Bi-directional transfer of media content assets in a content delivery network
AssigneeComcast Cable Communications, LLC
InventorWeidong Mao
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Systems, apparatuses, methods, and software for using a network to efficiently distributing media content assets from a virtually unlimited content library and/or other storage to a plurality of client devices, as well as bi-directional local content sharing between head ends, and dynamic distribution and generation of media content assets within the network.
Claims20
A method for sharing media content assets between video-on-demand systems of a service provider network, the method comprising:
- receiving first media content and associated first metadata at a first video-on-demand system, the first video-on-demand system being configured to stream media content assets to a first plurality of client devices;
- generating a first media content asset representing the first media content;
- sending the first metadata to a database,
- retrieving the first metadata from the database by a second video-on-demand system configured to stream media content assets to a second plurality of client devices to which the first video-on-demand system is not configured to stream media content assets;
- sending, by the second video-on-demand system, a request for the first media content asset, the request being based on the first metadata;
- and
- responsive to the request from the second video-on-demand system, replicating at least a portion of the first media content asset to the second video-on-demand system.
A video-on-demand network for sharing media content assets between video-on-demand systems, the video-on-demand network comprising:
- a first computer-readable medium;
- a database;
- and
- a first video-on-demand system configured to stream media content assets to a first plurality of client devices, wherein the first video-on-demand system is further configured to:
- receive first media content and associated first metadata,
- generate a first media content asset representing the first media content, and
- send the first metadata to the database,
- wherein the network is configured to replicate at least a portion of the first media content asset to a second video-on-demand system having access to the database and configured to stream media content assets to a second plurality of client devices to which the first video-on-demand system is not configured to stream media content assets, the replication being responsive to a request from the second video-on-demand system for the first media content asset.
A system for sharing media content assets between first and second video-on-demand systems each serving a different plurality of client devices, the system comprising:
- a computer;
- and
- a computer-readable medium,
- wherein the computer is configured to:
- receive a first media content asset from the first video-on-demand system, and store the received first media content asset in the computer-readable medium, wherein the first video-on-demand system is configured to stream media content assets to a first plurality of client devices,
- receive a request from the second video-on-demand system for the first media content asset, and
- responsive to the request from the second video-on-demand system, replicate at least a portion of the first media content asset to the second video-on-demand system, wherein the second video-on-demand system is configured to stream media content assets to a second plurality of client devices to which the first video-on-demand system is not configured to stream media content assets.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.