System and method for distributed video-on-demand
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for providing VOD services, the method comprising:
- receiving a request from an ordering box remotely located, the request including an order of a title in a library that includes a substantial number of titles, each of the titles pertaining to a file being a collection of data together with any auxiliary data, wherein at least some of the file for the title is not locally available;
determining source information in accordance with the request, the source information including information about several boxes from which the at least some of the file can be respectively retrieved at substantially similar time by the ordering box to facilitate a playback of the title; and
if requiring the ordering box to initiate respective downloading requests to the several boxes, responding to the request by sending the source information back to the ordering box configured to proceed with downloading collectively the some of the file from the several boxes at substantially similar time. if requiring the several boxes to initiate respective uploading requests to the ordering box, responding to the request by sending the source information to the several boxes configured respectively to proceed with uploading collectively the at least some of the file to the ordering box.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Various techniques for providing a video-on-demand (VOD) system based on distributed networks are disclosed. According to one aspect of the VOD system, individual client devices on a network are identified to supply each other with needed sources in pieces to render required services. As a result, the loading pressure on a central server or centralized servers is distributed into the network. A VOD system so contemplated can sustain a substantial growth in its subscribers.
-
Citations
38 Claims
-
1. A method for providing VOD services, the method comprising:
-
receiving a request from an ordering box remotely located, the request including an order of a title in a library that includes a substantial number of titles, each of the titles pertaining to a file being a collection of data together with any auxiliary data, wherein at least some of the file for the title is not locally available;
determining source information in accordance with the request, the source information including information about several boxes from which the at least some of the file can be respectively retrieved at substantially similar time by the ordering box to facilitate a playback of the title; and
if requiring the ordering box to initiate respective downloading requests to the several boxes, responding to the request by sending the source information back to the ordering box configured to proceed with downloading collectively the some of the file from the several boxes at substantially similar time. if requiring the several boxes to initiate respective uploading requests to the ordering box, responding to the request by sending the source information to the several boxes configured respectively to proceed with uploading collectively the at least some of the file to the ordering box. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14)
-
-
12. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the authentication information further includes security information to decipher the segments provided that the segments are encrypted collectively or respectively.
-
15. A method for providing VOD services, the method comprising:
-
enabling selection of a title from a library including a substantial number of titles in a box;
generating a request when the title is ordered;
transmitting the request over a network to a server configured to formulate a response, the response including source information identifying several boxes to provide one or more distributed segments pertaining to the ordered title;
initiating a playback of a time-fill program in the box; and
determining automatically when to start a playback of the ordered title after starting to receive the one or more distributed segments respectively from the several boxes. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27)
-
-
28. A system for providing VOD services, the system comprising:
-
a plurality of boxes, respectively coupled to a network, each box providing a library of titles, each box including a storage space allowing a plurality of segments to reside therein and configured to provide a request when one of the titles is ordered; and
a server coupled to the network and configured to provide a response to a request from one of the boxes (“
an ordering box”
hereafter), the response including source information identifying a set of the boxes designed to provide respective distributed segments pertaining to the title to the ordering box,wherein, upon receiving the response, the ordering box starts a time-fill program while downloading collectively the distributed segments from the set of the boxes. - View Dependent Claims (29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38)
-
Specification