Stream control failover utilizing an attribute-dependent protection mechanism

US7721117B2 · kind B2 · utility

Inventors

• W. Paul Sherer · Sunnyvale, US
• Kirk Blattman · San Jose, US
• Hoi-Tauw Chou · San Jose, US
• Glenn Connery · Sunnyvale, US
• Howard Davis · Englewood, US
• Daniel Kiewlich · Burlingame, US
• Robert Drew Major · Orem, US
• Mel J. Oyler · Pleasant Grove, US
• Neeraj Sharma · Glen Allen, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 31, 2006
• Grant date: May 18, 2010
• Expiry date: Mar 18, 2029

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04N21/64322
• WIPO field: Audio-visual technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A technique for managing the streaming of digital video content to multiple clients involves identifying an attribute of a content element that is streamed to a client and selecting a protection mechanism for the content element as a function of the attribute, wherein the protection mechanism enables streaming of the content element to the clients in the event of a resource failure. In an example, the identified attribute is an indication of the popularity of the content element (e.g., as measured by the number of active streams), such that the protection mechanism is selected as a function of the popularity of the content element. In an embodiment, protection mechanisms that offer a higher level of protection are selected for the more popular content elements and protection mechanisms that offer a lower level of protection are selected for the less popular content elements.