Dynamic chunking for delivery instances

• US 8,301,733 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2012
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Brightcove Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Unicorn Media, Inc. (Brightcove Incorporated)
• Inventors: McGowan, Albert John
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tammy
• Application Number:
  US13/430,081
• Publication Number:
  US 20120179788A1
• Time in Patent Office: 218 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/242, 709/231, 705/14.66, 705/14.49, 711/160
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Systems and methods for dynamically chunking for delivery instances are provided that automatically implement chunking strategies based on one or more chunking considerations related to a request for a media file. These systems and methods may be part of a larger media servicing network that can be used to, among other things, process uploaded media content, provide it for streaming/downloading, and collect metric information regarding the streaming/downloading. The disclosed systems and methods provide for receiving a request having a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and providing an index file to implement chunking strategies based on chunking considerations associated with the request.

Claims

1. A method for providing media with a data network, the method comprising:

receiving a first request having a universal source locator (URL), wherein the URL includes information indicative of a requested media file;

determining one or more factors related to the first request;

determining a first chunking strategy based on the one or more factors related to the first request;

generating a first index file having information for streaming the requested media file via the data network, wherein generating the first index file is based, at least in part, on the first chunking strategy;

providing the first index file;

receiving a second request having the URL;

determining one or more factors related to the second request, wherein the one or more factors related to the second request is different than the one or more factors related to the first request;

determining a second chunking strategy based on the one or more factors related to the second request;

generating a second index file having information for streaming the requested media file via the data network, wherein;

the generating the second index file is based, at least in part, on the second chunking strategy; and

content of the second index file is different from content of the first index file; and

providing the second index file.

2. The method for providing media with the data network as recited in claim 1, wherein the one or more factors related to one or both of the first request or the second request comprises data corresponding to one or more of:

a bandwidth,

a codec,

a processor type,

a buffer size,

a memory utilization,

a processor utilization,

a battery,

a network type,

a geographic location,

whether a device is moving, or

a location in the playback of the requested media file.

3. The method for providing media with the data network as recited in claim 2, wherein the network type includes mobile wireless network or wired network.

4. The method for providing media with the data network as recited in claim 1, wherein one or both of the first chunking strategy or the second chunking strategy includes one or more of:

a size of a chunk for streaming the requested media file,

a length of playback of a chunk for streaming the requested media file, or

a codec to use for streaming the requested media file.

5. The method for providing media with the data network as recited in claim 1, wherein generating the first index file occurs during playback of the requested media file.

6. The method for providing media with the data network as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the first index file is provided to a first device; and

the one or more factors related to the first request include information regarding a second device.

7. The method for providing media with the data network as recited in claim 1, wherein one or both of the first chunking strategy or the second chunking strategy includes providing smaller chunk sizes near the beginning of playback of the requested media file.

8. A server for providing a media file with a data network, the server comprising:

a network interface for communicating with the data network;

a memory; and

a processor communicatively coupled with the memory and the network interface, the processor further configured to cause the server to;

receive a first request having a universal source locator (URL), wherein the URL includes information indicative of a requested media file;

determine one or more factors related to the first request;

determine a first chunking strategy based on the one or more factors related to the first request;

generate a first index file having information for streaming the requested media file via the data network, wherein the generating the first index file is based, at least in part, on the first chunking strategy;

provide, via the network interface, the first index file;

receive a second request having the URL;

determine one or more factors related to the second request, wherein the one or more factors related to the second request is different than the one or more factors related to the first request;

determine a second chunking strategy based on the one or more factors related to the second request;

generate a second index file having information for streaming the requested media file via the data network, wherein;

generating the second index file is based, at least in part, on the second chunking strategy; and

content of the second index file is different from content of the first index file; and

provide, via the network interface, the second index file.

9. The server for providing the media file with the data network as recited in claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to cause the server to determine the one or more factors related to one or both of the first request or the second request from data corresponding to one or more of:

a bandwidth,

a codec,

a processor type,

a buffer size,

a memory utilization,

a processor utilization,

a battery,

a network type,

a geographic location,

whether a device is moving, or

a location in the playback of the requested media file.

10. The server for providing the media file with the data network as recited in claim 9, wherein the network type includes mobile wireless network or wired network.

11. The server for providing the media file with the data network as recited in claim 8, wherein one or both of the first chunking strategy or the second chunking strategy includes one or more of:

a size of a chunk for streaming the requested media file,

a length of playback of a chunk for streaming the requested media file, or

a codec to use for streaming the requested media file.

12. The server for providing the media file with the data network as recited in claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to cause the server to generate the first index file during playback of the requested media file.

13. The server for providing the media file with the data network as recited in claim 8, wherein the processor is configured to cause the server to determine the one or more factors related to the first request based on information regarding a plurality of devices.

14. The server for providing the media file with the data network as recited in claim 8, wherein one or both of the first chunking strategy or the second chunking strategy includes providing smaller chunk sizes near the beginning of playback of the requested media file.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions imbedded thereon for providing media with a data network, wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to:

receive a first request having a universal source locator (URL), wherein the URL includes information indicative of a requested media file;

determine one or more factors related to the first request;

determine a first chunking strategy based on the one or more factors related to the first request;

generate a first index file having information for streaming the requested media file via the data network, wherein the generating the first index file is based, at least in part, on the first chunking strategy;

provide the first index file;

receive a second request having the URL;

determine one or more factors related to the second request, wherein the one or more factors related to the second request is different than the one or more factors related to the first request;

determine a second chunking strategy based on the one or more factors related to the second request;

generate a second index file having information for streaming the requested media file via the data network, wherein;

generating the second index file is based, at least in part, on the second chunking strategy; and

content of the second index file is different from content of the first index file; and

provide the second index file.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having the instructions imbedded thereon for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 15 further comprising instructions causing the one or more computers to determine the one or more factors related to one or both of the first request or the second request using data corresponding to one or more of:

a bandwidth,

a codec,

a processor type,

a buffer size,

a memory utilization,

a processor utilization,

a battery,

a network type,

a geographic location,

whether a device is moving, or

a location in the playback of the requested media file.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having the instructions imbedded thereon for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 15 further comprising instructions causing the one or more computers to determine one or both of the first chunking strategy or the second chunking strategy that includes one or more of:

a size of a chunk for streaming the requested media file,

a length of playback of a chunk for streaming the requested media file, or

a codec to use for streaming the requested media file.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having the instructions imbedded thereon for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 15 further comprising instructions causing the one or more computers to generate the first index file during playback of the requested media file.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having the instructions imbedded thereon for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 15 further comprising instructions causing the one or more computers to:

provide the first index file to a first device; and

determine the one or more factors related to the first request based, at least in part, on information regarding a second device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium having the instructions imbedded thereon for providing the media with the data network as recited in claim 15 further comprising instructions causing the one or more computers to determine one or both of the first chunking strategy or the second chunking strategy to include providing smaller chunk sizes near the beginning of playback of the requested media file.