Apparatus for Transcoding Encoded Content

• US 20080043834A1
• Filed: 08/15/2007
• Published: 02/21/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ryujin LLC (Endpoint IP LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nero AG
• Inventors: Lesser, Richard, Rabold, Andre
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,559 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• 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: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

An apparatus for transcoding encoded content, the encoded content being encoded using a first coding algorithm, with a first interface for communicating with a content sink, the first interface being adapted for receiving a request for content being encoded using a second coding algorithm and for providing a transcoded content being encoded using the second coding algorithm. The apparatus further has a second interface for communicating with the content source, being adapted for providing a request for the encoded content being encoded using the first coding algorithm and for receiving the encoded content being encoded using the first coding algorithm. The apparatus further has a processing unit being adapted for processing the encoded content being encoded using the first coding algorithm to provide the transcoded content being encoded using the second coding algorithm.

Claims

1. An apparatus for transcoding encoded content, the encoded content being encoded using a first coding algorithm, comprising:

a first interface for communicating with a content sink, the first interface being adapted for receiving a request for information on supported source and target formats for providing transcoded content using the first coding algorithm and for providing said information on supported source and target formats for providing transcoded content using the first coding algorithm and for receiving a request for content being encoded using a second coding algorithm and for providing a transcoded content being encoded using the second coding algorithm;

a second interface for communicating with the content source, being adapted for providing a request for the encoded content being encoded using the first coding algorithm and for receiving the encoded content being encoded using the first coding algorithm; and

a processing unit being adapted for processing the encoded content being encoded using the first coding algorithm to provide the transcoded content being encoded using the second coding algorithm.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is adapted for decoding the encoded content using the first coding algorithm and for encoding the decoded content using the second coding algorithm yielding the transcoded content.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first interface is adapted for communicating through the UPnP protocol or the second interface is adapted for communicating through the UPnP protocol.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first interface or the second interface is adapted for multicasting SSDP-notify packets.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first or the second interface is adapted for receiving and reacting to SSDP-discover packets.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an interface for a wireless network.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first interface is adapted for receiving an HTTP GET request from the content sink and for streaming the transcoded content to the sink.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second interface is adapted for establishing a streaming HTTP connection with the content source.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit is adapted for providing the transcoded content in real-time.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, being implemented as part of a Nero MediaHome product.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second interface is adapted for being provided with a first and a second part of the encoded content being encoded with the first coding algorithm,

the processing unit being adapted for processing the first and the second part of the encoded content being encoded using the first coding algorithm to provide a first and a second part of encoded content being encoded using the second coding algorithm,

the first interface being adapted for providing the first and the second part of the encoded content being encoded using the second coding algorithm to the content sink, and

the second interface being further adapted for being provided with the second part of the encoded content being encoded using the first coding algorithm while or after the processing unit processing the first part of the encoded content being encoded using the first coding algorithm or the first interface providing the first part of the encoded content being encoded using the second coding algorithm.

12. A method for providing transcoded content to a content sink, the content being encoded using a first coding algorithm, the method comprising:

receiving a request for information on supported source and target formats for providing transcoded content using the first encoding algorithm;

providing said information on supported source and target formats for providing transcoded content using the first encoding algorithm;

receiving a request for providing the content being encoded using a second coding algorithm from the content sink;

requesting a content being encoded using the first coding algorithm from a content source;

receiving the content being encoded using the first coding algorithm from the content source;

processing the encoded content being encoded using the first coding algorithm for getting transcoded content being encoded using the second coding algorithm; and

providing the transcoded content to the content sink.

13. A computer program comprising a program code for performing, when the computer program runs on a computer, a method for providing transcoded content to a content sink, the content being encoded using a first coding algorithm, the method comprising:

receiving a request for information on supported source and target formats for providing transcoded content using the first encoding algorithm;

providing said information on supported source and target formats for providing transcoded content using the first encoding algorithm;

receiving a request for providing the content being encoded using a second coding algorithm from the content sink;

requesting a content being encoded using the first coding algorithm from a content source;

receiving the content being encoded using the first coding algorithm from the content source;

processing the encoded content being encoded using the first coding algorithm for getting transcoded content being encoded using the second coding algorithm; and

providing the transcoded content to the content sink.

14. A content sink for being provided with transcoded content from a transcoder, comprising:

a browser for browsing a content directory of a content source and for identifying a desired content;

a retriever for retrieving available resources for the desired content from the content source;

a getter for getting information on alternative resources from the transcoder;

a selector for choosing a desired resource;

a requester for requesting a transfer of the transcoded content based on the desired resource; and

a receiver for being provided with the transcoded content from the transcoder.

15. A method for being provided with transcoded content from a transcoder, comprising:

browsing a content directory of a content source;

identifying a desired content;

retrieving available resources for the desired content from the content source;

getting information on alternative resources from the transcoder;

choosing a desired resource;

requesting a transfer of the transcoded content based on the desired resource; and

being provided with the transcoded content from the transcoder.