Multi-user, on-demand video server system including independent, concurrently operating remote data retrieval controllers

• US 6,148,142 A
• Filed: 11/07/1997
• Issued: 11/14/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intel Network Systems, Inc. (Intel Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Intel Network Systems, Inc. (Intel Corporation)
• Inventors: Anderson, Michael H.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, THAI Q
• Application Number:
  US08/966,770
• Time in Patent Office: 1,103 Days
• Field of Search: 348/7-8, 348/10, 348/12-13, 386/1, 386/4, 386/45-46, 386/52, 386/125-126, 386/69-70
• US Class Current: 386/206
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0601 Interfaces specially adapted for storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0673 Single storage device
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2182 involving memory arrays, e.g. RAID disk arrays RAID arrays per se G06F3/0689; use of parity to protect data in RAID systems G06F11/1008
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2312 Data placement on disk arrays data placement in general G06F3/0604
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23805 Controlling the feeding rate to the network, e.g. by controlling the video pump
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A plurality of movies are distributively stored in digital form on a mass storage unit such as a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Drives (RAID) disk drive system such that they can be viewed on demand by multiple users. A master controller receives movie requests from users, and generates designation commands through a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) bus that designates a retrieval controller at the requesting user'"'"'s facility, and locations of the requested movie data in the RAID system. Successive designation commands are generated for successive blocks of the movie data. A designated retrieval controller reads a designated block of data from the RAID system through the SCSI bus, and converts the retrieved data into video picture and audio format to show the movie on a television receiver at the requesting user'"'"'s facility. The movie data is preferably compressed on the RAID system in Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) format, and decompressed by the retrieval controllers.

Claims

1. A data storage and retrieval system, comprising:

a storage for storing data;

a data bus connected to the storage;

a plurality of data retrieval controllers connected to the data bus, each of the plurality of data retrieval controllers being configured for actively retrieving data from the storage and converting the retrieved data to a predetermined format;

a download computer converting data received in analog form into compressed digital format to be stored in the storage, as well as receiving from interactive remote control units and processing data request commands; and

a server interfacing between the download computer and the storage as well as between the download computer and the plurality of data retrieval controllers, the server generating in response to the processed data request commands designation commands to be sent to the data retrieval controllers through the data bus, each designation command designating one of the data retrieval controllers and a storage location corresponding to requested data;

each designated data retrieval controller retrieving the requested data from the designated storage location in response to a respective designation command and sending a message to the server indicating that execution of the designation command has been completed.

2. A system as in claim 1, in which:

the data is stored in the storage in the form of a digital data file; and

the designation commands sent by the server are successive and designating the storage locations of successive blocks of said digital data file respectively.

3. A system as in claim 2, in which said digital data file comprises video movie data.

4. A system as in claim 2, in which the storage comprises a plurality of disk drives for distributively storing said blocks of said digital data file.

5. A system as in claim 1, in which:

the server sends the designation commands through the data bus to the data retrieval controllers using a small Computer System Interface (SCSI) protocol; and

the retrieval controllers retrieve data from the storage through the data bus using SCSI protocol.

6. A system as in claim 5, in which:

the retrieval controllers retrieve data from the storage by sending SCSI read commands through the data bus to the storage; and

the storage transmits data through the data bus to the retrieval controllers in SCSI format in response to the SCSI read commands.

7. A system as in claim 5, in which:

the storage stores said data in the form of digital video data;

the retrieval controllers convert retrieved digital video data from SCSI format into video picture format.

8. A system as in claim 1, in which:

the storage stores said data in the form of compressed digital data; and

each retrieval controller comprises a decoder for decompressing said compressed digital data.

9. A system as in claim 1, in which:

the storage stores said data in the form of digital video data that is compressed in Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) format; and

each retrieval controller comprises an MPEG decoder for decompressing said digital video data.

