Caching and streaming of digital media content subsets

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10165029-B2
Application number	US-201414263494-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 28, 2014
Priority date	Jan 31, 2014
Publication date	Dec 25, 2018
Grant date	Dec 25, 2018

Abstract

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and software for provide a digital media caching environment are provided herein. In one example, a method of operating a content node to provide a digital media caching environment is provided. The method includes receiving a request transferred by an end user device for digital media content. Responsive to the request, the method includes retrieving at least a header portion and a content subset of the digital media content from an origin server and transmuxing the content subset of the digital media content from an origin format into a stream format suitable for streaming to the end user device, and streaming the content subset in the stream format for delivery to the end user device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of operating a content node to provide a digital media caching environment, the method comprising:
receiving, by the content node, a request transferred by an end user device for digital media content;
retrieving, by the content node, a header portion for the digital media content from an origin server;
caching, by the content node, the header portion for the digital media content;
processing, by the content node, the header portion to determine a content subset of the digital media content that is associated with the request, wherein the content subset is a byte range corresponding to the request;
retrieving, by the content node, the content subset from the origin server and transmuxing the content subset of the digital media content into a stream format suitable for rendering by the end user device;
caching, by the content node, the retrieved content in its transmuxed format;
receiving a subsequent request for digital media content, wherein the subsequent request comprises a request for content in a second stream format;
processing, by the content node, the cached header portion to determine a subsequent content subset of the digital media content that is associated with the subsequent request for digital media content, wherein the second content subset comprises: a byte range corresponding to a portion of the cached transmuxed content, and non-cached content that precedes the cached transmuxed content;
re-transmuxing the portion of the cached transmuxed content corresponding to the subsequent request into the second stream format;
retrieving, by the content node, the non-cached content from the origin server, and transmuxing the non-cached content into the second stream format; and
streaming, by the content node, the re-transmuxed content corresponding to the second content subset in the second stream format, and the non-cached content retrieved from the origin server in the second stream format.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the header portion comprises a header of a file of the digital media content, and wherein the content subset comprises a byte range of media content included in the file of the digital media content.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
issuing at least a first Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) range request for delivery to the origin server to retrieve the header portion and issuing at least a second HTTP range request for delivery to the origin server to retrieve the content subset.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital media content comprises a video, a live broadcast, or an audio file.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content subset of the digital media content comprises a timewise portion of the digital media content.

6. A content node comprising:
one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media;
a processing system communicatively coupled to the one or more non-transitory computer readable media;
program instructions stored on the one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media that, when read and executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to:
retrieve, by the content node, a request transferred by an end user device for digital media content;
retrieve, by the content node, a header portion of the digital media content from an origin server;
cache, by the content node, the header portion for the digital media content;
process, by the content node, the header portion to determine a content subset of the digital media content that is associated with the request, wherein the content subset is a byte range corresponding to the request;
retrieve, by the content node, the content subset of the digital media content and transmux the content subset of the digital media content into a stream format suitable for rendering by the end user device;
cache, by the content node, the retrieved content in its transmuxed format;
retrieve a subsequent request for digital media content, wherein the subsequent request comprises a request for content in a second stream format;
process, by the content node, the cached header portion to determine a subsequent content subset of the digital media content that is associated with the subsequent request for digital media content, wherein the second content subset comprises: a byte range corresponding to a portion of the cached transmuxed content, and non-cached content that precedes the cached transmuxed content;
re-transmux the portion of the cached transmuxed content corresponding to the subsequent request into the second stream format;
retrieve, by the content node, the non-cached content from the origin server, and transmux the non-cached content into the second stream format; and
stream, by the content node, the re-transmuxed content corresponding to the second content subset in the second stream format, and the non-cached content retrieved from the origin server in the second stream format.

7. The content node of claim 6 , wherein the header portion comprises a header of a file of the digital media content, and wherein the content subset comprises a byte range of media content included in the file of the digital media content.

8. The content node of claim 6 , wherein the program instructions further direct the processing system to issue at least a first Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) range request for delivery to the origin server to retrieve the header portion and issue at least a second HTTP range request for deliver to the origin server to retrieve the content subset.

9. The content node of claim 6 , wherein the digital media content comprises a video, a live broadcast, or an audio file.

10. The content node of claim 6 , wherein the content subset of the digital media content comprises a timewise portion of the digital media content.

Assignees

• Fastly Inc
• Fastly Inc

Inventors

• Basile Stephen

Classifications

• H04L65/60 Primary

  Network streaming of media packets · CPC title

• H04L65/4084

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04W4/18

  Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals · CPC title

• H04L67/2842

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L65/605

  Electricity · mapped topic