Methods, systems, and products for subcontracting segments in communications services

• US 8,606,929 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2008
• Issued: 12/10/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellsouth Intellectual Property
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hodges, Donna K., Kreiner, Barrett Morris, Tischer, Steven N.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUBIN, BLAKE J
• Application Number:
  US12/334,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20090100191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,821 Days
• Field of Search: 709/227
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/324 in the data link layer [OSI layer 2], e.g. HDLC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• 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 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities

Abstract

Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for providing communications services. One method receives a first data stream at a computer, with the first data stream comprising packets of data packetized according to a packet protocol. The first data stream is recursively segmented into segments, and at least one of the segments is dispersed via a network for a subsequent processing service. A result of the processing service is received, and the result is aggregated into a second data stream. The second data stream is then communicated via the network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, from a communications network, a data stream at a server of a network service provider, the data stream associated with a subscriber;

observing a current sequence of data packets in the data stream has a similar structure to a previous sequence of data packets;

recursively segmenting the data stream into segments, such that a characteristic of the previous sequence of data packets in the data stream determines how the current sequence of data packets is segmented;

determining one of the segments requires a subcontracted processing service provided by a different service provider;

grouping together the one of the segments with other segments from other subscribers that also require the subcontracted processing service provided by the different service provider;

subcontracting grouped together segments from the server over the communications network to the different service provider to receive the subcontracted processing service;

receiving, at the server, a result of the subcontracted processing service; and

aggregating the result of the subcontracted processing service into the data stream.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining the subcontracted processing service is required from the different service provider.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising recursively segmenting the data stream.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising grouping together packets of data that require the subcontracted processing service.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating the result of the subcontracted processing service to a destination.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising communicating the data stream to a destination.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising using a chronological characteristic of the preceding segment to describe the current segment.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising recognizing a repetitive segment and inserting a data compression result of a preceding segment to reduce processing of redundant segments.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising retrieving the data compression result of the preceding segment.

10. The method according to claim 1, further comprising dispersing a different segment for a different processing service.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising receiving a different result of the different processing service.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising aggregating the result of the subcontracted processing service and the different result of the different processing service into the subscriber data stream.

13. The method according to claim 1, further comprising replacing a complex segment with a common descriptor to produce an abbreviated annotation.

14. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

accruing routing information that describes a routing of the one of the segments and the subcontracted processing service; and

assembling the data stream using the routing information.

15. A system, comprising:

a processor; and

memory storing code that when executed causes the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving, from a communications network, data streams from multiple subscribers requesting services from a service provider;

observing a current sequence of data packets in one of the data streams has a similar structure to a previous sequence of data packets in another one of the data streams;

recursively segmenting each of the data streams into segments, such that a characteristic of the previous sequence of data packets in the another one of the data streams determines how the current sequence of data packets is segmented;

determining some of the segments require a subcontracted processing service provided by a different service provider;

grouping together the some of the segments from the multiple subscribers that require the subcontracted processing service;

subcontracting grouped-together segments over the communications network to the different service provider of another communications network to receive the subcontracted processing service;

receiving a result of the subcontracted processing service; and

aggregating the result of the subcontracted processing service into a subscriber data stream for each subscriber of the multiple subscribers.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise recognizing a repetitive segment and inserting a data compression result of a preceding segment to reduce processing of redundant segments.

17. A computer readable memory storing computer-readable instructions that when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving data streams from multiple subscribers requesting services from a service provider of a communications network;

observing a current sequence of data packets in one of the data streams has a similar structure to a previous sequence of data packets in another one of the data streams;

recursively segmenting each of the data streams into segments, such that a characteristic of the previous sequence of data packets in the another one of the data streams determines how the current sequence of data packets is segmented;

determining some of the segments require a subcontracted processing service provided by a different service provider;

grouping together the some of the segments as a new segment that requires the subcontracted processing service;

subcontracting the new segment over a communications network to the different service provider of another communications network to receive the subcontracted processing service;

receiving a result of the subcontracted processing service; and

aggregating the result of the subcontracted processing service into a subscriber data stream for each subscriber of the multiple subscribers.

18. The computer readable memory according to claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise recognizing a repetitive segment and inserting a data compression result of a preceding segment to reduce processing of redundant segments determining the subcontracted processing service is required from the different service provider.