Method and apparatus for preprocessing and postprocessing content in an interactive information distribution system

• US 20060218611A1
• Filed: 05/04/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Cox Communications Incorporated (Cox Enterprises Incorporated)
• Inventors: Goode, Christopher W.B., Son, Yong Ho
• Granted Patent: US 7,836,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/5692 Selection among different networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• 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 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• 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 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234381 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping
• 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 21/25875 involving end-user authentication restricting access to computer systems by authenticating users using a predetermined code G06F21/33; arrangements for secret or secure communication including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4753 for user identification, e.g. by entering a PIN or password cryptographic authentication protocols H04L9/32; networks authentication protocols H04L63/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8355 involving usage data, e.g. number of copies or viewings allowed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 : involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A method and apparatus for preprocessing and preprocessing content in an interactive information distribution system. Content is retrieved from a storage medium and encapsulated in accordance to an Internet Protocol (IP) format. The encapsulated content is then uploaded for storage in a stream caching server and for future streaming of content to different types of access networks.

Claims

1. A method for post processing content from a stream caching server in an interactive information distribution system, the method comprising:

receiving, from a subscriber terminal associated with an access network, a request for content encapsulated according to a transport format supported by the stream caching server;

retrieving the requested content from the streaming cache server;

transcoding the requested content to a transport format supported by the subscriber terminal access network; and

streaming the transcoded content toward the access network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transport format supported by the stream caching server comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) format.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving metadata associated with the content, where the metadata comprises indexing information used by the stream caching server in response to a command provided via the subscriber terminal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the metadata is encapsulated with the transcoded content in the IP format.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein IP formatted content is retrieved from the stream caching server in response to the request for content from another stream caching server, and provided to the requesting stream caching server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the retrieving and streaming are conditioned upon a user of a second subscriber terminal providing a correct password to an http server as configured by a user of said subscriber terminal.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the access network comprises one of a wide area network, a local area network, a cable network, a carrier network, a satellite network and a wireless terrestrial network.

8. A local head end in an interactive information distribution system, the local head end comprising:

a requesting subscriber terminal associated with an access network for sending a request for content encapsulated according to a desired transport format supported by a stream caching server;

a storage medium for storing the encapsulated content;

a post processing server for transcoding the requested content from the storage medium to a transport format supported by the subscriber terminal access network; and

the stream caching server for streaming the post processed content toward the access network.

9. The local head end of claim 8, wherein the desired transport format comprises an Internet Protocol (IP) format.

10. The local head end of claim 9, wherein the encapsulated content includes metadata for the content, where the metadata comprises indexing information used by the stream caching server in response to a command provided by a user viewing the content at the requesting subscriber terminal.

11. The local head end of claim 10, wherein the metadata is encapsulated with IP content in IP format.

12. The local head end of claim 10, wherein the command comprises at least one of fast forward (FF), rewind (REW), pause, stop, bookmark, and return to place.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein a payload of an IP packet comprises a plurality of MPEG packets.

14. The local head end of claim 13, wherein the plurality of MPEG packets is contained in a payload of a Realtime Transfer Protocol (RTP) packet contained in a payload of an IP packet.

15. The local head end of claim 13, wherein the plurality of MPEG packets comprises a plurality of one of a MPEG-2 packet and a MPEG-4 packet.

16. The local head end of claim 8, further comprising:

a remote stream caching server for streaming said content to said stream caching server in response to content from the stream caching server.

17. The local head end of claim 9, wherein the streaming of IP formatted content are conditioned upon a user of a second subscriber terminal providing a correct password to an http sever as configured by a user of the requesting subscriber terminal.

18. The local head end of claim 8, wherein said access network comprises one of a wide area network, a local area network, a cable network, a carrier network, a satellite network, and a terrestrial wireless network.

19. A method for use in a distributed network, comprising:

requesting content by a client associated with an access network, wherein the content has been encapsulated into a desired transport format;

transcoding the requested content into a desired player format;

encapsulating the transcoded content into the desired transport format; and

streaming via a distribution network and the access network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the step of encapsulating comprising:

first encapsulating the transcoded content according to a transport format adapted to the access network; and

further encapsulating the transport formatted content within a realtime protocol (RTP) packet adapted to an internet protocol (IP) network.