Method and apparatus for prefetching content in a data stream

• US 10,101,801 B2
• Filed: 11/13/2013
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Silberstein, Rebecca Lynn Braynard, Plass, Michael F., Meike, Roger C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Syling
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vo, Cecile
• Application Number:
  US14/079,379
• Publication Number:
  US 20150134680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,798 Days
• Field of Search: 707758, 707707, 707E1701, 707E17044, 707827, 707736, 707E17005, 707E17014, 709231, 711122, 711E12001, 711E12061, 711154, 711206, 711726
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/002 Specific input/output arrangements not covered by G06F3/01 - G06F3/16 other optical apparatus G02B27/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4351 involving reassembling additional data, e.g. rebuilding an executable program from recovered modules
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/835 Generation of protective data, e.g. certificates protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format

Abstract

A data-processing system facilitates processing a data stream to assist other devices to pre-fetch elements of the data stream, out-of-sequence, for uninterrupted playback. During operation, the system can receive a data file, and segments the data file into a sequence of content objects. The system then determines a target content object that is to be processed out-of-sequence, and a corresponding source content object. The system then inserts a reference to the target content object, into the source content object, and stores the sequence of content objects. A client device can disseminate interest to obtain the data stream'"'"'s content objects. Upon receiving a content object, the client device can determine whether the content object includes a reference to other content objects. If so, the client device can disseminate interests for these referenced content objects.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

segmenting, by a computer, digital content into a sequence of content objects;

determining a target content object of the sequence of content objects, wherein the target content object is to be processed out-of-sequence;

determining a source content object of the sequence of content objects, wherein the target content object is to be processed after the source content object;

inserting a reference into the source content object, wherein the reference indicates that the target content object is to be processed following the source content object, wherein the reference is distinct from a name for the source content object; and

storing the sequence of content objects, wherein the sequence includes the reference inserted into the source content object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital content includes a plurality of data items, and wherein a content object'"'"'s starting boundary or ending boundary corresponds to one or more of:

a starting boundary of a data item;

an ending boundary of a data item; and

an offset between a data item'"'"'s starting boundary and ending boundary.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the reference comprises one or more of:

an identifier for the target content object; and

a data offset within the target content object.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the identifier includes a hierarchically structured variable-length identifier.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital content includes one or more of:

an audio stream;

a video stream;

executable instructions;

a document;

a graphical interchange format file;

encrypted code; and

a text stream.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

encoding the contents of a source media stream to a target media-stream format; and

generating the digital content to include the source media stream in the target media-stream format.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the target object involves:

determining a file-data offset of the data file, which is to be processed out-of-sequence; and

determining, from the sequence of content objects, the content object that corresponds to the file-data offset.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an interest for a content object; and

in response to determining that the content object is stored in a local repository, sending the content object through an interface associated with the interest.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising publishing the sequence of content objects, wherein publishing a respective content object involves:

disseminating an advertisement for the content object over a content-centric network.

10. A computer-implemented method comprising:

disseminating, by a client computing device, an interest for digital content, wherein a name for the interest is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier comprised of contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level;

receiving a content object, which corresponds to the digital content and satisfies the interest;

determining that the received content object includes a reference to a data item from a target content object, wherein the reference is distinct from a name for the received content object; and

disseminating an interest for the target content object to obtain the data item.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

generating an interest for a successive content object; and

disseminating an interest, which corresponds to the successive content object, to obtain the successive content object.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the data item'"'"'s starting boundary corresponds to one or more of:

a starting boundary of the target content object; and

an offset from the target content object'"'"'s starting boundary.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the reference indicates:

an identifier for the target content object; and

a data offset, from the target content object'"'"'s starting boundary, for the data item.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

segmenting, by a computer, digital content into a sequence of content objects;

determining a target content object of the sequence of content objects, wherein the target content object is to be processed out-of-sequence;

determining a source content object of the sequence of content objects, wherein the target content object is to be processed after the source content object;

inserting a reference into the source content object, wherein the reference indicates that the target content object is to be processed following the source content object, wherein the reference is distinct from a name for the source content object; and

storing the sequence of content objects, wherein the sequence includes the reference inserted into the source content object.

15. The storage medium of claim 14, wherein the digital content includes a plurality of data items, and wherein a content object'"'"'s starting boundary or ending boundary corresponds to one or more of:

a starting boundary of a data item;

an ending boundary of a data item; and

an offset between a data item'"'"'s starting boundary and ending boundary.

16. The storage medium of claim 14, wherein the reference comprises one or more of:

an identifier for the target content object; and

a data offset within the target content object.

17. The storage medium of claim 16, wherein the identifier includes a hierarchically structured variable-length identifier.

18. The storage medium of claim 14, wherein the digital content includes one or more of:

an audio stream;

a video stream;

executable instructions;

a document;

a graphical interchange format file;

encrypted code; and

a text stream.

19. The storage medium of claim 18, further comprising:

encoding the contents of a source media stream to a target media-stream format; and

generating the digital content to include the source media stream in the target media-stream format.

20. The storage medium of claim 14, wherein determining the target object involves:

determining a file-data offset of the data file, which is to be processed out-of-sequence; and

determining, from the sequence of content objects, the content object that corresponds to the file-data offset.

21. The storage medium of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving an interest for a content object; and

in response to determining that the content object is stored in a local repository, sending the content object through an interface associated with the interest.

22. The storage medium of claim 14, further comprising publishing the sequence of content objects, wherein publishing a respective content object involves disseminating an advertisement for the content object over a content-centric network.

23. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

disseminating an interest for digital content, wherein a name for the interest is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier comprised of contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level;

receiving a content object, which corresponds to the digital content and satisfies the interest;

determining that the received content object includes a reference to a data item from a target content object, wherein the reference is distinct from a name for the received content object; and

disseminating an interest for the target content object to obtain the data item.

24. The storage medium of claim 23, wherein the method further comprises:

generating an interest for a successive content object; and

disseminating an interest, which corresponds to the successive content object, to obtain the successive content object.

25. The storage medium of claim 23, wherein the data item'"'"'s starting boundary corresponds to one or more of:

a starting boundary of the target content object; and

an offset from the target content object'"'"'s starting boundary.