VIDEO ON DEMAND PROCESSING

• US 20130145406A1
• Filed: 12/01/2011
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Baskaran, Arjun, Gorecha, Saurabh
• Granted Patent: US 9,118,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/87
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2396 characterized by admission policies admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for network security using user profiles for access control H04L63/102; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26613 for generating or managing keys in general key distribution for secret or secure communication involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP] H04L9/083; network support of key management H04L63/06; key management for network security in communication control or processing H04W12/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand

Abstract

A device may include a communication interface configured to receive a request from a client device, where the request identifies a first video on demand (VOD). The device may also include logic configured to identify capabilities associated with the client device, the capabilities including at least one of a decoding capability of the client device, a content protection scheme supported by the client device, or a transport protocol via which the client device can communicate, and forward the request for the VOD to a service provider associated with providing the first VOD. The logic may also be configured to receive a media stream from the service provider, the media stream corresponding to the first VOD, process the media stream in accordance with the identified capabilities, and forward the processed media stream to the client device.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

a communication interface configured to receive a request from a client device, the request identifying a first one of a plurality of videos on demand; and

logic configured to;

identify capabilities associated with the client device, the capabilities including at least one of a decoding capability of the client device, a content protection scheme supported by the client device, or a transport protocol via which the client device can communicate,

forward the request for the first video on demand (VOD) to a service provider associated with providing the first VOD,

receive a media stream from the service provider, the media stream corresponding to the first VOD,

process the media stream in accordance with the identified capabilities, and

forward the processed media stream to the client device.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein when processing the media stream, the logic is configured to:

format the media stream based on the decoding capability of the client device.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein when processing the media stream, the logic is further configured to:

provide content protection based on the content protection scheme supported by the client device.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein when processing the media stream, the logic is further configured to:

forward the stream using a transport protocol supported by the client device.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of ports, wherein each of the plurality of ports is configured to support a VOD session simultaneously with other ones of the plurality of ports.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

identify a bandwidth limit associated with a customer premises in which the client device is located, and

transcode the media stream based on the bandwidth limit.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the logic is further configured to:

transcode the received media stream in accordance with the decoding capability of the client device, and

when forwarding the processed media stream, the logic is configured to forward the transcoded media stream.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is further configured to:

receive a request from a second client device, the request identifying a second video on demand (VOD), and

wherein the processing logic is further configured to;

identify capabilities associated with the second client device, the capabilities including at least one of a decoding capability of the second client device, a content protection scheme supported by the second client device, or a transport protocol via which the second client device can communicate,

forward the request for the second VOD to an entity associated with providing the second VOD,

receive a second media stream from the network device, the second media stream corresponding to the second VOD,

process the second media stream in accordance with the identified capabilities associated with the second client device, and

forward the processed second media stream to the second client device concurrently with the processed media stream being forwarded to the client device.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the communication interface is further configured to:

receive at least one of a rewind request or a fast forward request from the client device, and wherein the logic is further configured to;

forward the rewind or fast forward request to the service provider,

receive content from the service provider based on the rewind or fast forward request, and

provide the content to the client device.

10. A method, comprising:

receiving a request from a client device, the request identifying a first video on demand (VOD);

identifying capabilities associated with the client device, the capabilities including at least two of a decoding capability of the client device, a content protection scheme supported by the client device, or a transport protocol via which the client device can communicate;

forwarding the request for the first VOD to an entity associated with providing the first VOD;

receiving a media stream from the entity, the media stream corresponding to the first VOD;

decrypting the media stream;

processing the decrypted media stream in accordance with the identified capabilities; and

forwarding the processed media stream to the client device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the processing the decrypted media stream comprises:

formatting the media stream based on the decoding capability of the client device, and

providing content protection based on the content protection scheme supported by the client device.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the forwarding the media stream comprises:

forwarding the stream using a transport protocol supported by the client device.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the receiving a request and identifying capabilities is implemented by a network device, the method further comprising:

supporting, by the network device, a plurality of simultaneous VOD sessions with a plurality of client devices.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

identifying a bandwidth limit associated with a customer premises in which the client device is located, and

transcoding the media stream based on the bandwidth limit.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving a request from a second client device, the request identifying a second VOD;

identifying capabilities associated with the second client device, the capabilities including at least one of a decoding capability of the second client device, a content protection scheme supported by the second client device, or a transport protocol via which the second client device can communicate;

forwarding the request for the second VOD to a network device associated with providing the second VOD;

receiving a second media stream from the network device, the second media stream corresponding to the second VOD;

processing the second media stream in accordance with the identified capabilities associated with the second client device; and

forwarding the processed second media stream to the second client device concurrently with the processed media stream being forwarded to the client device.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving at least one of a rewind request or a fast forward request from the client device;

forwarding the rewind or fast forward request to the service provider;

receiving content from the service provider based on the rewind or fast forward request; and

providing the content to the client device.

17. A system, comprising

a first device associated with a service provider, the first device being configured to provide video on demand (VOD) content;

and

a second device associated with the service provider, the second device comprising;

a communication interface configured to receive a request from a client device, the request identifying a first VOD, and

logic configured to;

identify capabilities associated with the client device, the capabilities including at least one of a decoding capability of the client device, a content protection scheme supported by the client device, or a transport protocol via which the client device can communicate,

forward the request for the first VOD to the first device,

receive a media stream, corresponding to the first VOD, from the first device,

process the media stream in accordance with the identified capabilities, and

forward the processed media stream to the client device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein when processing the media stream, the logic is configured to:

format the media stream based on the decoding capability of the client device, and

provide content protection based on the content protection scheme supported by the client device.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein the logic is further configured to:

identify a version of the first VOD available at the first device, based on the capabilities of the client device, and wherein when forwarding the request for the first VOD, the logic is configured to;

forward the request for the identified version of the first VOD to the first device.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the second device further comprises a plurality of ports, wherein each of the plurality of ports is configured to support a VOD session with the first device simultaneously with other ones of the plurality of ports.