System for redirecting requests for data to servers having sufficient processing power to transcast streams of data in a desired format

• US 6,981,045 B1
• Filed: 02/20/2001
• Issued: 12/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Adaptive Streaming Inc. (Wi-LAN Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Vidiator Enterprises Incorporated
• Inventors: Brooks, Roger K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Luu, Le Hien
• Application Number:
  US09/789,715
• Time in Patent Office: 1,771 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/226, 709/246, 370/436
• US Class Current: 709/226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23103 using load balancing strategies, e.g. by placing or distributing content on different disks, different memories or different servers storage management G06F3/0604; allocation of resources considering the load in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/505; techniques for rebalancing the load in a distributed system G06F9/5083; access to distributed or replicated servers, e.g. load balancing, in data networks H04L67/1001
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A method includes polling a first plurality of one-hop gateway serves for available bandwidth and available number of CPU cycles for each respective one-hop gateway server, receiving a request to provide data to a media sink in a desired format, determining a bandwidth requirement and an estimated number of CPU cycles required for servicing the media sink, determining a second plurality of one-hop gateway servers having an available bandwidth greater or equal to the bandwidth requirement and an available number of CPU cycles greater or equal to the estimated number of CPU cycles, determining a one-hop gateway server from the second plurality of one-hop gateway servers appropriate for providing the data to the media sink and configured to receive data in a second format, and transcoding the data from a first format to the second format. An example gateway server and a computer program product usable therewith are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for an origin server, comprising:

polling a first plurality of one-hop gateway servers for available bandwidth for each respective one-hop gateway server;

polling the first plurality of one-hop gateway servers for available number of CPU cycles for each respective one-hop gateway server;

receiving a request in the origin server to provide data to a media sink in a desired format;

determining a bandwidth requirement for servicing the media sink;

determining an estimated number of CPU cycles required for servicing the media sink;

determining a second plurality of one-hop gateway servers from the first plurality of one-hop gateway servers, which includes determining which one-hop gateway servers from the second plurality of one-hop gateway servers have an available bandwidth greater or equal to the bandwidth requirement for servicing a sink and an available number of CPU cycles greater or equal to the estimated number of CPU cycles for servicing the media sink;

determining a one-hop gateway server from the second plurality of one-hop gateway servers appropriate for providing the data to the media sink in the desired format, the one-hop gateway server from the second plurality of one-hop gateway servers being configured to receive data in a certain format;

providing the one-hop gateway server from the second plurality of one-hop gateway servers with the data in the certain format; and

transcoding the data from the certain format to the desired format.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the number of CPU cycles available from the one-hop gateway server from the second plurality of one-hop gateway servers are greater or equal to numbers of CPU cycles available of other one-hop gateway servers from the second plurality of one-hop gateway servers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising directing the one-hop gateway server from the second plurality of one-hop gateway servers to provide the data to the media sink in the desired format.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining whether the origin server has an available bandwidth greater or equal to the bandwidth requirement for servicing the media sink and an available number of CPU cycles greater or equal to the estimated number of CPU cycles for servicing the media sink,

wherein providing the one-hop gateway server from the second plurality of one-hop gateway servers with the data in the certain format comprises providing that one-hop gateway server with the data when the origin server has insufficient available bandwidth for servicing the media sink.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein providing the one-hop gateway server from the second plurality of one-hop gateway servers with the data in the certain format comprises providing the one-hop gateway server from the second plurality of one-hop gateway servers with the data in the certain format when it is determined that the origin server is farther from the media sink than the one-hop gateway server.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the desired format comprises characteristics selected from desired bit rate, desired bit depth, desired encoding format, desired image size, desired frame rate.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the desired encoding format is selected from the group:

MPEG, AVI, MOV.

