High quality streaming multimedia
First Claim
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 comprisingreceiving 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.
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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.
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Citations
21 Claims
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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.
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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:
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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. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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.
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21. The method of claim 20 wherein said performance indices comprise performance indices for buffer storage requirements, system load and network load.
Specification