10. A system as in claim 1, wherein the system is configured as a multi-user, on-demand video server system which uses a small computer system interface (SCSI) bus and is capable of providing high rate data throughput.

11. A system as in claim 1, in which each of the data retrieval controllers includes a single buffer memory and is configured to receive and store said data in said buffer memory at a variable rate which is greater than a rate at which said data is read out of said buffer memory by decoders.

12. A system as in claim 1, in which each of the data retrieval controllers accommodates asynchronous data transmission to and from it at different rates and compensates for variable data retrieval and conversion rates.

13. A method for actively retrieving data from storage, comprising:

storing data in a storage;

providing a plurality of data retrieval controllers connected to the storage, each of the data retrieval controllers being capable of actively retrieving data from the storage and converting the retrieved data to a predetermined format;

converting data, in a download computer, from analog form into compressed digital format to be stored in the storage;

receiving and processing, in the download computer, data request commands;

sending, in response to the data request commands, designation commands from a server to the data retrieval controllers, each designation command designating one of the data retrieval controllers and a storage location corresponding to requested data to be retrieved from the storage by the designated data retrieval controller;

retrieving by the respective designated data retrieval controllers requested data corresponding to the designated storage locations using read commands;

producing each retrieved data in a predetermined format at an output of the respective designated data retrieval controller; and

sending to the server by the respective designated data retrieval controllers a message indicating that execution of each corresponding designation command has been completed.

14. A method as in claim 13, in which:

the data is stored in the storage in the form of a digital data file; and

the designation commands are successive and designating successive blocks of said digital data file respectively.

15. A method as in claim 14, in which said digital data file comprises video movie data.

16. A method as in claim 14, in which the storing of the data further comprises distributively storing the blocks of the digital data file on a plurality of disk drives.

17. A method as in claim 13, in which the sending of the designation commands further comprises sending the designation commands from the server to the data retrieval controllers through a data bus using Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) protocol, and causing the data retrieval controllers to retrieve data from the storage through the data bus using SCSI protocol.

18. A method as in claim 13, in which the retrieving by the respective designated data retrieval controllers further comprises:

causing the data retrieval controllers to send SCSI read commands through the data bus to the storage; and

causing the storage to transmit the requested data through the data bus to the retrieval controllers in SCSI format in response to the SCSI read commands.

19. A method as in claim 13, in which:

the storing of data in the storage comprises storing said data in the form of digital video data; and

the producing of each retrieved data further comprises converting retrieved digital video data from SCSI format into video picture format.

20. A method as in claim 13, in which:

the storing of data in the storage comprises storing said data in the form of compressed digital data; and

the producing of each retrieved data further comprises decompressing said compressed digital data.

21. A method as in claim 13, in which:

step (a) comprises storing said data in the form of digital video data that is compressed in Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) format; and

step (g) further comprises decompressing said compressed digital data.

22. A video server system, comprising:

a mass storage unit in which a plurality of movies are distributively stored in digital form such that the movies can be viewed on-demand by multiple users;

a download computer capable of converting movie data received in analog form into compresses digital format to be stored in the mass storage unit as well as receiving from interactive remote control units and processing movie requests;

a server configured to receive processed movie requests from the download computer and, in response to each movie request, generate designation commands;

a plurality of retrieval controllers connected to the server via a SCSI bus to receive therefrom the designation commands, each of the designating commands designating one of the retrieval controllers and a storage location corresponding to requested movie data, each of the designated retrieval controllers retrieving the requested movie data from the mass storage unit via the SCSI bus by sending read commands to the mass storage, each of the designated the retrieval controllers also sending messages to the server indicating that execution of the respective designation commands has been completed.

23. A system as in claim 22 further comprising:

a menu capable of being displayed on each of the user receivers and listing a selection from the plurality of movies; and

one or more of the interactive remote control units that are remotely linked to the download computer for sending thereto commands requesting selected movies from among the listed movies.

