Hybrid streaming platform
OwnerRichard T. Oesterreicher, Craig Murphy +2inventors
InventorsRichard T. Oesterreicher, Craig Murphy, George Wright, Greg Ansley
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A digital-media server platform is disclosed that comprises a hybrid architecture. In a preferred embodiment, the hybrid architecture comprises a dedicated hardware-optimized streaming device that delivers streaming content to a client on a network under control of a general-purpose computer. The architecture also includes an abstraction layer used to interface the general-purpose computer with the streaming device, and several dedicated data buses that connect the general-purpose computer to the streaming device hardware.
Claims9
A system for providing streaming digital media to a client, comprising:
- a digital media storage;
- a general-purpose computer adapted to receive requests for digital media from the client via a first network interface;
- and,
- a hardware engine for generating and transmitting wire data packets under control of the general-purpose computer, comprising:
- (a) an interface to the digital media storage,
- (b) a media buffer adapted to receive digital media assets from the storage interface,
- (c) a processor adapted to receive digital media assets from the media buffer and generate wire data packets, and
- (d) one or more additional interfaces coupled to the processor and adapted to transmit the wire data packets to the client.
A computer readable media having stored thereon programs that cause a general-purpose computer interfaced with one or more hardware engines for generating and transmitting wire data packets to perform functions comprising:
- (a) receiving a request for a digital media asset from a client via a network interface;
- and,
- (b) instructing one of the engines to stream the digital media asset to the client in response to the request.
A method of streaming a digital media asset comprising:
- (a) receiving a request for digital media via a first network interface by a general-purpose computer;
- (b) said general-purpose computer instructing a streaming hardware engine to send the digital media asset;
- and,
- (c) said streaming hardware engine retrieving the digital media asset from a data store, formatting the data for network transmission, and transmitting the asset via a second network interface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.