Screen sharing cache management

• US 9,723,099 B2
• Filed: 05/08/2014
• Issued: 08/01/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wang, Mengkang, Chen, Sijia, Zhang, Rui, Jin, Xing, Zhang, Volvet
• Primary Examiner(s): Hussain, Tauqir
• Assistant Examiner(s): Keller, Michael A
• Application Number:
  US14/272,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20150312370A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,181 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data

Abstract

In one embodiment, a managed cache system, includes a cache memory to receive storage units via an uplink from a transmitting client, each storage unit including a decodable video unit, each storage unit having a priority, and enable downloading of the storage units via a plurality of downlinks to receiving clients, and a controller processor to purge the cache memory of one of the storage units when all of the following conditions are satisfied: the one storage unit is not being downloaded to any of the receiving clients, the one storage unit is not currently subject to a purging exclusion, and another one of the storage units now residing in the cache, having a higher priority than the priority of the one storage unit, arrived in the cache after the one storage unit. Related apparatus and methods are also described.

Claims

1. A managed cache system, comprising:

a cache memory to;

receive a plurality of storage units via an uplink from a transmitting client, each of the plurality of storage units including a decodable video unit, each of the plurality storage units having a priority selected from a plurality of priorities, wherein;

(i) a first storage unit of the plurality of storage units depends for video decoding purposes on at least one storage unit of the plurality of storage units having a higher priority of the plurality of priorities than a priority of the first storage unit;

(ii) a second storage unit of the plurality of storage units depends for video decoding purposes on at least one storage unit of the plurality of storage units having a same priority of the plurality of priorities as a priority of the second storage unit; and

(iii) each one storage unit of the plurality of storage units does not depend for video decoding purpose on ones of the plurality of storage units having a lower priority of the priorities than the priority of the one storage unit; and

enable downloading of the storage units via a plurality of downlinks to a plurality of receiving clients such that there is one of the downlinks for one of the receiving clients; and

a controller processor to purge the cache memory of one storage unit of the plurality of storage units when all of the following conditions are satisfied;

the one storage unit is not being downloaded to any of the receiving clients;

the one storage unit is not currently subject to a purging exclusion; and

a second storage unit of the plurality of storage units;

(a) is now residing in the cache memory;

(b) has a higher priority than the priority of the one storage unit; and

(c) arrived in the cache memory after the one storage unit.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller processor is operative to store the received storage units in the cache memory according to a time of receipt of the received storage units in the cache memory.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller processor is operative to maintain a count of the number, or a list, of concurrent downloads of each of the storage units resident in the cache memory.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the storage units including independently decodable video unit are assigned to the highest priority of the priorities.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein each of the storage units is not dependent for video decoding purposes on lower priority ones of the storage units.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein one of the storage units, being a storage unit X, is dependent for video decoding purposes on at least one of the storage units, being one or more storage units Y, having the same priority as the storage unit X, as long as the cache memory does not include any other ones of the storage units having a higher priority than the storage unit X received in the cache memory before the storage unit X and received after the one or more storage units Y.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the cache memory is operative to receive the storage units via the uplink from the transmitting client with the priority of the storage units already assigned to each of the storage units.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller processor is operative to apply the purging exclusion to all of the storage units having certain of the priorities.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein the controller processor is operative to revoke the purging exclusion when at least one condition is fulfilled.

10. The system according to claim 1 wherein the transmitting client is operative to share display screen content with the receiving clients using the storage units, the transmitting client being operative to transmit a new one of the storage units to the cache memory if the content changes whereas if the content does not change ,the transmitting client does not generate any storage units for transmitting to the cache memory.

11. A managed cache method, comprising:

receiving a plurality of storage units via an uplink from a transmitting client, each of the plurality storage units including a decodable video unit, each of the storage units having a priority selected from a plurality of priorities, wherein;

(i) a first storage unit of the plurality of storage units depends for video decoding purposes on at least one storage unit of the plurality of storage units having a higher priority of the plurality of priorities than a priority of the first storage unit;

(ii) a second storage unit of the plurality of storage units depends for video decoding purposes on at least one storage unit of the plurality of storage units having a same priority of the plurality of priorities as a priority of the second storage unit; and

(iii) each one storage unit of the plurality of storage units does not depend for video decoding purpose on ones of the plurality of storage units having a lower priority of the priorities than the priority of the one storage units;

storing the plurality of storage units in a cache memory;

enabling downloading of the plurality of storage units from the cache memory via a plurality of downlinks to a plurality of receiving clients such that there is one of the downlinks for one of the receiving clients;

purging the cache memory of one of the storage unit of the storage units when all of the following conditions are satisfied;

the one storage unit is not being downloaded to any of the receiving clients;

the one storage unit is not currently subject to a purging exclusion; and

a second storage unit of the plurality of storage units;

(a) is now residing in the cache memory;

(b) has a higher priority than the priority of the one storage unit; and

(c) arrived in the cache memory after the one storage unit.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the storing step comprises storing the received storage units in the cache memory according to a time of receipt of the received storage units in the cache memory.

13. The method according to claim 11, further comprising maintaining a count of the number, or a list, of concurrent downloads of each of the storage units resident in the cache memory.

14. The method according to claim 11, wherein the storage units including an independently decodable video unit are assigned to the highest priority of the priorities.

15. The method according to claim 11, wherein each of the storage units is not dependent for video decoding purposes on lower priority ones of the storage units.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein one of the storage units, being a storage unit X, is dependent for video decoding purposes on at least one of the storage units, being one or more storage units Y, having the same priority as the storage unit X, as long as the cache memory does not include any other ones of the storage units having a higher priority than the storage unit X received in the cache memory before the storage unit X and received after the one or more storage units Y.

17. The method according to claim 11, wherein the receiving includes receiving the storage units via the uplink from the transmitting client with the priority of the storage units already assigned to each of the storage units.

18. The method according to claim 11, further comprising applying the purging exclusion to all of the storage units having a certain one of the priorities.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising revoking the purging exclusion when at least one condition is fulfilled.

20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the transmitting client is operative to share display screen content with the receiving clients using the storage units, the transmitting client being operative to transmit a new one of the storage units to the cache memory if the content changes whereas if the content does not change, the transmitting client does not generate any storage units for transmitting to the cache memory.