadcast, including transmission of content in a pay access regime; and
defining a minimum multicast threshold which is a relative threshold determined by relative demands for various available content.
11. A method according to claim 10 and wherein multicasting includes transmission of content to all users within a community having a predefined common interest, within a geographical footprint of a broadcast.
12. A method according to claim 10 and wherein unicasting includes transmission of content to an individual user based on a request from that user.
13. A method according to any claim 10 and wherein as a community grows, the amount of bandwidth allocated to that community increases.
14. A method according to claim 10 and wherein as a community decreases in size, the amount of bandwidth allocated to that community decreases.