Multiway peer-to-peer media streaming

• US 9,462,018 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2008
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Setton, Eric E., Annapureddy, Siddhartha, Apostolopoulos, John
• Primary Examiner(s): SALAD, ABDULLAHI ELMI
• Application Number:
  US12/812,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20100287238A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,190 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709204-205, 709/231
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/103 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1046 Joining mechanisms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1059 Inter-group management mechanisms, e.g. splitting, merging or interconnection of groups
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104

Abstract

Multiway peer-to-peer media streaming is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method comprises defining a first portion of a peer-to-peer network. The method then recites defining a second portion of the peer-to-peer network. The present method then utilizes the first portion of the peer-to-peer network to generate an aggregated media stream, wherein the aggregated media stream is comprised of a plurality of media streams. The present method then delivers the aggregated media stream from the first portion of the peer-to-peer network to the second portion of the peer-to-peer network.

Claims

1. A method for multi-way peer-to-peer media streaming, said method comprising:

defining a first portion of a peer-to-peer network;

defining a second portion of said peer-to-peer network;

utilizing said first portion of said peer-to-peer network to generate an aggregated media stream, wherein said aggregated media stream is comprised of a plurality of media streams; and

delivering said aggregated media stream from said first portion of said peer-to-peer network to said second portion of said peer-to-peer network.

2. The method as recited by claim 1 wherein said defining a first portion of said peer-to-peer network comprises:

defining content-generating peers as members of said first portion of said peer-to-peer network.

3. The method as recited by claim 1 wherein said defining a first portion of said peer-to-peer network comprises:

defining constraint-burdened peers as members of said first portion of said peer-to-peer network.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said defining a second portion of said peer-to-peer network comprises:

defining peers which do not generate content as members of said second portion of said peer-to-peer network.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 wherein said method for peer-to-peer streaming does not require any additional infrastructure other than the infrastructure associated with said peer-to-peer network.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing a registration server to maintain a list which identifies those peers comprising said first portion of said peer-to-peer network and which identifies those peers comprising said second portion of said peer-to-peer network.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

utilizing said first portion of said peer-to-peer network to deliver said aggregated media stream between said peers of said first portion of said peer-to-peer network at near real time.

8. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

enabling members of said peer-to-peer network to change their membership between being a member of said first portion of said peer-to-peer network and being a member of said second portion of said peer-to-peer network.

9. A method for multi-way media streaming using a hierarchically defined peer-to-peer network, said method comprising:

hierarchically defining a peer-to-peer network such that a first portion of said peer-to-peer network is defined and a second portion of said peer-to-peer network is defined;

utilizing said first portion of said peer-to-peer network to generate an aggregated media stream, wherein said aggregated media stream is comprised of a plurality of media streams; and

delivering said aggregated media stream from said first portion of said peer-to-peer network to said second portion of said peer-to-peer network such that multi-way communication is enabled between peers of said first portion of said peer-to-peer network and peers of said second portion of said peer-to-peer network.

10. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said hierarchically defining a peer-to-peer network comprises:

defining content-generating peers as members of said first portion of said peer-to-peer network.

11. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said hierarchically defining a peer-to-peer network comprises:

defining constraint-burdened peers as members of said first portion of said peer-to-peer network.

12. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said hierarchically defining a peer-to-peer network comprises:

defining peers which do not generate content as members of said second portion of said peer-to-peer network.

13. The method as recited in claim 9 wherein said method for multi-way media streaming using a hierarchically defined peer-to-peer network does not require any additional infrastructure other than the infrastructure associated with said peer-to-peer network.

14. The method as recited in claim 9 further comprising:

utilizing a registration server to maintain a list which identifies those peers comprising said first portion of said peer-to-peer network and which identifies those peers comprising said second portion of said peer-to-peer network.

15. The method as recited in claim 9 further comprising:

enabling members of said peer-to-peer network to change their membership between being a member of said first portion of said peer-to-peer network and being a member of said second portion of said peer-to-peer network.

16. A computer-readable memory have computer-readable code stored thereon for causing a processor to perform a method for multi-way peer-to-peer media streaming, said method comprising:

defining a first portion of a peer-to-peer network;

defining a second portion of said peer-to-peer network;

utilizing said first portion of said peer-to-peer network to generate an aggregated media stream, wherein said aggregated media stream is comprised of a plurality of media streams; and

delivering said aggregated media stream from said first portion of said peer-to-peer network to said second portion of said peer-to-peer network.

17. The computer-readable memory claim 16 wherein said computer-readable code stored thereon further causes said processor to define said first portion of said peer-to-peer network by defining content-generating peers as members of said first portion of said peer-to-peer network.

18. The computer-readable memory of claim 16 wherein said computer-readable code stored thereon further causes said processor to define said first portion of said peer-to-peer network by defining constraint-burdened peers as members of said first portion of said peer-to-peer network.

19. The computer-readable memory of claim 16 wherein said computer-readable code stored thereon further causes said processor to define said second portion of said peer-to-peer network by defining peers which do not generate content as members of said second portion of said peer-to-peer network.

20. The computer-readable memory of claim 16 wherein said method for peer-to-peer streaming does not require any additional infrastructure other than the infrastructure associated with said peer-to-peer network.

21. The computer-readable memory of claim 16 wherein said computer-readable code stored thereon further causes said processor to utilize a registration server to maintain a list which identifies those peers comprising said first portion of said peer-to-peer network and which identifies those peers comprising said second portion of said peer-to-peer network.

22. The computer-readable memory of claim 16 wherein said computer-readable code stored thereon further causes said processor to define said first portion of said peer-to-peer network by utilizing said first portion of said peer-to-peer network to deliver said aggregated media stream between said peers of said first portion of said peer-to-peer network at near real time.

23. The computer-readable memory of claim 16 wherein said computer-readable code stored thereon further causes said processor to enable members of said peer-to-peer network to change their membership between being a member of said first portion of said peer-to-peer network and being a member of said second portion of said peer-to-peer network.