SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ADAPTING CONTENT DELIVERY

• US 20140280744A1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charter Communications Operating LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Charter Communications Operating LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: DuBose, Kreig
• Granted Patent: US 10,051,024 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18

Abstract

A system, method and apparatus for opportunistically transcoding requested content streams into one or more formats to provision thereby one or more content storage libraries.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a client request for a content title not stored in a local content library;

streaming the requested content title toward the client from a remote content library including the requested content title; and

if the request conforms to a business rule, performing a batch-based transcoding of the requested content title for subsequent storage in at least one other local content library.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising transcoding the requested content title to a format compatible with the requesting client device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising transcoding the requested content title to a format compatible with a transport network providing services to the requesting client device.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said transcoding is performed by a plurality of real-time transcoders, each transcoder adapted for transcoding the requested content title according to respective video stream format.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein said video stream formats are selected in accordance with any of a client device capability, transport network capability and desired quality of content stream associated with an intended other local content library.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the business rule comprises a popularity associated with the requested content title exceeding a threshold level.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein content title popularity is determined using at least one of a number of content title requests and a rate of content title requests.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said business rule comprises a rating associated with the requested content title exceeding a threshold level.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein content title rating is determined using one or more of release date, viewer reviews, suggested audience, content seasonality, and geographic appeal.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein content title rating is determined directly using viewer rating responses.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein content title rating is derived indirectly from user interaction with a content distribution system.

12. A content management system, comprising:

a content manager, adapted to cause one or more batch-based transcoders to process a requested content title conforming to a business rule to provide thereby respective transcoded content title information suitable for storage by local content servers.

13. The content management system of claim 12, further comprising a ratings engine adapted to provide content title rating information suitable for testing content title conformance to said business rule.

14. The content management system of claim 13, wherein said content title rating is determined using one or more of release date, viewer reviews, suggested audience, content seasonality, and geographic appeal.

15. The content management system of claim 13, wherein said content title rating is determined directly using viewer rating responses.

16. An apparatus, comprising a processor configured for:

receiving a client request for a content title not stored in a local content library;

streaming the requested content title toward the client from a remote content library including the requested content title; and

if the request conforms to a business rule, performing a batch-based transcoding of the requested content title for subsequent storage in at least one other local content library.

17. A computer program product wherein computer instructions, when processed by a computer, adapt the operation of the computer to provide a method, comprising:

receiving a client request for a content title not stored in a local content library;

streaming the requested content title toward the client from a remote content library including the requested content title; and

if the request conforms to a business rule, performing a batch-based transcoding of the requested content title for subsequent storage in at least one other local content library.