Media content processing/distribution system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9510027-B2
Application number	US-201214389909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2012
Priority date	Apr 2, 2012
Publication date	Nov 29, 2016
Grant date	Nov 29, 2016

Abstract

A media content distribution system ( 10 ) comprises a plurality of interconnected system resources ( 13 - 15 ) arranged to receive and/or transmit media content. A number of the system resources ( 13 - 15 ) have a capability of performing a transform processing operation on the media content. A system controller ( 20 ) automatically determines connectivity of the system resources ( 13 - 15 ) and determines the transform capabilities of the system resources using control messages received from the system resources. A first of the system resources can advertise information about a potential combined system resource which is possible if at least one transform capability of the first system resource is combined with at least one transform capability of another system resource. The system controller ( 20 ) can output a map of the system resources on the user interface ( 25 ). The user interface ( 25 ) can allow a user to explore detail of resources ( 13 - 15 ) and select routes between nodes.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of operating a controller of a media content distribution system, the system comprising a plurality of interconnected system resources arranged to receive and/or transmit media content, a number of the system resources having a capability of performing a transform processing operation on the media content, the method comprising:
automatically determining connectivity of the system resources; and
determining the transform capabilities of the system resources using control messages received from the system resources, wherein
determining the transform capabilities of the system resources comprises receiving information from a first of the plurality of system resources about a potential combined system resource which is possible if at least one transform capability of the first system resource is combined with at least one transform capability of another system resource.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the information received from the first of the system resources specifies the at least one transform capability of another system resource which is required to perform the potential combined system resource.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the potential combined resource comprises a transcoder capability which combines a decode capability at one system resource with an encode capability at another system resource.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the potential combined system resource combines capabilities of resources which are geographically separated.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the system resource is a video processing resource and the step of determining the transform capabilities of the system resources comprises receiving a control message carrying information about at least one of: supported video coding/decoding formats; supported transcoding parameters; supported bit rates; supported aspect ratios; supported audio coding formats.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein each of the system resources comprise processing resources which have a processing capacity, and each of the transform processing operations requires an amount of the processing resources to implement, called a cost, and the method further comprises determining processing capacity of the system resources and cost of the transform processing operations using control messages received from the system resources.

7. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an input representing a first node of the system;
receiving an input representing a first media content present at the first node which it is desired to route;
determining properties of the first media content at the first node;
receiving an input representing a second node of the system;
determining properties required for the media content at the second node of the system;
computing a route for the first media content between the first node and the second node using system resources which will transform the first media content from the properties of the first media content at the first node of the system to the properties required for the first media content at the second node, the computing using the determined transform capabilities of the system resources and the determined connectivity of the system resources.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the step of computing a route comprises determining a route based on at least one of: an amount of resources required, an amount of resources remaining, quality of service, congestion.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the controller comprises a user interface and the method further comprises:
outputting a map of the system resources on the user interface; and
receiving the input representing a first node of the system and receiving the input representing a second node of the system in response to inputs via the user interface of selected elements on the map.

10. The method according to claim 9 , further comprising:
outputting, in response to the input via the user interface of a selected element on the map, display elements representing media content present at the node corresponding to the selected element;
receiving an input via the user interface of the first media content as a selection of one of the display elements.

11. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
generating a logical map of the system resources, based on the determined connectivity of the network resources and the determined capabilities of the network resources;
outputting the logical map as a display on a user interface, wherein the map comprises icons representing the system resources.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the connectivity and capability information is in a hierarchical form, and the method further comprises:
receiving a user input via the user interface to explore a selected resource or portion of the logical map and, in response, outputting an increased amount of detail about the selected resource or portion of the map from a lower hierarchical level of the connectivity and capability information.

13. The method according to claim 11 further comprising:
receiving an input via the user interface of a selected node on the map; and, outputting, via the user interface, information about media content present at that node.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the information about media content is presented as a hierarchy of data flows.

15. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising:
receiving an input via the user interface of a first waypoint node on the map and outputting, via the user interface, information about a first set of media content present at that first waypoint node;
receiving an input via the user interface of a second waypoint node on the map and outputting, via the user interface, information about a second set of media content present at that second waypoint node;
determining properties required for the selected media content at the second waypoint node;
receiving an input via the user interface to transfer a selected media content stream from the first set to the second set; and
computing a route for the selected media content stream between the first waypoint node and the second waypoint node via network resources which transform the selected media content stream to the properties required at the second waypoint node.

16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the second waypoint node has a default set of properties associated with it and the step of determining properties required for the selected media content at the second waypoint node uses the default properties.

17. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the input via the user interface to transfer a selected media content stream from the first set to the second set comprises a drag and drop operation between the first set and the second set.

18. The method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
receiving an input via the user interface of a third waypoint node on the map; and
computing a route for the selected media content stream between the first waypoint node and the second waypoint node via the third waypoint node.

19. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory machine-readable medium carrying instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the method of claim 1 .

20. A method of operating a system resource of a media content distribution system, wherein the system resource is capable of interconnecting with other sys

Assignees

• Steel Christopher
• Neill Michael
• Adams Martin
• Forse Neal
• Ericsson Telefon Ab L M

Inventors

• Steel Christopher
• Neill Michael
• Adams Martin
• Forse Neal

Classifications

• G06F9/5072

  Grid computing · CPC title

• H04N21/234372

  for performing aspect ratio conversion · CPC title

• H04L65/1053

  IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements (circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00) · CPC title

• H04N21/2368

  Multiplexing of audio and video streams · CPC title

• H04N21/2343 Primary

  involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements {(video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762)} · CPC title