Method and system for managing a streaming media service

• US 7,613,768 B2
• Filed: 10/30/2003
• Issued: 11/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Shen, Bo, Roy, Sumit, Harville, Michael, Tan, Wai-tian, Covell, Michele, Apostolopoulos, John, Ankcorn, John, Wee, Susie
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne; Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Alam; Uzma
• Application Number:
  US10/698,685
• Publication Number:
  US 20040236826A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,196 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/203, 709/233, 709/232, 709/10
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/401 wherein the services involve a main real-time session and one or more additional parallel real-time or time sensitive sessions, e.g. white board sharing or spawning of a subconference
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/51 Discovery or management thereof, e.g. service location protocol [SLP] or web services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/16 Central resource management; Negotiation of resources or communication parameters, e.g. negotiating bandwidth or QoS [Quality of Service]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 36/14 Reselecting a network or an air interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/08 Access restriction or access information delivery, e.g. discovery data delivery signalling during connection H04W76/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service

Abstract

One embodiment of the invention includes a method for managing a streaming media service. The method includes receiving a request for a streaming media service from a client and the streaming media service includes a media service component. A service location manager is selected to which to provide the request from a plurality of service location managers. Additionally, a service provider is selected to which to assign the media service component from a plurality of service providers of a network. Furthermore, the service provider is informed of the assignment to perform the media service component. The service provider is caused to prepare to perform the streaming media service on streaming media. Moreover, information is used to determine whether to initiate a handoff of the streaming media service from the service provider to another service provider. If it is determined to initiate the handoff, the handoff is initiated.

Claims

1. A method for managing a streaming media service, said method comprising:

receiving a request for a streaming media service from a client, said streaming media service comprising a media service component;

selecting a service location manager to which to provide said request from a plurality of service location managers, said service location manager configured for selecting a service provider from a plurality of service providers;

selecting said service provider to which to assign said media service component from a plurality of service providers of a network;

informing said service provider of said assignment to perform said media service component, causing said service provider to prepare to perform said streaming media service on streaming media;

using information at said service location manager to determine whether to initiate a handoff of said streaming media service from said service provider to another service provider without altering said streaming media service; and

if it is determined to initiate said handoff, initiating said handoff to said another service provider such that said streaming media service to said client is not interrupted.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said information comprises information received from said service providers and information associated with location and priority of said service providers.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said information comprises information received from any client device that is involved in said streaming media service.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein said information comprises information associated with network conditions.

5. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said selecting said service location manager comprises:

maintaining a record comprising identifying information for a set of service location managers among said plurality of service location managers; and

selecting said service location manager in a round robin manner from said record.

6. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said selecting said service location manager comprises a comparison of available resources of a first set of service providers supervised by a first service location manager and available resources of a second set of service providers supervised by a second service location manager.

7. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said selecting said service location manager comprises a comparison of processing loads of at least two service location managers among said plurality of service location managers.

8. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said selecting said service location manager is based on an estimate of a network communication condition between two entities connected by the network.

9. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

notifying a second service location manager among said plurality of service location managers of the assignment of said service provider to perform said media service component.

10. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said service provider is supervised by more than one service location manager among said plurality of service location managers.

11. The method as described in claim 10, further comprising:

maintaining a record comprising identifying information of a set of service location managers among said plurality of service location managers, each service location manager of said set of service location managers supervising said service provider; and

notifying said set of service location managers according to said record of said assignment of said service provider to perform said media service component.

12. The method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving resource availability information from said plurality of service providers, wherein said information is ascertained from ongoing resource measurements; and

said selecting said service provider based on said resource availability information.

13. The method as described in claim 12, wherein said resource availability information is pushed from said plurality of service providers.

14. The method as described in claim 12, wherein said receiving resource availability information occurs in response to polling of said service providers.

15. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said selecting said service provider is based on static service provider information or static network information.

