UNIFIED PEER-TO-PEER AND CACHE SYSTEM FOR CONTENT SERVICES IN WIRELESS MESH NETWORKS

• US 20100185753A1
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Liu, Hang, Guo, Yang, Zhu, Yingnan
• Application Number:
  US12/733,336
• Publication Number:
  US 20100185753A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/107 with limitation or expansion of the discovery scope
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1072 Discovery involving ranked list compilation of candidate peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1076 Resource dissemination mechanisms or network resource keeping policies for optimal resource availability in the overlay network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/108 characterised by resources being split in blocks or fragments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for receiving content over a wireless network are described, including determining a first server from which to receive a content clip to be streamed, requesting the content clip to be streamed from the selected first server, receiving the streamed content clip from the selected first server, determining a peer device from which to receive a content clip to be downloaded, requesting the content clip to be downloaded and receiving the downloaded content clip. The first server is a mesh content server.

Claims

1. A method for receiving content over a wireless network, said method comprising:

determining a first server from which to receive a content clip to be streamed;

requesting said content clip to be streamed from said selected first server;

receiving said streamed content clip from said selected first server;

determining a peer device from which to receive a content clip to be downloaded;

requesting said content clip to be downloaded; and

receiving said downloaded content clip.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said first server a mesh content server.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining information for said peer device; and

joining a peer-to-peer network that includes said peer device.

4. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

determining if said downloaded content clip was received prior to a deadline; and

requesting streaming of a missing part of said downloaded content clip that was not received prior to said deadline from said mesh content server.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein said mesh content server is a mesh access point with content storage and processing capability.

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein said mesh content server is co-located with a mesh access point.

7. The method according to claim 2, further comprising calculating a number of content clips to be streamed.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein said mesh content server for each content clip to be streamed is different.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein said mesh content server for some content clips to be streamed is different.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein received packets in said streamed content clip are received in order.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein received packets in said downloaded content clip are received out of order.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein said received packets in said downloaded out of order content clip content clip are buffered.

13. The method according to claim 2, wherein said determining said mesh content server further comprises:

sending a request message to a second server;

receiving information about a primary mesh content server and a secondary mesh content server from said second server; and

establishing connections with said primary mesh content server and said secondary mesh content server.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein said second server is a main server.

15. The method according to claim 2, wherein said determining said mesh content server further comprises:

sending a request message to a second server;

receiving information about a list of candidate mesh content servers from said second server;

determining an end-to-end delay to each candidate mesh content server;

selecting a primary mesh content server based on a least end-to-end delay;

selecting a secondary mesh content server based on a next least end-to-end delay; and

establishing connections with said primary mesh content server and said secondary mesh content server.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein said second server is a main server.

17. The method according to claim 2, wherein said determining said mesh content server further comprises:

broadcasting a mesh content server request message over said wireless network;

receiving responses from a plurality of mesh content servers;

selecting a primary mesh content server based on a lowest hop count between said requester and said responding mesh content servers;

selecting a secondary mesh, content server based on a next lowest hop count between said requester and said responding mesh content servers; and

establishing connections with said primary mesh content server and said secondary mesh content server.

18. The method according to claim 2, wherein said determining said mesh content server further comprises:

broadcasting a mesh content server request message over said wireless network;

receiving responses from a plurality of mesh content servers;

selecting a primary mesh content server based on a best route between said requester and said responding mesh content servers;

selecting a secondary mesh content server based on a next best route between said requester and said responding mesh content servers; and

establishing connections with said primary mesh content server and said secondary mesh content server.

19. A device for receiving content over a wireless network, comprising:

means for determining a first server from which to receive a content clip to be streamed;

means for requesting said content clip to be streamed from said selected first server;

means for receiving said streamed content clip from said selected first server;

means for determining a peer device from which to receive a content clip to be downloaded;

means for requesting said content clip to be downloaded; and

means for receiving said downloaded content clip.

20. The device according to claim 19, wherein said first server is a mesh content server.

21. The device according to claim 19, further comprising:

means for obtaining information for said peer device; and

means for joining a peer-to-peer network that includes said peer device.

22. The device according to claim 20, further comprising:

means for determining if said downloaded content clip was received prior to a deadline; and

means for requesting streaming of a missing part of said downloaded content clip that was not received prior to said deadline from said mesh content server.

23. The device according to claim 20, further comprising means for calculating a number of content clips to be streamed.

24. The device according to claim 20, wherein said mesh content server and said peer device are the same.

25. The device according to claim 20, wherein said mesh content server for each content clip to be streamed is different.

26. The device according to claim 20, wherein said mesh content server for some content clips to be streamed is different.

27. The device according to claim 19, wherein received packets in said streamed content clip are received in order.

28. The device according to claim 19, wherein received packets in said downloaded content clip are received out of order.

29. The device according to claim 28, wherein said received packets in said downloaded out of order content clip are buffered.

30. The device according to claim 20, wherein said means for determining said mesh content server further comprise:

means for sending a request message to a second server;

means for receiving information about a primary mesh content server and secondary mesh content server from said second server; and

means for establishing connections with said primary mesh content server and said secondary mesh content server.

31. The device according to claim 30, wherein said second server is a main server.

32. The device according to claim 20, wherein said means for determining said mesh content server further comprise:

means for sending a request message to a second server;

means for receiving information about a list of candidate mesh content servers from said second server;

means for determining an end-to-end delay to each candidate mesh content server;

means for selecting a primary mesh content server based on a least end-to-end delay;

means for selecting a secondary mesh content server based on a next least end-to-end delay; and

means for establishing connections with said primary mesh content server and said secondary mesh content server.

33. The device according t claim 32, wherein said second server is a main server.

34. The device according to claim 20, wherein said means for determining said mesh content server further comprises:

means for broadcasting a mesh content server request message over said wireless network;

means for receiving responses from a plurality of mesh content servers;

means for selecting a primary mesh content server based on a lowest hop count between said device and said responding mesh content servers;

means for selecting a secondary mesh content server based on a nest lowest hop count between said device and said responding mesh content servers; and

means for establishing connections with said primary mesh content server and said secondary mesh content server.

35. The device according to claim 20, wherein said means for determining said mesh content server further comprise:

means for broadcasting a mesh content server request message over said wireless network;

means for receiving responses from a plurality of mesh content servers;

means for selecting a primary mesh content server based on a best route between said device and said responding mesh content servers;

means for selecting a secondary mesh content server based on a nest best route between said device and said responding mesh content servers; and

means for establishing connections with said primary mesh content server and said secondary mesh content server.