System and method for progressive download using surplus network capacity

• US 8,909,807 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2010
• Issued: 12/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Opanga Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Opanga Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Harrang, Jeffrey Paul, Gibbons, David, Burnette, John Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Daftuar, Saket K
• Application Number:
  US12/761,302
• Publication Number:
  US 20100198943A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,699 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/213, 709/214, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/230, 709/231, 709/232, 709/233, 709/234, 709/235, 709/236, 709/237, 709/238, 709/245, 709/246, 709/247, 709/223, 709/224, 709/225, 709/226, 709/227, 709/228, 370/395.4, 370/395.41, 370/395.42, 370/412, 370/413, 370/414, 370/415, 370/416, 370/417, 370/418, 370/463, 370/400, 370/516, 370/395.1, 370/396, 370/470, 370/472, 370/473, 370/474, 370/537, 370/232, 370/468, 370/54, 370/5, 370/235, 370/229, 370/230.1, 370/230, 370/233, 370/252, 711/100, 711/104, 711/105, 711/106, 711/111, 711/112, 711/113, 711/114, 711/130, 711/147, 711/148, 711/150, 711/151, 711/153, 711/163, 711/165, 711/166, 711/170, 711/171, 711/172, 710/52
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/172 Caching, prefetching or hoarding of files
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9574 of access to content, e.g. by caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0007 by modifying the frame length
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0038 Blind format detection for detection of modulation format H04L27/0012
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1671 the supervisory signal being transmitted together with control information
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/19 at layers above the network layer network arrangements for networked applications for scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/30 Profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing the progressive download of media content using techniques that preferentially identify and use periods of surplus network capacity to maintain the content delivery. A buffer of a receiving system is maintained and pre-filled with enough content to bridge playback intervals where a network is unable to deliver content as fast as it is played out. Content delivery does not impact other users'"'"' applications and use of the network and its resources since content is only sent when surplus network capacity exists in the network. When no surplus network capacity is available, a user requesting content may be given the option to continue the delivery in the background so that the content may be played at a later time. The user may then resume their playback experience once the content has been completely delivered using surplus network capacity as it becomes available.

Claims

1. A method for transferring content from a sending system to a receiving system, the sending system and the receiving system being part of a network configured to handle a first network traffic and a second network traffic, the second network traffic having a higher priority than the first network traffic, the method comprising:

receiving segments of a requested content file comprising a plurality of segments in a buffer of the receiving system, wherein the segments are sent by the sending system over the network using surplus network capacity, the surplus network capacity being an amount of network capacity determined to be available at a given time period for handling the first network traffic without adversely affecting the second network traffic in the network by sending the segments to the receiving system when surplus network capacity is available and by not sending the segments to the receiving system when surplus capacity is not available;

determining a buffer fill rate for the buffer;

determining a pre-fill threshold for the buffer dependent upon the determined buffer fill rate; and

initiating play out of the requested content file from the buffer after the buffer is filled to the determined pre-fill threshold.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein initiating playout of the requested content file occurs prior to receiving all of the plurality of segments of the requested content file in the buffer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the fill level of the buffer during playout of the requested content file;

determining that the buffer is at or near exhaustion;

providing a first alert to a human user of the receiving system indicating that the buffer is at or near exhaustion;

receiving an instruction from the human user in response to the first alert requesting background delivery of a remainder of the plurality of segments of the requested content file; and

receiving the remainder of the plurality of segments of the requested content file from the sending system in a background delivery mode using surplus network capacity, wherein, in background delivery mode, the segments of the requested content file are received while the receiving system is not simultaneously playing the requested content file thereon.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

providing a second alert to the human user indicating that the remainder of the plurality of segments of the requested content file have been received by the receiving system;

receiving an instruction from the human user in response to the second alert requesting playout of the requested content file; and

playing the requested content file on the receiving system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein playing the requested content file on the receiving system comprises playing only a portion of the requested content file less than the entire requested content file.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the first alert is provided to the human user via an application user interface executing on the receiving system.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the buffer during playout of the requested content file;

determining that the buffer is at or near exhaustion;

halting playout of the requested content file;

initiating playout of an ancillary content file stored on the receiving system;

receiving additional segments of the requested content file using surplus network capacity during playout of the ancillary content file; and

resuming playout of the requested content file.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the ancillary content includes advertising content.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving the ancillary content file in the buffer of the receiving system, wherein the ancillary content file is sent by the sending system using surplus network capacity.

10. The method of claim 7 wherein resuming playout of the requested content file occurs after the buffer is filled to the determined pre-fill threshold.

