Delivering content in multiple formats
AssigneeTiVo Inc.
InventorsDanial E. Holden, Austin J. Vrbas
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Content may be received at an edge location in one format, but delivered to a terminal on an access network in another format. The received content may be transcoded at the edge location. The transcoded content may be stored, or immediately delivered. The transcoded content may be fragmented prior to storage. Multiple copies of the transcoded content may be maintained in multiple formats. These formats may be aligned with one another such that delivery of the content can include delivering portions of the content in one format and other portions of the content in another format.
Claims20
A method for transcoding a content item received in a first encoding format of a plurality of encoding formats in which content can be encoded, comprising:
- determining that a second encoding format of the plurality of encoding formats constitutes a popular encoding format that is commonly provided in response to requests for content, and that a third encoding format of the plurality of encoding formats constitutes a less popular encoding format that is not commonly provided in response to requests for content;
- receiving the content item from a content source, wherein the received content item is encoded in the first encoding format;
- in response to receiving the content item from the content source, and prior to receiving a request for the content item and based on the determination that the second encoding format constitutes a popular encoding format that is commonly provided in response to requests for content, transcoding the content item into the second encoding format and storing the content item transcoded into the second encoding format;
- receiving, from a terminal, a request for the content item in the third encoding format;
- and
- in response to receiving the request for the content item in the third encoding format, transcoding the content item into the third encoding format and transmitting the content item transcoded into the third encoding format to the terminal.
A system for transcoding a content item received in a first encoding format of a plurality of encoding formats in which content can be encoded, comprising:
- control circuitry configured to:
- determine that a second encoding format of the plurality of encoding formats constitutes a popular encoding format that is commonly provided in response to requests for content, and that a third encoding format constitutes a less popular encoding format that is not commonly provided in response to requests for content;
- input/output (I/O) circuitry configured to:
- receive the content item from a content source, wherein the received content is encoded in the first encoding format, and store the received content item encoded in the first encoding format;
- wherein the control circuitry is further configured to:
- in response to receiving the content item from the content source, and prior to receiving a request for the content item and based on the determination that the second encoding format constitutes a popular encoding format that is commonly provided in response to requests for content, transcode the content item into the second encoding format and storing the content item transcoded into the second encoding format;
- receive, from a terminal, a request for the content item in the third encoding format;
- and
- in response to receiving the request for the content item in the third encoding format, transcode the content item into the third encoding format and transmit the content item transcoded into the third encoding format to the terminal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.