System and method for transferring content via a network

• US 20060015637A1
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matrixstrean Technologies
• Original Assignee: Matrixstrean Technologies
• Inventors: Chung, Jack
• Granted Patent: US 8,484,308 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0482 Interaction with lists of selectable items, e.g. menus
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols

Abstract

A system for delivering content, such as video content, via a network. In an illustrative embodiment, the system includes a server system that is connected to the network and has access to the content. A client system is adapted to forward a request for the content to the server system via the network. One or more content-delivery routines in communication with the server system are adapted to initiate sending of the content to the client system via multiple streams over the network in response to the request.

Claims

1. A system for delivering content via a network comprising:

a server system connected to the network and having access to the content;

a client system adapted to forward a request for the content to the server system via the network; and

content-delivery routines in communication with the server system, the content-delivery routines adapted to initiate sending of the content to the client system via multiple streams over the network in response to the request.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the network is a best-effort network.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the server system includes

a server cluster comprising plural servers.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the server system further includes an interface appliance in communication with the server system, the interface appliance being adapted to facilitate controlling delivery of the content via the server system.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the interface appliance accommodates

a web browser and accompanying interface, which are adapted to facilitate configuring the server system.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the client system includes

a client interface that receives user input, which may affect the request for the content.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the client interface further includes or communicates with

a display for presenting the content, the content including video content.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the client interface further includes one or more menus configured to provide access to auxiliary content that is related to the video, including video chapter information.

9. The system of claim 6 wherein the client interface includes

one or more content menus adapted to facilitate selecting content.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the content menus include

an electronic program guide.

11. The system of claim 6 wherein the client interface further includes

one or more features that facilitate controlling content playback, including a pause mechanism and a play mechanism.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the one or more features further include

a fast forward mechanism and a rewind mechanism.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the one or more features further include

a chapter-selection mechanism to facilitate accessing a specific section of the content.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the content delivery routines include

one or more multicasting routines for multicasting the content to plural client systems.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the content delivery routines include

one or more push routines for pushing content to the client system before the client system requires access to the content.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein the content delivery routines and the client system include support for implementing the following protocol:

selecting a server from plural servers and providing a selected primary contact server in response thereto;

authenticating the client system to verify that a user of the client system is authorized to retrieve content from the primary contact server;

initializing plural streams, including a control stream;

plural data streams; and

one or more chapter streams and/or menu streams between the client system and the server system, wherein the chapter streams and/or the menu streams provide chapter-menu information to the client system; and

providing the content from the primary contact server via the plural streams.

17. A system for facilitating delivering content over a best effort network comprising:

first means for determining a desired content-transfer rate and a desired fluctuation of the content-transfer rate;

second means for monitoring condition of the network and providing a signal in response thereto; and

third means for selectively employing a number of data streams, the number selected to stabilize the content-transfer rate in accordance with the desired content-transfer rate, the desired fluctuation of the content-transfer rate, and the signal.

18. A system for delivering content via a network comprising:

a first entity maintaining the content;

a second entity adapted to selectively receive the content from the first entity; and

one or more modules running on the first entity adapted to automatically push the content to the second entity via the network via multiple data streams.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the content includes video content.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the first entity includes a server cluster in communication with an interface appliance.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the interface appliance includes a browser interface.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the interface appliance runs plural management modules, the plural management modules adapted to facilitate viewing or controlling parameters of the system.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the parameters include numbers of distribution servers employed by the first entity to facilitate delivering content.

24. The system of claim 22 wherein the parameters include numbers members.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the parameters include numbers of hits per content type.

26. A method for facilitating delivering content over a network comprising:

selecting desired content to be transferred between one or more servers and a client via the network;

authenticating the client to verify that the client is authorized to receive the desired content from the one or more servers; and

employing one or more chapter streams, menu streams, and/or control streams, and plural data streams between the client and the one or more servers to transfer the desired content from the one or more servers to the client via the network.

27. The method of claim 26 further including employing one or more multicast streams to facilitate transferring the content via the one or more chapter streams, menu streams, and/or control streams, and plural data streams.

28. A method for facilitating delivering content over a best effort network comprising:

selecting a desired content-transfer mode between a server and a client;

initiating content transfer between the server and the client in accordance with the transfer mode; and

implementing one or more chapter controls via the client system and the server system, the functioning of the chapter controls being independent of the content-transfer mode.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the desired content-transfer mode corresponds to a streaming mode, a pushing mode, or a downloading mode.

30. A method for transferring information in a digital network, wherein a user of the device is coupled to the digital network, the method comprising receiving a signal from the user device to request content;

streaming a portion of the digital content from a first location to the user device; and

streaming auxiliary information to the user device, wherein the auxiliary information includes navigation data for allowing a user at the user device to select a portion of the digital content.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the digital content includes video.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the auxiliary information includes chapter information.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein the auxiliary information includes scene information.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the auxiliary information includes additional content.

35. The method of claim 30, further comprising

using multicasting to send a portion of the digital content.

36. The method of claim 30, further comprising

determining a number of streams;

and

controlling the establishing of the determined number of streams.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the step of determining a number of streams includes a substep of

determining the number of streams based on latency in the digital network.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the number of streams is 4.

39. A method for delivering video content over a network, the method comprising

receiving a signal from an end user device to request a video;

and

sending a portion of the video content over multiple streams to an end user.

40. A method for delivering video content over a network to a user device, the method comprising

providing a data stream for allowing user selection of video playback features.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein a feature includes chapter selection.

42. The method of claim 40, wherein a feature includes scene selection.

43. The method of claim 40, wherein a feature includes playback control.

44. An apparatus for transferring information in a digital network, wherein a user device is coupled to the digital network, the apparatus comprising

means for receiving a signal from the user device to request content;

means for streaming a portion of the digital content from a first location to the user device; and

means for streaming auxiliary information to the user device, wherein the auxiliary information includes navigation data for allowing a user at the user device to select a portion of the digital content.

45. An apparatus for transferring information in a digital network, wherein a user device is coupled to the digital network, the apparatus comprising

a processor;

a machine-readable medium including instructions executable by the processor for

receiving a signal from the user device to request content;

streaming a portion of the digital content from a first location to the user device; and

streaming auxiliary information to the user device, wherein the auxiliary information includes navigation data for allowing a user at the user device to select a portion of the digital content.

46. A machine-readable medium including instructions for transferring information in a digital network, wherein a user device is coupled to the digital network, the machine-readable medium comprising one or more instructions for receiving a signal from the user device to request content;

one or more instructions for streaming a portion of the digital content from a first location to the user device; and

one or more instructions for streaming auxiliary information to the user device, wherein the auxiliary information includes navigation data for allowing a user at the user device to select a portion of the digital content.

47. An embodiment of the invention as substantially described herein.