System and method for delivery of content objects

• US 8,880,587 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2010
• Issued: 11/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Limelight Networks, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Limelight Networks, Inc.
• Inventors: Cobb, Jonathan, Rowley, David, Anderson, Scott, Mahyari, Abbas, Dolgov, Nikita, Rivas, Carl
• Primary Examiner(s): Scott, Randy
• Assistant Examiner(s): FABBRI, ANTHONY E
• Application Number:
  US12/756,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20110252082A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,671 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/232, 709/227, 709/230, 709/234, 709/237
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/958 Organisation or management of web site content, e.g. publishing, maintaining pages or automatic linking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23109 by placing content in organized collections, e.g. EPG data repository details of retrieval of video data and associated meta data in video databases G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25825 involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06

Abstract

Techniques for delivering content to an end user device are disclosed. A policy server performs an ingest process in which multiple versions of a content object are created. The multiple versions of the content object are associated with a single network identifier which can be distributed to publishers of the content object. When the content object is requested using the single network identifier, the policy server determines a preferred version and delivery orchestration scheme from among the multiple versions for delivery to an end user device based on several criteria. The policy server may thereafter orchestrate delivery of the preferred version of the content object to the end user device. The single network identifier may be associated with an edge location in a content delivery network (CDN) and the policy server may orchestrate delivery in cooperation with servers at the CDN edge location.

Claims

1. A method of delivering multi-media content objects to an end user device for a single-link player, comprising:

receiving notification at a hardware policy server that a multi-media content object is available for processing;

creating a plurality of versions of the multi-media content object in response to the notification and prior to receiving any request for the multi-media content object, each version of the multi-media content object being created with a corresponding encoding profile in a set of encoding profiles;

associating a unique network identifier with the plurality of versions of the multi-media content object;

sending the unique network identifier to a publisher hardware server of the multi-media content object;

receiving a request, at an edge server, for the multi-media content object comprising the unique network identifier and request information relating to capabilities of the end user device;

determining, at the edge server, a preferred version of the multi-media content object based on the encoding profiles and the request information without further interaction beyond the request, the preferred version being one of the plurality of created versions;

determining, at the edge server, a delivery orchestration scheme for sending the preferred version of the multi-media content object to the end user device, wherein the delivery orchestration scheme is based on the request information and comprises;

providing the end user device with an HTTP address of the preferred version, and

receiving, at the edge server, a request from the end user device with the HTTP address of the preferred version; and

sending, by the edge server, the preferred version of the multi-media content object to the end user device in response to the request for the multi-media content object in accordance with the determined delivery orchestration scheme with no further information from the end user device beyond the request for the multi-media content object and the request from the end user device with the HTTP address of the preferred version, whereby the single-link player is able to provide the requested content.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of versions of the multi-media content object comprise a plurality of audio/video media files.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each version of the content objects of the plurality of versions of the content objects comprises one or more incorporated third-party advertising materials, the one or more incorporated third-party advertising materials differing across the versions.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein each encoding profile in the set of encoding profiles comprises a plurality of encoding parameters including a bitrate, a frame size, and a media format.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the encoding parameters are related to end user device capabilities.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the request information comprises at least one identifier of the end user device;

the at least one identifier comprises a hardware identifier; and

the method further comprises;

determining a display capability of the end user device at the hardware policy server based on the hardware identifier, and

determining the preferred version of the multi-media content object based on the display capability.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the device capabilities comprise a network connection of the end user device, the method further comprising:

determining a bandwidth capability of the end user device based on the network connection; and

determining the preferred version of the multi-media content object based on the bandwidth capability.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting a playback application of the end user device to receive the preferred version of the multi-media content object; and

directing a protocol transition based on the playback application.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the protocol transition comprises a transition from HTTP to RTSP (real-time streaming protocol) or a transition from HTTP to IHS (iPhone HTTP streaming).

