Collaborative Transcoding

• US 20100088292A1
• Filed: 10/03/2008
• Published: 04/08/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: General Instrument Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sparrell, Carlton J., Tirpak, Thomas M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,688,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate

Abstract

A method of collaborative transcoding includes discovering capabilities of devices within a network; exchanging information about content stored within the network; anticipating a request for a content item in a target format; identifying a location of the content item by referencing the information about content stored within the network; and, if the content item is not in the target format, selecting a the device within the network to transcode the content into the target format. A system for collaborative transcoding includes a network, the network comprising a first networked device and at least one other networked device, the first networked device receiving a request for a content item in a target format; a shared content history; the shared content history comprising a list of content available on the network, the first networked device searching the shared content history to determine if another networked device can provide the content item; a capability list comprising a native format and transcoding capabilities of the networked devices, the first networked device searching the capability list to determine if any the networked device is configured to transcode the content item from a source format to a target format.

Claims

1. A method of collaborative transcoding comprising:

discovering capabilities of devices within a network;

exchanging information about content stored within said network;

anticipating a request for a content item in a target format;

identifying a location of said content item by referencing said information about content stored within said network; and

if said content item is not in said target format, selecting a said device within said network to transcode said content into said target format.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said discovering capabilities of said devices within the network comprises communication of native format and transcoding capabilities for each said device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising discriminating between devices configured to transcode from a first format to a second format based on a transcoding score assigned to each of said devices.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising using said transcoding score to select a said device within said network to transcode said content item from a source format to said target format.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein said transcoding score comprises at least one of:

an efficiency score and a quality score.

6. The method of claim 3, further comprising dynamically altering said efficiency score according to current capacity of a said device to transcode content from said first format to said second format.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a shared content history by exchanging information between said devices within said network.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising generating said shared content history by exchanging information identifying content transcoded and content served.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving said anticipated request and playing back said content item in response to said request.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said anticipating a request comprises:

monitoring said shared content history to determine a trend of content usage; and

comparing said trend of content usage to a threshold.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

predicting when a future demand for content among peer devices will occur; and

evaluating available processor and memory capacity to determine if excess capacity exists to prepare for said future demand.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying said location of said content item comprises searching a shared content history to identify said location of said content item.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining if a first device receiving said request for said content item in said target format can deliver said content item in said target format without assistance from other devices within said network;

if said first device cannot deliver said content item in said target format without assistance from said other devices, then searching a shared content history to find a second device to assist said first device in delivering said content item.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said second device assists said first device by at least one of:

providing said first device with said content item and transcoding said content item.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising querying said other devices within said network to determine if said other devices are aware of any outside devices that can provide said content item.

16. A system for collaborative transcoding comprising:

a network, said network comprising a first networked device and at least one other networked device, said first networked device receiving a request for a content item in a target format;

a shared content history;

said shared content history comprising a list of content available on said network, said first networked device searching said shared content history to determine if another networked device can provide said content item;

a capability list comprising a native format and transcoding capabilities of said networked devices, said first networked device searching said capability list to determine if any said networked device is configured to transcode said content item from a source format to a target format.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said capability list is crated prior to said request for content.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein said shared content history is updated through a background dialogue between said first networked device and said second networked device.

19. The system of claim 16, said capability list comprising an efficiency score rating a transcoding capability of a said networked device.

20. A computer program product for collaborative transcoding, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therewith, the computer usable program code comprising;

computer usable program code configured to create an ongoing layered dialogue between devices in a networked environment, said ongoing layered dialogue comprising communication of at least one of;

content transcoded, content served, transcoding capabilities, transcoding scores, requests for transcoding, and requests for content;

computer usable program code configured to configured to search information communicated in said ongoing layered dialogue to discover at least one of;

a location where a requested content item is stored, said devices configured to transcode a said requested content item, and a said device with a highest transcoding score for a desired transcoding operation; and

computer usable program code configured to make a request for said device with a highest transcoding score to make said desired transcoding operation.