Video application server for mediating live video services

• US 5,930,473 A
• Filed: 03/08/1996
• Issued: 07/27/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Starlight Networks, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Starlight Networks, Inc. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Tobagi, Fouad A., Thompson, Bruce Albert, Teng, Peter, Gang, Joseph M. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Ellis, Richard L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Winder, Patrice L.
• Application Number:
  US08/612,744
• Time in Patent Office: 1,236 Days
• Field of Search: 395/200.01, 395/200.04, 395/330, 395/200.12, 395/200.3, 395/200.34, 395/200.57, 395/200.49, 395/684, 348/15, 348/17, 348/19, 345/330
• US Class Current: 709/204
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server

Abstract

An apparatus and method for use in a network including source clients and viewer clients connected to one or more shared transmission media. A video server is connected to one of the transmission media and is operative to control the broadcast and storage of multiple live or previously-stored video streams. The control may be provided via remote procedure call (RPC) commands transmitted between the server and the clients. In one embodiment, a video presentation system is provided in which a video stream from a source client is continuously broadcast to a number of viewer clients. One or more of the viewer clients may be authorized by the source client to broadcast an audio and/or video stream to the other clients receiving the source video stream. In another embodiment, a multicast directory is provided to each of a plurality of viewer clients by transmitting directory information in a packet corresponding to a predetermined multicast address. The multicast directory indicates to a particular viewer client which of a number of video programs are available for broadcast to that client.

Claims

1. A network for providing server-mediated live video applications comprising:

a transmission medium;

a video server connected to the transmission medium; and

a plurality of clients connected to the transmission medium,

said clients transmitting requests to said server for enabling live full motion video streams to be transmitted in said network,

said server, in response to requests received from said clients, being capable of enabling multiple simultaneous full motion video streams, comprising stream attributes, to be transmittable in said network by admitting said streams based on available network resources, and said server modifying said stream attributes in response to said requests transmitted by said clients, and

said video streams being transmittable from one client to another client, from one client to multiple other clients and from one client to said server for storage.

2. The network of claim 1 wherein said server also enables the transmission of stored video streams from said server to one or more of said clients.

3. The network of claim 1 wherein said server enables the transmission of a multicast wherein a live full motion video stream is transmitted from one source client to a plurality of viewer clients.

4. The network of claim 1 wherein one of said clients is connected to a storage device which serves as a source or a destination for a video stream.

5. The network of claim 1 wherein one of said clients is connected to a satellite transceiver.

6. An apparatus for directing distribution of a video stream in a network including a shared transmission medium, at least one source client connected to the network and at least one viewer client connected to the network, the apparatus comprising:

a video server connected to the network and operative to control transmission of a live video stream, having stream attributes, from said source client via said transmission medium to said viewer client based on available network resources,

said video server being responsive to a command from said source client or said viewer client to thereby enable the transmission of the live video stream, and modifying said stream attributes in response to requests transmitted by said clients.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the command is provided via a remote procedure call channel established over the medium between the server and the viewer client or the source client.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the video stream is one of a plurality of live video streams selectable by the viewer client.

9. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said server further enables the transmission of stored video streams from said server to one or more of said clients.

10. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said server further enables the transmission of a multicast wherein a live full motion video stream is transmitted from one source client to a plurality of viewer clients.

11. An apparatus for directing transmission of a video stream in a network including a shared transmission medium, at least one source client connected to the medium and a plurality of viewer clients connected to the medium, the apparatus comprising:

a video server connected to the transmission medium and operative to control transmission of a video stream, having stream attributes, from said source client to at least one of said viewer clients based on available network resources,

said video server receiving a request from one of said viewer clients for authorization to broadcast over said medium,

said video server modifying said stream attributes in response to said requests transmitted by said clients; and

said video server providing an indication to the source client that said one of said viewer clients has transmitted said request for authorization.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the request for authorization corresponds to a remote procedure call between the server and said one of said viewer clients.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the indication provided by the server to the source client corresponds to a remote procedure call between the server and the source client.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the video stream is a live video stream provided by the source client and continuously broadcast at the direction of the server to each of the plurality of viewer clients.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the source client further provides an audio stream which is broadcast at the direction of said server to each of the plurality of viewer clients until one of said viewer clients is authorized to transmit an audio stream.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the server further receives an indication from the source client that the source client has authorized one of the viewer clients to broadcast an audio stream.

17. A method for directing transmission of a video stream in a network including a shared transmission medium, a video server connected to the medium, at least one source client connected to the medium and a plurality of viewer clients connected to the medium, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a video stream having stream attributes from the source client to at least one of said plurality of viewer clients at the direction of the video server;

admitting, by said video server, said video stream based on available network resources

modifying, by said video server, said stream attributes in response to a request transmitted by said at least one source client; and

controlling in the video server access of one or more of the viewer clients to a transmission channel of the medium.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the step of controlling access of one or more of the viewer clients to a channel in the medium further includes the steps of:

receiving in the video server a request from at least one of said plurality of viewer clients for authorization to broadcast an audio stream over an audio transmission channel of the medium; and

processing the request to determine if said one of said viewer clients is authorized to broadcast the audio stream over said medium.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of processing the request further includes the step of providing an indication to the source client that said one of said viewer clients has transmitted said request.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the step of providing an indication to the source client that said one of said viewer clients has transmitted said request further includes providing a remote procedure call from said server to said source client.

21. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of processing the request further includes the steps of:

receiving an authorization command from the source client indicating that the source client has authorized at least one of the viewer clients to broadcast an audio stream; and

directing the broadcast of the audio stream from the authorized one of the viewer clients over the medium to the source client and others of the plurality of viewer clients.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of receiving a request from one of said viewer clients for authorization to broadcast an audio stream over said medium includes receiving a remote procedure call in said server from said one of said viewer clients.

23. The method of claim 17 wherein the source client broadcasts an audio stream to said plurality of viewer clients until one of said viewer clients is authorized to broadcast an audio stream.