Application server and streaming server streaming multimedia file in a client specified format

A method for using a streaming server comprising the steps of

• receiving in a streaming server consecutive groups of data of a multimedia file and a client address;
• converting each of the consecutive groups received into a format readable by at least one client apparatus;
• and
• sending each of the converted groups to the at least one client apparatus.

A method for selectively sending multimedia files from application servers or streaming servers in a data communication system, comprising the steps of:

• receiving in an application server, a client request for a multimedia file including a plurality of predetermined groups of multimedia data;
• determining whether the multimedia file is located on a streaming server;
• stripping consecutive groups from the multimedia file and buffering the stripped groups in a staging buffer at the application server;
• transferring to a streaming server, consecutive groups from the stripping buffer and a client address corresponding to the client request received in the application server;
• converting at the streaming server, each of the consecutive groups received from the staging buffer into a format readable by at least one client apparatus;
• and
• sending each of the converted groups to the at least one client apparatus, when the multimedia file is not located on the streaming server.

A method for selectively sending multimedia files from application servers or streaming servers in a data communication system, comprising the steps of:

• receiving in an application server, a client request for a multimedia file including a plurality of predetermined groups of multimedia data;
• determining whether the multimedia file is located on a streaming server;
• converting at the streaming server, each of the consecutive groups received from the staging buffer into a format readable by at least one client apparatus;
• and
• sending each of the converted groups to the at least one client apparatus, when the multimedia file is located on the streaming server.

A method of purging multimedia files from a streaming server according to a garbage-collection algorithm, comprising the steps of:

• determining a rate at which a multimedia file has been sent from a streaming server to at least one client apparatus;
• comparing the number of times to a threshold number;
• and
• purging the multimedia file from the streaming server when the number of times is less than or equal to the threshold number.

A method for purging files from a streaming server comprising the steps of:

• receiving in a streaming server, a maximum group count corresponding to a maximum number of groups of data that make up a multimedia file;
• storing the maximum group count in the streaming server according to a garbage-collection algorithm;
• receiving consecutive groups of data of the multimedia file;
• counting a number of consecutive groups received in the streaming server;
• determining whether the number of consecutive groups received is equal to the maximum group count;
• and
• purging from the streaming server, consecutive groups of the multimedia file when the number of groups received is equal to the maximum group count.

A method for selectively transferring entire multimedia files from an application server to a streaming server comprising the steps of:

• receiving in an application server, a client request for a multimedia file;
• determining over a predetermined time period, a number of client requests for the multimedia file;
• comparing the number of client requests for the multimedia file to a threshold popularity number;
• and
• transferring the entire multimedia file from the application server to a streaming server when the total number of client requests for the multimedia file is greater than the threshold popularity number.

A method of buffering multimedia data in a data communication system, comprising the steps of:

• receiving in a streaming server, consecutive groups of data of a multimedia file;
• converting at the streaming server, each of the consecutive groups into a protocol readable by at least one client apparatus in communication with the streaming server;
• determining whether a transfer rate of the groups to the streaming server is greater than a sending rate from the streaming server to the at least one client apparatus;
• and
• sending consecutively, the converted groups to the at least one client apparatus, when the determining step determines that the transfer rate is greater than the sending rate.

A method of buffering multimedia data in a data communication system, comprising the steps of:

• receiving in a streaming server, consecutive groups of data of a multimedia file;
• converting at the streaming server, each of the consecutive groups into a protocol readable by at least one client apparatus in communication with the streaming server;
• determining whether a transfer rate of the groups to the streaming server is greater than a sending rate from the streaming server to the at least one client apparatus;
• and
• storing in a converted group buffer in the streaming server, the converted groups for a predetermined time period, when the determining step determines that the transfer rate is less than the sending rate;
• and
• sending consecutively the converted groups to the at least one client apparatus.

A data communication system for sending multimedia data to a client apparatus, comprising:

• an application server comprising:
• a multimedia file storage;
• a file to group stripping program;
• a group staging buffer;
• a clock, for synchronizing transfer of groups of a multimedia file;
• and
• a streaming server comprising:
• a group receiving buffer;
• a format conversion program;
• a converted group buffer;
• and
• a transmitter for sending converted groups of the multimedia file to at least one client apparatus, wherein the streaming server is in communication with the application server.

A data communication system for transferring multimedia data, comprising:

• an application server comprising:
• a video file storage, for storing MPEG format video files;
• a file to frame stripping program;
• a frame staging buffer;
• a clock, for synchronizing transfer of the frames;
• and
• a streaming server comprising:
• an elastic frame receiving buffer;
• a frame format conversion program;
• a converted frame buffer;
• and
• a transmitter for sending converted frames to a client computer, wherein the streaming server is coupled over a local area network to the application server.

An application server comprising:

• a multimedia file storage;
• a file to group stripping program;
• a group staging buffer;
• and
• a clock, for synchronizing transfer of segments of a multimedia file.

A streaming server comprising:

• a group receiving buffer;
• a group format conversion program;
• a converted group buffer;
• and
• a transmitter for sending converted groups of data of a multimedia file to at least one client apparatus.