Methods and apparatus for content delivery and replacement in a network

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for providing an alternate content delivery mechanism available to content-based network users. In one embodiment, the network comprises a cable television network, and subscribers are able to retrieve requested content from one or more other subscriber's storage medium and without going outside the cable network (or accessing the network core in any significant capacity) using a peer-to-peer (P2P) network protocol. Using this approach, bandwidth consumption is advantageously pushed out to the edge of the network from the core, also obviating content requests outside the network (e.g., to third-party servers on the Internet). Methods of operating the aforementioned P2P network, and various business paradigms relating thereto, are also disclosed.

1 . In a cable-television network, a peer-to-peer software architecture adapted for the delivery and reconstitution of content among a plurality of peer client devices, the architecture comprising:
 a first software process disposed on a first of said plurality of peer client devices and configured to evaluate at least a portion of content received at said first client device; and   a second software process disposed on a first client device and in communication with said first process;   wherein said second process is configured to:
 receive information relating to one or more content elements associated with said at least portion which require reconstitution; 
 communicate with respective software processes on at least one other of said plurality of devices to obtain uncorrupted ones of said one or more content elements; and 
 receive said one or more content elements from said at least one other of said plurality of devices. 
   
   
   
       2 . The architecture of  claim 1 , wherein said second process is further adapted to utilize said received uncorrupted ones of said one or more elements to reconstitute said content. 
   
   
       3 . The architecture of  claim 1 , further comprising a third process adapted to utilize said received uncorrupted ones of said one or more elements to reconstitute said content. 
   
   
       4 . The architecture of  claim 1 , wherein said evaluation by first said process comprises at least one of a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) or cryptographic residue or hash of data comprising said at least portion. 
   
   
       5 . The architecture of  claim 1 , further comprising a third process adapted to determine at least one aspect of the operation of said second process. 
   
   
       6 . The architecture of  claim 5 , wherein said at least one aspect comprises which of said others of said plurality of devices said first device will communicate with. 
   
   
       7 . The architecture of  claim 1 , wherein said first client device is adapted to communicate with a third process disposed on a network entity substantially remote from said first device, said third process adapted to control at least one aspect of the operation of said first or second processes. 
   
   
       8 . The architecture of  claim 7 , wherein said network entity comprises a device disposed at distribution hub or node. 
   
   
       9 . The architecture of  claim 7 , wherein said network entity comprises a headend server. 
   
   
       10 . The architecture of  claim 1 , wherein said first process is adapted to perform said evaluation as said content is received over said network at said first device. 
   
   
       11 . The architecture of  claim 10 , wherein said content is received over said network at said first device via a streaming protocol, and said evaluation is conducted substantially in real time. 
   
   
       12 . The architecture of  claim 1 , wherein said content comprises a stream of MPEG2 encoded packets disposed within a transport multiplex, said packets being buffered upon receipt, and said evaluation is performed on at least a portion of said packets. 
   
   
       13 . The architecture of  claim 1 , wherein said first process is adapted to perform said evaluation after substantially the entirety of said content has been received at said first device. 
   
   
       14 . The architecture of  claim 1 , wherein said first process is adapted to, before the said content is enabled for access:
 perform said evaluation; and   cause said second process to perform said communication with respective software processes on others of said plurality of devices to obtain said uncorrupted ones of said one or more content elements.   
   
   
       15 . The architecture of  claim 1 , wherein said first process is adapted to:
 perform said evaluation of said at least portion in advance of playback thereof;   cause said second process to obtain said uncorrupted ones of said one or more content elements; and   reconstitute said one or more elements using said uncorrupted ones of said elements at least in time for said playback.   
   
   
       16 . The architecture of  claim 1 , wherein the selection of said at least portion of said content evaluated is based at least in part on a speculative or historical analysis. 
   
   
       17 . The architecture of  claim 1 , wherein the selection of said at least portion of said content evaluated is based at least in part on information received from a network entity as to the transmission of said content. 
   
   
       18 . The architecture of  claim 1 , wherein said content comprises information indicating at least one other of said plurality of client devices to which said content has, is, or will be transmitted. 
   
   
       19 . The architecture of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the availability of said content via said first client device is delayed for at least a period of time until said one or more elements of said content requiring reconstitution have been reconstituted; and   a notification of said delay is sent to or displayed for a user.   
   
