Video distribution with edge stations and Wi-Fi delivery networks

A video distribution architecture with edge stations and Wi-Fi delivery networks as connection to residential homes is described in this paper. An edge station is configurable and controllable by a central server. It is placed in the access point of Wi-Fi networks and has multiple usages. Due to its large storage space it can be used as a mirroring/caching proxy for continuous media. Replicating popular video contents in many small mirroring sites can significantly reduce the network bandwidth requirement. When this structure is used with a cable or Hybrid Fiber/Coax (HFC) network, it turns to be a Hybrid Fiber/Coax/Wi-Fi (HFCW) structure, particularly suitable for Video-on-Demand (VoD) applications. There are many advantages of this architecture. First, the central server load and network traffic can be reduced to a small percentage. Second, the response time of most video playing requests can be significantly reduced. Third, true VoD can possibly be provided with a one-way cable system. Finally, noise from STBs (Set-Top Boxes) is absorbed by the edge station in a two-way cable system.