Methods and system for transferring data for remote storage

• US 9,167,313 B1
• Filed: 10/27/2011
• Issued: 10/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bacco, Edward M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pendleton, Brian T
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUONG, ALAN H
• Application Number:
  US13/283,417
• Time in Patent Office: 1,454 Days
• Field of Search: 725/82, 725 91- 95, 725/103, 725109-110, 725114-115, 348/231, 348/231.2, 348/E5.031
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/231 Content storage operation, e.g. caching movies for short term storage, replicating data over plural servers, prioritizing data for deletion
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2405 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the server, e.g. server load allocation of resources in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/50; performance measurement of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/442 Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. detecting the failure of a recording device, monitoring the downstream bandwidth, the number of times a movie has been viewed, the storage space available from the internal hard disk arrangements for monitoring broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/29; arrangements for identifying or recognising characteristics with a direct linkage to broadcast information H04H60/35; monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; monitoring in wireless networks H04W24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/002 Special television systems not provided for by H04N7/007 - H04N7/18 still pictures via a television channel H04N1/00098
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method of transferring video data for storage at a remote location includes storing the video data recorded at a site to a local storage device at the site. The local storage device is coupled to a remote storage device by way of a network connection. Available bandwidth of the network connection between the local storage device and the remote storage device is automatically monitored. Upon one or more predetermined criteria being met for available bandwidth, video data from the local storage device is transferred to the remote storage device over the network connection. The time of initiation of transfer of the video data or the rate of transfer of the video data over the network connection may be based on the available bandwidth of the network connection at one or more times.

Claims

1. A method of transferring video data for storage at a remote location, comprising:

storing video data recorded at a site to a local storage device at the site, wherein the local storage device is coupled to a remote storage device by way of a network connection;

automatically monitoring available bandwidth of the network connection between the local storage device and the remote storage device;

automatically initiate transferring, upon one or more predetermined criteria being met for available bandwidth, at least a portion of the video data from the local storage device to the remote storage device over the network connection, wherein the time of initiation of transfer of the video data over the network connection is based, at least in part, on the available bandwidth of the network connection at one or more times;

subsequent to initiating the transferring, stopping transfer of the portion of the video data if the available bandwidth of the network connection falls below a first predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth, which is associated with stopping video data transfer, subsequent to initiation of the transfer; and

subsequent to available bandwidth of the network connection falling below the first predetermined level of available bandwidth and stopping transfer of the portion of the video data, re-initiating transfer of the portion of the video data if available bandwidth of the network connection rises above a second predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth, which is associated with re-initiating video data transfer;

wherein the first predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth and the second predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth are concurrently different threshold levels of available bandwidth.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predetermined criteria comprises meeting or exceeding a minimum threshold available bandwidth for the network connection.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatic transferring of the video data is controlled from the site.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote data storage is cloud data storage.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the recorded video data is recorded to a network video recorder at the site, wherein the video data is at least partially acquired by security cameras at the site.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transferred video data is compressed video data.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth is less than the second predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth; and

the method comprises;

subsequent to stopping transfer of the portion of the video data if the available bandwidth of the network connection falls below the first predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth subsequent to initiation of the transfer, refraining from re-initiating data transfer if available bandwidth of the network connection rises above the first predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth and remains less than the second predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth.

7. A method of transferring data for storage at a remote location, comprising:

storing data acquired at a site to a local storage device at the site, wherein the local storage device is coupled to a remote storage device by way of a network connection;

automatically monitoring a measure of a load on the network connection;

automatically initiating a transfer, upon one or more predetermined criteria being met for the load, of at least a portion of the data from the local storage device to the remote storage device over the network connection, wherein the time of initiation of transfer of the data over the network connection is based, at least in part, on the measure of the load on the network connection at one or more times;

subsequent to initiating the transfer, stopping transfer if consumed bandwidth on the network connection rises above a first predetermined threshold level of consumed bandwidth, which is associated with stopping transfer, subsequent to initiation of the transfer; and

subsequent to consumed bandwidth rising above the first predetermined threshold level of consumed bandwidth and stopping transfer, re-initiating transfer if consumed bandwidth on the network connection drops below a second predetermined threshold level of consumed bandwidth, which is associated with re-initiating transfer;