10. A policy server for a single-link player, comprising:

a publisher interface configured to receive notification that a multi-media content object is available for processing;

a merge processor comprising merge resources configured to create a plurality of versions of the multi-media content object in response to the notification and prior to receiving any request for the multi-media content object, each version of the multi-media content object being created with a corresponding encoding profile in a set of encoding profiles, and to associate a unique network identifier with the plurality of versions of the multi-media content object,

the merge processing further configured to provide the unique network identifier to the publisher interface for delivery to a publisher of the multi-media content object when the plurality of versions of the multi-media content object is available for distribution;

a content request interface, at an edge server, configured to receive an HTTP (hyper-text transport protocol) request for the multi-media content object, the request comprising the unique network identifier and request information relating to capabilities of an end user device; and

a policy engine configured to determine, at the edge server, a preferred version of the multi-media content object for distribution to the end user device based on the encoding profiles and the request information, the preferred version being one of the plurality of created versions,

the policy engine further configured to;

determine, at the edge server, a delivery orchestration scheme, wherein the delivery orchestration scheme is based on the request information and comprises;

providing the end user device with an HTTP address of the preferred version, and

receiving, at the edge server, a request from the end user device with the HTTP address of the preferred version; and

cause the preferred version to be sent, by the edge server, to the end user device in response to the request for the multi-media content object in accordance with the determined delivery orchestration scheme with no more information with the end user device beyond the request for the multi-media content object and the request from the end user device with the HTTP address of the preferred version, whereby the single-link player is able to provide the requested content.

11. The policy server of claim 10, wherein each encoding profile in the set of encoding profiles comprises a plurality of encoding parameters including a bitrate, a frame size, and a media format.

12. The policy server of claim 11, wherein the encoding parameters are related to end user device capabilities.

13. The policy server of claim 10, wherein:

the request information comprises at least one identifier of the end user device,

the at least one identifier comprises a hardware identifier, and

the policy engine is configured to determine a display capability of the end user device based on the hardware identifier and to determine the preferred version of the multi-media content object based on the display capability.

14. The policy server of claim 13, wherein the at least one identifier comprises a network connection of the end user device, and wherein the policy engine is configured to determine a bandwidth capability of the end user device based on the network connection and to determine the preferred version of the multi-media content object based on the bandwidth capability.

15. The policy server of claim 10, wherein the policy engine is configured to detect a playback capability of the end user device and to direct a protocol transition based on the playback capability.

16. The policy server of claim 15, wherein the protocol transition comprises a transition from HTTP to RTSP (real-time streaming protocol), and wherein:

the end user device is redirected via HTTP to an RTSP URL (universal resource locator) in connection with the protocol transition;

or

the policy server directs delivery of an HTML stub file to the end user device in connection with the protocol transition, said HTML stub file comprising instructions for causing the end user device to receive RTSP content.

17. The policy server of claim 15, wherein the protocol transition comprises a transition from HTTP to IHS (iPhone HTTP streaming).

18. A method of distributing multi-media content objects in a content delivery network (CDN) for a single-link player, comprising:

receiving notification at a policy server that a multi-media content object is available for processing;

creating a plurality of versions of the multi-media content object with a plurality of corresponding encoding profiles responsive to the notification and prior to receiving any request for the multi-media content object, each version of the multi-media content object being created with a corresponding encoding profile in a set of encoding profiles;

associating the plurality of versions of the multi-media content object with a unique network identifier of the CDN;

sending the unique CDN network identifier from the policy server to a publisher of the multi-media content object;

receiving a request, at an edge server, for the multi-media content object, the request comprising the unique CDN network identifier and request information;

determining device capabilities of the end user device based on the request information;

determining, at the edge server, a preferred version of the multi-media content object for the end user device based on the device capabilities, the preferred version being one of the plurality of created versions;

determining, at the edge server, a delivery orchestration scheme for sending the preferred version of the multi-media content object to the end user device, wherein the delivery orchestration scheme is based on the request information and comprises;

providing the end user device with an HTTP address of the preferred version, and

receiving, at the edge server, a request from the end user device with the HTTP address of the preferred version; and

sending, by the edge server, the preferred version of the multi-media content object to the end user device from a CDN location corresponding to the unique CDN network identifier in response to the request for the multi-media content object with no more information with the end user device beyond the request for the multi-media content object and the request from the end user device with the HTTP address of the preferred version, whereby the single-link player is able to provide the requested content.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

determining a delivery orchestration scheme based on the device capabilities; and

sending the preferred version of the multi-media content object to the end user device using the determined delivery orchestration scheme.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the request information comprises at least one of device identifiers, usage statistics, cookies, or user preferences associated with the end user device.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein creating the plurality of versions of the multi-media content object comprises adding third-party advertising material to the multi-media content object.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the third-party advertising material is obtained in response to a call to an internet-based advertising service.