Allocation of Resources to Deliver Media Content Using a Combination of Static and Dynamic Resources

• US 20080071910A1
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Thukral, Vivek
• Granted Patent: US 7,624,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1886 with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

A strategy is described for allocating resources of an operations center to provide a collection of channels. The strategy uses static resources to provide relatively popular channels and dynamic resources to provide relatively unpopular channels. The strategy can separately perform this allocation for different regions served by the operations center. Through this provision, the strategy can reduce the cost of the operations center by making more efficient use of a limited number of resources.

Claims

1. A method for allocating resources for delivering media content using a multi-tiered delivery infrastructure, comprising:

receiving channel use data associated with usage of an identified channel; and

allocating, based on the received channel use data, one or more resources for use in providing the identified channel, selected from any combination of at least;

first-tier static resources;

first-tier dynamic resources;

second-tier static resources; and

second-tier dynamic resources,

wherein the first-tier resources are used to acquire media content and prepare the media content for delivery, and

wherein the second-tier resources are used to deliver the media content to users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received channel use data comprises channel set-up information specified by at least one user, wherein the channel set-up information identifies whether said at least one user has requested the identified channel in a set-up procedure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received channel use data comprises channel viewing information specified by at least one user, wherein the channel viewing information identifies whether the identified channel has been selected by said at least one user during one or more viewing sessions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first-tier resources and the second-tier resources comprise one or more of:

server resources;

data storage resources;

or network resources.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel use data comprises popularity data, and wherein the popularity data reflects a popularity of the identified channel.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining a popularity category associated with the popularity data, wherein the allocating is performed based on the determined popularity category.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein popularity category is selected from among the categories of at least:

a most popular category;

a moderately popular category; and

a least popular category.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein:

if the identified channel falls within the most popular category, the identified channel is provided using a combination of the static first-tier resources and the static second-tier resources;

if the identified channel falls within the moderately popular category, the identified channel is provided using a combination of the static first-tier resources and the dynamic second-tier resources; and

if the identified channel falls within the least popular category, the identified channel is provided using a combination of the dynamic first-tier resources and the dynamic second-tier resources.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising performing the receiving and allocating with respect to a plurality of identified channels, to provide:

a first group of channels that is provided using a combination of the static first-tier resources and the static second-tier resources;

a second group of channels that is provided using a combination of the static first-tier resources and the dynamic second-tier resources; and

a third group of channels that is provided using a combination of the dynamic first-tier resources and the dynamic second-tier resources.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified channel is used to deliver a sequence of different media items according to a defined presentation schedule.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the identified channel is used to deliver an on-demand media item.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving and allocating are separately performed for different groups of users associated with different respective geographic regions.

13. One or more computing devices, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory to store computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform the computerized method of claim 1.

14. One or more computer-readable media containing machine-readable instructions for implemented the computerized method of claim 1.

15. A method for allocating resources for delivering media content using a multi-tiered delivery infrastructure, comprising:

receiving popularity data associated with usage of an identified channel; and

allocating, based on the received popularity data, one or more resources for use in providing the identified channel, selected from any combination of at least;

first-tier static resources;

first-tier dynamic resources;

second-tier static resources; and

second-tier dynamic resources,

wherein the first-tier resources are used to acquire media content and prepare the media content for delivery,

wherein the second-tier resources are used to deliver the media content to users,

wherein the first-tier resources and the second-tier resources comprise one or more of;

server resources;

data storage resources;

or network resources,

further comprising performing the receiving and allocating with respect to a plurality of identified channels, to provide;

a first group of channels that is provided using a combination of the static first-tier resources and the static second-tier resources;

a second group of channels that is provided using a combination of the static first-tier resources and the dynamic second-tier resources; and

a third group of channels that is provided using a combination of the dynamic first-tier resources and the dynamic second-tier resources, and

wherein the receiving and allocating are separately performed for different geographically-based groups of users.

16. One or more computing devices, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory to store computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform the computerized method of claim 15.

17. One or more computer-readable media containing machine-readable instructions for implemented the computerized method of claim 15.

18. An operations center, comprising:

first-tier resources used to acquire media content and prepare the media content for delivery, the first-tier resources including a group of first-tier static resources and a group of first-tier dynamic resources;

second-tier resources used to deliver the media content to users, the second-tier resources including a group of second-tier static resources and a group of second-tier dynamic resources; and

an allocation module configured to allocate, based on channel use data, one or more resources to provide an identified channel, selected from any combination of the;

first-tier static resources;

first-tier dynamic resources;

second-tier static resources; and

second-tier dynamic resources.

19. The operations center of claim 18, wherein the first-tier resources and the second-tier resources comprise one or more of:

server resources;

data storage resources;

or network resources.

20. The operations center of claim 18, wherein the channel use data comprises popularity data, wherein the popularity data reflects a popularity of the identified channel.