Peer-to-peer streaming of non-live content

• US 9,210,085 B2
• Filed: 10/05/2007
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rainberry, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Bittorrent Incorporated
• Inventors: Harrison, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Tang, Karen
• Application Number:
  US11/868,464
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140853A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,986 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/193 at the transport layer, e.g. TCP related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2408 for supporting different services, e.g. a differentiated services [DiffServ] type of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/108 characterised by resources being split in blocks or fragments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1091 Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems

Abstract

A Peer-to-Peer protocol such as BitTorrent is used to assist streaming. Peers download streaming content from the P2P network while simultaneously playing the downloaded content. As the stream plays, an end system downloads any missing pieces directly from a server or other infrastructure node. This method roughly squares server capacity and can be refined to require on average 0(1) servers regardless of the number of concurrent users. Thus BitTorrent assisted streaming scales better than traditional server-client and other infrastructure-only solutions, each of which requires a number of infrastructure nodes that scale linearly as a function of the number of users. Unlike End-System-Multicast, BitTorrent assisted streaming does not subject users to the vagaries of intermediate unreliable, potentially bandwidth-constrained end-systems; the departure of any single end-system has minimal impact on overall performance; and BitTorrent has a well-crafted incentive mechanism for encouraging users to contribute their upstream capacity.

Claims

1. A method for viewing streamed content over a network, the method comprising:

receiving, by a receiving peer via a first connection, a first portion of a content stream from a transmitting peer in a peer-to-peer network, the first portion including less than the entire content stream, a first priority level assigned to the first connection based on the first connection being a peer-to-peer type connection;

playing, by the receiving peer, the received first portion of the content stream;

computing, by the receiving peer, a bid representing a maximum number of bits to be received by the receiving peer from a server included in the network;

submitting, by the receiving peer, the bid to the server;

responsive to the bid, obtaining, by the receiving peer via a second connection, a second portion of the content stream from the server, a second priority level assigned to the second connection based on the second connection being a server-to-peer type connection;

granting, by the receiving peer, the second connection assigned the second priority level a higher priority to bandwidth access than is granted to the first connection assigned the first priority level; and

playing, by the receiving peer, the obtained second portion of the content stream.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein granting the second connection assigned the second priority level a higher priority to bandwidth access than is granted to the first connection assigned the first priority level comprises:

decreasing in size a receive window associated with the first connection.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein granting the second connection assigned the second priority level a higher priority to bandwidth access than is granted to the first connection assigned the first priority level comprises:

limiting to a maximum rate a rate at which data received via the first connection is read.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

after obtaining via the second connection the second portion of the content stream from the server, computing a revised bid, the revised bid representing a maximum number of bits to be subsequently received by the receiving peer from the server; and

submitting the revised bid to the server.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein computing the revised bid comprises:

determining a first number representing bits associated with the content stream previously received from the peer-to-peer network;

determining a second number representing bits included in the entire content stream; and

subtracting the first number from the second number.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein computing the revised bid comprises:

determining whether a downlink associated with the first connection is in an unsaturated condition or a saturated condition;

responsive to a determination that the downlink is in an unsaturated condition, calculating an expected load upon the server as a function of an observed bitrate associated with the first connection;

responsive to a determination that the downlink is in a saturated condition, calculating the expected load upon the server as a function of an available capacity associated with the downlink; and

basing the revised bid upon the expected load upon the server.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

responsive to requesting a number of bits from the server in excess of the bid, suffering a penalty that includes one or more of the following;

discontinued access to the server, decreased access to the server, and receiving an advertisement from the server.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the second portion of the content stream is received from the server responsive to the bid being lower than bids received by the server from other peers in the network.

2. The method of claim h wherein the second portion of the content stream is obtained from the server responsive to a determination while the first portion is being received that the first portion will not include the second portion.

