High quality streaming multimedia

• US 6,377,972 B1
• Filed: 01/19/1999
• Issued: 04/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 01/19/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Hui, Ng, Tze Sing Eugene, Hofmann, Markus Andreas, Guo, Katherine Hua, Paul, Sanjoy
• Primary Examiner(s): Geckil, Mehmet B.
• Application Number:
  US09/233,407
• Time in Patent Office: 1,190 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/205, 709/238, 709/231, 714/4, 370/351, 370/401, 370/409
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1886 with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains
• 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 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/563 Data redirection of data network streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/61 taking into account QoS or priority requirements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64738 Monitoring network characteristics, e.g. bandwidth, congestion level data switched network analysis H04L41/14; monitoring functioning in data switched networks H04L43/0817; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10

Abstract

A new architecture and operational techniques for supporting high quality live and on-demand streaming multimedia on a data network. By using Helper machines inside the network as data forwarding, caching, and buffering agents, and by forming meshes among Helper machines, advantages of homogeneous, synchronous multicast transmission and of heterogeneous, asynchronous reception are achieved. The architecture provides essentially transparently support to the receivers for near-zero start-up latency, improved playback quality, improved CR-like operations. These are achieved while reducing network and server load compared to today'"'"'s multimedia networking techniques.

Claims

1. In a network of helpers for delivery to at least one receiver of a continuous media object originating at a source, a method at a first helper for selecting from a first set of servers to provide at least a portion of said continuous media object, said first set comprising said source and at least one of said helpers, the method comprising

receiving at said first helper state information from a second set of others of said helpers, said second set included in said first set, said state information received from each respective one of said other helpers indicating the ability of said respective one of said helpers in said second set to provide at least a portion of said continuous media object,

selecting from among said source and said helpers in said second set the servers that collectively satisfy predetermined criteria.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving at said first helper a request originating at said at least one receiver.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said state information received from a respective one of said helpers in said second set comprises information identifying (i) available buffer storage at said respective helper, and (ii) all data streams for which said respective helper is in session.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said state information received from a respective one of said helpers in said second set comprises information identifying (iii) the rate for all streams for which the respective helper is in session, (iv) the last segment forwarded by said respective helper for each of said in-session data streams, and (v) any statically cached segments at said respective helper.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said information identifying data streams for which said respective helper is in session comprises the source for each of said data streams and protocols used by each of said data streams.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said receiving of state information at said first helper from said each of said others of said helpers in said second set of helpers is accomplished by periodically receiving messages from said others of said helpers in said second set of helpers, the period between messages from respective ones of said helpers in said second set of helpers being determined by scope values associated with said respective ones of said helpers in said second set of helpers.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said scope is determined for each said respective helper in said second set of helpers by the distance of said respective ones of said helpers in said second set from said first helper.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein said scope values for said helpers in said second set of helpers is chosen from a set of scope values comprising local, regional, national and global scopes.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein, for a given helper in said second set of helpers, said period between messages is longer when said given helper is more remote from said first helper.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein said scope is further determined for each said respective helper in said second set of helpers by the temporal distance of said respective ones of said helpers in said second set from said first helper.

11. In a network of helpers for delivery to a plurality of receivers of continuous media objects, each of said objects originating at one of a plurality of sources, a method at a first helper for selecting from a first set of servers to provide at least a portion of each of said continuous media objects, said first set comprising said one source and at least one of said helpers, the method comprising:

receiving at said first helper state information from a second set of others of said helpers, said second set included in said first set, said state information received from each respective one of said other helpers indicating the ability of said respective one of said helpers in said second set to provide at least a portion of said continuous media object,

selecting from among said source and said helpers in said second set the servers that collectively satisfy predetermined criteria.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising receiving at said first helper a request originating at one of said plurality of receivers.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein said state information received from a respective one of said helpers in said second set comprises information identifying (i) available buffer storage at said respective helper, and (ii) all data streams for which said respective helper is in session.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said state information received from a respective one of said helpers in said second set comprises information identifiing (iii) the rate for all streams for which the respective helper is in session, (iv) the last segment forwarded by said respective helper for each of said in-session data streams, and (v) any statically cached segments at said respective helper.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein said information identifying data streams for which said respective helper is in session comprises the source for each of said data streams and protocols used by each of said data streams.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein said predetermined criteria comprise reduced network load.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said predetermined criteria comprise reduced buffer storage requirements.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein said predetermined criteria comprise reduced processing load to store and forward continuous media objects and portions thereof.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein said predetermined criteria comprise reduced network load.

20. The method of claim 11 wherein said selecting from among said source and said helpers in said second set comprises:

determining performance indices for (i) originating a new data stream originating at said source or another helper, and (ii) sharing an existing multicast data stream, and

selecting the one of said new data stream or said existing multicast data stream based on said performance indices.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein said performance indices comprise performance indices for buffer storage requirements, system load and network load.