Device, method and system for media packet distribution

Abstract

There is provided a method device and system for streaming media content to a media presentation appliance. There may be provided an appliance specific media stream generator adapted to derive an appliance specific stream from a multicast media stream. The generator may convert a multicast media stream addressed to a set of media presentation appliances into either (1) one or more unicast media streams, wherein each unicast media stream is addressed to a separate media presentation appliance; or (2) a multicast media stream addressed to a subset of the set of media presentation appliances. In both cases, the media content within the derived media stream may be substantially identical to the media content of the original multicast media stream. The generator may also introduce content (e.g. advertising) into the derived media stream(s).

What is claimed: 
     
       1. A device for retransmitting a received IP media stream broadcast, said the device comprising:
 a communication module adapted to receive from a media presentation appliance a request for a given IP media stream; and 
 a stream generator adapted to convert, in response to the request from the media presentation appliance, one single appliance specific version of the requested media stream from multicast to unicast, and to retransmit with a delay the converted unicast, appliance specific, version of the requested media stream to the media presentation appliance, 
 wherein a delay time for the delayed version of the requested media stream is determined to reduce zap-time associated with presenting the requested IP media stream at the media presentation appliance at least partly based on a timing parameter of the request received from the media presentation appliance, and 
 wherein content in the unicast appliance specific version of the requested media stream is substantially identical to content in the multicast appliance specific version of the requested media stream,  
 the device further comprising:
 an appliance specific media stream generator adapted to derive from a first multicast media stream one or more uni-cast unicast media streams or a second multicast media stream, 
 wherein the device is further adapted to track a status of the derived one or more uni-cast unicast media streams or the derived second multicast media stream. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The device according to  claim 1 , further comprising a localized content insertion module. 
     
     
       3. The device according to  claim 2 , further adapted to edit media streams by inserting content. 
     
     
       4. The device according to  claim 3 , wherein the insertion of content is triggered by a content insertion signal. 
     
     
       5. The device according to  claim 1 , further including multiple delay segments, wherein each delay segment is associated with a different multicast distribution sub-group. 
     
     
       6. The device according to  claim 5 , wherein said the stream generator is adapted to associate the media presentation appliance with a multicast distribution sub-group which is temporally closest to transmitting an intra frame. 
     
     
       7. The device according to  claim 1 , further adapted to track the status of received media streams. 
     
     
       8. The device according to  claim 1 , further adapted to receive a request from a media presentation appliance for a specific media stream. 
     
     
       9. The device according to  claim 8 , further adapted to transmit different media streams based on a request received from a media presentation appliance. 
     
     
       10. The device of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the device receives the IP media stream broadcast as a multi-cast media stream addressed to a set of media presentation appliances, including the media presentation appliance; and 
 converts the multi-cast media stream into the unicast, appliance specific delayed version. 
 
     
     
       11. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the unicast, appliance specific delayed version is provided to the media presentation appliance during only specific operational phases of the media presentation device. 
     
     
       12. The device of  claim 11 , wherein the specific operational phases include when the media presentation device is transitioning from a first multicast media stream to a second multicast media stream. 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 12 , wherein the unicast, appliance specific delayed version of the requested media stream is based on the second multicast media stream. 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 1 , wherein the communication module is further adapted to receive from a plurality of other media presentation appliances respective requests for specific IP media streams; and
 wherein the stream generator adapted to convert, in response to each respective one of the requests from the media presentation appliance or any of the other media presentation appliances, one single appliance specific version of the corresponding requested media stream from multicast to unicast, and to retransmit with a delay the converted unicast, appliance specific, version of the requested media stream to the corresponding media presentation appliance, 
 wherein a first one of the converted unicast, appliance specific versions retransmitted to a first one of the corresponding media appliances and a second one of the converted unicast, appliance specific versions retransmitted to a first one of the corresponding media appliances have the same content but different delays. 
 
     
     
       15. A method for retransmitting a received IP media stream broadcast, said the method comprising:
 receiving from a media presentation appliance a request for a given IP media stream; 
 determining a delay time at least partly based on a timing parameter of the request received from the media presentation appliance; 
 converting, in response to the request from the media presentation appliance, one single appliance specific version of the requested media stream from multicast to unicast; and 
 providing, in response to the request from the media presentation appliance, a delayed version of the converted unicast appliance specific media stream to the media presentation appliance, 
 wherein the delay is determined to reduce zap-time associated with presenting the requested IP media stream at the media presentation appliance, and the delayed version is provided with the determined delay, and 
 wherein content in the unicast appliance specific version of the requested media stream is substantially identical to content in the multicast appliance specific version of the requested media stream 
 the method further comprising:
 deriving from a first multicast media stream one or more uni-cast unicast media streams or a second multicast media stream; and 
 tracking a status of the derived one or more uni-cast unicast media streams or the derived second multicast media stream. 
 
 
     
     
       16. The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising inserting localized content. 
     
     
       17. The method according to  claim 15 , further comprising generating multiple delay segments, wherein each delay segment is associated with a different multicast distribution sub-group. 
     
     
       18. The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the media presentation appliance requesting a stream is associated with a multicast distribution sub-group which is temporally closest to transmitting an intra frame. 
     
     
       19. The method according to  claim 15 , further adapted to track the status of received media streams. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving the IP media stream broadcast as a multi-cast media stream addressed to a set of media presentation appliances, including the media presentation appliance; and 
 converting the multi-cast media stream into the unicast, appliance specific delayed version. 
 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 15 , wherein the unicast, appliance specific delayed version is provided to the media presentation appliance during only specific operational phases of the media presentation device. 
     
     
       22. The method of  claim 21 , wherein the specific operational phases include when the media presentation device is transitioning from a first multicast media stream to a second multicast media stream. 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22 , wherein the unicast, appliance specific delayed version of the requested media stream is based on the second multicast media stream. 
     
     
       24. A method comprising:
 receiving, at a communication module, from a media presentation appliance a request for a given IP media stream, wherein the request has a timing parameter; 
 determining a delay time at least partly based on the timing parameter of the request received from the media presentation appliance; 
 converting, in response to the request from the media presentation appliance, one single appliance specific version of the requested media stream from multicast to unicast; and 
 providing, in response to the request from the media presentation appliance, a delayed version of the converted unicast appliance specific media stream to the media presentation appliance, 
 wherein the delay is determined to reduce zap-time associated with presenting the requested IP media stream at the media presentation appliance, and the delayed version is provided with the determined delay, 
 wherein the unicast, appliance specific delayed version is provided to the media presentation appliance during only specific operational phases of the media presentation device, 
 wherein the specific operational phases include when the media presentation device is transitioning from a first multicast media stream to a second multicast media stream, and 
 wherein the unicast, appliance specific delayed version of the requested media stream is based on the second multicast media stream, 
 the method further comprising:
 deriving from a first multicast media stream one or more uni-cast unicast media streams or a the second multicast media stream; and 
 respectively tracking a status of the derived one or more uni-castunicast media streams or the derived second multicast media stream. 
 
 
     
     
       25. The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the received media stream broadcast is an Internet Protocol (IP) media stream broadcast, and wherein the given media stream is an Internet Protocol (IP) media stream.  
     
     
       26. The method according to  claim 15 , wherein the received media stream broadcast is an Internet Protocol (IP) media stream broadcast, and wherein the given media stream is an Internet Protocol (IP) media stream.