   
       20 . The architecture of  claim 1 , further comprising a third process adapted to identify, and selectively control access by said second process with, said at least one other client device. 
   
   
       21 . The architecture of  claim 20 , wherein said identification is based at least in part on a bandwidth-related parameter associated with at least a portion of said network. 
   
   
       22 . The architecture of  claim 20 , wherein said identification is based at least in part on determining which others of said plurality of client devices is accessible by said first device. 
   
   
       23 . Customer premises equipment (CPE) adapted for peer-based content delivery within a content-based network, comprising:
 a processor;   a network interface;   a storage device in data communication with at least one of said processor or interface; and   a software process operative to run on said processor;   wherein said software process is configured to:
 receive information from an external entity relating to a request for content; 
 identify content stored on said storage device that can at least in part satisfy said request; and 
 transmit said identified stored content to a network device via said interface. 
   
   
   
       24 . The CPE of  claim 23 , wherein said network comprises a cable television network, and said CPE comprises an OCAP (OpenCable) compliant set-top box having at least one tuner, demodulator, and middleware. 
   
   
       25 . The CPE of  claim 24 , wherein said network interface comprises a DOCSIS upstream interface. 
   
   
       26 . The CPE of  claim 25 , wherein said software process comprises a client application downloaded to said CPE over said cable network via said at least one tuner. 
   
   
       27 . The CPE of  claim 25 , wherein said external entity and said network device comprise the same physical device. 
   
   
       28 . The CPE of  claim 27 , wherein said physical device comprises another customer premises equipment (CPE) adapted for peer-based content delivery within said content-based network. 
   
   
       29 . The CPE of  claim 23 , wherein said CPE comprises a secure microprocessor (SM), and the content requested comprises at least a portion of a downloadable conditional access (DCAS) module or image. 
   
   
       30 . The CPE of  claim 23 , wherein said receipt of information from an external entity, said identification of content stored on said storage device that can at least in part satisfy said request, and said transmission of said identified stored content to a network device via said interface is performed within a time frame that permits real time streaming of content at said network device. 
   
   
       31 . The CPE of  claim 23 , wherein said external entity comprises a server or tracking process, and said network device comprises another CPE within the same network. 
   
   
       32 . The CPE of  claim 25 , further comprising a second network interface adapted to receive content via at least one quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) radio frequency channel different from that used by said DOCSIS interface. 
   
   
       33 . Customer premises equipment (CPE) adapted for peer-based content delivery within a content-based network, comprising:
 a processor;   a network interface;   a storage device in data communication with at least one of said processor or interface, said storage device having content stored thereon; and   a software process operative to run on said processor;   wherein said software process is configured to:
 evaluate at least a portion of said stored content; 
 issue a request for content based at least in part on said evaluation; and 
 receive said requested content via said interface. 
   
   
   
       34 . The CPE of  claim 33 , wherein said network comprises a cable television network, and said CPE comprises an OCAP (OpenCable) compliant set-top box having at least one tuner, demodulator, and middleware. 
   
   
       35 . The CPE of  claim 34 , wherein said network interface comprises said at least one tuner and is adapted to receive a quadrature amplitude modulated (QAM) radio frequency in-band channel. 
   
   
       36 . The CPE of  claim 35 , wherein said software process comprises a client application downloaded to said CPE over said cable network via said at least one tuner. 
   
   
       37 . The CPE of  claim 33 , wherein said evaluation comprises identifying one or more missing portions or elements of said stored content. 
   
   
       38 . The CPE of  claim 33 , wherein said requested content is received from at least one other customer premises equipment (CPE) adapted for peer-based content delivery within said content-based network. 
   
   
       39 . The CPE of  claim 38 , wherein said CPE further comprises a secure microprocessor (SM), and content requested comprises at least a portion of a common image associated with a downloadable conditional access (DCAS) system. 
   
   
       40 . The CPE of  claim 33 , wherein said CPE further comprises a secure microprocessor (SM), and content requested comprises at least a portion of a downloadable conditional access (DCAS) module or image. 
   
   
       41 . The CPE of  claim 33 , wherein said evaluation of at least a portion of said stored content, issuance of said request for content based at least in part on said evaluation, and said receipt of said requested content via said interface is performed within a time frame that permits real time streaming of content to said CPE. 
   
   
       42 . The CPE of  claim 33 , wherein said request is issued to a server or tracking process, and said requested content is received from another CPE within the same network. 
   
