Networked video multimedia storage server environment

• US 6,816,904 B1
• Filed: 05/04/2000
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pragmatus AV LLC (Pragmatus, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Collaboration Properties Incorporated
• Inventors: Ludwig, Lester, Lauwers, Chris, Burnett, Gerald, Vanderlippe, Richard W., Brown, William Blake, Vuong, Anh T., Lui, Richard, Applebaum, Daniel, Yul, Inn J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Dung C.
• Application Number:
  US09/565,192
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 725/145, 725/146, 709/204, 709/205, 709/206, 709/226, 709/229, 709/231, 711/111, 711/112, 711/114, 348/384.1, 348/390.1, 718/105, 718/104
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/10 Multimedia information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q

Abstract

A video storage environment for a networked multimedia system comprising a plurality of workstations, each with audio and video reproduction and capture capabilities. The video storage environmental comprises one or more storage servers. In one embodiment, each video storage server comprises at least one storage cell. Each storage cell internally comprises at least one storage disk, at least one converter, and at least one storage disk, at least one converter, and at least one storage cell manager. The invention provides for various methods of resource allocation under various conditions and policies where there are pluralities of like entities. The invention also provides for transfers of video files among storage disks anywhere in the storage environment, and provides for the same video file to be used simultaneously by multiple users and types of applications. The approach can be extended to included multimedia files comprising any of graphics animations, dynamic annotations, text, and other media accompanying the stored video.

Claims

1. A networked multimedia system comprising:

A) a plurality of workstations, each including

i) video and audio reproduction capabilities, and

ii) video and audio capture capabilities;

B) at least one storage server

i) the storage server including

(a) at least one storage cell having

at least one storage disk,

a storage disk controller

 

associated with each disk, and

at least one converter; and

(b) a storage cell manager (AVSM), and

ii) configured to

(a) store,

for later retrieval,

audio/video signals

converted by the converter(s); and

C) at least one signal path,

i) interconnecting,

(a) the workstations and the storage server,

wherein the networked multimedia system is configured to

ii) store the converted audio/video signals by

(a) selecting any one of the group consisting of disks, disk controllers, converters, storage cells and storage cell managers (AVSM), according to the following approach;

if a first converter

 

of a first cell

 

has reached its capacity or bandwidth limit,

 

then a second converter, of the first cell, is selected;

if a first disk controller

 

of the first cell

 

has reached its capacity or bandwidth limit

 

then a second disk controller of the first cell is selected;

if a first disk,

 

associated with a first of the disk controllers

 

has reached its capacity or bandwidth limit,

 

then a second disk associated with the first disk controller is selected;

if the first storage cell

 

associated with a first storage cell manager (AVSM)

 

has reached its capacity or bandwidth limit,

 

then a second storage cell associated with the first storage cell manager (AVSM) is selected; and

if the first storage cell manager (AVSM) has reached its capacity,

 

then a second storage server, is selected, and

(b) storing the converted signals using each of the selected ones of the group.

2. The networked multimedia system of claim 1, wherein

A) the system is configured to

i) facilitate transfer

(a) of converted audio/video signals

(b) previously stored by a first storage cell

(c) to another storage cell.

3. The networked multimedia system of claim 1 wherein

A) the converter is at least one of

i) a transcoder, an encoder and a combination encoder/transcoder.

4. The networked multimedia system of claim 1 wherein

A) retrieved signals can

i) result in audio/video reproduction

ii) at one or more of the workstations.

5. The networked multimedia system of claim 1 wherein

A) the converted signals are stored

i) in at least one file, which can be accessed by

(a) more than one workstation at the same time and/or

(b) more than one application type.

6. The networked multimedia system of claim 5 wherein

A) multiple copies of each such file can exist.

7. The networked multimedia system of claim 5 further comprising:

A) a storage server defined by at least the following

i) at least one of the storage cells,

ii) at least one of the converters and

iii) at least one controller configured to do at least one of the group of

(a) determine whether signal conversion is to occur;

(b) if the system comprises more than one converter,

determine which of a plurality of converters will accomplish the conversion;

(c) if the system comprises more than one storage cell,

determine which of the storage cells will store the converted signals;

(d) control the subsequent retrieval of the stored signals; and

(e) determine which copy of the file is accessed for retrieval.

