Method to optimize the data stream between a router and a multimedia unit

Abstract

Even if high speed are available between the router and the multimedia unit through the IP line (up to 24 Mbits/sec), this is still the bottleneck in term of data transfer. Indeed in practice the vast majority of IP users have access speed between 2 to 5 Mbits/sec and the development of other services (telephony, videoconference, push VOD, game) are bandwidth consuming. It is now an object of the invention to propose a solution to reduce the data flow between the router and the multimedia unit over IP line.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better Understood thanks to the attached drawings in which:

the FIG. 1 shows the a router receiving the whole set of streams and injecting a subset of those streams toward a multimedia unit,

the FIG. 2 shows the connection of the router to the backbone in which the management center and the broadcasting center are connected.

Claims

1. Method to optimize the data stream between a router and a multimedia unit, the router receiving at least one data stream forming a service and comprising several sub-streams from which only a subset are useful to the multimedia unit, the method comprising the steps of: defining a set of data representing the multimedia unit's profile,transmitting this set of data to the router,filtering by the router the unnecessary sub-streams according to the given profile,sending the remaining sub-streams to the multimedia unit.

2. The method of claim 1 in which the data stream comprises information data describing the meaning of the sub-streams (PID) defining a service, wherein the multimedia unit performs the steps of: determining the sub-streams identifier of said service matching the multimedia unit's profile based on the information data,sending to the router information allowing the router to send the selected sub-streams related to said service.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information sent to the router contains a list of sub-streams identifier to be filtered by the router's filter.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the information sent to the router contains a list of sub-streams identifier to be allowed for sending by the router's filter.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the data stream comprises information data describing the meaning of the sub-streams (PID) defining a service, wherein the router performs the following steps: receiving from the multimedia unit at least a part of the current multimedia unit's profile,selecting the sub-streams identifier of said service matching the multimedia unit's profile based on the information data,setting the router's filter according to the selected sub-streams.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the data stream is managed by a management center, the method comprising the following steps: sending from the multimedia unit at least a part of the current multimedia unit's profile to the management center,selecting by the management center the sub-streams identifier (PID) of said service matching the multimedia unit's profile,sending the selected sub-streams identifier to the router,setting the router's filter according to the selected sub-streams.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the data stream is managed by a management center, the method comprising the following steps: selecting by the management center the sub-streams identifier of a plurality of services matching the multimedia unit's profile,sending the selected sub-stream identifiers to the router,storing in the router's database, for a given multimedia unit, the sub-stream identifiers in relation with a service,receiving from the multimedia unit a request to access a given service,loading from the router's database the set of sub-streams identifier related to this service,setting the router's filter according to the selected sub-streams.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein it comprises the following steps: sending by the multimedia unit at least a part of the current multimedia unit's profile to the management center related to a given service,selecting by the management center the sub-streams identifier of said service matching said multimedia unit's profile,sending the selected sub-stream identifiers of said service to the router,setting the router's filter for said service according to the selected sub-streams.

9. The method of claim 7, in which the data stream comprises information data describing the meaning of the sub-streams defining a service, wherein it comprises the following steps: sending by the multimedia unit at least a part of the current multimedia unit's profile to the router related to a given service,determining the sub-streams identifier of said service matching the multimedia unit's profile based on the information data,setting the router's filter for said service according to the selected sub-streams.