Aggregation of streaming media to improve network performance
First Claim
1. In a system having a plurality of receivers and at least one aggregation module, a method for providing real-time streaming media from a wide area network to the plurality of set top boxes, the method comprising:
- (a) receiving at at least one aggregation module a request for real-time streaming media accessible via a wide area network from each of a plurality of receivers, each request comprising an identifier representative of the receiver making the request;
(b) using the at least one aggregation module, creating a single communication connection between at least one proxy module and the wide area network from which a single copy of the real-time streaming media is retrievable;
(c) buffering the single copy of the real-time streaming media at the at least one aggregation module; and
(d) using the buffered single copy of the real-time streaming media, delivering separate instances of the streaming media to the plurality of receivers.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for maintaining the data rate of receivers to a network as requested media is delivered to one or more of the receivers. The system includes a proxy module acting as a single portal through which media requests are delivered to the network. The proxy module retrieves a stream of the requested media and delivers the media to the aggregation module for distribution and bookkeeping. The aggregation module retrieves and caches or buffers the stream of requested media from the proxy module. The aggregation module generates one or more media streams deliverable to the requesting receivers, such streams being receiver specific streams or non-receiver specific streams. The aggregation module can also deliver the requested media to the receivers upon an unused video and/or audio channel available to the receiver.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. In a system having a plurality of receivers and at least one aggregation module, a method for providing real-time streaming media from a wide area network to the plurality of set top boxes, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving at at least one aggregation module a request for real-time streaming media accessible via a wide area network from each of a plurality of receivers, each request comprising an identifier representative of the receiver making the request;
(b) using the at least one aggregation module, creating a single communication connection between at least one proxy module and the wide area network from which a single copy of the real-time streaming media is retrievable;
(c) buffering the single copy of the real-time streaming media at the at least one aggregation module; and
(d) using the buffered single copy of the real-time streaming media, delivering separate instances of the streaming media to the plurality of receivers. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A computer program product for implementing, in a system having a plurality of receivers, a method for providing streaming media from a wide area network to the plurality of receivers, the computer program product comprising:
a computer readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions for implementing the method, wherein the computer-executable instructions comprise the act of;
receiving at the aggregation module a request for streaming media accessible via a wide area network from each of a plurality of receivers, each request comprising an identifier representative of the receiver making the request;
using the aggregation module, creating a single communication connection between the proxy module and the wide area network from which a single copy of the streaming media is retrievable;
buffering the single copy of the streaming media at the aggregation module; and
using the buffered single copy of the streaming media, delivering separate instances of the streaming media to the plurality of receivers.
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11. In a system having a plurality of receivers and at least one aggregation module, a method for providing streaming media from a network to the plurality of receivers, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving at an aggregation module a request for streaming media accessible via a network from each of a plurality of receivers;
(b) using a proxy module in communication with the aggregation module, retrieving a copy of the streaming media from the network;
(c) delivering the single stream to the aggregation module (d) buffering the copy of the streaming media at the aggregation module; and
(e) delivering the stream of the buffered streaming media to a termination system for transmission to each of the plurality of receivers, wherein each of the plurality of receivers receives substantially the same packets of the buffered streaming media. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30)
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25. A computer program product for implementing, in a system having a plurality of receivers and at least one aggregation module, a method for providing streaming media from a wide area network to the plurality of receivers, the computer program product comprising:
a computer readable medium carrying computer-executable instructions for implementing the method, wherein the computer-executable instructions comprise;
at an aggregation module, program code means for receiving a request for streaming media accessible via a proxy module from each of a plurality of receivers;
using the proxy module, program code means for retrieving a single copy of the streaming media from a network accessible to the proxy module;
program code means for buffering the single copy of the streaming media at the aggregation module; and
program code means for delivering the single stream of the buffered streaming media to a termination system for transmission to each of the plurality of receivers, wherein each of the plurality of receivers receives substantially the same packet of the single stream of the buffered streaming media.
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31. In a system having a plurality of receivers and a proxy module, each of the plurality of receivers being capable of displaying a plurality of video channels, a method for providing streaming media from a wide area network to the plurality of receivers, the method comprising the acts of:
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(a) receiving a request for streaming media accessible via a wide or local area network from one of the plurality of receivers;
(b) in response to retrieving the streaming media from the wide or local area network, preparing the streaming media requested by at least one of the plurality of receivers for delivery to a video channel of the plurality of video channels; and
(c) delivering the prepared streaming video to the receiver upon the video channel of the plurality of video channels. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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38. A system for displaying media retrieved from a network to a plurality of receivers, the system comprising:
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(a) a source module storing media;
(b) a plurality of receivers communicating with the source module via a network, each of the plurality of receivers being configured to generate a request and receive the media from the source module at a first connection rate; and
(c) an access module communicating with the plurality of receivers and the source module, the access module being configured to receive the request for media and deliver the requested media in a format selected by the access module based upon changes to the first connection rate as media is delivered to two or more of the plurality of receivers.
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Specification