Video storage and retrieval system

• US 6,496,856 B1
• Filed: 05/18/2000
• Issued: 12/17/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
• Inventors: Gruber, Harry, Kenner, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): CHOULES, JACK M
• Application Number:
  US09/574,135
• Time in Patent Office: 943 Days
• Field of Search: 707/10, 709/217, 709/218, 709/291
• US Class Current: 709/218
• 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.

Claims

1. A video storage and retrieval system, comprising:

a plurality of multimedia terminals coupled to a communication network and adapted to request, receive and display video presentations;

a plurality of storage and retrieval units, including a plurality of local storage and retrieval units in communication with the multimedia terminals and with a plurality of extended storage and retrieval units, wherein each storage and retrieval unit includes a collection of stored video presentations;

a plurality of index managers in communication with the local storage and retrieval units, wherein each index manager is adapted to receive and process video presentation requests from a portion of the local storage and retrieval units, and wherein each index manager communicates with at least one other index manager and each index manager includes a database of video presentations stored on at least a portion of the local and extended storage and retrieval units;

a data sequencing interface adapted to direct the transmission of a requested video presentation from a storage and retrieval unit identified by an index manager over a preferred communication route to at least one of a designated multimedia terminal and a local storage and retrieval unit associated with the designated multimedia terminal; and

wherein a multimedia terminal sends a request to a designated local storage and retrieval unit, and the designated local storage and retrieval unit contacts at least one index manager to perform at least one of logging the request, identifying at least one storage and retrieval unit that contains a requested video presentation, and logging transmission of a video presentation, and

wherein the data sequencing interface determines the preferred communication route and schedules for downloading the requested video presentation to provide fast and efficient service to a user without overloading shared components of the system.

2. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 1, wherein at least one local storage and retrieval unit is associated with and updates at least one index manager designated as a primary index manager and containing a database with information about requests for and storage and retrieval of one or more requested video presentations.

3. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 2, wherein at least one local storage and retrieval unit stores one or more requested video presentations for delivery to at least one designated multimedia terminal.

4. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of index managers comprises at least one primary index manager associated with one or more local storage and retrieval units and a plurality of remote index managers associated with extended storage and retrieval units, wherein the index managers are capable of communication with each other.

5. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 4, wherein each remote index manager is coupled to at least one remote storage and retrieval unit.

6. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 5, wherein each remote index manager maintains a database of video clips stored on the remote storage and retrieval units to which it is coupled.

7. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 4, further comprising the association of a regional identifier to a request that is forwarded from a local storage and retrieval unit to a primary index manager.

8. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 7, wherein the primary index manager uses the regional identifier to identify a remote index manager that can satisfy the request.

9. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 8, wherein the regional identifier comprises information specifying a certain remote index manager.

10. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 8, wherein the regional identifier comprises information specifying a certain storage and retrieval unit.

11. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 7, wherein the regional identifier comprises a ZIP code.

12. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 7, wherein the regional identifier comprises a set of geographic coordinates.

13. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 4, further comprising:

a designated local storage and retrieval unit associated with at least one multimedia terminal, for delivery of a requested video presentation over the preferred communication route to the at least one multimedia terminal when the requested video presentation is stored by the designated local storage and retrieval unit; and

a data structure associated with the request forwarded to a primary index manager when the requested video presentation is not stored by the designated local storage and retrieval unit.

14. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the video presentations stored by at least one storage and retrieval unit are stored in a compressed format, and wherein at least one multimedia terminal includes a decompression utility.

15. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the video presentations stored by at least one storage and retrieval unit are stored in a compressed format, and wherein at least one of a data sequencing interface and a local storage and retrieval unit includes a decompression utility.

16. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the data sequencing interface is capable of directing the transmission of a sequence of requested video presentations from a plurality of storage and retrieval units identified by a primary index manager.

17. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 1, wherein the index managers process the requests to track video presentation usage in the system.

18. The video storage and retrieval system of claim 17, wherein the index managers distribute video presentation data among the storage and retrieval units according to the video presentation-usage in the system.