8. The networked multimedia system of claim 7, wherein

A) the storage server

i) is physically distributed or decentralized across the system.

9. The networked multimedia system according to claim 5, wherein the system is further configured to

A) generate a sequence of graphics rendering events

i) associated with computer generated images and/or overlay graphics at a workstation, and

B) save the generated sequence.

10. The networked multimedia system according to claim 9, wherein

A) the generated sequence of graphics rendering events

i) can be played back to render computer generated images and/or overlay graphics

(a) at a workstation,

(b) together with a workstation-user related audio and video

(c) in a determinable temporal relationship, and

B) the system can

i) save the event sequence

(a) related to the displayed computer generated and/or overlay graphics images and/or the audio and video

ii) such that the event sequence can later be reproduced

(a) at a workstation

(b) in the determined temporal relationship.

11. The networked multimedia system according to claim 10, wherein

A) the at least one file includes

i) the saved sequence of graphics rendering events.

12. The networked multimedia system according to claim 3, further comprising:

A) at least one decoder, configured to

i) decode signals retrieved from storage.

13. The networked multimedia system of claims 5, wherein

A) the file is a metafile including

i) at least one of the group of an audio-video file, audio only file, video only file, a graphics event file, a window event file, an application startup event file, a bit map file, a postscript file, a graphics file, a synchronization file and a text file.

14. The networked multimedia system of claim 13, wherein the metafile further includes

i) at least one pointer referencing

(a) a predetermined file or group of files

on one or more of the storage cells

ii) onto at least one storage cell;

D) transferring

i) previously stored audio/video signals

(a) to another storage cell

whether included in that or another storage cell;

E) managing

i) the storage arid

ii) transfer,

(a) of the audio/video converted signals,

(b) among storage cells.

15. A method of using a networked multimedia system comprising:

A) capturing audio and video at

i) one or more workstations, each including

(a) video and audio reproduction capabilities, and

(b) video and audio capture capabilities;

B) converting the captured audio and video

i) into a form suitable for storage;

C) storing

i) for later retrieval,

ii) the converted audio/video signals

iii) by using

(a) at least one storage cell having

at least one storage disk,

a storage disk controller

 

associated with each disk, and

at least one converter; and

(b) a storage cell manager (AVSM); and

D) storing the converted audio/video signals,

i) by selecting any one of the group consisting of disks, disk controllers, converters, storage cells and storage cell managers (AVSM), according to the following approach;

(a) if a first converter

of a first cell

has reached its capacity or bandwidth limit,

then a second converter, of the first cell, is selected;

(b) if a first disk controller

of the first cell

has reached its capacity or bandwidth limit

then a second disk controller of the first cell is selected;

(c) if a first disk,

associated with a first of the disk controllers

has reached its capacity or bandwidth limit,

then a second disk associated with the first disk controller is selected;

(d) if the first storage cell

associated with a first storage cell manager (AVSM)

has reached its capacity or bandwidth limit,

then a second storage cell associated with the first storage cell manager (AVSM) is selected; and

(e) if the first storage cell manager (AVSM) has reached its capacity,

then a second storage server, is selected, and

(b) between any two storage cells

respectively under control of different storage cell managers (AVSM).

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

A) reproducing

i) audio and/or video

ii) at one or more of the workstations

iii) based on the retrieved signals.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein

A) converted signals are stored

i) in at least one file, which can be accessed by

(a) more than one workstation at the same time and/or

(b) more than one application type.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein

A) multiple copies of each such file can exist.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

A) generating a sequence of graphics rendering events

i) associated with computer generated images and/or overlay graphics at a workstation, and

B) saving the generated sequence.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein

A) the generated sequence of graphics rendering events

i) can be played back to render computer generated images and/or overlay graphics

(a) at a workstation,

(b) together with a workstation user related audio and video

(c) in a determinable temporal relationship the method comprising the step of:

ii) saving th e event sequence

(a) related to the displayed computer generated and/or overlay graphics images and/or the audio and video

(b) such that the event sequence can later be reproduced

at a workstation

in the determined temporal relationship.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein

A) the at least one file includes

i) the saved sequence of graphics rendering events.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising the step of:

A) decoding signals retrieved from storage.