Sharing Media Content Based on a Media Server

• US 20100281093A1
• Filed: 05/04/2009
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Holdings LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Cook, Michael J., Poder, Jim
• Granted Patent: US 8,078,665 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2861 Point-to-multipoint connection from the data network to the subscribers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

A media server is hosted in a service provider'"'"'s network so that media content can be stored from or rendered to a private network such as a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network. Media content may be stored directly by accessing the media server or by downloading the media content to the media server. A server platform may support a set of media servers, where each media server is connected to a corresponding DLNA network. A multicast group may be established among the set of media servers so that media content may be shared with members of the multicast group. Media content may be aggregated for media content for the multicast group based on content characteristics, where the content characteristics are indicative of media content that can be shared with members of the multicast group.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to retrieve executable instructions from the memory and to;

connect a media server of a set of media servers to a private network, wherein the media server is external to the private network;

establish a multicast group among the set of media servers; and

share media content from one of the media servers with other media servers of the multicast group.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

announce the multicast group to a plurality of media servers that are supported by the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

send a content list of said one media server to the other media servers of the multicast group, wherein the content list is indicative of media content associated with said one media server.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide access to listed media content by a requesting media server, wherein the requesting media server is a member of the multicast group.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

aggregate media content for the multicast group based on content characteristics, wherein the content characteristics are indicative of media content that can be shared with members of the multicast group.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provision the set of media servers in accordance with the content characteristics.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor aggregates the media content without intervention from the private network.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a multicast group address of the multicast group is local to the private network.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

convert a virtual address in the private network into the multicast group address.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the establishing and the sharing are based on an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sharing comprises:

determining a pointer to the selected media content without duplicating the selected media content.

12. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a content list of the aggregated media content;

receive at least one content selection from the content list; and

provide selected media content based on the at least one content selection.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the private network comprises a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multicast group shares the media content across private networks that are behind different cable modems.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a request from a subscriber to join the multicast group; and

add the subscriber to the multicast group.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a request from a subscriber to leave the multicast group; and

remove the subscriber from the multicast group.

17. A computer-implemented method comprising:

connecting a media server of a set of media servers to a private network, wherein the media server is external to the private network;

establishing a multicast group among the set of media servers; and

sharing media content from one of the media servers with other media servers of the multicast group.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

announcing the multicast group to a plurality of media servers that are supported by the apparatus.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

sending a content list of said one media server to the other media servers of the multicast group, wherein the content list is indicative of media content associated with said one media server.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

providing access to listed media content by a requesting media server, wherein the requesting media server is a member of the multicast group.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

aggregating media content for the multicast group based on content characteristics, wherein the content characteristics are indicative of media content that can be shared with members of the multicast group.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

provisioning the set of media servers in accordance with the content characteristics.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein the aggregating occurs without intervention from the private network.

24. The method of claim 17, wherein a multicast group address of the multicast group is local to the private network.

25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:

converting a virtual address in the private network into the multicast group address.

26. The method of claim 17, wherein the establishing and the sharing are based on an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).

27. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining a pointer to the selected media content without duplicating the selected media content.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

generating a content list of the aggregated media content;

receiving at least one content selection from the content list; and

providing selected media content based on the at least one content selection.

29. The method of claim 17, wherein the private network comprises a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network.

30. The method of claim 17, wherein the multicast group shares the media content across private networks that are behind different cable modems.

31. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a request from a subscriber to join the multicast group; and

adding the subscriber to the multicast group.

32. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving a request from a subscriber to leave the multicast group; and

removing the subscriber from the multicast group.

33. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed cause a computer device to perform the method comprising:

connecting a media server of a set of media servers to a private network, wherein the media server is external to the private network;

establishing a multicast group among the set of media servers; and

sharing media content from one of the media servers with other media servers of the multicast group.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

announcing the multicast group to a plurality of media servers that are supported by the apparatus.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

sending a content list of said one media server to the other media servers of the multicast group, wherein the content list is indicative of media content associated with said one media server.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

providing access to listed media content by a requesting media server, wherein the requesting media server is a member of the multicast group.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

aggregating media content for the multicast group based on content characteristics, wherein the content characteristics are indicative of media content that can be shared with members of the multicast group.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

provisioning the set of media servers in accordance with the content characteristics.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the aggregating occurs without intervention from the private network.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein a multicast group address of the multicast group is local to the private network.

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 40, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

converting a virtual address in the private network into the multicast group address.

42. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the establishing and the sharing are based on an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

determining a pointer to the selected media content without duplicating the selected media content.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 37, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

generating a content list of the aggregated media content;

receiving at least one content selection from the content list; and

providing selected media content based on the at least one content selection.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the private network comprises a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network.

46. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the multicast group shares the media content across private networks that are behind different cable modems.

47. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

receiving a request from a subscriber to join the multicast group; and

adding the subscriber to the multicast group.

48. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

receiving a request from a subscriber to leave the multicast group; and

removing the subscriber from the multicast group.