Sharing media content based on a media server

• US 8,078,665 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2009
• Issued: 12/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: TiVo Corporation (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Comcast Cable Holdings LLC (Comcast Corporation)
• Inventors: Poder, Jim, Cook, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing
• Assistant Examiner(s): KATSIKIS, KOSTAS J
• Application Number:
  US12/435,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20100281093A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219
• US Class Current: 709/201
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2861 Point-to-multipoint connection from the data network to the subscribers
• 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

A media server is hosted in a service provider'"'"'s network so that media content can be stored from or rendered to a private network such as a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network. Media content may be stored directly by accessing the media server or by downloading the media content to the media server. A server platform may support a set of media servers, where each media server is connected to a corresponding DLNA network. A multicast group may be established among the set of media servers so that media content may be shared with members of the multicast group. Media content may be aggregated for media content for the multicast group based on content characteristics, where the content characteristics are indicative of media content that can be shared with members of the multicast group.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the apparatus to;

connect a first media server of a set of media servers to a first private network by mapping a physical address of the first media server to a first virtual address within an address space of the first private network, wherein the set of media servers is hosted by a service provider;

connect a second media server of the set of media servers to a second private network by mapping a physical address of the second media server to a second virtual address within an address space of the second private network, wherein the first media server and the second media server are each external to both the first and second private networks;

establish a multicast group including the first and second media servers; and

share media content from the first media server with the second media server of the multicast group, wherein each of the first and second private networks comprise a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

announce the multicast group to a plurality of other media servers in the set of media servers that are supported by the apparatus.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

send a content list of said first media server to the other media servers of the multicast group, wherein the content list is indicative of media content associated with said first media server.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provide access to listed media content when requested by a requesting media server, wherein the requesting media server is a member of the multicast group.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

aggregate media content for the multicast group based on content characteristics, wherein the content characteristics are indicative of media content that can be shared with members of the multicast group.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

provision the set of media servers in accordance with the content characteristics.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor aggregates the media content without intervention from the first and second private networks.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a multicast group address of the multicast group is local to one of the first and second private networks.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the processor is further configured to:

convert a virtual address in each private network into the multicast group address.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the establishing and the sharing are based on an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sharing comprises:

determining a pointer to the selected media content without duplicating, the selected media content.

12. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a content list of the aggregated media content;

receive at least one content selection from the content list; and

provide selected media content based on the at least one content selection.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the multicast group shares the media content across private networks that are behind different cable modems.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a request from a subscriber to join the multicast group; and

add the subscriber to the multicast group.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a request from a subscriber to leave the multicast group; and

remove the subscriber from the multicast group.

16. A computer-implemented method comprising:

connecting a first media server of a set of media servers to a first private network, wherein the set of media servers is hosted by a service provider, and wherein said first media server is external to the first private network and a second private network, while appearing to be located in the first private network based on a first virtual address mapped to a physical address of the first media server;

connecting a second media server of the set of media servers to a second private network, wherein said second media server is external to the first private network and the second private network, while appearing to be located in the second private network based on a second virtual address mapped to a physical address of the second media server;

establishing a multicast group including the first and second media servers; and

sharing media content from the first media server with the second media server of the multicast group, wherein each of the first and second private networks comprise a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

announcing the multicast group to a plurality of media servers.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

sending a content list of said first media server to the other media servers of the multicast group, wherein the content list is indicative of media content associated with said first media server.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

providing access to listed media content when requested by a requesting media server, wherein the requesting media server is a member of the multicast group.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

aggregating media content for the multicast group based on content characteristics, wherein the content characteristics are indicative of media content that can be shared with members of the multicast group.

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

provisioning the set of media servers in accordance with the content characteristics.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the aggregating occurs without intervention from the first and second private networks.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein a multicast group address of the multicast group is local to one of the first and second private networks.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising:

converting a virtual address in each private network into the multicast group address.

25. The method of claim 16, wherein the establishing and the sharing are based on an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).

26. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

determining a pointer to the selected media content without duplicating the selected media content.

27. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

generating a content list of the aggregated media content;

receiving at least one content selection from the content list; and

providing selected media content based on the at least one content selection.

28. The method of claim 16, wherein the multicast group shares the media content across private networks that are behind different cable modems.

29. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a request from a subscriber to join the multicast group; and

adding the subscriber to the multicast group.

30. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving a request from a subscriber to leave the multicast group; and

removing the subscriber from the multicast group.

31. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that when executed cause a computer device to perform a method comprising:

connecting a first media server of a set of media servers to a first private network, wherein the set of media servers is hosted by a service provider, and wherein said first media server is external to the first private network and a second private network, while appearing to be located in the first private network based on a first virtual address mapped to a physical address of the first media server;

connecting a second media server of the set of media servers to a second private network, wherein said second media server is external to the first private network and the second private network, while appearing to be located in the second private network based on a second virtual address mapped to a physical address of the second media server;

establishing a multicast group including the first and second media servers; and

sharing media content from the first media server with the second media server of the multicast group, wherein each of the first and second private networks comprise a Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) network.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

announcing the multicast group to a plurality of media servers.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

sending a content list of said first media server to the other media servers of the multicast group, wherein the content list is indicative of media content associated with said first media server.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

providing access to listed media content when requested by a requesting media server, wherein the requesting media server is a member of the multicast group.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

aggregating media content for the multicast group based on content characteristics, wherein the content characteristics are indicative of media content that can be shared with members of the multicast group.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

provisioning the set of media servers in accordance with the content characteristics.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 35, wherein the aggregating occurs without intervention from the first and second private networks.

38. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein a multicast group address of the multicast group is local to one of the first and second private networks.

39. The computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

converting a virtual address in each private network into the multicast group address.

40. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the establishing and the sharing are based on an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).

41. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

determining a pointer to the selected media content without duplicating the selected media content.

42. The computer-readable, medium of claim 35, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

generating a content list of the aggregated media content;

receiving at least one content selection from the content list; and

providing selected media content based on the at least one content selection.

43. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the multicast group shares the media content across private networks that are behind different cable modems.

44. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

receiving a request from a subscriber to join the multicast group; and

adding the subscriber to the multicast group.

45. The computer-readable medium of claim 31, wherein the instructions further cause the computer device to perform:

receiving a request from a subscriber to leave the multicast group; and

removing the subscriber from the multicast group.

46. An apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing computer readable instructions that, when executed by the processor, configure the apparatus to;

connect a first media server of a set of media servers to a first private network, said first media server storing first media content for the first private network, and said first media server being external to the first private network and a second private network, while appearing to be located in the first private network based on a first virtual address mapped to a physical address of the first media server;

connect a second media server of the set of media servers to the second private network, said second media server storing second media content for the second private network, and said second media server being external to the second private network and the first private network, while appearing to be located in the second private network based on a second virtual address mapped to a physical address of the second media server;

establish a multicast group including the first and second media servers; and

share media content between the first media server and the second media server using the multicast group, wherein the establishing and the sharing are based on an Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the first and second media servers are logical servers hosted by the apparatus, said apparatus located at a service provider.

48. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein said computer readable instructions, when executed, further configure the apparatus to:

receive a request for shared content from the first private network, said shared content associated with the second media server; and

sending the shared content from the second media server to the first private network without accessing the second private network.