System and method for delivery of video data over a computer network

• US 6,269,394 B1
• Filed: 12/16/1998
• Issued: 07/31/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brian Kenner, Harry Gruber
• Original Assignee: Brian Kenner, Harry Gruber
• Inventors: Kenner, Brian, Gruber, Harry
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOULES, JACK M
• Application Number:
  US09/212,890
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/218
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/70 of video data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1001 for accessing one among a plurality of replicated servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10015 Access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. using brokers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1008 based on parameters of servers, e.g. available memory or workload monitoring of computer activity G06F11/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/101 based on network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/60 Scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests, e.g. requests for application data transmissions using the analysis and optimisation of the required network resources admission control or resource allocation H04L47/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2743 Video hosting of uploaded data from client
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 : Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 : Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 : Handling of requests in head-ends
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 : Object-oriented database structure processing

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.

Claims

1. A data sequencing interface for collecting, managing and buffering audio-visual data which is transmitted to the data sequencing interface from extended and remote storage locations for downloading to a user, comprising:

a first communications interface between an index manager and the data sequencing interface for communicating the exact location of audio-visual segments stored at one or more of the extended and remote storage locations;

a second communications interface between the extended and remote storage locations and the data sequencing interface for transmitting the downloaded audio-visual segments to transmit buffers of the data sequencing interface;

audio-visual sequencing logic for sequentially requesting each audio-visual segment from each extended and remote storage location identified as containing the audio-visual segment until the audio-visual segment is retrieved;

storage management logic for managing the location of each retrieved audio-visual segments; and

a third communications interface between the data sequencing interface and the user over which the retrieved audio-visual segments is transmitted for the eventual download to the user.

2. The data sequencing interface as in claim 1 wherein:

the first and second communications interface are very high speed; and

the third communications interface is a high speed.

3. The data sequencing interface as in claim 2 wherein each very high speed interface has a minimum bandwidth of at least about 100 MBaud, and each high speed interface has a minimum bandwidth of at least about 56 Kbaud.

4. The data sequencing interface as in claim 1 wherein the storage management logic comprises:

means for determining whether an audio-visual segment is retrieved from either one of the remote storage location or from the extended storage location;

means for comparing the number of times an audio-visual segment is retrieved from a remote storage location with the number of times the least requested audio-visual segment is retrieved from the extended storage location;

means for copying, from the remote storage location to the extended storage location, an audio-visual segment which is retrieved more often from the remote storage location than from the extended storage location; and

means for removing the least requested audio-visual segment from the extended storage location and placing the least requested audio-visual segment onto one of the remote storage locations.

5. The data sequencing interface as in claim 1 wherein the audio-visual sequencing logic comprises:

means for determining whether an audio-visual segment requested from either the extended or remote storage location cannot be retrieved because of other requests for audio-visual data from that extended or remote storage location;

means for requesting the audio-visual segment from another extended or remote storage location;

means for communicating which storage location provided the audio-visual segment to the index manager.