10. A method for receiving streamed content over a network, the stream including a plurality of ordered pieces, the method comprising:

obtaining, by a receiving peer, a first set of pieces of the stream from at least one transmitting peer in a peer-to-peer network via at least a first connection, a first priority level assigned to the first connection based on the first connection being a peer-to-peer type connection;

playing, by the receiving peer, at least a portion of the first set of pieces;

determining, by the receiving peer, that at least one ordered piece of the plurality of ordered pieces of the stream is not included in the first set of pieces;

determining, by the receiving peer, that the at least one ordered piece of the plurality of ordered pieces will not be received from the peer-to-peer network prior to the local playback reaching the at least one ordered piece;

computing, by the receiving peer, a bid representing a maximum number of bits to be received by the receiving peer from a server included in the network;

submitting, by the receiving peer, the bid to the server; and

responsive to the bid, obtaining, by the receiving peer, the at least one ordered piece from the server via a second connection, a second priority level assigned to the second connection based on the second connection being a server-to-peer type connection; and

wherein the second connection assigned the second priority level is granted a higher priority to bandwidth access than is granted to the first connection assigned the first priority level.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein obtaining the first set of pieces of the stream from the at least one transmitting peer comprises:

receiving a list of time-wise neighboring peers in the peer-to-peer network; and

requesting an ordered piece from a time-wise neighboring peer more frequently than requesting an ordered piece from any other peer.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the list of time-wise neighboring peers comprises a predetermined number of peers also playing the stream and having associated playbacks greater than and nearest to the local playback.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the list of time-wise neighboring peers comprises a predetermined number of peers that started receiving the stream most recently.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein obtaining the first set of pieces of the stream from the at least one transmitting peer comprises:

calculating a priority interval ahead of the local playback, the priority interval bounded by a first playback point and a second playback point ; and

requesting an earliest ordered piece corresponding to the priority interval from a time-wise neighboring peer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein obtaining the first set of pieces of the stream from the at least one transmitting peer further comprises:

responsive to the earliest ordered piece being unavailable from the time-wise neighbor peer, requesting the rarest piece available from the time-wise neighboring peer.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the first playback point is equal to the local playback plus a minimum buffer time.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein obtaining the at least one ordered piece from the server comprises:

calculating an upload bandwidth and a download bandwidth;

submitting the upload bandwidth and the download bandwidth to the server; and

responsive to both the upload bandwidth and the download bandwidth exceeding a threshold, accessing the server.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein determining that the at least one ordered piece of the plurality of ordered pieces will not be received from the peer-to-peer network prior to the local playback reaching the at least one ordered piece comprises:

calculating a preemption time, the preemption time representing the time required to obtain from the peer-to-peer network all ordered pieces remaining between the local playback and a playback point associated with the at least one ordered piece; and

determining based on the preemption time that at least one ordered piece will not be received from the peer-to-peer network prior to the local playback reaching the at least one ordered piece.

19. A computer program product for viewing streamed content over a network, the computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and including program code for causing a processor to execute steps comprising:

receiving, by a receiving peer via a first connection, a first portion of a content stream from a transmitting peer in a peer-to-peer network, the first portion including less than the entire content stream, a first priority level assigned to the first connection based on the first connection being a peer-to-peer type connection;

playing, by the receiving peer, the received first portion of the content stream;

computing, by the receiving peer, a bid representing a maximum number of bits to be received by the receiving peer from a server included in the network;

submitting, by the receiving peer, the bid to the server;

responsive to the bid, obtaining, by the receiving peer via a second connection, a second portion of the content stream from the server, a second priority level assigned to the second connection based on the second connection being a server-to-peer type connection;

granting, by the receiving peer, the second connection assigned the second priority level a higher priority to bandwidth access than is granted to the first connection assigned the first priority level; and

playing, by the receiving peer, the obtained second portion of the content stream.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the second portion of the content stream is obtained from the server responsive to a determination while the first portion is being received that the first portion will not include the second portion.

21. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein granting the second connection assigned the second priority level a higher priority to bandwidth access than is granted to the first connection assigned the first priority level comprises:

decreasing in size a receive window associated with the first connection.

22. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein granting the second connection assigned the second priority level a higher priority to bandwidth access than is granted to the first connection assigned the first priority level comprises:

limiting to a maximum rate a rate at which data received via the first connection is read.

23. The computer program product of claim 19, the program code further causing the processor to execute the steps of:

after obtaining via the second connection the second portion of the content stream from the server, computing a revised bid, the revised bid representing a maximum number of bits to be subsequently received by the receiving peer from the server; and

submitting the revised bid to the server.

