CENTRALIZED SELECTION OF PEERS AS MEDIA DATA SOURCES IN A DISPERSED PEER NETWORK
First Claim
1. A content distribution system supporting the transfer of a content file present on a plurality of peer computers to a recipient computer, said content distribution network comprising:
- a) a content catalog containing an identification of a content file and a plurality of location identifiers, wherein each location identifier includes an identification of a peer computer and of a named subunit of said content file; and
b) a control processor, coupled to said content catalog and coupleable through a network connection to a recipient computer, wherein said control processor, responsive to a request identifying said content file provided by said recipient computer, provides a content file manifest to said recipient computer, said content file manifest including said plurality of location identifiers;
whereby said recipient computer can retrieve and assemble corresponding named subunits of said content file from said peer computers to obtain said content file.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A multi-source peer content distribution system transfers content files from multiple, distributed peer computers to any requesting computer. The content distribution network coordinates file transfers through a mediation system including a content catalog and a host broker system. The content catalog contains an identification of each content file, the segmented subunits of each file, and the peer caches to which the subunits have been distributed. The host broker system receives content file requests issued over a network from requesting computers. In response, manifest files identifying the request corresponding content subunits and distributed cache locations are returned. The requesting computers can then retrieve and assemble the corresponding content subunits from the peer computers to obtain the requested content file.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A content distribution system supporting the transfer of a content file present on a plurality of peer computers to a recipient computer, said content distribution network comprising:
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a) a content catalog containing an identification of a content file and a plurality of location identifiers, wherein each location identifier includes an identification of a peer computer and of a named subunit of said content file; and b) a control processor, coupled to said content catalog and coupleable through a network connection to a recipient computer, wherein said control processor, responsive to a request identifying said content file provided by said recipient computer, provides a content file manifest to said recipient computer, said content file manifest including said plurality of location identifiers; whereby said recipient computer can retrieve and assemble corresponding named subunits of said content file from said peer computers to obtain said content file. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5)
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6. A content distribution system comprising:
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a) a peer computer network including a plurality of segment data caches that provide for the distributed storage of named content segments, wherein said plurality of segment data caches have associated cache location identifiers, said peer computer network being responsive to named segment requests including named segment identifiers to provide corresponding named content segments; b) a content broker computer system including a content catalog that provides for the storage of a named content identifier in association with a plurality of named content segment identifiers further associated with a plurality of cache location identifiers, said content broker computer system being said plurality of cache location identifiers selectively ordered with respect to said plurality of named content segment identifiers; and c) a request computer system coupleable through a communications network to said content broker computer system to provide said broker request and to said peer computer network to provide segment requests for said plurality of named content segments respectively associated with selected cache location identifiers determined based on the selective ordering of said plurality of cache location identifiers with respect to said plurality of named content segment identifiers. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8)
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9. A method of operating a content distribution network to support the retrieval of a streaming content file, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) distributing a plurality of named content segments, collectively representing a predetermined streaming content file, among a plurality of peer distributed among said plurality of peer caches; and b) responding to a request for said predetermined streaming content file by providing a retrieval list identifying said plurality of named content segments, said list including an identification of the distribution of said plurality of named content segments; whereby said plurality of named content segments can be retrieved from among said plurality of peer caches to obtain said streaming content file. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A content distribution system supporting the delivery of streaming media content files over a communications network to a recipient computer system, said content distribution system comprising:
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a) a catalog of predetermined content files, said catalog including a listing of content file segments, wherein predetermined pluralities of said content file segments correspond to said predetermined content files; b) a predictive content distribution system operative to distribute copies, including multiple copies, of said content file segments to a plurality of peer computer systems, said predictive content distribution system being coupled to said catalog to associate peer system identifiers with said content file segments to reflect the distribution of said content file segments to said peer computer systems; c) a peer computer management system coupleable to said plurality of peer computer systems and operative to monitor the availability of said content file segments as distributed to said plurality of peer computer systems; and d) a request broker system coupleable through said communications network to receive a content file request from a recipient computer system, said segments as determined by said peer computer management system, a manifest of content file segment identifiers and associated peer system identifiers; whereby said recipient computer system can utilize said manifest to obtain the content file segments corresponding to the content file identified by said content file request.
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16. The content distribution system of claim 16 wherein said peer computer management system dynamically monitors said plurality of peer computer systems.
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17. The content distribution system of claim 17 wherein said request broker system dynamically generates said manifest in response to said content file request.
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18. The content distribution system of claim 18 wherein said peer computer management system maintains activity and capability information with respect to said plurality of peer computer systems and wherein request broker system is responsive to said activity and capability information in generating said manifest.
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19. A method of obtaining streaming media content files over a communications network, said method comprising the steps of:
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a) issuing, over a communications network, a content request for a predetermined content file to a host computer system; b) receiving a manifest from said host computer system, said manifest including a list of content segments corresponding to said predetermined content file, said list including a peer cache location identifier for each said content segment; and c) requesting, over said communications network, a first plurality of said content segments from a second plurality of peer caches identified by said peer cache location identifiers corresponding to said first plurality.
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Specification