Method and apparatus for integrating various network elements and providing media processing services

• US 9,888,050 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2013
• Issued: 02/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Yussouff, Ashraf, Liu, Fang, Littlefield, John F., Kane, Sean, Jen, Jason, Chatterjee, Sutap, Pennirselvam, Vijaykumar, Joshi, Anirudha
• Primary Examiner(s): Chea, Philip
• Assistant Examiner(s): Khan, Hassan
• Application Number:
  US14/035,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20150089035A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,596 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/288 Distributed intermediate devices, i.e. intermediate devices for interaction with other intermediate devices on the same level
• 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 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612

Abstract

An approach for integrating network elements and providing media processing services, which includes generating at least one integration interface for integrating at least one network element into a media processing platform. The approach also includes determining access information associated with the at least one network element, generating a master parameters list for the at least one network element for use in a processing of a media content item, and communicating the master parameters list via the at least one integration interface to the at least one network element.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining, by a media processing device, a network element to be added to a device,

the added network element including one or more first components for processing media content, and

the added network element providing at least one of;

an updated capability,

an enhanced capability, or

an additional capability;

generating, by the media processing device, an interface for interfacing one or more second components of the device with the added network element;

determining, by the media processing device, access information associated with the added network element,

the access information including;

identification information,

version information,

communication protocol information, and

topology information associated with the added network element;

generating, by the media processing device, a master parameters list for the added network element for use in a processing of a media content item,

the master parameters list including;

an indication of a function or operation supported by the added network element, and

a parameter associated with the function or operation,

the parameter being specific to a particular vendor of the added network element;

generating, by the media processing device, a native workflow for the added network element based on requirements of a client device,

the native workflow comprising a plurality of ordered functionality tasks to be performed by the added network element in processing the media content item, and

the media processing device being different than the client device;

communicating, by the media processing device, the native workflow to the added network element via the interface;

creating, by the media processing device, a workflow-reference corresponding to the native workflow;

associating, by the media processing device, the parameter with the workflow-reference;

creating, by the media processing device, one or more output profiles for one or more outputs generated based on the native workflow in the added network element,

the one or more output profiles being used to vary the parameter associated with the native workflow;

integrating, by the media processing device, a plurality of network elements using the master parameters list,

the plurality of network elements comprising the added network element;

receiving, by the media processing device, a first request for processing the media content item via a user interface,

the user interface comprising a template including default and selectable processing parameters for use in processing the media content item;

receiving, by the media processing device, a second request for a list of the one or more output profiles;

providing, by the media processing device and for presentation at the user interface, a parameters list associated with a requested output profile;

validating, by the media processing device, the first request and the parameters list by determining whether the first request and the parameters list concur with functionalities, of the plurality of ordered functionality tasks, that the added network element is to perform when processing the media content item;

executing, by the media processing device, the native workflow at the added network element to process the media content item based on a plurality of validated requests and a plurality of validated parameters lists; and

generating, by the media processing device, a processed media content item based on executing the native workflow at the added network element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the master parameters list includes at least one of:

one or more operations that are available at a plurality of network elements, or

a parameterization of the one or more operations.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

integrating a plurality of network elements based on a same master parameters list.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the master parameters list includes:

an aspect ratio for a display,

an aspect height,

an aspect width,

a frame rate for a video presentation, or

a starting timecode.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting the parameters list to the added network element for utilization in processing the media content item.

15. The method of claim 1, where the added network element includes at least one of:

a server,

an executable program,

an application, or

an algorithm.

16. The method of claim 1, where the media content item includes at least one of:

information associated with an author of the media content,

information associated with a copyright of the media content,

information associated with a rating of the media content, or

information associated with a title of the media content.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by a processor cause the processor to;

determine a network element to be added to a device,

the added network element including one or more first components for processing media content, and

the added network element providing at least one of;

an updated capability,

an enhanced capability, or

an additional capability,

generate an interface for interfacing one or more second components of the device with the added network element;

determine access information associated with the added network element,

the access information including;

identification information,

version information,

communication protocol information, and

topology information associated with the added network element;

generate a master parameters list for the added network element for use in a processing of a media content item,

the master parameters list including;

an indication of a function or operation supported by the added network element, and

a parameter associated with the function or operation,

 

