System and Methods for Efficient Media Delivery Using Cache

• US 20110131298A1
• Filed: 11/30/2010
• Published: 06/02/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Vantrix Corporation
• Inventors: Mayrand, Jean, Courtemanche, Marc
• Granted Patent: US 8,516,074 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/122 by diverting traffic away from congested entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1095 Replication or mirroring of data, e.g. scheduling or transport for data synchronisation between network nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/2895 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data provider application, e.g. reverse proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5682 Policies or rules for updating, deleting or replacing the stored data

Abstract

To improve the efficiency of media delivery over the Internet, a system and a method are provided for caching remote media files and retrieving cached media files, comprising hardware and software modules as well as steps for storing a remote media file into the cache and retrieving the cached media file based on a signature created by hashing only discrete parts of the media file. The signature is a key for finding the cached media files in the cache upon subsequent requests for the same media file, even if it is received from a different internet location. Media files may be adapted to the characteristics of different media clients, and adapted media files may be equally cached.

Claims

1. A cache service module, determining a presence of a media file in a cache, the media file being a copy of a remote media file stored at a remote media source, the cache service module comprising:

a file analysis module, comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor for;

(i) obtaining, from the remote media source, a file size of the remote media file, and M ranges of bytes, M>

=2, at respective offsets relative to the beginning of the remote media file, each range of bytes being shorter than the file size of the remote media file;

(ii) concatenating bytes in the M ranges into a string of bytes;

(iii) generating a signature for the media file using the string of bytes; and

(iv) determining the presence of the media file in the cache, including interrogating the cache with the signature for the media file.

2. The cache service module of claim 1, further comprising a configuration table, comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon, for storing a value of M, and predetermined parameters respectively defining a number of bytes to be obtained for each range.

3. The cache service module of claim 2, wherein the configuration table further comprises predetermined parameters for calculating respective offsets as a function of the file size of the remote media file.

4. The cache service module of claim 1, wherein the ranges of bytes are not overlapping.

5. The cache service module of claim 1, wherein a sum of all ranges of bytes is substantially less than the file size of the remote media file.

6. The cache service module of claim 1, wherein one of the offsets is equal to zero.

7. The cache service module of claim 2, wherein:

the configuration table further comprises a predetermined threshold for the media file; and

the cache service module further comprises;

a request log module for recording media requests from media client devices for the media file;

a comparator for comparing a number of requests stored in the request log for the media file with the predetermined threshold; and

a cache interface module for sending the media file to the cache, absent the media file in the cache and provided the predetermined threshold is exceeded.

8. The cache service module of claim 1, wherein the computer readable instructions for generating the signature comprise computer readable instructions for hashing the string of bytes into a media key, the media key being the signature for the media file.

9. A system for caching a media file, comprising:

(a) a cache, comprising a computer readable storage medium, for storing a media file, which is a copy of a remote media file stored at a remote media source;

(b) a bandwidth optimizing server, including a processor and a computer readable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon, for receiving a request from a media client device for the media file; and

(c) a cache server, comprising a processor and a computer readable medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon for execution by the processor, the cache server having;

a cache service module, determining a presence of the media file in the cache, the cache service module comprising a file analysis module for;

(i) obtaining, from the remote media source, a file size of the remote media file, and M ranges of bytes, M>

=2, at respective offsets relative to the beginning of the remote media file, each range of bytes being shorter than a file size of the remote media file;

(ii) concatenating bytes in the M ranges into a string of bytes;

(iii) generating a signature for the media file using the string of bytes;

(iv) determining the presence of the media file in the cache, including interrogating the cache with the signature for the media file; and

(v) absent the media file in the cache, obtaining the media file in its entirety from the remote media source and storing the media file in the cache along with the signature.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a network interface module for communicating with the remote media source.

11. The system of claim 9, further comprising a cache interface module for retrieving the media file from the cache and forwarding the media file to the media client device through the bandwidth optimizing server.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the bandwidth optimizing server comprises a media transcoder (TRX) module for generating an adapted version of the media file to match the adapted version to a media structure of the media client device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the request from the media client device includes information regarding the media structure of the media client device.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the cache service module further comprises a configuration table, comprising a computer readable storage medium having computer readable instructions stored thereon, for storing a value of M, and predetermined parameters respectively defining a number of bytes to be obtained for each range.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the configuration table further comprises predetermined parameters for calculating respective offsets based on the file size of the remote media file.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the ranges of bytes are not overlapping.

17. The system of claim 9, wherein a sum of all ranges of bytes is substantially less than the file size of the remote media file.

18. The system of claim 9, wherein one of the offsets is zero.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the configuration table further comprises a predetermined threshold for the media file;

the cache service module further comprises;

a request log module for recording media requests from media client devices for the media file;

a comparator for comparing a number of requests stored in the request log for the media file with the predetermined threshold; and

a cache interface module for sending the media file to the cache, absent the media file in the cache and provided the predetermined threshold is exceeded.

20. The system of claim 9, wherein the file analysis module is configured for hashing the string of bytes into a media key, the media key being the signature for the media file.

21. A method for caching a media file, which is a copy of a remote media file stored at a remote media source, the method comprising:

(a) obtaining, from the remote media source, a file size of the remote media file, and M ranges of bytes, M>

=2, at respective offsets relative to the beginning of the remote media file, each range of bytes being shorter than a file size of the remote media file;

(b) concatenating bytes in the M ranges into a string of bytes;

(c) generating a signature for the media file using the string of bytes;

(d) determining the presence of the media file in the cache, including interrogating the cache with the signature for the media file; and

(e) absent the media file in the cache, obtaining the media file in its entirety from the remote media source and storing the media file in the cache along with the signature.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising generating an adapted version of the media file to match the adapted version to a media structure of a media client device, which has requested the media file.

23. The method claim 21, further comprising retrieving the media file from the cache and forwarding the media file to a media client device.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the step (a) comprises obtaining a value of M, and predetermined parameters respectively defining a number of bytes to be obtained for each range from a configuration table.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the step (a) further comprises obtaining predetermined parameters from the configuration table for calculating respective offsets based on the file size of the remote media file.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the ranges of bytes are not overlapping.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein a sum of all ranges of bytes is substantially less than the file size of the remote media file.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein one of the offsets is zero.

29. The method of claim 21, wherein the step (e) comprises:

comparing a number of requests stored in a request log for the media file with a predetermined threshold stored in a configuration table; and

provided the predetermined threshold is exceeded, storing the media file in the cache along said signature.

30. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

(f) generating an adapted version of the media file to match the adapted version to a media structure of a media client device, which has requested the media file;

(g) comparing a number of requests stored in a request log for the media file with a predetermined threshold stored in a configuration table; and

(h) provided the predetermined threshold is exceeded, storing the adapted media file in the cache along with said signature.

31. The method of claim 21, wherein the step (c) comprises hashing the string of bytes into a media key, the media key being the signature for the media file.

32. The method of claim 30, the step (f) further comprising:

(i) recording a type of the requesting media client device in the request log;

(j) comparing a number of requests from the requesting media client device stored in the request log with a predetermined threshold stored in the configuration table;

(j) provided the predetermined threshold is exceeded, generating the adapted version of the media file.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the adapted version is a trans-rated version.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the adapted version is a trans-coded version.