System and method for cloud digital video recorders

• US 10,200,745 B2
• Filed: 03/06/2017
• Issued: 02/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kharitonsky, Dany, Morgan, David S., Ricker, Clint, Elbert, Dan, Seldin, Anatoly
• Primary Examiner(s): Chen, Cai Y
• Application Number:
  US15/450,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20180255347A1
• Time in Patent Office: 701 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25841 involving the geographical location of the client retrieval from the Internet by querying based on geographical locations G06F16/9537; arrangements for identifying locations of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/51; location of the user terminal in data switching networks H04L67/52; services making use of the location of users or terminals in wireless networks H04W4/02; locating users or terminals in wireless networks H04W64/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4147 PVR [Personal Video Recorder] H04N5/76 takes precedence ; arrangements for broadcast with accumulation-type receivers H04H20/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44222 Analytics of user selections, e.g. selection of programs or purchase activity monitoring of user selections in data processing systems G06F11/34; arrangements for monitoring the user's behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4583 Automatically resolving scheduling conflicts, e.g. when a recording by reservation has been programmed for two programs in the same time slot

Abstract

In one embodiment, a first value is computed on a networked computing device, the first value being associated with storing a recording of a broadcast video at a first cloud storage device situated in a first one of a plurality of regions, for playback on a remote client device situated in the first one of the plurality of regions, the first value being a measure of user consumption patterns and use of computing and network resources. A second value is computed on the networked computing device, the second value being associated with storing the recording of the broadcast video at a second cloud storage device situated in a second one of the plurality of regions, for playback on a remote client device situated in the second one of the plurality of regions, the second value being a measure of user consumption patterns and use of computing and network resources. The first and second values are compared on the networked computing device in order to determine a preferred storage region, the recording of the broadcast video is stored on the one of the first cloud storage device and the second cloud storage device in the preferred storage region, and the one of the first cloud storage device and the second cloud storage device in the preferred storage region is instructed to store the recording of the broadcast video. Related hardware, systems, and methods are also described.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

computing a first value on a networked computing device, the first value being associated with storing a recording of a broadcast video at a first cloud storage device situated in a first one of a plurality of regions, for playback on a remote client device situated in the first one of the plurality of regions, the first value being a measure of;

user consumption patterns; and

use of computing and network resources;

computing a second value on the networked computing device, the second value being associated with storing the recording of the broadcast video at a second cloud storage device situated in a second one of the plurality of regions, for playback on a remote client device situated in the second one of the plurality of regions, the second value being a measure of;

user consumption patterns; and

use of computing and network resources;

comparing on the networked computing device the first and second value in order to determine a preferred storage region; and

instructing the one of the first cloud storage device and the second cloud storage device in the preferred storage region to store the recording of the broadcast video.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein either or both of the first and second cloud storage devices comprise a cloud digital video recorder (cDVR).

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein secondary data is used in the computations of the first value and the second value when data concerning user consumption patterns and use of computing and network resources are insufficient to produce a useful result of the computation.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the secondary data comprises at least one of:

channel data;

genre data;

series information;

a time the broadcast video was broadcast;

time of previous consumption;

or parental rating information.

5. The method according to claim 1, and further comprising instructing storage of the recording of the broadcast video in a home region with which the remote client device is associated if the step of comparing the first and second value in order to determine a preferred storage region is inconclusive.

6. The method according to claim 1, and further comprising instructing storage of the recording of the broadcast video in a neighboring region if the preferred storage region has insufficient resources to store the recording of the broadcast video.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the neighboring region is a region having a data center nearest to the home region with which the remote client device is associated.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first value and the second value are functions of, respectively, a first recording cost factor and a second recording cost factor.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first value and the second value are functions of, respectively, a first playback cost factor and a second playback cost factor.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the storing the recording is instructed in the one of the first one and the second one of the plurality of regions having more available resources if the first value and the second value are the same.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein, if the step of comparing the first and second value in order to determine a preferred storage region fails to yield a preferred storage region, then the instructing comprises instructing both the first cloud storage device and the second cloud storage device to store the recording of the broadcast video.

12. The method according to claim 1 and wherein, after the recording of the broadcast video is stored, the recording it made available to the remote client device upon request.

13. A networked computing device operative to:

compute a first value, the first value being associated with storing a recording of a broadcast video at a first cloud storage device situated in a first one of a plurality of regions, for playback on a remote client device situated in the first one of the plurality of regions, the first value being a measure of;

user consumption patterns; and

use of computing and network resources;

compute a second value, the second value being associated with storing the recording of the broadcast video at a second cloud storage device situated in a second one of the plurality of regions, for playback on a remote client device situated in the second one of the plurality of regions, the second value being a measure of;

user consumption patterns; and

use of computing and network resources;

compare, at a processor, the first value and the second value; and

instruct the one of the first cloud storage device and the second cloud storage device of the preferred storage region to store the recording of the broadcast video.

14. The networked computing device according to claim 13, wherein either or both of the first and second cloud storage devices comprise a cloud digital video recorder (cDVR).

15. The networked computing device according to claim 13, wherein the secondary data is used in the computations of the first value and the second value when data concerning user consumption patterns and use of computing and network resources are insufficient to produce a useful result of the computation.

16. The networked computing device according to claim 13, wherein the secondary data comprises at least one of:

channel data;

genre data;

series information;

a time the video was broadcast;

time of previous consumption;

or parental rating information.

17. The networked computing device according to claim 13, and further operative to instruct a cloud storage device in a home region with which the remote client device is associated to store the recording of the broadcast video if the comparing the first and second value by the processor in order to determine a preferred storage region is inconclusive.

18. The networked computing device according to claim 13, and further operative to instruct a cloud storage device in a neighboring region to store the recording of the broadcast video if the preferred storage region has insufficient resources to store the recording of the broadcast video.

19. The networked computing device according to claim 18 wherein the neighboring region is a region having a data center nearest to the home region with which the remote client device is associated.

20. A non-transitory computer program product that stores a set of instructions which when executed perform a method executed by a set of instructions comprising:

computing a first value on a networked computing device, the first value being associated with storing a recording of a broadcast video at a first cloud storage device situated in a first one of a plurality of regions, for playback on a remote client device situated in the first one of the plurality of regions, the first value being a measure of;

user consumption patterns; and

use of computing and network resources;

computing a second value on the networked computing device, the second value being associated with storing the recording of the broadcast video at a second cloud storage device situated in a second one of the plurality of regions, for playback on a remote client device situated in the second one of the plurality of regions, the second value being a measure of;

user consumption patterns; and

use of computing and network resources;

comparing on the networked computing device the first and second value in order to determine a preferred storage region;

instructing the one of the first cloud storage device and the second cloud storage device in the preferred storage region to store the recording of the broadcast video.