Apparatus and methods for catalog data distribution
Methods and apparatus for providing enhanced catalog data capacity and functionality within a content distribution network. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes an architecture configured to utilize an upstream out-of-band (OOB) channel for upstream catalog data request carriage, while a downstream in-band (IB) QAM is used for carriage of the catalog data issued by the network in response to the request. In another embodiment, the extant catalog structure is largely retained, yet modified so as to (i) eliminate redundancy within “barker” channel audio/video data delivery, and (ii) reduce the encoding resolution of the barker audio and/or video so as to utilize less bandwidth, thereby allowing enhanced capacity for catalog title expansion (and/or reduced latency in responding to catalog requests).
1. A method of operating a content distribution network having a plurality of users associated therewith, so as to provide content catalog services, the method comprising:
providing a plurality of data streams comprising a single Enhanced TV Binary Interchange Format (EBIF) application that is shared between a plurality of different programs;
associating the shared EBIF application with a single quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) channel;
forming the shared EBIF application and a single secondary content stream associated to individual ones of the plurality of data streams into a common stream for delivery via the QAM channel;
dynamically adjusting an encoding resolution of the secondary content based at least in part on a display resolution at which it is determined the secondary content will be displayed; and
delivering the common stream to each of the plurality of users, such that each of the users can access the shared EBIF application and the single secondary content stream.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the single secondary content stream comprises a barker stream comprising at least one audio stream and at least one video stream.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the content distribution network comprises at least one of: (i) a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network, and (ii) a hybrid fiber copper (HFCu) network.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the barker stream is configured to be rendered within some fraction of a full sized rendering device screen, and the act of adjusting the encoding resolution comprises reducing an encoding resolution of at least one of the at least one audio stream and/or the at least one video stream prior to the act of forming.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalog data streams are encoded using an MPEG-2 encoding process, and the common stream comprises a multiple program transport stream (MPTS).
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of associating comprises configuring a program mapping table (PMT) with respect to each of the catalog data streams so as to share one or more program IDs (PIDs).
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more second applications are configured to add individual ones of a plurality of plurality of program identifiers (PIDs) and associated descriptors to a program mapping table (PMT) therefor.
8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending the EBIF application to individual ones of a plurality of channels at given times of a day.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the act of sending the EBIF application comprises signaling the individual ones of a plurality of channels to utilize the EBIF application at given times of a day.
10. A method of operating a content distribution network having a plurality of users associated therewith, so as to provide content catalog data, the method comprising:
utilizing a first channel to carry a catalog data request originated from one of the plurality of users;
utilizing a catalog data service on a second channel to carry a first portion of the catalog data and a plurality of secondary content associated therewith for use by each of the plurality of users;
removing from the catalog data service one or more duplicate ones of the secondary content;
utilizing a third channel to carry a second portion of the catalog data for use by only the one of the plurality of users, the second portion corresponding to data requested by the one of the plurality of users; and
enabling a consumer device to filter the third channel so as to identify the second portion targeted for only the one of the plurality of users.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first portion is broadcast via the catalog data service to each of the plurality of users.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first channel comprises an upstream out-of-band (OOB) channel, and the second channel comprises an in-band (IB) content delivery QAM channel.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the QAM channel can carry greater than 7,500 up to 30,000 titles.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first portion comprises: (i) a barker channel content, and (ii) top-level catalog data.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the second portion further comprises addressing data specific to a consumer premises equipment (CPE) of the one user.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the enabling the consumer device to filter third channel comprises utilizing a media access control (MAC) address of the CPE associated with the one of the plurality of users.
17. A method of operating a content distribution network having a plurality of users associated therewith, so as to provide content catalog data, the method comprising:
utilizing an upstream out of band channel to carry a catalog data request originated from one of the plurality of users;
utilizing a catalog data service on a second channel to carry a first portion of the catalog data and barker channel data for broadcast delivery to the plurality of users;
utilizing a third channel to carry a second portion of the catalog data for use by only the one of the plurality of users, the second portion corresponding to data requested by the one of the plurality of users; and
utilizing a media access control (MAC) address of a consumer device associated with the one of the plurality of users, thereby enabling the consumer device to filter the third channel so as to identify the second portion targeted for only the one of the plurality of users.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising removing from the catalog data service one or more duplicate ones of the barker channel data.