Power conservation in a distributed digital video recorder/content delivery network system

• US 9,058,167 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2011
• Issued: 06/16/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: VerSteeg, William C.
• Primary Examiner(s): YANCHUS III, PAUL B
• Application Number:
  US13/226,326
• Publication Number:
  US 20130061076A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,379 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3209 Monitoring remote activity, e.g. over telephone lines or network connections
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3268 Power saving in hard disk drive
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/12 Arrangements for remote connection or disconnection of substations or of equipment thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• 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 21/4436 Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes determining that a network storage module has resources for buffering data currently being sent to a local storage module; determining if the local storage module should enter into a power saving mode; and buffering the configurable amount of data at the network storage module while the local storage module is in the power saving mode. In more particular embodiments, the method includes communicating the configurable amount of data to the local storage module after it resumes a normal operating mode. In addition, the method may include communicating at least a portion of the configurable amount of data to the local storage module using a unicast protocol or a multicast protocol.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

determining that a network storage module has resources for buffering a configurable amount of data currently being sent to a local storage module, such that network storage module can satisfy a request for the configurable amount of data while the local storage module is in a power saving mode;

determining if the local storage module should enter into the power saving mode; and

buffering the configurable amount of data at the network storage module while the local storage module is in the power saving mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the configurable amount of data to the local storage module after it resumes a normal operating mode.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating at least a portion of the configurable amount of data to the local storage module using a unicast protocol or a multicast protocol.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the local storage module is provided in a digital video recorder, which resumes a normal operating mode after a predetermined time interval.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein historical data of past use of the local storage module is used to determine if the local storage module should enter into the power saving mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a particular type of content is evaluated as a basis for determining whether to initiate the buffering of the configurable amount of data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the configurable amount of data is cached and presented at a requested playout position identified in a request for the portion.

8. Logic encoded in one or more non-transitory media that includes code for execution and when executed by a processor is operable to perform operations, comprising:

determining that a network storage module has resources for buffering a configurable amount of data currently being sent to a local storage module, such that network storage module can satisfy a request for the configurable amount of data while the local storage module is in a power saving mode;

determining if the local storage module should enter into the power saving mode; and

buffering the configurable amount of data at the network storage module while the local storage module is in the power saving mode.

9. The logic of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

communicating the configurable amount of data to the local storage module after it resumes a normal operating mode.

10. The logic of claim 8, the operations further comprising:

communicating at least a portion of the configurable amount of data to the local storage module using a unicast protocol or a multicast protocol.

11. The logic of claim 8, wherein the local storage module is provided in a digital video recorder, which resumes a normal operating mode after a predetermined time interval.

12. The logic of claim 8, wherein historical data of past use of the local storage module is used to determine if the local storage module should enter into the power saving mode.

13. The logic of claim 8, wherein a particular type of content is evaluated as a basis for determining whether to initiate the buffering of the configurable amount of data.

14. The logic of claim 8, wherein at least a portion of the configurable amount of data is cached and presented at a requested playout position identified in a request for the portion.

15. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory element configured to store data;

a processor operable to execute instructions associated with the data;

a network storage module configured to interface with the memory element and the processor such that the apparatus is configured for;

determining that a network storage module has resources for buffering a configurable amount of data currently being sent to a local storage module, such that network storage module can satisfy a request for the configurable amount of data while the local storage module is in a power saving mode;

determining if the local storage module should enter into the power saving mode; and

buffering the configurable amount of data at the network storage module while the local storage module is in the power saving mode.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, the apparatus further configured for:

communicating the configurable amount of data to the local storage module after it resumes a normal operating mode.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, the apparatus being further configured for:

communicating at least a portion of the configurable amount of data to the local storage module using a unicast protocol or a multicast protocol.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein historical data of past use of the local storage module is used to determine if the local storage module should enter into the power saving mode.

19. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein a particular type of content is evaluated as a basis for determining whether to initiate the buffering of the configurable amount of data.

20. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein at least a portion of the configurable amount of data is cached and presented at a requested playout position identified in a request for the portion.