8. A gateway server comprises:

a processor; and

a tangible memory coupled to the processor, the tangible memory including;

code that directs the processor to detect a request to provide a source media to a media sink in a specified format;

code that directs the processor to poll a plurality of one-hop gateway servers for available bandwidth for one-hop gateway server coupled to the gateway server;

code that directs the processor to determine a bandwidth requirement for providing the source media to the media sink;

code that directs the processor to determine whether a one-hop gateway server from the plurality of one-hop gateway servers has an available bandwidth greater or equal to the bandwidth requirement for providing the source media;

code that directs the processor to receive the source media in a first format;

code that directs the processor to determine a second format for the source media, the second format appropriate for the one-hop gateway server;

code that directs the processor to transcode the source media from the first format into the second format; and

code that directs the processor to provide the source media in the second format to the one-hop gateway server.

9. The gateway server of claim 8 wherein the tangible memory also includes:

code that directs the processor to determine whether the gateway server has an available bandwidth greater or equal to the bandwidth requirement for providing the source media;

wherein the code that directs the processor to provide the source media in the format to the one-hop gateway server comprises code that directs the processor to provide the source media in the format to the one-hop gateway server when the gateway server has insufficient available bandwidth for providing the source media.

10. The gateway server of claim 9 wherein the code that directs the processor to provide the source media in the second format comprises code that directs the processor to provide the source media in the second format when the one-hop gateway server is configured to transcode the source media to the specified format.

11. The gateway server of claim 8 wherein the tangible media also includes code that directs the processor to determine whether the one-hop gateway server is closer to the media sink than the gateway server,

wherein code that directs the processor to provide the source media in the second format to the one-hop gateway server comprises code that directs the processor to provide the source media in the second format to the one-hop gateway server when the one-hop gateway server is closer to the media sink than the gateway server.

12. The gateway server of claim 8 wherein the tangible media also includes:

code that directs the processor to poll the one-hop gateway server for available CPU cycles;

code that directs the processor to determine an approximate number of CPU cycles required to provide the source media to the media sink; and

code that directs the processor to determine whether the available CPU cycles is greater than the approximate number of CPU cycles required to provide the source media to the media sink.

13. The gateway server of claim 8 wherein the code that directs the processor to transcode the source media from the first format into the second format comprises code that converts characteristics of the source media selected from the group:

bit rate, bit depth, encoding format, image size, frame rate.

14. The gateway server of claim 13 wherein the encoding format is selected from the group:

MPEG, AVI, MOV.

15. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium encoded with instructions for a gateway server including a processor comprises:

a tangible memory coupled to the processor, the tangible memory including;

code that directs the processor to detect a request to provide a source media to a media sink in a specified format;

code that directs the processor to poll a plurality of one-hop gateway servers for available processing ability for each respective one-hop gateway server coupled to the media source;

code that directs the processor to determine a processing requirement for providing the source media to the media sink;

code that directs the processor to determine whether a one-hop gateway server from the plurality of one-hop gateway servers that has an available processing ability greater or equal to the processing requirement for providing the source media;

code that directs the processor to determine a format for the source media appropriate for the one-hop gateway server;

code that directs the processor to transcode the source media into the format; and

code that directs the processor to provide the source media in the format to the one-hop gateway server.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the processing ability is selected from the class:

network connection bandwidth, available CPU processing.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the code that directs the processor to provide the source media in the format comprises code that directs the processor to provide the source media in the format when the one-hop gateway server is configured to transcode the source media from the format to the specified format.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the tangible memory also includes code that directs the processor to determine whether the one-hop gateway server is closer to the media sink than the gateway server,

wherein code that directs the processor to provide the source-media in the format to the one-hop gateway server comprises code that directs the processor to provide the source media in the format to the one-hop gateway server when the one-hop gateway server is closer to the media sink than the gateway server.

19. The computer program product of claim 18 wherein the tangible memory also includes code directs the processor to provide the source media in the desired format to the media sink when the gateway server is closer to the media sink than the one-hop gateway server.

20. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the tangible memory also includes code that directs the processor to receive the source media in a received format,

wherein code that directs the processor to transcode the source media comprises code that directs the processor to transcode the source media from the received format into the format.