Multimedia stream pre-fetching and redistribution in servers to accommodate mobile clients

• US 20030065712A1
• Filed: 10/01/2001
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Cheung, Gene, Wee, Susie J., Wong, Tina
• Granted Patent: US 7,451,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/0009 Transmission of position information to remote stations involving assistance data G01S5/0236
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/00 Services specially adapted for wireless communication networks; Facilities therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 40/00 Communication routing or communication path finding
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management

Abstract

A method and system for streaming media data to a mobile client device. Using information such as the previous locations of the mobile client device, a prediction is made of a future location of the client device. A server servicing the predicted location, such as the server closest to the predicted location, is identified. This server is informed of the impending arrival of the mobile device into the area serviced by the server. The server can thus obtain ahead of time the media stream needed for the client, so that the data are available to the client without disruption when the client moves to the predicted location. To account for uncertainty in the prediction, the data can also be directed to other servers that can service the predicted location.

Claims

1. A method for streaming media data to a mobile client device, said method comprising:

a) receiving information sufficient for determining a predicted position of said mobile client device at a future time;

b) identifying a server capable of streaming media data to an area including said predicted position; and

c) informing said server of said mobile client device, wherein said informing comprises said server obtaining from a source at least a portion of said media data not previously obtained by said server;

wherein said server streams said media data to said mobile client device with said mobile client device in said area serviced by said server.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said step c) further comprises:

querying said server to determine whether said server has said media data.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said media comprises complementary multiple description bitstreams.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said information sufficient for determining a predicted position of said mobile client device is provided by said mobile client device.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said information sufficient for determining a predicted position of said mobile client device comprises a rate of travel and a direction of travel of said mobile client device.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said information sufficient for determining a predicted position of said mobile client device comprises identities of other servers previously in communication with said mobile client device.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said server is a server closest to said predicted position.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 wherein said step b) further comprises:

identifying a neighborhood of servers comprising a number of servers centered around said server closest to said predicted position.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising:

identifying servers to be included in said neighborhood of servers according to quality of service criteria and dynamic server loads.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising:

identifying servers to be included in said neighborhood of servers according to server characteristics.

11. The method as recited in claim 8 further comprising:

identifying servers to be included in said neighborhood of servers according to network conditions.

12. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said source comprises an original source of said media data.

13. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said source comprises another server.

14. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of informing comprises:

alerting said server to said mobile client device, wherein in response to said step of alerting said server pulls said media data from said source.

15. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the step of informing comprises:

directing said media data to be pushed from said source to said server.

16. A computer system communicatively coupled to a plurality of servers, said computer system comprising:

a bus;

a memory unit coupled to said bus; and

a processor coupled to said bus, said processor for executing a method for streaming media data to a mobile client device, said method comprising;

a) receiving information sufficient for determining a predicted position of said mobile client device at a future time;

b) identifying a server capable of streaming media data to an area including said predicted position; and

c) informing said server of said mobile client device, wherein said informing comprises said server obtaining from a source at least a portion of said media data not previously obtained by said server;

wherein said server streams said media data to said mobile client device with said mobile client device in said area serviced by said server.

17. The computer system of claim 16 wherein said step c) of said method further comprises:

querying said server to determine whether said server has said media data.

18. The computer system of claim 16 wherein said media comprises complementary multiple description bitstreams.

19. The computer system of claim 16 wherein said information sufficient for determining a predicted position of said mobile client device is provided by said mobile client device.

20. The computer system of claim 16 wherein said information sufficient for determining a predicted position of said mobile client device comprises a rate of travel and a direction of travel of said mobile client device.

21. The computer system of claim 16 wherein said information sufficient for determining a predicted position of said mobile client device comprises identities of other servers previously in communication with said mobile client device.

22. The computer system of claim 16 wherein said server is a server closest to said predicted position.

23. The computer system of claim 22 wherein said step b) of said method further comprises:

identifying a neighborhood of servers comprising a number of servers centered around said server closest to said predicted position.

24. The computer system of claim 23 wherein said method further comprises:

identifying servers to be included in said neighborhood of servers according to quality of service criteria and dynamic server loads.

25. The computer system of claim 23 wherein said method further comprises:

identifying servers to be included in said neighborhood of servers according to server characteristics.

26. The computer system of claim 23 wherein said method further comprises:

identifying servers to be included in said neighborhood of servers according to network conditions.

27. The computer system of claim 16 wherein said server obtains said portion of said media data from an original source of said media data.

28. The computer system of claim 16 wherein said server obtains said portion of said media data from another server.

29. The computer system of claim 16 wherein said step c) of said method comprises:

alerting said server to said mobile client device, wherein in response to said step of alerting said server pulls said media data from said source.

30. The computer system of claim 16 wherein said step c) of said method comprises:

directing said media data to be pushed from said source to said server.

31. A computer readable medium having computer readable code stored thereon for causing a computer system to perform a method for streaming media data to a mobile client device comprising:

a) receiving information sufficient for determining a predicted position of a mobile client device at a future time;

b) identifying a server capable of streaming media data to an area including said predicted position; and

c) informing said server of said mobile client device, wherein said informing comprises said server obtaining from a source at least a portion of said media data not previously obtained by said server;

wherein said server streams said media data to said mobile client device with said mobile client device in said area serviced by said server.

32. The computer-usable medium of claim 31 wherein said computer-readable program code embodied therein causes a computer system to perform a method for streaming media data to a mobile client device comprising:

querying said server to determine whether said server has said media data.

33. The computer-usable medium of claim 31 wherein said media comprises complementary multiple description bitstreams.

34. The computer-usable medium of claim 31 wherein said information sufficient for determining a predicted position of said mobile client device is provided by said mobile client device.

35. The computer-usable medium of claim 31 wherein said information sufficient for determining a predicted position of said mobile client device comprises a rate of travel and a direction of travel of said mobile client device.

36. The computer-usable medium of claim 31 wherein said information sufficient for determining a predicted position of said mobile client device comprises identities of other servers previously in communication with said mobile client device.

37. The computer-usable medium of claim 31 wherein said server is a server closest to said predicted position.

38. The computer-usable medium of claim 37 wherein said computer-readable program code embodied therein causes a computer system to perform a method for streaming media data to a mobile client device comprising:

identifying a neighborhood of servers comprising a number of servers centered around said server closest to said predicted position.

39. The computer-usable medium of claim 38 wherein said computer-readable program code embodied therein causes a computer system to perform a method for streaming media data to a mobile client device comprising:

identifying servers to be included in said neighborhood of servers according to quality of service criteria and dynamic server loads.

40. The computer-usable medium of claim 38 wherein said computer-readable program code embodied therein causes a computer system to perform a method for streaming media data to a mobile client device comprising:

identifying servers to be included in said neighborhood of servers according to server characteristics.

41. The computer-usable medium of claim 38 wherein said computer-readable program code embodied therein causes a computer system to perform a method for streaming media data to a mobile client device comprising:

identifying servers to be included in said neighborhood of servers according to network conditions.

42. The computer-usable medium of claim 31 wherein server obtains said portion of said media data from an original source of said media data.

43. The computer-usable medium of claim 31 wherein said server obtains said portion of said media data from another server.

44. The computer-usable medium of claim 31 wherein said computer-readable program code embodied therein causes a computer system to perform a method for streaming media data to a mobile client device comprising:

alerting said server to said mobile client device, wherein in response to said step of alerting said server pulls said media data from said source.

45. The computer-usable medium of claim 31 wherein said computer-readable program code embodied therein causes a computer system to perform a method for streaming media data to a mobile client device comprising:

directing said media data to be pushed from said source to said server.