16. The method as described in claim 15, wherein said static service provider information or static network information consists of at least one of the following:

information concerning computational and memory resources, connectivity and expected bandwidth and latency between servers, client and content addresses, session dispatch history, and network proximity.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting said service provider comprises:

maintaining a record comprising assignments of service providers to perform media service components; and

said selecting said service provider based on said record.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting said service provider comprises:

maintaining a record comprising assignments of service providers to perform media service components;

receiving resource availability information from said plurality of service providers, wherein said information is ascertained from ongoing resource measurements; and

said selecting said service provider based on said resource availability information and said record.

19. The method as described in claim 1, wherein said selecting said service provider is based on an estimate of resources associated with performing said service.

20. A computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions stored therein for implementing a method for managing a streaming media service, said method comprising:

receiving a request for a streaming media service from a client, said streaming media service comprising a media service component;

selecting a service location manager to which to provide said request from a plurality of service location managers, said service location manager configured for selecting a service provider from a plurality of service providers;

selecting said service provider to which to assign said media service component from a plurality of service providers of a network;

informing said service provider of said assignment to perform said media service component, causing said service provider to prepare to perform said streaming media service on streaming media; and

using information at said service location manager to determine whether to initiate a handoff of said streaming media service from said service provider to another service provider without altering said streaming media service, such that said streaming media service to said client will not be interrupted.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein said information comprises information received from said plurality of service providers and information associated with location and priority of service providers.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein said information comprises information received from any client device that is involved in said streaming media service.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein said method further comprising:

notifying a second service location manager among said plurality of service location managers of the assignment of said service provider to perform said media service component.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 23, wherein said notifying is performed by said service provider or said service location manager.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, wherein said method further comprising:

receiving resource availability information from said plurality of service providers, wherein said information is ascertained from ongoing resource measurements; and

said selecting said service provider based on said resource availability information.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 25, wherein said resource availability information is poll-based information or push-based information.

27. A system for providing streaming content to a client device, said system comprising:

a plurality of service location managers, each service location manager capable of managing a handoff of a service based on information received;

a plurality of service providers, each service provider capable of performing said service on an item of streaming input content to produce said streaming content; and

a portal providing a first point of contact for said client device, said portal for receiving from said client device a request for performance of said service on said item of streaming input content, said portal for selecting a service location manager to which to provide said request from said plurality of service location managers, said service location manager for receiving said request from said portal and for selecting a service provider from said plurality of service providers and informing said service provider of said assignment to perform said service on said streaming input content to produce said streaming content, wherein said service location manager uses information to determine whether to initiate a handoff of said service from said service provider to another service provider without altering said streaming media service, such that said streaming media service to said client will not be interrupted.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein said information includes information received from said service providers.

29. The system of claim 27, wherein said information includes information received from said client device.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein said information includes information associated with network conditions.

31. The system of claim 27, wherein said portal maintains a record comprising a prioritized listing of at least one service location manager among said plurality of service location managers and selects said service location manager in order of priority according to said prioritized listing.

32. The system of claim 27, wherein said portal selects said service location manager by comparing available resources of a first set of service providers supervised by said service location manager and available resources of a second set of service providers supervised by a second service location manager.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein said portal selects said service location manager based on an estimate of a network communication condition between two entities connected by the network.

34. The system of claim 27, wherein said service provider or said service location manager notifies a second service location manager among said plurality of service location managers of said assignment of said service provider to perform said service.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein said portal activates a second service location manager of said plurality of service location managers to perform the operation of said service location manager, provided said portal determines said service location manager to be non-responsive.

36. The system of claim 27, wherein said service provider is supervised by more than one service location manager of said plurality of service location managers.

37. The system of claim 27, wherein said service provider is supervised by a first service location manager, and wherein said first service location manager transfers supervision of said service provider to a second service location manager.

38. The system of claim 27, wherein said service location manager receives resource availability information from said plurality of service providers, and wherein said selecting said service provider is based on said resource availability information.

39. The system of claim 27, wherein said service location manager maintains a record comprising assignments of service providers to perform services, and wherein said selecting said service provider is based on said record.

40. The system of claim 27, wherein said service location manager selects said service provider based on static service provider information or static network information.