Media delivery in data forwarding storage network

• US 7,673,009 B2
• Filed: 07/10/2008
• Issued: 03/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Distributed Media Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: Tajitshu Transfer LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Merritt, Edward, Fein, Gene
• Primary Examiner(s): DENNISON, JERRY B
• Application Number:
  US12/170,901
• Publication Number:
  US 20100011086A1
• Time in Patent Office: 600 Days
• Field of Search: 709/251, 709/216, 709/238, 709/239, 709/212, 709/26, 710/100
• US Class Current: 709/212
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1097 for distributed storage of data in networks, e.g. transport arrangements for network file system [NFS], storage area networks [SAN] or network attached storage [NAS]

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for media delivery in data forwarding storage network. A method includes, in a network of interconnected computer system nodes, directing unique data items to a computer memory, and continuously forwarding each of the unique data items, independent of each other, from one computer memory to another computer memory in the network of interconnected computer system nodes without storing on any physical storage device in the network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in a network of interconnected computer system nodes, directing a plurality of unique data items to a node; and

in response to a request from a source system, continuously forwarding each of the unique data items, independent of each other, among the nodes in the network of interconnected computer system nodes without storing the forwarded data items on any fixed storage medium in the network, the forwarded data items being constantly routed within the network from node to node, the forwarded data items being available for retrieval if a request to retrieve the data items is received.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein continuously forwarding further comprises:

detecting a presence of any one of the unique the data items at a specific node; and

forwarding the one of the unique data items to another node in the network of interconnected computer system nodes without storing the forwarded data items on any fixed storage medium.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein forwarding comprises determining an address of a node available to receive the unique data item based on one or more factors.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the one or more factors comprise network traffic analysis and available memory.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a request from the source system to retrieve at least one of the data items being continuously forwarded in the network of interconnected computer system nodes; and

retrieving the at least one of the data items from a node in response to the request to retrieve the at least one of the data items.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein retrieving comprises:

matching the data item request at a central server using a hash mark representing the data item entering a node;

sending a message to a node that is predicted to have the data item, the message instructing the node to forward the data item to the source system; and

sending a confirmation message to the central server that the data item has been forwarded to the source system.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising receiving an acknowledgment from the source system that the requested data item has been received.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of data items is a unique number.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of data items comprises a unique number and associated text.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of data items comprises any of text, audio, visual images, audiovisual images, or any combination thereof.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of data items comprises audiovisual highlights that are used each day such as program introductions, graphic packages, introduction and theme music, historical footage of significance, or commonly used reference footage.

10. A network comprising:

a group of interconnected computer system nodes, each node configured to;

in response to a request from a requesting system to store data items, receive one or more data items and continuously forward the one or more data items among the computer system nodes, independent of each other, without storing the forwarded data items on any fixed storage medium, the forwarded data items being constantly routed from node to node Within the group of interconnected computer system nodes; and

in response to a request from the requesting system to retrieve the data item, retrieve a particular data item being continuously forwarded among the computer system nodes.

11. The network of claim 10 wherein each node is adapted to detect the presence of a data item and forward the data item to another node in the group of interconnected computer system nodes according to a node'"'"'s availability.

12. The network of claim 11 wherein the node'"'"'s availability is determined according to its volume of network traffic.

13. The network of claim 12 wherein each node encrypts the data item.

15. The network of claim 10 wherein each of the data items is a unique number.

16. The network of claim 10 wherein each of the data items comprises a unique number and associated text.

19. The network of claim 10 wherein each of the plurality of data items comprises any of text, audio, visual images, audiovisual images, or any combination thereof.

20. The network of claim 10 wherein each of the plurality of data items comprises audiovisual highlights that are used each day such as program introductions, graphic packages, introduction and theme music, historical footage of significance, or commonly used reference footage.

14. A network comprising:

a group of interconnected computer system nodes, each node configured to;

in response to a request from a requesting system to store data items, receive one or more data items and continuously forward the data items from node to node, independent of each other, without storing the forwarded data items on any fixed storage medium, the forwarded data items being constantly routed from node to node within the group of interconnected computer system nodes; and

in response to a request from the requesting system to retrieve the data item, retrieve a particular data item being continuously forwarded from node to node; and

wherein the group of nodes comprises a central server configured to;

match the data retrieval request using a hash mark representing the data item entering a node;

send a message to a node that is predicted to have the data item, the message instructing the node to forward the data item to the requesting system; and

receive a confirmation message that the data item has been forwarded to the requesting system.