Systems and methods for initializing allocations of transport streams based on historical data
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for allocating media assets to a plurality of transport streams in a mixed service system to allow simultaneous receipt of at least two media assets using a single stream selector are provided. The mix-service content delivery system comprises a content delivery server comprising control circuitry. At a first time, the first instance of the at least two media assets may be allocated to different transport streams. A user request to simultaneously receive the at least two media assets may be received. A viewing history based on the user request may be generated during a predetermined time period. At a second time after the first time, the control circuitry may allocate a second instance of the at least two media assets to a same transport stream of the plurality of transport streams. The allocations may be determined based on the generated viewing history.
1. A method for allocating transport streams by a content delivery system, the method comprising:
receiving, at a given point in time, a first user request to simultaneously receive a first media asset and a second media asset using a single stream selector;
determining a first time slot associated with the given point in time that comprises a first day with a first start time and a first end time corresponding to the first and second media assets;
storing in a database an indicator indicating that the first media asset and the second media asset are linked as a first block of assets, wherein the first block of linked media assets is to be allocated to a same transport stream;
selecting one of a plurality of transport streams determined to have enough bandwidth to transport the first block of linked media assets;
determining whether the selected transport stream has enough bandwidth to transport the first block of linked media assets and at least one additional media asset;
in response to determining that the selected transport stream has enough bandwidth to transport the first block of linked media assets and at least one additional media asset;
searching a plurality of past user requests to identify a past user request that is associated with a second time slot that comprises a second day with a second start time and second end time that overlaps an interval between the first start time and first end time, wherein the second day precedes the first day, each of the past user requests is a request to receive multiple media assets;
identifying a third media asset based on the identified past user request, wherein the third media asset is scheduled for transmission during the first time slot; and
generating for display an option to add the third media asset to the first block of linked assets at a reduced cost; and
allocating the first block of media assets to the selected transport stream.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding the third media asset to the first block of linked media assets in response to receiving a user selection of the option.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the one of plurality of transport streams comprises:
identifying a plurality of transport streams with available bandwidth to transport the first block of linked media assets; and
determining which of the plurality of transport streams has a least amount of available bandwidth relative to the other transport streams.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the selected transport stream is one of the plurality of transport streams determined as having the least amount of available bandwidth.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the one of plurality of transport streams comprises determining that none of a plurality of the transport streams has enough bandwidth to transport the first block of linked media assets.
6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising re-allocating one or more media assets transported on a first of the plurality of transport streams to a second of the plurality of transport streams such that the first of the plurality of transport streams has enough bandwidth to transport the first block of linked media assets after the one or more media assets are reallocated to the second transport stream.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the selected transport stream is the first of the plurality of transport streams for transporting the first block of linked media assets.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a second user request to simultaneously receive a plurality of media assets using the single stream selector, wherein at least one of the plurality media assets is different from the first media asset or the second media asset in the first block of linked media assets.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining whether the selected transport stream has enough bandwidth for transporting the plurality of media assets together with the first block of linked media assets.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising in response to determining that the selected transport stream has enough bandwidth for transporting the plurality of media assets together with the first block of linked media assets:
storing in the database a second indicator indicating that the first block of linked media assets and the plurality of media assets are linked as a second block of media assets; and
allocating the second block of media assets to the selected transport stream.
11. A content delivery system for allocating transport streams, the system comprising control circuitry configured to:
receive, at a given point in time, a first user request to simultaneously receive a first media asset and a second media asset using a single stream selector;
determine a first time slot associated with the given point in time that comprises a first day with a first start time and a first end time corresponding to the first and second media assets;
store in a database an indicator indicating that the first media asset and the second media asset are linked as a first block of assets, wherein the first block of linked media assets is to be allocated to a same transport stream;
select one of a plurality of transport streams determined to have enough bandwidth to transport the first block of linked media assets;
determine whether the selected transport stream has enough bandwidth to transport the first block of linked media assets and at least one additional media asset;
in response to determining that the selected transport stream has enough bandwidth to transport the first block of linked media assets and at least one additional media asset;
search a plurality of past user requests to identify a past user request that is associated with a second time slot that comprises a second day with a second start time and second end time that overlaps an interval between the first start time and first end time, wherein the second day precedes the first day, each of the past user requests is a request to receive multiple media assets;
identify a third media asset based on the identified past user request, wherein the third media asset is scheduled for transmission during the first time slot; and
generate for display an option to add the third media asset to the first block of linked assets at a reduced cost; and
allocate the first block of media assets to the selected transport stream.
12. The system of claim 11 , further comprising adding the third media asset to the first block of linked media assets in response to receiving a user selection of the option.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when selecting the one of plurality of transport streams, to:
identify a plurality of transport streams with available bandwidth to transport the first block of linked media assets; and
determine which of the plurality of transport streams has a least amount of available bandwidth relative to the other transport streams.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the selected transport stream is one of the plurality of transport streams determined as having the least amount of available bandwidth.
15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured, when selecting the one of plurality of transport streams, to determine that none of a plurality of the transport streams has enough bandwidth to transport the first block of linked media assets.
16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to re-allocate one or more media assets transported on a first of the plurality of transport streams to a second of the plurality of transport streams such that the first of the plurality of transport streams has enough bandwidth to transport the first block of linked media assets after the one or more media assets are reallocated to the second transport stream.
17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the selected transport stream is the first of the plurality of transport streams for transporting the first block of linked media assets.
18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to receive a second user request to simultaneously receive a plurality of media assets using the single stream selector, wherein at least one of the plurality media assets is different from the first media asset or second media asset in the first block of linked media assets.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to determine whether the selected transport stream has enough bandwidth for transporting the plurality of media assets together with the first block of linked media assets.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the control circuitry is further configured to, in response to determining that the selected transport stream has enough bandwidth for transporting the plurality of media assets together with the first block of linked media assets;
store in the database a second indicator indicating that the first block of linked media assets and the plurality of media assets are linked as a second block of media assets; and
allocate the second block of media assets to the selected transport stream.