the parameter being specific to a particular vendor of the added network element;

generate a native workflow for the added network element based on requirements of a client device,

the native workflow comprising a plurality of ordered functionality tasks to be performed by the added network element in processing the media content item;

communicate the native workflow to the added network element via the interface;

create a workflow-reference corresponding to the native workflow;

associate the parameter with the workflow-reference;

create one or more output profiles for one or more outputs generated based on the native workflow in the added network element,

the one or more output profiles being used to vary the parameter associated with the native workflow;

integrate a plurality of network elements using the master parameters list,

the plurality of network elements comprising the added network element;

receive a first request for processing the media content item via a user interface,

the user interface comprising a template including default and selectable processing parameters for use in processing the media content item;

receive a second request for a list of the one or more output profiles;

provide, for presentation at the user interface, a parameters list associated with a requested output profile;

validate the first request and the parameters list by determining whether the first request and the parameters list concur with functionalities, of the plurality of ordered functionality tasks, that the added network element is to perform when processing the media content item;

execute the native workflow at the added network element to process the media content item based on a plurality of validated requests and a plurality of validated parameters lists; and

generate a processed media content item based on executing the native workflow at the added network element.

5. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the master parameters list includes at least one of:

one or more operations that are available at a plurality of network elements, or

a parameterization of the one or more operations.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

integrate a plurality of network elements based on a same master parameters list.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, wherein the master parameters list includes:

an aspect ratio for a display,

an aspect height,

an aspect width,

a frame rate for a video presentation, or

a starting timecode.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to:

generate one or more outputs based on the processed media content item,

the one or more outputs including a video content item that has been converted to another format.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the processor, are further to:

integrate the added network element into a platform by loading topology details of the added network element into one or more components of the platform.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 4, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the processor, are further to:

receive a user selection, via the user interface, of the added network element; and

where the one or more instructions, that cause the processor to execute the native workflow, cause the processor to;

execute the native workflow based on the user selection.

7. A device comprising:

a memory storing instructions, and

one or more processors to execute the instructions to;

determine a network element to be added to the device,

the added network element including one or more first components for processing media content, and

the added network element providing at least one of;

an updated capability,

an enhanced capability, or

an additional capability;

generate an interface for interfacing one or more second components of the device with the added network element;

determine access information associated with the added network element,

the access information including;

identification information,

version information,

communication protocol information, and

topology information associated with the added network element;

generate a master parameters list for the added network element for use in a processing of a media content item,

the master parameters list including;

a function or operation supported by the added network element, and

a parameter associated with the function or operation,

 

the parameter being specific to a particular vendor of the added network element;

generate a native workflow for the added network element based on requirements of a client device,

the native workflow comprising a plurality of ordered functionality tasks to be performed by the added network element in processing the media content item;

communicate the native workflow to the added network element via the interface;

create a workflow-reference corresponding to the native workflow;

create one or more output profiles for one or more outputs generated based on the native workflow in the network element,

the one or more output profiles being used to vary a parameter associated with the native workflow;

integrate a plurality of network elements using the master parameters list,

the plurality of network elements comprising the added network element;

receive a first request for processing the media content item via a user interface,

the user interface comprising a template including default and selectable processing parameters for use in processing the media content item;

receive a second request for a list of the one or more output profiles;

provide, for presentation at the user interface, a parameters list associated with a requested output profile;

validate the first request and the parameters list by determining whether the first request and the parameters list concur with functionalities, of the plurality of ordered functionality tasks, that the added network element is to perform when processing the media content item;

execute the native workflow at the added network element to process the media content item based on a plurality of validated requests and a plurality of validated parameters lists; and

generate a processed media content item based on executing the native workflow at the added network element.

8. The device of claim 7, where the one or more processors are further to:

associate one or more parameters from the master parameters list with the workflow-reference.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the master parameters list includes at least one of:

one or more operations that are available at a plurality of network elements, or

a parameterization of the one or more operations.

10. The device of claim 7, where the one or more processors are further to:

integrate a plurality of network elements based on a same master parameters list.

19. The device of claim 7, where the one or more outputs are utilized for one or more other workflows.

20. The device of claim 7, where the one or more outputs include a video content item that has been converted from a first format to a second format.