Systems and methods for selecting a provider to service content requested by a client device

• US 20040236857A1
• Filed: 10/30/2003
• Published: 11/25/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Shen, Bo, Roy, Sumit, Harville, Michael, Tan, Wai-Tian, Covell, Michele, Apostolopoulos, John, Ankcorn, John, Wee, Susie
• Application Number:
  US10/698,671
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236857A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/229
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5044 considering hardware capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2871 Implementation details of single intermediate entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 72/00 Local resource management

Abstract

Methods and systems for servicing content for delivery to a client device are described. An item of content is identified during a session with the client device. A type of service to be performed on the item of content is identified. An estimate of resources associated with performing the service is used to select a provider from a plurality of providers capable of performing the service. Information for transferring the session to the provider is provided. The provider performs the service on the item of content upon being transferred the session.

Claims

1. A method of servicing content for delivery to a client device, said method comprising:

identifying a type of service to be performed on an item of content, wherein said item of content is identified during a session involving said client device;

using an estimate of resources associated with performing said service to select a provider from a plurality of providers capable of performing said service; and

providing information for transferring said session to said provider, wherein said provider performs said service on said item of content upon being transferred said session.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said resources comprise estimated computational resources associated with performing said service.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said selecting comprises:

maintaining a record comprising resources available at each of said providers; and

selecting said provider according to said record.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said resources comprise estimated bandwidth associated with said session.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said selecting comprises:

maintaining a record comprising bandwidth available to each of said providers; and

selecting said provider according to said record.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said selecting comprises:

maintaining a record comprising providers to which sessions have been transferred; and

selecting said provider according to said record.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

estimating an amount of time said session is expected to remain with said provider.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving an indication from said provider that said service is completed.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said transferring comprises:

sending information for locating said provider to said client device, wherein said client device and said provider transparently establish communication.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying a source of said item of content, wherein data for said item of content are streamed from said source to said provider and wherein service result data are streamed from said provider to said client device.

11. A method of managing providers that service content for streaming to a client device, said method comprising:

identifying a type of service to be performed on an item of content, wherein said item of content is identified during a session involving said client device;

maintaining a record comprising resources associated with a plurality of providers capable of performing said service; and

selecting a provider from said plurality of providers based on information in said record, wherein said session is transferred to said provider, wherein data for said item of content are streamed from a source to said provider and wherein service result data are streamed from said provider to said client device.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said maintaining comprises:

estimating resources associated with performing said service; and

updating said record to reflect a change in resources associated with said provider based on said provider performing said service.

13. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

providing information for transferring said session to said provider.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said resources comprise estimated computational resources associated with performing said service.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said resources comprise estimated bandwidth associated with said session.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said record comprises a list of providers to which sessions have been transferred.

17. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

estimating a duration of said session.

18. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

receiving a signal from said provider after said provider performs said service.

19. A system for providing content to a client device, said system comprising:

a service manager for receiving a request for an item of content from a portal, wherein said portal received said request from said client device, wherein said service manager is also for selecting a provider from a plurality of providers, each provider capable of performing a service on said item of content, wherein said service manager maintains a record comprising resources associated with said providers and wherein said service manager uses an estimate of resources associated with performing said service to select said provider according to information in said record.

20. The system of claim 19 wherein said service manager updates said record to reflect a change in resources associated with said provider based on said provider performing said service.

21. The system of claim 19 wherein said resources comprise estimated computational resources associated with performing said service.

22. The system of claim 19 wherein said resources comprise estimated bandwidth available to said provider.

23. The system of claim 19 wherein said record comprises information showing which of said providers are performing a service.

24. The system of claim 19 wherein said service manager estimates an amount of time for said provider to perform said service.

25. The system of claim 19 wherein said service manager receives a signal from said provider after said provider performs said service.

26. A system for streaming content to a client device, said system comprising:

a service manager for receiving a request for an item of content from a portal, wherein said portal received said request from said client device, wherein said service manager is also for selecting a provider from a plurality of providers, each provider capable of performing a service on said item of content, wherein said service manager maintains a record comprising resources associated with said providers and wherein said service manager uses an estimate of resources associated with performing said service to select said provider according to information in said record, wherein data for said item of content are streamed from a source to said provider and wherein service result data are streamed from said provider to said client device.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein said service manager updates said record to reflect a change in resources associated with said provider based on said provider performing said service.

28. The system of claim 26 wherein said resources comprise estimated computational resources associated with performing said service.

29. The system of claim 26 wherein said resources comprise estimated bandwidth available to said provider.

30. The system of claim 26 wherein said record comprises information showing which of said providers are performing a service.

31. The system of claim 26 wherein said service manager estimates an amount of time for said provider to perform said service.

32. The system of claim 26 wherein said service manager receives a signal from said provider after said provider performs said service.

33. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method for servicing content for delivery to a client device, said method comprising:

identifying a type of service to be performed on an item of content, wherein said item of content is identified during a session involving said client device;

using an estimate of resources associated with performing said service to select a provider from a plurality of providers capable of performing said service; and

providing information for transferring said session to said provider, wherein said provider performs said service on said item of content upon being transferred said session.

34. The computer-usable medium of claim 33 wherein said computer-readable program code embodied therein causes said computer system to perform said method further comprising:

maintaining a record comprising resources available at each of said providers; and

selecting said provider according to said record.

35. The computer-usable medium of claim 33 wherein said computer-readable program code embodied therein causes said computer system to perform said method further comprising:

maintaining a record comprising bandwidth available to each of said providers; and

selecting said provider according to said record.

36. The computer-usable medium of claim 33 wherein said computer-readable program code embodied therein causes said computer system to perform said method further comprising:

maintaining a record comprising providers to which sessions have been transferred; and

selecting said provider according to said record.

37. A computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein for causing a computer system to perform a method for servicing content for streaming to a client device, said method comprising:

identifying a type of service to be performed on an item of content, wherein said item of content is identified during a session involving said client device;

maintaining a record comprising resources associated with a plurality of providers capable of performing said service; and

selecting a provider from said plurality of providers based on information in said record, wherein said session is transferred to said provider, wherein data for said item of content are streamed from a source to said provider and wherein service result data are streamed from said provider to said client device.

38. The computer-usable medium of claim 37 wherein said computer-readable program code embodied therein causes said computer system to perform said method further comprising:

estimating resources associated with performing said service; and

updating said record to reflect a change in resources associated with said provider based on said provider performing said service.

39. The computer-usable medium of claim 37 wherein said record comprises a list of providers to which sessions have been transferred.

40. The computer-usable medium of claim 37 wherein said computer-readable program code embodied therein causes said computer system to perform said method further comprising:

estimating a duration of said session.