Internet protocol television streaming methods and apparatus
A system, method, and apparatus for Internet Protocol television streaming are disclosed. An example apparatus includes a remote access point configured to receive television programming via a data feed from a television service provider. The remote access point is specifically assigned to an application operating on a client device. The apparatus also includes a connection controller configured to determine television programming received in the remote access point is to be transmitted to the specific application operating on the client device and transmit the encrypted television programming to the application via a secure communication channel. The apparatus also includes a management controller configured to provision a virtual local area network between the remote access point and the connection controller and provision the secure communication channel from the connection controller to the application operating on the client device.
1. An Internet Protocol (“IP”) television streaming apparatus comprising:
a plurality of remote access points, each remote access point configured to provide line termination for television programming received via a data feed from a television service provider, the respective remote access point being specifically assigned to an application operating on a client device for maintaining a one-to-one correspondence between the application and the respective data feed from the television service provider;
a connection controller configured to:
encrypt the television programming received from the respective remote access point;
determine the television programming received in the respective remote access point is to be transmitted to the specific application operating on the client device; and
transmit the encrypted television programming to the application via a secure communication channel; and
a management controller configured to:
provision a virtual local area network between the respective remote access point and the connection controller; and
provision the secure communication channel from the connection controller to the application operating on the client device,
wherein the application is configured to decrypt the television programming and provide an interface for viewing the television programming.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the secure communication channel includes a virtual private network.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the respective remote access point is assigned an IP address by the television service provider and includes a physical interface to receive the television programming over the Internet.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the respective remote access point is a virtual remote access point that is included within a portion of a server.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the respective remote access point is a virtual routing and forwarding (“VRF”) router that includes an instance of a routing and forwarding table corresponding to the respective data feed from the television service provider and the virtual local area network.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the respective remote access point is included within a television service provider network of the television service provider in logical proximity to a headend.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the connection controller is configured to encrypt the television programming over encoding of the television programming provided by the television service provider.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the application is configured to decode the television programming for display on the client device.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the respective remote access point includes a gateway that is individually addressed to maintain the one-to-one correspondence between the application and the respective data feed from the television service provider.
10. An Internet Protocol television streaming method for a plurality of remote access points, the method comprising, for each remote access point:
receiving, in the remote access point, a data feed from a television service provider, the respective remote access point configured to provide line termination for the respective data feed and specifically assigned to a client device for maintaining a one-to-one correspondence between the client device and the respective data feed from the television service provider;
encrypting, via a controller, the respective data feed received in the respective remote access point from the television service provider;
determining, via the controller, that the respective data feed is to be transmitted to the specific client device; and
transmitting, via the controller, the encrypted data feed to the client device via a secure communication channel.
11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising provisioning, via the controller, at least one of:
a virtual local area network between the respective remote access point and the controller; and
the secure communication channel from at least one of the controller and the respective remote access point to the client device.
12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
decoding, via the controller, the respective data feed;
converting, via the controller, the respective data feed into IP television formatted packets; and
providing, via the controller, the IP television formatted packets for encryption.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising encoding, via the controller, the IP television formatted packets before the encryption.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the secure communication channel includes a virtual private network.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the respective data feed includes at least one of Internet Protocol television programming, cable television programming, and satellite television programming.
16. The method of claim 10 , further comprising provisioning, via the controller, the respective remote access point to operate with the respective data feed from the television service provider prior to receiving the respective data feed.
17. An Internet Protocol (“IP”) television streaming system comprising a plurality of remote access points, each remote access point configured to:
provide line termination for television programming received via a respective data feed from a television service provider, the respective remote access point being specifically assigned to an application operating on a client device for maintaining a one-to-one correspondence between the first application and the respective data from the television service provider, and
transmit the respective television programming via Internet Protocol packets to the respective application on the respective client device.
18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising a second plurality of remote access points, each second remote access point configured to:
provide line termination for second television programming received via a second respective data feed from a second television service provider, the second respective remote access point being specifically assigned to a second application operating on a second client device for maintaining a one-to-one correspondence between the second application and the second respective data from the second television service provider, and
transmit the second respective television programming via second Internet Protocol packets to the second respective application on the second respective client device.
19. The system of claim 17 , wherein the respective data feed and the second respective data feed include at least one of multicast programming and unicast programming.
20. The system of claim 17 , wherein the respective client device is the same device as the second respective client device.