Adaptive media delivery

• US 9,179,169 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2012
• Issued: 11/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imagine Communications Limited (Gores Broadcast Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Imagine Communications Limited (Gores Broadcast Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Roth, Todd Stuart, Moote, Stanley Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHIU, HO T
• Application Number:
  US13/419,887
• Publication Number:
  US 20130242185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,329 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0888 Throughput
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• 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 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• 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 21/26208 the scheduling operation being performed under constraints
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6379 directed to encoder , e.g. for requesting a lower encoding rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/647 Control signaling between network components and server or clients; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. controlling the quality of the video stream, by dropping packets, protecting content from unauthorised alteration within the network, monitoring of network load, bridging between two different networks, e.g. between IP and wireless real-time session protocols H04L65/1101
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A system includes a delivery manager to process a request for media content that is stored in memory, the delivery manager being programmed to determine a media delivery mechanism for the media content based on constraints of at least one delivery parameter. The system includes a formatter programmed to adapt the media content to a media delivery format that is compatible with the media delivery mechanism and the constraints of the delivery parameter. The delivery manager can be programmed to adaptively initiate delivery of the media content in the media delivery format and via the delivery mechanism according to the constraints of the delivery parameter.

Claims

1. A system comprising at least one processor configured to execute instructions stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the instructions comprising:

a delivery manager configured to process a request for media content that is stored in memory, the delivery manager further to select a media delivery medium from a plurality of different media delivery mediums for the media content based on at least a delivery time constraint and a quality constraint;

a formatter configured to adapt the media content to a media delivery format that is compatible with the selected media delivery medium and constraints of at least one delivery parameter;

wherein the delivery manager is configured to deliver the media content in the media delivery format based on the constraints of the at least one delivery parameter and the selected delivery medium; and

a weighing engine further configured to weight each of the delivery time constraint, the quality constraint for the media content and a type of content included in the media content to generate a weighted delivery time constraint and a weighted quality constraint for the media content, the delivery manager employing the weighted delivery time constraint and the weighted quality constraint to control the media delivery format and delivery timing of the media content;

wherein the weighing engine is configured to prioritize the delivery time constraint over the quality constraint for the media content or the quality constraint over the delivery time constraint based on the type of media content to deliver a timely version of the media content timely via the selected delivery medium;

wherein each of the plurality of different media delivery mediums corresponds to a respective transmission medium for delivery of the media content.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the formatter is further configured to configure the media delivery format depending on a type of the media content.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the formatter is further configured to decrease the quality constraint for the media below a quality threshold to deliver the timely version of the media content timely via the selected delivery medium in response to the weighing engine prioritizing the delivery time constraint over the quality constraint for the media content.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the request is a first request, wherein, in response to the delivery manager processing a second request for the media content, the formatter is further configured to increase the quality constraint above the quality threshold for subsequent delivery of a quality version of the media content via the selected delivery medium.

5. The system of claim 1, further comprising an analyzer configured to determine bandwidth capabilities for the selected media delivery medium, the formatter further configured to dynamically adapting the media content to match the selected media delivery medium, wherein the selected media delivery medium is a least cost delivery medium of the plurality of delivery mediums that also satisfies the constraints of the at least one delivery parameter.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one delivery parameter specifies an immediate need, the formatter further configured to adapt the media delivery format as the best available quality supported by an allocated delivery channel bandwidth of the selected delivery medium.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the at least one delivery parameter specifies a scheduled need, the formatter further configured to adapt the media delivery format for delayed time delivery according to available channel bandwidth capacity and other media content that is scheduled for delivery via the selected delivery medium.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the formatter includes a transcoder configured to transcode the media to the media delivery format.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the formatter includes a transrating engine configured to transrate the media to the media delivery format.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery manager is further configured to deliver the media content via the selected delivery medium for a live broadcast at a reduced viewing quality relative to a quality constraint for the media content to satisfy time constraints imposed by the at least one delivery parameter.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the delivery manager is further configured to deliver a second version of the media content via the selected delivery medium for playout after the live broadcast thereof with a higher viewing quality format relative to the media content delivered for the live broadcast based on a quality constraint.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein each respective transmission medium is a satellite or a line feed source.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the delivery manager is configured to:

initiate delivery of a given portion of the media content across a given media delivery medium of the plurality of different medial delivery mediums in a selected media delivery format according to the constraints of the at least one delivery parameter;

change the selected media delivery medium from the given media delivery medium to another media deliver medium of the plurality of different medial delivery mediums; and

initiate delivery of a remaining portion of the media content across the other media delivery medium in another media delivery format according to the constraints of at least one delivery parameter.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the type of content included in the media content comprises a television program.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the television program comprises a real-time news program.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for media content;

determining, by a processor, an urgency of the request;

selecting a delivery medium from a plurality of different available delivery mediums based on at least a delivery time constraint and a quality constraint;

weighing each of the delivery time constraint, the quality constraint for the media content and a type of media content included in the media content to generate a weighted delivery time constraint and a weighted quality constraint for the media content, wherein weighing comprises prioritizing the delivery time constraint over the quality constraint for the media content or the quality constraint over the delivery time constraint based on the type of media content to deliver a timely version of the media content via the selected delivery medium;

adapting a media format of the media content based the weighted delivery time constraint and the weighted quality constraint; and

delivering the media content based on the selected delivery medium and the urgency of the request;

wherein each of the plurality of different media delivery mediums corresponds to a respective transmission medium for delivery of the media content.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising determining the urgency of the request by analyzing constraints imposed by a delivery parameter in the request.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the constraints are specified according to a time parameter or a quality parameter.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the constraints are expressed as an immediate need or as a scheduled need.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising adjusting delivered media quality to satisfy the time parameter.

21. The method of claim 16, further comprising employing multiple delivery mechanisms or multiple delivery formats to fulfill the request.

22. A media delivery system comprising at least one processor configured to execute instruction stored in a non-transitory computer readable medium, the instructions comprising:

a delivery manager configured to receive a request for media content and adaptively-initiate delivery of the media content based on at least a time constraint, a quality constraint and a type of the media content in the media content specified in the request;

a weighting engine configured to apply weight to the time constraint and the quality constraint and the type of content included in the media content to generate a weighted time constraint and a weighted quality constraint for the media content and to select a delivery medium from a plurality of delivery mediums to deliver the media content based on the weighted time and quality constraint, wherein weighing comprises prioritizing the delivery time constraint over the quality constraint for the media content or the quality constraint over the delivery time constraint based on the type of media content to deliver a timely version of the media content via the selected delivery medium;

an analyzer configured to determine bandwidth capabilities for the selected delivery medium;

a delivery manager configured to deliver the media content based on the selected delivery medium and the inputs received from the weighting engine and the analyzer; and

a formatter configured to generate a media format for delivery of the media content that is compatible with the selected media delivery medium and constraints specified in the request;

wherein each of the plurality of different media delivery mediums corresponds to a respective transmission medium for delivery of the media content.