Methods and apparatus for content caching in a video network

• US 10,085,047 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2017
• Issued: 09/25/2018
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): Schnurr, John
• Application Number:
  US15/457,781
• Publication Number:
  US 20170244988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 561 Days
• 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 computerized method of operating a content delivery network, the method comprising:

receiving a plurality of digitally rendered video content in a first format from a content source;

receiving data representative of a plurality of requests for individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered video content in at least one second format from individual ones of a plurality of users of the content delivery network;

utilizing the data to determine one or more predicted patterns of behavior relating to interactions of the individual ones of the plurality of users with respect to the individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format; and

determining time periods based at least in part on the one or more predicted patterns of behavior with respect to the individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format, a first one of the time periods comprising a time within which the individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format are cached in a storage apparatus, and a second one of the time periods comprising a time within which the individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format are not cached, the first and the second ones of the time periods configured not to overlap; and

delivering at least one of the individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format to the individual ones of the plurality of users of the content delivery network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivering the at least one of the individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format comprises delivering the at least one of the individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered video content from the cache during the first one of the time periods.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivering the at least one of the individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format comprises delivering the at least one of the individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered video content from the storage apparatus during the second one of the time periods.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising re-encoding individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered video content in the first format to the at least one second format.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating a record based at least in part on the one or more predicted patterns of behavior, the record indicating the time periods within which the individual ones of the plurality of video content in the at least one second format are cached or not cached.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more predicted patterns of behavior comprise historical data relating to tuning or request history of each of the individual ones of the plurality of users with respect to the individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

assigning one or more condition codes to respective ones of the individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered video content; and

prioritizing removal of one or more of the respective ones of the individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered video content from the storage apparatus based at least in part on the one or more condition codes.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said cache of the individual ones of the plurality of digitally rendered video content is based at least in part on a caching capacity and a transcoding efficiency.

9. Computerized network apparatus configured for use in a managed content distribution network, the computerized network apparatus comprising:

server apparatus comprising;

processor apparatus;

first network interface apparatus in data communication with the processor apparatus configured to communicate with a content source;

second network interface apparatus in data communication with the processor apparatus configured to communicate with a plurality of computerized client devices via at least one or more digital data communication channels of the managed content distribution network; and

storage apparatus in data communication with the processor apparatus, the storage apparatus comprising at least one computer program configured to, when executed on the processor apparatus;

receive, via the first network interface, digitally rendered video content in a first format from the content source; and

receive, via the second network interface, data representative of a plurality of requests for the digitally rendered video content in at least one second format from individual ones of the plurality of computerized client devices; and

cause delivery of the digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format to the individual ones of the plurality of computerized client devices; and

controller apparatus operatively communicating with the server apparatus, the controller apparatus configured to;

receive the data representative of the requests;

utilize the received data to perform one or more computerized calculations, the computerized calculations calculating one or more predicted patterns of behavior relating to interactions of the individual ones of the plurality of computerized client devices with respect to the digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format; and

determine at least one time period based at least in part on the one or more predicted patterns of behavior, a first one of the at least one time period comprising a time period within which the digitally rendered video content is to be cached in the at least one second format in a content data cache.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller apparatus is further configured to cause caching of the digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format within the content data cache consistent with the determined at least one time period.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the controller apparatus is further configured to automatically cause replacement of the cached digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format with other digitally rendered video content at or after expiration of the determined at least one time period.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the delivery of the digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format comprises providing the digitally rendered video content from the cache during the first time period.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller apparatus is further configured to transcode the video content from the first format to the at least one second format prior to the caching thereof.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the transcode of the digitally rendered video content from the first format to the at least one second format prior to the caching thereof comprises (i) transcode of a first portion of the digitally rendered video content, and (ii) storage of the transcoded first portion in the data cache before transcode of all remaining portions of the digitally rendered video content is completed.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller apparatus is further configured to mask individual ones of different versions of the digitally rendered video content based at least in part on the one or more criteria, the one or more criteria relating at least in part to at least quality of the individual ones of the different versions.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller apparatus is further configured to mask individual ones of different versions of the digitally rendered video content based at least in part on the one or more criteria, the one or more criteria relating at least in part to at least latency or delay in availability of the individual ones of the different versions.

17. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is further configured to control one or more operational parameters of the individual ones of the plurality of computerized client devices via a server portion of a client-server computer program, the server portion configured to receive a plurality of data relating to a plurality of heterogeneous factors, and select individual ones of the digitally rendered video content for caching based at least on the plurality of data.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the plurality of data relates to one or more of codec, bitrate, and/or encryption capabilities associated with the individual ones of the plurality of computerized client devices.

19. Computer readable apparatus comprising a non-transitory storage medium, the non-transitory medium comprising at least one computer program having a plurality of instructions, the instructions configured to, when executed on a processing apparatus:

receive digital video content rendered in a first format from a content source;

receive data representative of a plurality of requests for the digitally rendered video content in at least one second format, the plurality of request each initiated by a user associated with a respective one of a plurality of computerized client devices in data communication with a content delivery network;

utilize the received data to algorithmically determine one or more predicted patterns of behavior relating to interactions of the computerized client devices with respect to the digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format, the one or more predicted patterns comprising one or more temporal components or aspects;

determine, based at least in part on the one or more temporal components or aspects, a first time period within which the digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format should be speculatively cached in a data cache;

cause caching of the digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format;

during the first time period, receive a request from one of the computerized client devices for the digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format; and

in response to the received request, deliver the digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format to the one computerized client device via the content delivery network from at least the data cache.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the instructions are further configured to, when executed on the processing apparatus:

transcode the digitally rendered video content in the first format to the at least one second format prior to the caching of the digitally rendered video content in the at least one second format the transcoding comprising transcryption from one encryption or digital rights management (DRM) scheme to at least one other, different scheme.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the transcryption from one encryption or digital rights management (DRM) scheme to at least one other, different scheme comprises:

utilization of the data representative of the plurality of requests for the digitally rendered video content in at least one second format to evaluate a plurality of different configurations associated with respective ones of the plurality of computerized client devices;

selection of, based at least in part on the evaluation of the plurality of different configurations, a plurality of different encryption or digital rights management (DRM) schemes; and

causation of transcryption from the one encryption or digital rights management (DRM) scheme to the plurality of different schemes.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the one or more predicted patterns of behavior is based at least in part on an association of the plurality of users with a common geographic area.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the one or more predicted patterns of behavior is based at least in part on an association of the plurality of users with a common demographic factor, the association based at least in part on demographic data obtained from a subscriber database of a managed content delivery network, the plurality of users each comprising a subscriber of the managed network.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the one or more predicted patterns of behavior is based at least in part on an association of the plurality of users with a common client device configuration, the association based at least in part on data obtained from a subscriber database of a managed content delivery network, the plurality of users each comprising a subscriber of the managed network.