Multimedia Distribution in a Heterogeneous Network

• US 20100049866A1
• Filed: 11/05/2009
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Friedman, Lee
• Granted Patent: US 8,402,153 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/36 by determining packet size, e.g. maximum transfer unit [MTU]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/365 Dynamic adaptation of the packet size
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• 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 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

The efficiency of real-time distribution of multimedia content over a heterogeneous network is optimized by locally, rather than centrally, adapting the content to conform to the capabilities limitations of the network. Multimedia content travels from a central location along the network backbone. When received by each of a system of dispersed media servers, that media server adapts the content by compensating for any QoS limitations of the downstream network segments. For example, the backbone of the communications network may consist of a satellite uplink. The dispersed media servers receive and replicate the content as required for distribution to unicast segments downstream rather than doing so at the source of the content, and thus multiple streams of identical content need not be carried on the backbone. Each dispersed server is programmed to optimize the transmission to conform to the transmission parameters of each adjacent and downstream segment of the network.

Claims

1. A system for distributing multimedia content, comprising:

a source server configured to provide a multimedia stream of the multimedia content;

a plurality of dispersed media servers, each dispersed media server configured to;

receive a multicast multimedia stream from the source server;

adapt the multicast multimedia stream to provide a multimedia stream conforming to the quality of service requirements for transmission to a recipient computer; and

transmit the unicast multimedia stream to the recipient computers.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein adapting includes compressing the multimedia stream.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein adapting includes translating the protocol of the multimedia stream.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the multimedia stream is a video stream.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the recipient computer is a handheld device, a communication device, or any combination thereof.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the network segment is a set-top box, and enhanced television, an interactive television, or any combination thereof.

7. A system for distributing multimedia content from a source server to a plurality of recipient computers, comprising:

a plurality of dispersed media servers, each dispersed media server configured to;

receive a multicast multimedia stream from the source server;

adapt the multicast multimedia stream to provide a unicast multimedia stream conforming to the quality of service requirements of a downstream network segment; and

transmit the unicast multimedia stream through the downstream network segment to at least one of the recipient computers.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein adapting includes compressing the multimedia stream.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein adapting includes translating the protocol of the multimedia stream.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the multimedia stream is a video stream.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the recipient computer is a handheld device, a communication device, or any combination thereof.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the network segment is a set-top box, and enhanced television, an interactive television, or any combination thereof.

13. A system for distributing video content from a source server to a plurality of communication devices, comprising:

a plurality of dispersed media servers, each dispersed media server configured to;

receive a first video stream including the video content from the source server;

adapt the video content to provide a second video stream conforming to the quality of service requirements for transmission to at least one of the communication devices; and

transmit the second video stream to the communication device.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein each dispersed media server is further configured to compress the second video stream to compensate for low bandwidth available transmission to the communication device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein compressing includes reducing the resolution of the video content.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein compressing includes reducing the frame rate of the video content.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein adapting includes translating the protocol of the first video stream to a network protocol appropriate from transmission of the second video stream to the communication device.