Methods and apparatus for content caching in a video network

• US 9,596,489 B2
• Filed: 02/09/2015
• Issued: 03/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Time Warner Cable Enterprises LLC (Charter Communications Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hasek, Charles A.
• Primary Examiner(s): SCHNURR, JOHN R
• Application Number:
  US14/617,529
• Publication Number:
  US 20150222938A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• 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 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21815 comprising local storage units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2183 Cache memory caches in web servers or browsers G06F16/9574; intermediate storage and caching in data networks H04L67/568
• 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 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• 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 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2408 Monitoring of the upstream path of the transmission network, e.g. client requests monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• 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 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6118 involving cable transmission, e.g. using a cable modem
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17345 : Control of the passage of the selected programme

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for selectively caching (and de-caching) video content in network so as to reduce content transformation requirements and also cache storage requirements. In one embodiment, a content caching controller associated with a content server differentiates content requests based on content attributes such as the requested codec format (e.g., MPEG or Windows Media), resolution, bitrate, and/or encryption type or security environment. If the content requested by a user is not available with the requested attribute(s), the content server transfers to content to the user by first transforming it. The content server also speculatively caches the transformed content locally, so that a future request for the same content with the same attributes can be filled by transferring without the intermediate transformation step. The controller allows the network operator to optimize use of available storage and transcoding resources.

Claims

1. A computer-readable apparatus within a content delivery network, said network comprising a content storage device and at least one client device, said apparatus comprising a storage medium configured to store a plurality of instructions thereon, said plurality of instructions configured to, when executed:

selectively and temporarily store a plurality of content elements within said content storage device; and

remove selected individual ones of said plurality of content elements from said content storage device when one or more criteria for removal are met, said one or more criteria for removal being based at least in part on one or more requests for said individual ones of said plurality of content elements from said at least one client device;

wherein said selective and temporary storage of said plurality of content elements comprises storage based at least in part on an aggregate probability comprising one or more probabilities associated with one or more capabilities of said at least one client device and respective one or more parameters of said plurality of content elements.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said removal of said selected individual ones of said plurality of content elements comprises removal based at least in part on a duration of time since said one or more requests for said individual ones of said plurality of content elements was received.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said selective and temporary storage of said plurality of content elements comprises storage based at least in part on a type of said at least one client device.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said selective and temporary storage of said plurality of content elements comprises storage based at least in part on preferences of a plurality of subscribers associated with respective individual ones of said at least one client device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said selective and temporary storage of said plurality of content elements comprises storage based at least in part on an anticipated popularity level of said plurality of content elements based on one or more of:

a date, a time of day, and/or an event relevant to said plurality of content elements.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said one or more parameters comprise one or more of:

a codec type, a bitrate value, and/or an encryption type.

7. A method of operating a content delivery network having a content storage device and a plurality of client devices associated therewith, said method comprising:

based at least in part on an aggregate probability comprising one or more probabilities associated with capability information of at least one of said plurality of client devices and respective one or more parameters of a plurality of content elements, storing said plurality of content elements within said content storage device; and

removing individual ones of said stored plurality of content elements from said content storage device when one or more criteria for removal are met, said one or more criteria for removal relating at least in part to requests for said individual ones of said plurality of content elements from said plurality of client devices.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said capability information comprises information related to at least one encoder of said at least one of said plurality of client devices, said at least one encoder being online within the designated target group.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said one or more criteria for removal comprise a frequency of request for respective ones of said individual ones of said plurality of content elements falling below a predetermined threshold.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said removing comprises removing said individual ones of said content elements according to a priority scheme or hierarchy, said priority scheme or hierarchy being based at least in part on profit or revenue.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said storing comprises storing according to a predicted pattern of behavior associated with respective ones of said individual ones of said plurality of content elements.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said one or more parameters comprise one or more of:

a codec type, a bitrate value, and/or an encryption type.

13. Network server apparatus for use in a content delivery network, said apparatus comprising:

a storage apparatus;

a server in data communication with said storage apparatus and configured to;

receive a plurality of content elements from a content source; and

store said plurality of content elements within said storage apparatus, said storage of said plurality of content elements within said storage apparatus is based at least in part on an aggregate probability comprising one or more probabilities associated with capability information of at least one of a plurality of client devices and respective one or more parameters of said plurality of content elements; and

a controller in operative communication with said server, said controller configured to;

in response to one or more criteria for removal being met, remove individual ones of said plurality of content elements from said content storage device, said one or more criteria for removal relating at least in part to respective requests for said individual ones of said plurality of content elements from said plurality of client devices.

14. The network server apparatus of claim 13, wherein said capability information comprises information related to at least one encoder of said at least one of said plurality of client devices, said at least one encoder being online within the designated target group.

15. The network server apparatus of claim 13, wherein said removal comprises removal of said individual ones of said content elements according to a priority scheme or hierarchy, said priority scheme or hierarchy being based at least in part on bandwidth.

16. The network server apparatus of claim 13, wherein said one or more parameters comprise one or more of:

a codec type, a bitrate value, and/or an encryption type.

17. The network server apparatus of claim 13, wherein said controller is further configured to partition said plurality of content elements into two or more subsets based on one or more condition codes, and said server is further configured to serve said individual ones of said plurality of content elements of one or more of said two or more subsets to individual ones of a plurality of users of said content delivery network.

18. The network server apparatus of claim 13, wherein said controller is further configured to mask said individual ones of said plurality of content elements based at least in part on said one or more criteria, said one or more criteria relate at least in part to said requests for said individual ones of said plurality of content elements from said plurality of client devices.

19. A method of operating a content delivery network having a content storage device and a plurality of client devices associated therewith, said method comprising:

based at least in part on a multiplicative probability comprising one or more probabilities associated with respective one or more parameters of a plurality of content elements, selectively storing said plurality of content elements within said content storage device in a designated temporary storage area of the storage device, said one or more parameters comprising one or more parameters relating to data processing operations to be performed on the plurality of content elements in order to enable rendering thereof by a processing and display device; and

in response to meeting one or more criteria for removal, selectively removing individual ones of said plurality of content elements from said content storage device, said one or more criteria for removal relating at least in part to requests for said individual ones of said plurality of content elements from said plurality of client devices.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said selectively storing said plurality of content elements comprises storing further based on an anticipated popularity level of said plurality of content elements, said anticipated popularity level being a function of at least on one or more of:

(i) a date, (ii) a time of day, and/or (iii) an event relevant to said plurality of content elements.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said selectively removing is performed automatically according to a schedule.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said one or more criteria for removal comprise a frequency of said requests for respective ones of said individual ones of said plurality of content elements falling below a predetermined threshold.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

assigning one or more condition codes to respective ones of said individual ones of said plurality of content elements;

prioritizing removal of said individual ones of said plurality of content elements from said storage apparatus based at least in part on said one or more condition codes.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein said selective storage of said plurality of content elements comprises storage based at least in part on preferences of at least one subscriber associated with at least one client device of said plurality of client devices.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein said prioritizing of said removal of said individual ones of said plurality of content elements from said storage apparatus is further based on metadata associated with respective ones of said individual ones of said plurality of content elements.