11. The method of claim 7 wherein resuming playout of the requested content file occurs after the buffer is filled to the determined pre-fill threshold and after playout of the ancillary content file has reached a logical breaking point.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the buffer fill rate is determined by computing an average transmit rate for a plurality of the segments of the requested content file received by the receiving system from the sending system.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the pre-fill threshold for the buffer is dependent upon one or more of a size of the requested content file, the buffer fill rate, and a playout rate for the requested content file.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving system comprises a receiving system selected from the group consisting of:

a digital video recorder (DVR), a personal computer, a network storage unit, a client work station, a set top box, a personal data assistant (PDA), a portable audio-video player, and a portable communication device.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing control and status information to the sending system concerning throughput information for the transfer of the segments of the requested content file; and

receiving segments of the requested content file from the sending system at a rate dependent on the control and status information.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

monitoring the fill level of the buffer during playout of the requested content file;

determining that the buffer is at or near exhaustion;

determining that a human user has pre-selected background delivery by interpreting a preconfigured policy rule set by the human user; and

receiving the remainder of the plurality of segments of the requested content file from the sending system in a background delivery mode using surplus network capacity, wherein, in background delivery mode, the segments of the requested content file are received while the receiving system is not simultaneously playing the requested content file thereon.

17. A receiving system configured to receive content from a sending system, the sending system and the receiving system being part of a network configured to handle a first network traffic and a second network traffic, the second network traffic having a higher priority than the first network traffic, the method, the receiving system comprising:

a buffer;

an interface operative to receive segments of a requested content file comprising a plurality of segments in the buffer, wherein the segments are sent by the sending system over the network using surplus network capacity, the surplus network capacity being an amount of network capacity determined to be available at a given time period for handling the first network traffic without adversely affecting the second network traffic in the network by sending the segments to the receiving system when surplus network capacity is available and by not sending the segments to the receiving system when surplus capacity is not available;

a processor;

a data storage comprising instructions thereon for controlling the receiving system including the processor, interface, and the buffer, the instructions being operative to cause the system to;

determine a buffer fill rate for the buffer;

determine a pre-fill threshold for the buffer dependent upon the determined buffer fill rate; and

initiate playout of the requested content file from the buffer after the buffer is filled to the determined pre-fill threshold.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further operative to cause the system to:

monitor the fill level of the buffer during playout of the requested content file;

determine that the buffer is at or near exhaustion;

provide a first alert to a human user of the receiving system indicating that the buffer is at or near exhaustion;

receive an instruction from the human user in response to the first alert requesting background delivery of a remainder of the plurality of segments of the requested content file; and

receive the remainder of the plurality of segments of the requested content file from the sending system in a background delivery mode using surplus network capacity, wherein, in background delivery mode, the segments of the requested content file are received while the receiving system is not simultaneously playing the requested content file thereon.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the instructions are further operative to cause the system to:

provide a second alert to the human user indicating that the remainder of the plurality of segments of the requested content file have been received by the receiving system;

receive an instruction from the human user in response to the second alert requesting playout of the requested content file; and

play the requested content file on the receiving system.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further operative to cause the system to:

monitor the buffer during playout of the requested content file;

determine that the buffer is at or near exhaustion;

halt playout of the requested content file;

initiate playout of an ancillary content file stored on the receiving system;

receive additional segments of the requested content file using surplus network capacity during playout of the ancillary content file; and

resume playout of the requested content file.

21. The system of claim 17 wherein the instructions are further operative to cause the system to compute an average transmit rate for a plurality of the segments of the requested content file received by the receiving system from the sending system.

22. The system of claim 17 wherein the pre-fill threshold for the buffer is dependent upon one or more of a size of the requested content file, the buffer fill rate, and a playout rate for the requested content file.

23. The system of claim 17 wherein the receiving system comprises a receiving system selected from the group consisting of:

a digital video recorder (DVR), a personal computer, a network storage unit, a client work station, a set top box, a personal data assistant (PDA), a portable audio-video player, and a portable communication device.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the instructions are further operative to cause the system to:

monitor the fill level of the buffer during playout of the requested content file;

determine that the buffer is at or near exhaustion;

determine that a human user has pre-selected background delivery by interpreting a preconfigured policy rule set by the human user; and

receive the remainder of the plurality of segments of the requested content file from the sending system in a background delivery mode using surplus network capacity, wherein, in background delivery mode, the segments of the requested content file are received while the receiving system is not simultaneously playing the requested content file thereon.