Content distribution architecture

• US 8,239,446 B2
• Filed: 11/19/2003
• Issued: 08/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Navar, Murgesh, Yruski, Andrey, Markovetski, Roman
• Primary Examiner(s): Whipple, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US10/717,176
• Publication Number:
  US 20040148344A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,184 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709217-219
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1063 Discovery through centralising entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1072 Discovery involving ranked list compilation of candidate peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1078 Resource delivery mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/108 characterised by resources being split in blocks or fragments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

A hierarchical cached media distribution system that employs the Internet. The distribution system assures reliability and quality of service in delivery of timely content. New content is harvested from multiple disparate sources, associated with channels, and encrypted, conditioned, and packaged prior to distribution. A peer-to-peer network scheme is provided where peer groups are associated and maintained for efficient file distribution. Content servers are dynamically prioritized based on availability and cost. A push-based distribution method may be used to exploit cached content stored on peers subject to network address translation (NAT). The distribution system exploits a redundant self repairing packaged file format for media content. Embodiments of the present invention further provide dynamic feedback to content sources.

Claims

1. A method for retrieving specified content in a peer-to-peer network, the method comprising:

checking the availability of specified content from content sources including other clients and content servers in the peer-to-peer network, wherein the availability of the specified content is identified in a list including names, the list provided to clients in the peer-to-peer network, and wherein the list including names is periodically updated to reflect a current availability of content from the content sources; and

retrieving the specified content in parallel from a combination of clients, servers, or clients and servers, wherein the specified content is retrieved from;

one or more of the other clients in the peer-to-peer network when the specified content is available from one or more of the other clients in the peer-to-peer network as identified by the list including names,

one or more of the content servers in the peer-to-peer network when the specified content is not identified on the list including names, and

one or more of the content servers in the peer-to-peer network when a guaranteed delivery time of the specified content is not satisfied by the other clients in the peer-to-peer network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the specified content from the one or more of the other clients includes:

retrieving a first portion of the specified content from a first other client in the peer-to-peer network; and

retrieving a second portion of the specified content from a second other client in the peer-to-peer network, wherein the first and second other clients are both identified on the list including names.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining that a retrieved portion of the specified content is corrupted; and

retrieving an uncorrupted portion of the specified content from another content source in the peer-to-peer network, the another content source identified on the list including names.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein a content broker selects the one or more content servers based on a cost associated with each of the content servers.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a content broker selects the one or more content servers based on the bandwidth availability of each of the content servers.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified content includes audio content.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified content includes video content.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified content includes a static item of content.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieval of the specified content includes retrieval of a header associated with one or more packets corresponding to the specified content, the header including information identifying the one or more packets.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising repeating retrieval of corrupted packets from the one or more packets corresponding to the specified content.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising acquiring a license for the specified content.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising authenticating a requesting user prior to granting access to the list including names.

13. A method for content distribution in a peer-to-peer network, the method comprising:

identifying content sources including a plurality of clients in a peer-to-peer network and a dedicated content server;

identifying content available at each of the plurality of clients in the peer-to-peer network; and

sending each of the plurality of clients information to identify the dedicated content server and content available at client peers, wherein the information is periodically updated to reflect a current availability of content from client peers, whereby specified content is retrieved by a requesting client in parallel from a combination of client peers, the dedicated content server, or client peers and the dedicated content server, the specified content being retrieved from;

one or more of the plurality of clients when the specified content is available from the one or more of the plurality of clients in the peer-to-peer network as identified by the information concerning available content,

the dedicated content server when the specified content is not identified by the information concerning available content, and

the dedicated content server when a guaranteed delivery time of the specified content is not satisfied by the plurality of clients in the peer-to-peer network.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the information includes a priority ranking of the content sources.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the priority ranking is based on cost.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the priority ranking is based on available bandwidth.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the priority ranking varies over time of day.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising authenticating each of the plurality of clients prior to providing information concerning the current availability of content from client peers.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising acquiring a license prior to the specific content being downloaded by the requesting client.

20. A system for peer-to-peer distribution of content, the system comprising:

a content server configured to store content for distribution in a peer-to-peer network;

an authentication server configured to authenticate the presence of individual clients requesting the content in the peer-to-peer network;

a content broker configured to distribute and update information about the presence of authenticated individual clients in the peer-to-peer network, the content broker further configured to distribute and update information about the availability of content at content sources including the content server and authenticated individual clients in the peer-to-peer network, wherein specified content is retrievable in parallel from a combination of authenticated individual clients, the content server, or authenticated individual clients and the content server, the specified content being retrieved from;

one or more of the authenticated individual clients when the specified content is available from the one or more of the authenticated individual clients as identified by the information concerning the availability of content,

the content server when the specified content is not identified by the information concerning the availability of content, and

the content server when a guaranteed delivery time of the specified content is not satisfied by authenticated individual clients in the peer-to-peer network; and

a license server configured to license content for download by an authenticated individual client from another authenticated client in the peer-to-peer network.

21. The system of claim 20, where the content broker further distributes and updates information concerning bandwidth availability, cost, or availability windows of the content server or individual authenticated clients in the peer-to-peer network.

22. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for retrieving specified content in a peer-to-peer network, the method comprising:

checking the availability of specified content from content sources including other clients and content servers in the peer-to-peer network, wherein the availability of the specified content is identified in a list including names, the list provided to clients in the peer-to-peer network, and wherein the list including names is periodically updated to reflect a current availability of content from the content sources; and

retrieving the specified content in parallel from a combination of other clients, content servers, or other clients and content servers, wherein the specified content is retrieved from;

one or more of the other clients in the peer-to-peer network when the specified content is available from one or more of the other clients in the peer-to-peer network as identified by the list including names,

one or more of the content servers in the peer-to-peer network when the specified content is not identified on the list including names, and

one or more of the content servers in the peer-to-peer network when a guaranteed delivery time of the specified content is not satisfied by the other clients in the peer-to-peer network.

23. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for content distribution in a peer-to-peer network, the method comprising:

identifying content sources including a plurality of clients in a peer-to-peer network and a dedicated content server;

identifying in a list including names content available at each of the plurality of clients in the peer-to-peer network; and

sending each of the plurality of clients information to identify the dedicated content server and content available at client peers, wherein the information is periodically updated to reflect a current availability of content from client peers, whereby specified content is retrieved by a requesting client in parallel from a combination of client peers, the dedicated content server, or client peers and the dedicated content server, the specified content being retrieved from;

one or more of the plurality of clients when the specified content is available from the one or more of the plurality of clients in the peer-to-peer network as identified by the information concerning available content,

the dedicated content server when the specified content is not identified by the information concerning available content, and

the dedicated content server when a guaranteed delivery time of the specified content is not satisfied by the plurality of clients in the peer-to-peer network.