Method of obtaining television content from a serving node

• US 8,856,852 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2012
• Issued: 10/07/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mimik Technology Canada Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mimik Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Sharif-Ahmadi, Seyed, Arjomandi, Fay
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Doshi, Akshay
• Application Number:
  US13/466,893
• Publication Number:
  US 20130125179A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 725/95, 725/96
• US Class Current: 725/116
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0835 One way packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0847 Transmission error
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/025 for remote control or remote monitoring of applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1021 based on client or server locations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/535 Tracking the activity of the user network monitoring arrangements H04L43/00; recording of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/42 Dynamic individual rates per user
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• 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 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 : being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2665 : Gathering content from different sources, e.g. Internet and satellite
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4183 : providing its own processing capabilities, e.g. external module for video decoding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4263 : involving specific tuning arrangements, e.g. two tuners
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4334 : Recording operations recording of a television signal H04N5/76; arrangements for recording or accumulating broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/27
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 : Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 : Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/437 : Interfacing the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. for transmitting client requests to a VOD server flow control in data networks H04L47/10; streaming protocols, e.g. RTP or RTCP, H04L65/65; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests in data packet switching networks H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 : involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440245 : the reformatting operation being performed only on part of the stream, e.g. a region of the image or a time segment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44204 : Monitoring of content usage, e.g. the number of times a movie has been viewed, copied or the amount which has been watched monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; protecting generic digital content where the protection is independent of the precise nature of the content G06F21/10; arrangements for monitoring the use made of the broadcast services in broadcast systems H04H60/31
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44213 : Monitoring of end-user related data arrangements for monitoring the users' behaviour or opinions in broadcast systems H04H60/33
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44218 : Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44226 : on social networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 : involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/458 : Scheduling content for creating a personalised stream, e.g. by combining a locally stored advertisement with an incoming stream; Updating operations, e.g. for OS modules ; time-related management operations arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast or during the distribution H04H20/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4667 : Processing of monitored end-user data, e.g. trend analysis based on the log file of viewer selections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/027 : using movement velocity, acceleration information

Abstract

A method and system for micro-cloud computing is described. An application serving node, which is a specifically configured piece of customer premises equipment such as a set-top box, is the server for a micro-cloud network. Various user devices that form part of the micro-cloud network, such as television sets and smart phones, communicate with the application serving node. The application serving node is configured with software that allows various heterogeneous types of data to be obtained and streamed to the user devices in multiple ways. The application serving node performs much of the processing necessary for such content streaming itself and thus represents an edge-based network architecture.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining television content, the method comprising:

providing a first serving node located at a premises of a first plurality of user devices registered to said first serving node, said first serving node having a plurality of television tuners, including an active television tuner for a channel being viewed on one of the plurality of user devices registered to said first serving node;

providing a module in the first serving node configured to provide storing and forwarding of a video stream of content received by available tuners for viewing user devices, while allowing the recording of said content simultaneously;

receiving, at said first serving node, a request for a specific channel from a registered user device;

when any of said plurality of television tuners at said first serving node are receiving the requested channel then said first serving node storing television content associated with said requested television channel in small blocks for transmission to said requesting user device;

when said television tuners for said first serving node are not receiving said requested channel then;

said first serving node sending a request for said channel to a server, said request including a format for said content;

said server determining a second serving node located at a premises of a second plurality of user devices registered to said second serving node, said second node having a plurality of television tuners, said second serving node receiving said requested channel, wherein said second serving node is determined by said server to be the closest available serving node receiving said television channel;

said server facilitating handshaking between said first and second serving nodes;

said second serving node transcoding and transrating a video stream corresponding to said requested channel for transmission to said first serving node; and

said first serving node receiving said transcoded and transrated content and providing said content to said requesting user device; and

when said first serving node has available bandwidth to transcode and transrate said content for said requesting user device, then said first serving node transcoding and transrating the content, and when the first serving node does not have available bandwidth to transcode and transrate said content, said second serving node transcoding and transrating the content for the requesting user device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said content is multiplexed by said first serving node prior to transmission to said user device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said serving node records at least a portion of said content for later viewing.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said second serving node advertises the presence of said content to said first serving node.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said user device is a mobile device and said first serving node uses a GPS assisted automatic bit rate determination to determine a bit rate for the content, said bit rate included with said request.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said user device is a mobile device and said first serving node uses a GPS assisted automatic bit rate determination to transrate the content.

7. A system for sharing television tuners, comprising:

a first serving node located at a premises of a first plurality of user devices registered to said first serving node and a second serving node located at a premises of a second plurality of user devices registered to said second serving node, the first and second serving nodes each having a plurality of television tuners, including an active television tuner for a channel being viewed on a user device registered to said first serving node, said first and second serving nodes in communication with a server;

a module in the first and second serving nodes configured to provide storing and forwarding of a video stream of content received by available tuners for viewing user devices, while allowing the recording of said content simultaneously;

said first serving node, when any of said plurality of television tuners associated with said first serving node are receiving a specific channel requested from a registered user device store television content associated with said requested television channel in small blocks for transmission to said requesting user device;

said first serving node, when said television tuners for said first serving node are not receiving said requested channel, is configured to send a request for said channel to the server, said request including a format for said content;

said server configured to determine said second serving node receiving said channel, wherein said second serving node is determined to be the closest available serving node receiving said television channel, and to facilitate handshaking between said first and second serving nodes;

said second serving node configured to transcode and transrate a video stream corresponding to said requested channel for transmission to said first serving node;

said first serving node configured to receive said transcoded and transrated content from said second serving node and provide said video stream to said requesting user device; and

wherein when said first serving node has available bandwidth to transcode and transrate said content for said requesting user device, then said first serving node transcodes and transrates the content, and when the first serving node does not have available bandwidth to transcode and transrate said content, said second serving node transcodes and transrates the content for the requesting user device.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the first serving node is configured to multiplex the content prior to transmission to said user device.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein said serving node is configured to record at least a portion of said content for later viewing.

10. The system of claim 7 wherein said second serving node is configured to advertise the presence of said content to said first serving node.

11. The system of claim 7 wherein said user device is a mobile device and said first serving node uses a GPS assisted automatic bit rate determination to determine a bit rate for the content, said bit rate included with said request.

12. The system of claim 7 wherein said user device is a mobile device and said first serving node uses a GPS assisted automatic bit rate determination to transrate the content.