19. A method for storing and retrieving a video presentation from a distributed network over an optimum communication path, comprising the steps of:

distributing a plurality of storage and retrieval units capable of communication with a decentralized network, wherein each storage and retrieval unit comprises a collection of video presentations;

associating at least one index manager with one or more storage and retrieval units, wherein each index manager communicates with at least one other index manager and each index manager maintains a database of video presentations stored on at least a portion of the storage and retrieval units;

formulating a request for a video presentation at a multimedia terminal;

specifying at least one storage and retrieval unit as a local storage and retrieval unit associated with the multimedia terminal;

transmitting the request from the multimedia terminal to a local storage and retrieval unit;

searching the local storage and retrieval unit to determine whether any of the request can be satisfied from the collection of video presentations stored by the local storage and retrieval unit;

if any of the request can be satisfied, transmitting at least one presentation satisfying the request from a local storage and retrieval unit for delivery to the multimedia terminal over the preferred communication route;

if any of the request is not satisfied, identifying at least one index manager as a primary index manager for a local storage and retrieval unit associated with the multimedia terminal;

forwarding all or part of the request to a primary index manager;

searching a database on the primary index manager to determine at least one storage location for each video presentation satisfying all or part of the request from among a first set of storage and retrieval units;

if any of the forwarded request can be satisfied, transmitting at least one presentation satisfying the request over the preferred communication route, from at least one of the storage and retrieval units in the first set of storage and retrieval units, for delivery to the multimedia terminal over the preferred communication route;

if any of the request is not satisfied, identifying at least one index manager as a secondary index manager;

forwarding all or part of the request to at least one secondary index manager,

searching a database on the secondary index manager to determine a storage location for each video presentation satisfying the forwarded request from among a second set of storage and retrieval units;

if any of the forwarded request can be satisfied, transmitting at least one presentation satisfying the request over the preferred communication route, from at least one storage and retrieval unit in the second set of storage and retrieval units, for delivery to the multimedia terminal over the preferred communication route; and

invoking a data sequencing interface to handle the delivery of at least one video presentation from a storage and retrieval unit to a multimedia terminal.

20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising the step of:

storing one or more video presentations on one or more local storage and retrieval units in a compressed format.

21. A method according to claim 19, wherein at least one video presentation delivered to a multimedia terminal over the preferred communication route is at least one of downloaded, stored and displayed by the multimedia terminal.

22. A method according to claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

storing one or more video presentations on one or more local storage and retrieval units in a compressed format, and decompressing the presentation for display at a multimedia terminal.

23. A method according to claim 19, wherein each data sequencing interface is in communication with at least one index manager.

24. A method according to claim 19, wherein each index manager maintains a database of video presentation usage.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein maintaining a database of video presentation usage includes the step of logging requests.

26. A method according to claim 25, wherein maintaining a database of video presentation usage further includes the step of logging video presentation deliveries.

27. A method according to claim 25, wherein the step of logging a request includes associating a regional identifier with the request.

28. A method according to claim 25, wherein logging a request includes recording at least one of the date, the time, all or part of the request, an identification of the multimedia terminal making the request, an identification of at least one storage and retrieval unit contacted in connection with the request, an identification of at least one index manager contacted in connection with the request, an indication of whether any of the request is or can be satisfied, and a regional identifier associated with the request.

29. A method according to claim 28, wherein at least one logging function is mediated by a data sequencing interface.

30. A method according to claim 24, wherein maintaining a database of video presentation usage includes the step of logging video presentation deliveries.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein the step of logging a delivery includes associating a regional identifier with the delivery.

32. A method according to claim 30, wherein logging a delivery includes recording at least one of the date, the time, all or part of a request associated with the delivery, an identification of the multimedia terminal receiving the delivery, an identification of at least one storage and retrieval unit contacted to provide a delivery, an identification of at least one index manager contacted in connection with a corresponding request or delivery, an indication whether a delivery has been successful, an indication whether a delivery satisfies all or part of a request, and a regional identifier associated with one or more of any source or destination for a request or delivery.

