System and method for delivery of video data over a computer network
First Claim
1. A video clip storage and retrieval system comprising:
- a multimedia terminal through which a user may request video clips from a database, the multimedia terminal also being able to receive and display requested video clips;
a local storage and retrieval module which communicates with the multimedia terminal and which is adapted to receive and process video clip requests from the multimedia terminal;
a primary index manager which communicates with the local storage and retrieval module and which is adapted to receive and process video clip requests from the local storage and retrieval module and to cause the distribution of video clips among a plurality of extended storage and retrieval modules according to video clip usage in the system;
a plurality of extended storage and retrieval modules which communicate with the primary index manager, and which store a plurality of databases including at least one database containing video clips;
a data sequencing interface controlled by the primary index manager and adapted to direct the extended storage and retrieval module to download the requested video clips; and
means for downloading the requested video clips to the multimedia terminal via the local storage and retrieval module.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A video clip storage and retrieval system whereby video clips, stored locally and/or at a more remote location, can be requested and retrieved by a user at the user'"'"'s multimedia terminal. When the user requests a desired video clip, the request is processed by a primary index manager ("PIM") via a Local Search and Retrieval Unit ("SRU"). Before the message is communicated to the PIM, the local SRU checks its own storage to see whether the requested video clips are available locally. If some of the video clips are local, the local SRU still forwards the request to the PIM so that the PIM may determine specific video clip usage. The PIM determines the extended SRU where the audio-visual data is stored and passes this information to a Data Sequencing Interface ("DSI"). The DSI collects the video clips and downloads the clips to the user'"'"'s terminal. The user may then view, copy, or print the video clip as desired. In a preferred embodiment, a distributed digital video clip delivery system, according to the invention, provides video clips stored at local and/or remote locations, which can be requested from the Internet and retrieved at the user'"'"'s multimedia terminal. When the user requests a desired video clip shown on a Web page, the request is diverted to a primary index manager ("PIM"). The PIM attempts to locate the closest server containing the requested clip, from which the download is completed. The system further includes means for uploading and distributing clips to geographically diverse servers, dynamic load balancing, subscription management mechanisms, and protection means to discourage unauthorized duplication of video clips.
1815 Citations
59 Claims
-
1. A video clip storage and retrieval system comprising:
-
a multimedia terminal through which a user may request video clips from a database, the multimedia terminal also being able to receive and display requested video clips; a local storage and retrieval module which communicates with the multimedia terminal and which is adapted to receive and process video clip requests from the multimedia terminal; a primary index manager which communicates with the local storage and retrieval module and which is adapted to receive and process video clip requests from the local storage and retrieval module and to cause the distribution of video clips among a plurality of extended storage and retrieval modules according to video clip usage in the system; a plurality of extended storage and retrieval modules which communicate with the primary index manager, and which store a plurality of databases including at least one database containing video clips; a data sequencing interface controlled by the primary index manager and adapted to direct the extended storage and retrieval module to download the requested video clips; and means for downloading the requested video clips to the multimedia terminal via the local storage and retrieval module. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
-
14. A method for storing and retrieving an audio-visual clip from a database comprising the steps of:
-
searching through the database to select audio-visual clips for viewing and formulating a request for the selected audio-visual clips; transmitting the request for audio-visual clips from a user'"'"'s multimedia terminal to a local search and retrieval module; searching the local search and retrieval module to determine whether the requested audio-visual clips are stored therein; modifying the request within the local search and retrieval module to indicate whether the requested audio-visual clips are stored therein, and by appending a regional identifier to each requested audio-visual clip; transmitting the modified request to a primary index manager; using the primary index manager to determine the exact storage location of each audio-visual clip within one or more extended search and retrieval modules; creating and maintaining a data sequencing interface to direct the extended search and retrieval modules to download the requested audio-visual clips to the data sequencing interface; downloading the audio-visual clips to the user'"'"'s multimedia terminal via the local search and retrieval module; and decompressing the audio-visual clips from its compressed state for viewing at the user'"'"'s multimedia terminal.
-
-
15. A distributed video clip delivery system comprising:
-
at least one multimedia terminal through which a user may request video clips from a clip database, wherein the multimedia terminal is connected to a network and is able to receive and display requested video clips via the network; a plurality of extended storage and retrieval units connected to the network, each storing a plurality of video clips; at least one primary index manager which communicates with the multimedia terminal via the network and which is adapted to receive and process video clip requests from the multimedia terminal and to cause distribution of video clips among the plurality of extended storage and retrieval units according to video clip usage in the system; and at least one data sequencing interface controlled by the primary index manager and adapted to direct the extended storage and retrieval units to download the requested video clips to the multimedia terminal. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
-
-
30. A method for distributing a video clip over a network to a user having a multimedia terminal, comprising the steps of:
-
distributing, by an index manager, video clips among a plurality of clip databases according to video clip usage in the network; identifying a video clip of interest; searching a clip database in cooperation with an index manager to retrieve clip information corresponding to the clip of interest; analyzing the clip information to determine where the clip is stored; directing, by an index manager, a data sequencing interface to download the clip from a storage location; and downloading the clip to the multimedia terminal. - View Dependent Claims (31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55)
-
-
56. A method for distributing a video clip over a network to a user having a multimedia terminal, comprising the steps of:
-
identifying a video clip of interest; searching a clip database in cooperation with an index manager to retrieve clip information corresponding to the clip of interest; analyzing the clip information to determine where the clip is stored; directing a data sequencing interface to download the clip from a storage location; downloading the clip to the multimedia terminal; communicating to the index manager any delays experienced in transmitting the clip; tracking an apparent load experienced by an extended storage and retrieval unit; and directing redistribution of an extended storage and retrieval unit'"'"'s clips when the extended storage and retrieval unit'"'"'s apparent load is greater than a first threshold.
-
-
57. A method for distributing a video clip over a network to a user having a multimedia terminal, comprising the steps of:
-
identifying a video clip of interest; searching a clip database in cooperation with an index manager to retrieve clip information corresponding to the clip of interest; analyzing the clip information to determine where the clip is stored; directing a data sequencing interface to download the clip from a storage location; downloading the clip to the multimedia terminal; and distributing clips for efficient network utilization, comprising the steps of; calculating an first predicted usage of clips for a given time period based on historical usage at the same time on prior days; generating an overall predicted usage according to the first predicted usage; estimating a bandwidth required to accommodate the overall predicted usage; determining which popular clips contribute most to the overall predicted usage; and moving said popular clips to distribute clip retrieval load if the estimated bandwidth exceeds a threshold. - View Dependent Claims (58, 59)
-
Specification