Systems and methods for efficient memory allocation for streaming of multimedia files

• US 20020161911A1
• Filed: 04/19/2002
• Published: 10/31/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Gulfstream Media Corp. (BurstPoint Networks, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gulfstream Media Corp. (BurstPoint Networks, Inc.)
• Inventors: Provenzano, Christopher Angelo, Pinckney, Thomas III, Kessler, Garry Kenneth, Thomas, Benjamin Joseph III
• Application Number:
  US10/126,460
• Publication Number:
  US 20020161911A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2326 Scheduling disk or memory reading operations
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6373 for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64707 for transferring content from a first network to a second network, e.g. between IP and wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

Systems and methods for streaming of multimedia files over a network are described. A streaming delivery accelerator (SDA) receives content from a content provider, caches at least part of the content, forming a cache file, and streams the cache file to a user. The described systems and methods are directed to separate (shred) the content into contiguous cache files suitable for streaming. The shredded cache files may have different transmission bit rates and/or different content, such as audio, text, etc. Checksums can migrate from the content file to the shredded cache files and between different network protocols without the need for recomputing the checksums.

Claims

1. A method of allocating data blocks for streaming a file, comprising:

determining a data transfer characteristic for streaming the file;

selecting a block size as a function of the data transfer characteristic;

allocating data blocks having a block size on a persistent storage medium, said block size related to the data transfer characteristic;

storing said file as the data blocks on the persistent storage medium;

transferring the data blocks from the persistent storage medium into a first buffer memory, with the data blocks in the first buffer memory having the block size;

determining an actual bit rate to a user;

allocating a second buffer memory to receive from the persistent storage medium additional data blocks based on the actual bit rate to a user, with the data blocks in the second buffer memory having the block size; and

transmitting the additional data blocks from the persistent storage medium to the second buffer memory when an estimated transmit time for streaming a portion of the data blocks remaining in the first buffer to a user is approximately equal to a time required to transfer the additional data blocks from the persistent storage medium into the second buffer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer characteristic is a maximum bit rate for the file.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein allocating data blocks on the persistent storage medium includes

defining data blocks that have at least two block types;

associating a first block type with a direct block comprising the data blocks and associating a second block type with an indirect block comprising a pointer to a plurality of other direct blocks or of additional indirect blocks; and

storing on the persistent storage medium a contiguous sequence of at least the blocks that are addressed by the pointer.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the block size of the additional direct blocks is greater than the block size of at least one of the indirect blocks and the blocks of the first block type.

5. Device for allocating data blocks for streaming a file, the device comprising:

a persistent storage medium storing the data blocks of the file, said data blocks having a block size allocated related to a data transfer characteristic;

a first buffer memory that receives the data blocks from the persistent storage medium, said data blocks in the first buffer memory having the block size;

a second buffer memory that receives additional data blocks from the persistent storage medium, said data blocks in the second buffer memory having the block size,

wherein the additional data are received in the second buffer memory when an estimated transmit time for streaming a portion of the data blocks remaining in the first buffer to a user is approximately equal to a time required to transfer the additional data blocks from the persistent storage medium into the second buffer.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the transfer characteristic is a maximum bit rate for the file.

7. The device of claim 5, wherein the persistent storage medium is a disk storage medium.

8. The device of claim 5, wherein the first buffer memory and the second buffer memory are volatile memory devices.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the volatile memory devices comprise random access memory (RAM).

10. The device of claim 5, wherein the block size includes a plurality of block sizes, said block sizes organized in an inode structure and determined by at least one of a maximum streaming rate of the file and a maximum seek time for the data blocks on the persistent storage medium.

11. Streaming delivery accelerator (SDA) for efficiently streaming a file, comprising:

at least one input channel that receives a content file from a content provider;

at least one output channel with a predetermined streaming characteristic for streaming a cache file to a user;

a persistent storage medium that caches data blocks of the content file and stores the data blocks as the cache file, said data blocks having a block size allocated related to a data transfer characteristic;

a first buffer memory that receives the data blocks from the persistent storage medium, said data blocks in the first buffer memory having the block size;

a second buffer memory that receives additional data blocks from the persistent storage medium, said data blocks in the second buffer memory having the block size,

wherein the additional data are received in the second buffer memory when an estimated transmit time for streaming a portion of the data blocks remaining in the first buffer to the user is approximately equal to a time required to transfer the additional data blocks from the persistent storage medium into the second buffer.

12. The SDA of claim 11, wherein the persistent storage medium is a disk storage medium.

13. The SDA of claim 11, wherein the first buffer memory and the second buffer memory are volatile memory devices.

14. The SDA of claim 11, wherein the streaming characteristic includes a data transmission rate to the user.

15. The SDA of claim 11, wherein the at least one input channel operates using a first network protocol, and the at least one output channel operates using a second network protocol that is different from the first network protocol.

16. The SDA of claim 11, wherein the at least one input channel operates using a first network protocol, and the at least one output channel operates using a second network protocol that is identical to the first network protocol.

17. The SDA of claim 11, wherein the cache file stored in the persistent medium device is stored as a canonical file.

18. The SDA of claim 11, wherein data blocks of the stored cache file include checksum representative of payload data.

19. The SDA of claim 11, wherein the data blocks include a checksum, and wherein the checksum received with the content file is used for computing a checksum of the cache file streamed to the user.