Allocation of resources to deliver media content using a combination of static and dynamic resources

• US 7,624,153 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Issued: 11/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Thukral, Vivek
• Primary Examiner(s): Meky, Moustafa M
• Assistant Examiner(s): SCOTT, RANDY A
• Application Number:
  US11/532,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20080071910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,166 Days
• Field of Search: 709224-226, 725114-115
• US Class Current: 709/206
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1886 with traffic restrictions for efficiency improvement, e.g. involving subnets or subdomains
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/823 Prediction of resource usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

A strategy is described for allocating resources of an operations center to provide a collection of channels. The strategy uses static resources to provide relatively popular channels and dynamic resources to provide relatively unpopular channels. The strategy can separately perform this allocation for different regions served by the operations center. Through this provision, the strategy can reduce the cost of the operations center by making more efficient use of a limited number of resources.

Claims

1. A method for allocating resources for delivering media content using a multi-tiered delivery infrastructure, comprising:

receiving channel use data associated with usage of identified channels; and

allocating, based on the received channel use data, the identified channels into a plurality of groups of channels that are provided to a client via one or more resources from a group of resources, the group of resources including first-tier static resources;

first-tier dynamic resources;

second-tier static resources; and

second-tier dynamic resources, the plurality of groups of channels including;

a first group of channels that is provided using a combination of the static first-tier resources and the static second-tier resources;

a second group of channels that is provided using a combination of the static first-tier resources and the dynamic second-tier resources; and

a third group of channels that is provided using a combination of the dynamic first-tier resources and the dynamic second-tier resources,

wherein the first-tier resources are used to acquire media content and prepare the media content for delivery, and wherein the second-tier resources are used to deliver the media content to users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received channel use data comprises channel set-up information specified by at least one user, wherein the channel set-up information identifies whether said at least one user has requested the identified channel in a set-up procedure.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the received channel use data comprises channel viewing information specified by at least one user, wherein the channel viewing information identifies whether the identified channel has been selected by said at least one user during one or more viewing sessions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first-tier resources and the second-tier resources comprise one or more of:

server resources;

data storage resources;

or network resources.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the received channel use data comprises popularity data, and wherein the popularity data reflects a popularity of each of the identified channels.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining a popularity category associated with the popularity data, wherein the allocating is performed based on the determined popularity category.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein popularity category is selected from among the categories of at least:

a most popular category;

a moderately popular category; and

a least popular category.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first group of channels include channels that falls within the most popular category, the second group includes channels that all within the moderately popular category, and the third group includes channels that fall within the least popular category.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the identified channels is used to deliver a sequence of different media items according to a defined presentation schedule.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the identified channel is used to deliver an on-demand media item.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving and allocating are separately performed for different groups of users associated with different respective geographic regions.

12. A method for allocating resources for delivering media content using a multi-tiered delivery infrastructure, comprising:

receiving popularity data associated with usage of an identified channel; and

allocating, based on the received popularity data, one or more resources for use in providing the identified channel, selected from any combination of at least;

first-tier static resources;

first-tier dynamic resources;

second-tier static resources; and

second-tier dynamic resources,

wherein the first-tier resources are used to acquire media content and prepare the media content for delivery,

wherein the second-tier resources are used to deliver the media content to users,

wherein the first-tier resources and the second-tier resources comprise one or more of;

server resources;

data storage resources;

or network resources,

further comprising performing the receiving and allocating with respect to a plurality of identified channels, to provide;

a first group of channels that is provided using a combination of the static first-tier resources and the static second-tier resources;

a second group of channels that is provided using a combination of the static first-tier resources and the dynamic second-tier resources; and

a third group of channels that is provided using a combination of the dynamic first-tier resources and the dynamic second-tier resources, and

wherein the receiving and allocating are separately performed for different geographically-based groups of users.

13. A method for allocating resources for delivering media content using a multi-tiered delivery infrastructure, comprising:

receiving channel use data associated with usage of an identified channel, the received channel use data includes channel viewing information specified by at least one user, wherein the channel viewing information identifies whether the identified channel has been selected by said at least one user during one or more viewing sessions; and

allocating, based on the received channel use data, one or more resources for use in providing the identified channel, selected from any combination of at least;

first-tier static resources;

first-tier dynamic resources;

second-tier static resources; and

second-tier dynamic resources,

wherein the first-tier resources are used to acquire media content and prepare the media content for delivery, and wherein the second-tier resources are used to deliver the media content to users.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first-tier resources and the second-tier resources comprise one or more of:

server resources;

data storage resources;

or network resources.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the identified channel is used to deliver a sequence of different media items according to a defined presentation schedule.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the identified channel is used to deliver an on-demand media item.

17. The method of claim 13, wherein the receiving and allocating are separately performed for different groups of users associated with different respective geographic regions.