Method and system for caching streaming live broadcasts transmitted over a network
US6757796B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | May 15, 2000 |
| Grant date | Jun 29, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | May 15, 2020 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04L67/288
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Disclosed is a method and an apparatus for enhancing existing caching systems to better support the live broadcast of streaming multimedia over the Internet and other public network systems. The apparatus includes the use of helper servers in the network for supporting high quality live streaming multimedia (SM) broadcasts. The helper servers (HS), also referred to as helpers, are each positioned in the network to be close to some number of clients. Client requests for live SM broadcast objects are re-routed from the content server to the local HS to be serviced therefrom. Servicing requests from the local HS is advantageous in that the requests are not required to be serviced from the content server as separate unicast datastreams thereby reducing network congestion problems. In addition to servicing requests locally, each HS allocates and maintains PH buffers which operate as a form of dynamic cache to further reduce the playback delay at a client. The PH buffers operate as a moving window of fixed size that advances with the live broadcast stream, storing the last few seconds of the live SM broadcast. The cached data is made immediately available to a requesting client to fill t…
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.