24. The computer program product of claim 19 , the program code further causing the processor to execute the step of:

responsive to requesting a number of bits from the server in excess of the bid, suffering a penalty that includes one or more of the following;

discontinued access to the server, decreased access to the server, and receiving an advertisement from the server.

25. The computer program product of claim 23, wherein computing the revised bid comprises:

determining whether a downlink associated with the first connection is in an unsaturated condition or a saturated condition;

responsive to a determination that the downlink is in an unsaturated condition, calculating an expected load upon the server as a function of an observed bitrate associated with the first connection;

responsive to a determination that the downlink is in a saturated condition, calculating the expected load upon the server as a function of an available capacity associated with the downlink; and

basing the revised bid upon the expected load upon the server.

26. The computer program product of claim 19 , the program code further causing the processor to execute the step of:

responsive to requesting a number of bits from the server in excess of the bid, suffering a penalty that includes one or more of the following;

discontinued access to the server, decreased access to the server, and receiving an advertisement from the server.

34. The computer program product of claim 25, wherein obtaining the at least one ordered piece from the server comprises:

calculating an upload bandwidth and a download bandwidth;

submitting the upload bandwidth and the download bandwidth to the server; and

responsive to both the upload bandwidth and the download bandwidth exceeding a threshold, accessing the server.

27. A computer program product for receiving streamed content over a network, the stream including a plurality of ordered pieces, the computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium and including program code for causing a processor to execute the steps of:

obtaining, by a receiving peer, a first set of pieces of the stream from at least one transmitting peer in a peer-to-peer network via at least a first connection, a first priority level assigned to the first connection based on the first connection being a peer-to-peer type connection;

playing, by the receiving peer, at least a portion of the first set of pieces;

determining, by the receiving peer, that at least one ordered piece of the plurality of ordered pieces of the stream is not included in the first set of pieces;

determining, by the receiving peer, that the at least one ordered piece of the plurality of ordered pieces will not be received from the peer-to-peer network prior to the local playback reaching the at least one ordered piece;

computing, by the receiving peer, a bid representing a maximum number of bits to be received by the receiving peer from a server included in the network;

submitting, by the receiving peer, the bid to the server; and

responsive to the bid, obtaining, by the receiving peer, the at least one ordered piece from the server via a second connection, a second priority level assigned to the second connection based on the second connection being a server-to-peer type connection; and

wherein the second connection assigned the second priority level is granted a higher priority to bandwidth access than is granted to the first connection assigned the first priority level.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein obtaining the first set of pieces of the stream from the at least one transmitting peer comprises:

receiving a list of time-wise neighboring peers in the peer-to-peer network; and

requesting an ordered piece from a time-wise neighbor peer more frequently than requesting an ordered piece from any other peer.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the list of time-wise neighboring peers comprises a predetermined number of peers also playing the stream and having associated playbacks greater than and nearest to the local playback.

30. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the list of time-wise neighboring peers comprises a predetermined number of peers that started receiving the stream most recently.

31. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein obtaining the first set of pieces of the stream from the at least one transmitting peer comprises:

calculating a priority interval ahead of the local playback, the priority interval bounded by a first playback point and a second playback point ; and

requesting an earliest ordered piece corresponding to the priority interval from a time-wise neighboring peer.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein obtaining the first set of pieces of the stream from the at least one transmitting peer further comprises:

responsive to the earliest ordered piece being unavailable from the time-wise neighbor peer, requesting the rarest piece available from the time-wise neighboring peer.

33. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the first playback point is equal to the local playback plus a minimum buffer time.

35. The computer program product of claim 27, wherein determining that the at least one ordered piece of the plurality of ordered pieces will not be received from the peer-to-peer network prior to the local playback reaching the at least one ordered piece comprises:

calculating a preemption time, the preemption time representing the time required to obtain from the peer-to-peer network all ordered pieces remaining between the local playback and a playback point associated with the at least one ordered piece; and

determining based on the preemption time that at least one ordered piece will not be received from the peer-to-peer network prior to the local playback reaching the at least one ordered piece.