wherein the first predetermined threshold level of consumed bandwidth and the second predetermined threshold level of consumed bandwidth are concurrently different threshold levels of consumed bandwidth.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the transfer of data from the local storage device is controlled from the site.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the data comprises video data acquired at the site.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising dynamically throttling transfer of the data from the at least one local storage device to the remote storage device based, at least in part, on available bandwidth of the network connection.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising reducing a rate of transfer of data from the local storage device to the remote storage device based on at least one change in available bandwidth of the network connection.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein automatically transferring data from the local storage device to the remote storage device comprises successive transfers of two or more portions of a video file based on available bandwidth.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the transfer is based on a measure of available bandwidth, wherein the available bandwidth is determined by monitoring consumed bandwidth relative to the total bandwidth for the network connection.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein automatically transferring at least a portion of the data from the local storage device to the remote storage device over the network connection comprises automatically initiating transfer if consumed bandwidth on the network connection falls below a predetermined transfer trigger level.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein automatically transferring at least a portion of the data from the local storage device to the remote storage device over the network connection comprises reducing a rate of transfer based on an increase in consumed bandwidth.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein data on the local storage device is compressed video data.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising performing a second level of compression of the compressed data before transferring the data to the remote storage device.

18. The method of claim 7, further comprising automatically transferring data from one or more local storage devices at one or more additional sites, wherein the transfer of the data from the local storage device at the site and the transfer of data from a local storage device at least one additional sites is coordinated based on loads on the network connections from site and the one or more additional sites.

19. A system for storing data, comprising:

one or more video recording devices at a site;

one or more local storage devices at the site;

one or more remote storage devices at a location other than the site;

a communication network configured to provide a network connection between at least one of the local storage devices and at least one of the remote storage devices; and

a data transfer management system configured to;

automatically monitor available bandwidth on the network connection between the at least one local storage device and the at least one remote storage device;

refrain from initiating transfer, over the network, of data from at least one of the local storage devices to at least one of the remote storage devices in response to the available bandwidth of the network connection being determined to be below a first predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth which is associated with initiating data transfer;

subsequent to the refraining, automatically initiate transfer, over the network, of data from at least one of the local storage devices to at least one of the remote storage devices in response to the available bandwidth of the network connection subsequently rising above the first predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth; and

subsequent to the initiating transfer, automatically stop the transfer of data from the at least one of the local storage devices to the at least one of the remote storage devices in response to the available bandwidth of the network connection subsequently dropping below a second predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth which is associated with stopping data transfer and which is concurrently different from the first predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the local storage device is a solid state data storage device.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the data transfer management system comprises a data transfer rate throttle, wherein the data transfer throttle is configured to adjust a rate of transfer from the local storage device to the remote storage device based on available bandwidth of the network connection.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the data transfer management system is at the site.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the data transfer management system is at a location other than the site.

24. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

one or more security cameras at the site configured to capture video data at the site; and

one or more network video recorders coupled at least one of the security cameras and configured to store video data from the at least one security camera to the local data storage device.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the remote data storage is cloud data storage.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the communication network comprises a bandwidth management system separate from the data transfer management system.

27. The system of claim 19, further comprising a stacker configured to stack one or more files to be transferred from local storage to remote storage.

32. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the first predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth is greater than the second predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth; and

the data transfer management system is configured to;

subsequent to the initiating transfer, refrain from automatically stopping the transfer of data from the at least one of the local storage devices to the at least one of the remote storage devices in response to the available bandwidth of the network connection subsequently dropping below the first predetermined threshold level and remaining above the second predetermined threshold level.

28. A device, comprising a video data transfer manager configured to:

automatically monitor a load on a network connection between one or more local storage devices at a site and one or more remote storage devices at a location other than the site;

refrain from initiating transfer, over the network, of data from at least one of the local storage devices to at least one of the remote storage devices in response to the available bandwidth of the network connection being determined to be below a first predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth which is associated with initiating data transfer;

subsequent to the refraining, automatically initiate transfer of video data from at least one of the local storage devices to at least one of the remote storage devices in response to available bandwidth of the network connection subsequently rising above the first predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth; and

subsequent to the initiating transfer, automatically stop the transfer of video data from at least one of the local storage devices to the at least one of the remote storage devices in response to available bandwidth of the network connection subsequently dropping below a second predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth which is associated with stopping data transfer and which is concurrently different from the first predetermined threshold level of available bandwidth.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the device is a network video recorder, wherein the network video recorder comprises at least one local storage device.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the one or more local storage devices are solid state storage devices.