33. A method according to claim 32, wherein at least one logging function is mediated by a data sequencing interface.

34. A method according to claim 24, further comprising the steps of:

evaluating video usage based on information from one or more databases maintained by one or more index managers;

performing at least one of adding one or more video presentations to a collection of video presentations stored by at least one storage and retrieval unit as a function at least in part of evaluated video usage, and

removing one or more video presentations from a collection of video presentations stored on at least one storage and retrieval unit; and

updating at least one database of at least one Index manager to record at least one video presentation that is added or removed.

35. A method according to claim 34, wherein the evaluation of video usage includes consideration of at least one of the logging of requests, the logging of deliveries, the video presentation content of one or more storage and retrieval units, the date, the time, the storage capacity of one or more storage and retrieval units, and the communications load on the network.

36. A method according to claim 34, wherein each index manager adds to and removes from the collection of video presentations stored by storage and retrieval units with which it is associated.

37. A method according to claim 36, wherein each index manager communicates with at least one other index manager to perform at least one of

updating the other index manager, and

obtaining a video presentation for storage by a storage and retrieval unit associated with the index manager from a storage and retrieval unit associated with the other index manager.

38. A method according to claim 19, wherein each database is updated at least one of periodically or in real time.

39. A method of handling requests from a plurality of user terminals distributed throughout a network to retrieve video presentations stored in a plurality of storage and retrieval units distributed throughout the network over the preferred communication route, the method comprising the steps of:

associating at least one of the storage and retrieval units with each of the user terminals;

defining a plurality of manager processes distributed throughout the network, wherein each manager process handles requests from a portion of the user terminals, and wherein each manager process manages a portion of the storage and retrieval units;

routing a request for a video presentation from one of the user terminals to one of the manager processes over the preferred communication route;

querying and selecting at least one other manager process according to a regional identifier associated with the user terminal that requested the video presentation in order to identify storage and retrieval units that contain the requested video presentation;

assembling an index that identifies storage and retrieval units that contain the requested video presentation;

selecting at least one storage and retrieval unit from the index; and

downloading the requested video presentation over the preferred communication route from the selected at least one storage and retrieval unit to a storage and retrieval unit associated with the user terminal that requested the video presentation.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the one manager process and the selected at least one manager process search their associated portions of the storage and retrieval units to identify storage and retrieval units that contain the requested video presentation.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the selecting step comprises selecting the a preferred communication route for downloading the video presentation.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the selecting step is based on analysis of at least one computing load on at least one storage and retrieval unit.

43. The method of claim 39, further including the step of delivering the video presentation to a user terminal from a local storage and retrieval unit when the local storage and retrieval unit contains the requested video presentation.

44. The method of claim 39, further including the step of logging each request that is sent to a manager process.

45. The method of claim 44, further including the steps of processing the logged requests to track video presentation usage in the network and distributing video presentation data among the storage and retrieval units according to the video presentation usage in the network.

46. A method of handling requests from a plurality of user terminals distributed throughout a network to retrieve video presentations stored in a plurality of storage and retrieval units distributed throughout the network over the preferred communication route, the method comprising the steps of:

associating at least one of the storage and retrieval units with each of the user terminals;

defining a plurality of manager processes distributed throughout the network, wherein each manager process handles requests from a portion of the user terminals, and wherein each manager process manages a portion of the storage and retrieval units;

routing a request for a video presentation from one of the user terminals to one of the manager processes over the preferred communication route;

querying at least one other manager process in order to identify storage and retrieval units that contain the requested video presentation;

assembling an index that identifies storage and retrieval units that contain the requested video presentation;

selecting at least one storage and retrieval unit from the index;

downloading the requested video presentation over the preferred communication route from the selected at least one storage and retrieval unit to a storage and retrieval unit associated with the user terminal that requested the video presentation; and

initiating a data sequencing interface process to handle the selecting and downloading steps.