   
       43 . For use in a cable television network having at least one server and a plurality of client devices, a software architecture adapted to facilitate peer-to-peer delivery of content, the architecture comprising:
 a first process associated with said server; and   second processes disposed on respective ones of at least a portion of said plurality of client devices;   wherein said first process is adapted to facilitate identification of one or more of said at least portion of said plurality of client devices that can service at least a portion of a request for content issued by at least one of said at least portion of said plurality of client devices using content that is substantially indigenous to said one or more devices.   
   
   
       44 . The software architecture of  claim 43 , wherein said network comprises a broadcast switched architecture (BSA) network, and said request comprises a request for substantially ephemeral content that was broadcast over said BSA network. 
   
   
       45 . The software architecture of  claim 43 , wherein said server comprises a broadcast switched architecture (BSA) switch apparatus disposed at a switching node of a BSA network. 
   
   
       46 . The software architecture of  claim 43 , wherein said first process does not receive or distribute any of said requested content. 
   
   
       47 . The software architecture of  claim 43 , wherein one of said client devices is adapted to instantiate an on-demand session for delivery of content to another of said client devices. 
   
   
       48 . The software architecture of  claim 43 , wherein said first process is further adapted to cause said one or more client devices to provide different portions of said requested content to said at least one requesting device in a substantially simultaneous fashion. 
   
   
       49 . The software architecture of  claim 43 , wherein said first process maintains a file that can be accessed by said at least portion of devices having said second process, said file comprising a listing of other devices supporting download of said requested content. 
   
   
       50 . The software architecture of  claim 43 , wherein said second processes are adapted to encrypt, and said first process decrypt, at least a portion of said requested content. 
   
   
       51 . The software architecture of  claim 50 , wherein said encryption and decryption are performed using at least one public-private key pair. 
   
   
       52 . The software architecture of  claim 43 , wherein said request for content comprises a request for at least a portion of a downloadable conditional access (DCAS) module or image. 
   
   
       53 . The software architecture of  claim 43 , further comprising a third process disposed on respective ones of at least a portion of said plurality of client devices adapted to authenticate others of said plurality of client devices before transferring any of said requested content thereto. 
   
   
       54 . The software architecture of  claim 53 , wherein said third process is further adapted to communicate with a RADIUS server as part of said authentication. 
   
   
       55 . The software architecture of  claim 54 , wherein said third process is further adapted to authenticate said others of said client devices according to IEEE-Std. 802.1x. 
   
   
       56 . Apparatus for use in a cable network having a plurality of client devices with associated client software processes, the apparatus comprising:
 a processor;   a storage device in data communication with said processor;   a network interface adapted to transmit and receive communications with said plurality of client devices; and   a software process adapted to run on said apparatus, said software process being configured to:
 receive requests for content to download to one or more of said client devices; and 
 facilitate providing said content from at least one of said client devices to said one or more devices over a local distribution portion of said cable network. 
   
   
   
       57 . The apparatus of  claim 56 , wherein said apparatus comprises a server disposed at a distribution or switching node of said cable network, and said facilitating providing said content comprises causing said at least one client device to transmit said content: (i) via an upstream out-of-band (OOB) channel; and subsequently (ii) via a downstream in-band channel. 
   
   
       58 . The apparatus of  claim 56 , wherein said facilitating providing said content comprises causing said at least one client device to transmit said content: (i) via an upstream cable modem channel; and subsequently (ii) via a downstream in-band channel. 
   
   
       59 . The apparatus of  claim 58 , wherein said at least one client device comprises a personal computer, and said one or more requesting client devices comprises a set-top box. 
   
   
       60 . A method of operating a content based network, comprising:
 obtaining profile data from a requesting peer;   transmitting the relevant profile information to at least one other network entity;   selecting one or more prospective source peers;   evaluating said one or more peers for processing requirements;   performing or scheduling any necessary processing; and   transmitting the requested content to said requesting peer.   
   
   
       61 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein said other network entity comprises a network server process in communication with said requesting peer and a plurality of prospective source peers, and said evaluating comprises identifying any transcoding or transrating requirement based at least in part on said profile data. 
   
   
       62 . The method of  claim 60 , wherein said selecting is performed prior to said transmitting, and said transmitting comprises transmitting to said selected source peers. 
   
   
       63 . The method of  claim 62 , wherein said evaluating is performed prior to said transmitting.