24. A system as in claim 22 in which:

the mass storage unit has a master controller that controls its operations; and

the server interfaces between the download computer and the mass storage unit for delivering to the mass storage unit movie data received from the download computer in compresses digital format to be stored and accessed under control of the master controller.

25. A system as in claim 22 further comprising:

a downlink,

the download computer being coupled to the downlink and converting the movie data received from the downlink into the compressed digital format.

26. A system as in claim 22 further comprising:

video/audio channels interfacing between the retrieval controllers and corresponding user receivers and delivering requested movies data from respective designated retrieval controllers to the corresponding user receivers, the data being produced by the respective designated retrieval controllers in a predetermined format.

27. A system as in claim 22, wherein the server is linked to the download computer trough a low speed data bus for receiving therefrom the movie requests and a narrow SCSI bus for receiving therefrom the movie data in the compressed digital format.

28. A system as in claim 22, wherein the server maintains information indicating the data locations in the mass storage unit for each of the plurality of movies, and in response to a movie request from the download computer the server produces a list of all storage locations for the requested movie.

29. A system as in claim 22, wherein each retrieval controller includes:

a processor configured to send read commands to the mass storage via the SCSI bus under a SCSI protocol, the read commands designating movie data to be read from the mass storage in accordance with the respective designation command;

a processor bus;

a memory; and

a SCSI converter unit interfacing with the processor and memory through the processor bus.

30. A system as in claim 29, wherein the SCSI converter unit includes:

a buffer controller;

one or more disk formatters;

an interface logic connected to the processor bus and interfacing between the buffer controller and the one or more disk formatters.

31. A system as in claim 22, in which the server is linked to the download computer via a SCSI interface and a data bus for receiving therefrom the converted movie data and the processed movie requests, respectively.

32. A system as in claim 22, in which the server, the mass storage, and the plurality of retrieval controllers are linked via a SCSI interface.

33. A system as in claim 22, in which the retrieval controllers are each capable of supporting more than one video/audio channel with a separate decoder for each video/audio channel to a corresponding user receiver.

34. A system as in claim 22, in which each of the retrieval controllers accommodates asynchronous data transmission to and from it at different rates and compensates for variable data retrieval and conversion rates.

35. A method for providing video on-demand, comprising:

distributively storing data of a plurality of movies in a mass storage having drives, the data stored across the drives in a stripped arrangement so that each strip includes a plurality of successive bytes that are stored in a same location in the drives, respectively;

storing in one of the drives a parity byte corresponding to each of the strips for malfunction detection and recovery;

synchronously controlling the drives by a master controller;

converting in a download computer movie data received in an analog form into compressed digital format to be stored in the mass storage, the converted movie data being delivered to the mass storage via a server that is linked to the down load computer by a SCSI interface;

receiving and processing at the download computer requests for selected movies from among the plurality of movies, and sending the processed requests to a server;

producing at the server a list of data locations in the drives for each selected movie and sending a succession of SCSI designation commands to retrieval controllers designating the respective retrieval controllers and data locations for each selected movie;

sending read commands from each designated retrieval controller; and

converting data retrieved from the drives into formats suitable for respective user receivers.

36. A method as in claim 35 further comprising:

providing a buffer in each of the retrieval controllers to accommodate asynchronous transmission of data to and from the retrieval controllers at different rates and compensate for variable data retrieval and decompression rates.

37. A method as in claim 35, wherein the data is stored in the mass storage in a compressed format, the method further comprising:

decompressing at the respective retrieval controllers the data retrieved from the drives; and

sending the converted data from the retrieval controllers to respective user receivers via respective video/audio channels.

38. A method as in claim 37, wherein the compressed format is a Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) format.

39. A method as in claim 35, wherein each of the SCSI designation commands facilitates a reading of a data block from the respective drives, the data block providing a portion of a respective selected movie whose duration approximates a portion of a respective movie time.

40. A method as in claim 39, wherein the duration approximating the portion of the respective movie time is about 2 seconds.