Orchestration server for video distribution network

• US 9,307,042 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Issued: 04/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Wu, Shuai, Hao, Jack Jianxiu, Xia, Wei, Jin, Zhiying
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Khanh
• Assistant Examiner(s): RAHMAN, SM AZIZUR
• Application Number:
  US13/313,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20130151655A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,581 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/567 Integrating service provisioning from a plurality of service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2358 for generating different versions, e.g. for different recipient devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2541 Rights Management protecting software against unauthorised usage in a vending or licensing environment G06F21/10; security in data switching network management H04L41/28; security management or policies for network security H04L63/20; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2543 Billing , e.g. for subscription services payment schemes, architectures or protocols G06Q20/00; e-commerce G06Q30/00; arrangements for billing for the use of broadcast information or broadcast-related information H04H60/21
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

A computing device receives, from a user device, a data call, and forwards the data call to a backend network device. The computing device receives, from the backend network device, a response to the data call in a first format. The computing device identifies a type of the user device and converts the response from the first format into a second format to create a reformatted response. The reformatted response addresses compatibility issues or simplifies processing by the user device. The computing device sends the reformatted response to the user device.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computing device and from a user device, a first data call for a video catalog in a first format that includes one of SOAP format, extensible markup language (XML) format, and JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format;

identifying, by the computing device, requirements of the first data call;

identifying, by the computing device and based on the requirements, multiple backend network devices that are required to process the first data call;

sending, by the computing device, the first data call to each of the multiple backend network devices in a second format, including one of SOAP format, XML format, and JSON format, that is different than the first format;

receiving, by the computing device, separate responses to the first data call from each of the multiple backend network devices, wherein the separate responses include data in the second format;

aggregating, by the computing device, each of the separate responses into an aggregated response to the first data call;

identifying, by the computing device, a type of the user device and an operating system employed by the user device;

converting, by the computing device and based on the type of the user device and the operating system employed by the user device, the data in the second format into the first format to create a reformatted aggregated response;

sending, by the computing device and to the user device, the reformatted aggregated response in the first format;

storing, in a local cache of the computing device and in the second format, the aggregated response to the first data call, wherein the data from the aggregated response to the first data call is available after sending the reformatted aggregated response;

receiving, by the computing device and from the user device, a second data call, wherein the second data call includes a second request for data previously included in the aggregated response to the first data call;

retrieving, from the local cache and after sending the reformatted aggregated response, information responsive to the second data call in the second format;

converting, by the computing device, the information responsive to the second data call from the second format into the first format to create another reformatted aggregated response; and

sending, by the computing device and to the user device, the other reformatted aggregated response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the first data call to each of the multiple backend network devices comprises sending the first data call serially to the multiple backend network devices.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data call is a Web services request from a user device application for a video content delivery system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein storing the data from the response to the first data call includes:

storing the data for a period of time that is less than a refresh rate of source data associated with the response to the first data call.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

extracting user behavior information from the first data call; and

forwarding, to another one of the multiple backend network devices, the user behavior information.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user behavior information includes:

content viewed on the user device,

viewing times of the content on the user device, and

applications used on the user device.

7. A network device, comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor configured to execute instructions in the memory to;

receive, from a user device, a first data call for a video catalog listing in a first format that includes one of SOAP format, extensible markup language (XML) format, and JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format;

identify requirements of the first data call;

identify, based on the requirements, multiple backend network devices that are required to process the first data call;

send the first data call to each of the multiple backend network devices in a second format, including one of SOAP format, XML format, and JSON format, that is different than the first format;

receive separate responses to the first data call from each of the multiple backend network devices, wherein the separate responses include data in the second format;

aggregate each of the separate responses into an aggregated response to the first data call;

identify, based on a type of the user device and an operating system employed by the user device, a preferred response format for the user device to receive the response to the first data call;

convert the data in the second format into the preferred response format to create a reformatted aggregated response;

send, to the user device, the reformatted aggregated response;

store, in the memory, the data in the second format, wherein the data in the second format is available after sending the reformatted response;

receive, from the user device, a second data call, wherein the second data call includes a second request for the data previously included in the response to the first data call;

retrieve, from the memory and after sending the reformatted response, the data in the first format responsive to the second data call;

convert the data in the second format into the preferred response format to create another reformatted aggregated response; and

send, to the user device, the other reformatted aggregated response.

8. The network device of claim 7, wherein the preferred response format conforms to one of extensible markup language-remote procedure call (XML-RPC) protocol or JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) standards.

9. The network device of claim 7, wherein the user device is one of:

a personal communications system (PCS) terminal,

a tablet computer,

a smart phone,

a personal computer,

a laptop computer,

a gaming console,

a vehicular communication system,

an Internet television, or

a digital video recorder (DVR) rental terminal.

10. The network device of claim 7, wherein the second data call is a Web services request from a front-end application for a video content delivery system.

11. The network device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to:

store the data from the response to the first data call for a period of time that is less than a refresh rate of source data associated with response to the first data call.

12. The network device of claim 7, where the processor is further configured to:

extract user behavior information from the first data call, and

forward, to another backend network device, the user behavior information.

13. The network device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further configured to execute instructions in the memory to:

extract user behavior information from the first data call; and

forward, to another one of the multiple backend network devices, the user behavior information.

14. The network device of claim 13, wherein the user behavior information includes:

content viewed on the user device, and

viewing times of the content on the user device.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, including instructions executable by at least one processor, the computer-readable medium comprising one or more instructions for:

receiving, from a user device, a data call, for a video catalog listing associated with a video content distribution system, the data call including of first format selected from a group of SOAP format, extensible markup language (XML) format, and JavaScript Object Notation (JSON) format;

extracting user behavior information from the data call;

forwarding, in a second format that is different than the first format, the data call to a backend network device that is configured to process the data call, the second format being selected from the group of SOAP format, XML format, and JSON format;

forwarding, to another backend network device, the user behavior information;

receiving, from the backend network device, a response to the data call, wherein the response includes video content information in the second format;

converting the video content information from the second format into the first format;

sending, to the user device, the response including video content information in the first format; and

storing, in a local cache, the response to the data call in the second format, wherein data from the response to the data call is available after sending the response.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for forwarding the user behavior information further comprise one or more instructions for:

forwarding, to a first backend server, a first subset of the user behavior information; and

forwarding to a second backend server, a second subset of the user behavior information, wherein the second subset includes different information than the first subset.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for forwarding the data call to a backend network device further comprise one or more instructions for:

sending the data call serially to the multiple backend network devices.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, further comprising one or more instructions for:

receiving, from the user device, a second data call, wherein the second data call includes a second request for the data from the response to the data call;

retrieving, from the local cache and after sending the response to the data call, information responsive to the second data call; and

sending, to the user device, the information responsive to the second data call.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions for storing the response to the data call further comprise one or more instructions for:

storing the data from the response to the data call for a period of time that is less than a refresh rate of source data associated with response to the data call.