Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput – Computer network managing – Network resource allocating
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-04
2004-11-09
Dinh, Dung C. (Department: 2153)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: multicomput
Computer network managing
Network resource allocating
C709S204000, C725S145000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06816904
ABSTRACT:
1. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1.1 Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a scalable networked multimedia system, and more particularly to a scalable audio-video server system and Application Program Interface (API) together with a range of associated software applications that together provide high-quality audio-video and multimedia processing capabilities.
1.2 Background
In recent years, considerable effort has been directed toward the development of hardware and software for network-based audio-video (A/V) and, more generally, networked multimedia systems. Such development has been driven by technology push from equipment manufacturers, as well as the commercial potential of entertainment applications such as video-on-demand and multi-player gaming; and business applications such as video messaging and multimedia conference collaboration.
A critical factor impacting the usefulness and value of a network-based multimedia system is the manner in which computational resources are organized to define a video file storage/encoding/decoding/distributionsystem, hereafter referred to an Audio-Video Storage System (AVSS). Several key requirements exist with regard to defining a Audio Video Storage System applicable to business applications. With particular emphasis on deployment in a business environment supporting multimedia conference collaboration and characterized by on-premises (i.e., local) and wide-area networks, these requirements include the following:
1) ubiquitous premises scalability;
2) ubiquitous wide-area scalability;
3) limited impact upon network loading;
4) low implementation and operational costs;
5) accommodation of multiple desktop platforms (modern, existing, and outdated);
6) accommodation of multiple compression standards;
7) support for a wide range of high-performance, high-quality video-enabled applications;
8) cost-effective ability to upgrade across successive technology and standards generations; and
9) API extensibility.
A collaborative multimedia environment employing a video storage system necessarily includes a plurality of desktop workstations, encoding and decoding resources, video file storage resources, and a premises video distribution network. Two architectural design factors greatly influence the extent to which the aforementioned key requirements can be simultaneously met, namely, 1) the organization of the encoding/decoding resources and video file storage resources relative to the desktop workstations and video distribution network; and 2) the nature of the video distribution network itself.
Encoding and decoding resources, as well as video file storage resources, can be allocated on a desktop-by-desktop basis, or a network (i.e., shared) basis.
FIG. 1
illustrates an exemplary Erlang resource sharing utilization relationship
2
showing computational resource utilization efficiency
1
relative to the number of users sharing the resource
6
under fixed blocking conditions. As indicated in
FIG. 1
, network-based resource allocation
3
,
4
results in much higher resource utilization efficiency than desktop-dedicated resources, which are fully allocated to one user each (5). This is turn implies that video storage systems characterized by desktop-based resource allocation leverage technology investments for less effectively than systems that employ resource sharing, particularly in situations involving a significant number of workstation users
3
and/or relatively low usage rates (<20% of workday) by users. Additionally, desktop-based resource allocation undesirably results in greater system upgrade costs.
A video distribution network can be based upon analog technology, digital technology, or their combination.
FIG. 2
is a graph showing the relative cost
2
.
1
of local-area analog and digital video signal distribution technology as a function of video quality
2
.
2
, and hence includes an analog cost-versus-performance/qualitycurve
2
.
3
and a digital cost-versus-performance/qualitycurve
2
.
4
. Across a first, lower-performance and lower-quality region
2
.
5
in
FIG. 2
that could provide performance and quality suitable, for example, for technology experiments, digital signal distribution technology is significantly more expensive than its analog counterpart. The slope of the digital cost-versus-performance/quality curve
2
.
4
throughout this first region
2
.
5
is nearly constant, while that for analog cost-versus-performance/quality
2
.
3
gradually rises with increasing performance and image quality
2
.
2
. A second region
2
.
6
shown in
FIG. 2
spans a practical region of operation
2
.
7
relative to business-performance and business-quality levels, which herein correspond to video delivered at 30 frames per second (fps) at a resolution ranging from approximately 320×240 to 640×480 pixels or other standard resolution. Across the second region
2
.
6
, the analog cost-versus-performance/quality curve
2
.
3
begins to increase rapidly as performance and quality
2
.
2
improves, eventually meeting and exceeding the digital cost-versus-performance/qualitycurve
2
.
4
. However. throughout most of the aforementioned practical region of operation
2
.
7
. analog signal distribution technology remains significantly less expensive than its digital counterpart. Thus, for most business environment performance and quality requirements, analog signal distribution technology is more cost-effective than digital signal distribution technology. Readily-available digital network technology lacks sufficient bandwidth for delivering business-quality, real-time or near-real-time video to a large number of users. Finally, a third region
2
.
8
in
FIG. 2
spans high-end or special-situation performance and quality levels
2
.
2
. Within the third region
2
.
8
, the cost of digital signal distribution technology begins to rapidly escalate.
FIG. 2
additionally indicates the manner in which the analog and digital cost-versus-performance/quality curves
2
.
3
,
2
.
4
can be expected to evolve over time. For each technology type, overall cost
2
.
1
will decrease relative to a given performance and quality level
2
.
2
as the technology evolves. The general shape of the curves
2
.
3
,
2
.
4
shown in
FIG. 2
, however, can be expected to remain essentially the same. Moreover, digital signal distribution technology is likely to evolve at a much more rapid pace than analog distribution technology in the near term, which implies higher costs
2
.
1
over a system's lifetime due to system upgrade frequency. Thus, video storage systems that rely upon all-digital video distribution technology are significantly less cost-effective than those employing analog distribution technology.
Known premises-based networked video storage systems fail to come anywhere close to meeting the aforementioned key requirements. Much of the reason for this results from the design approaches taken relative to the aforementioned architectural considerations, particularly when the architectural cornerstones are driven by established technology marketing trends rather than designing to meet true business requirements. What is needed is a video storage system that utilizes resource sharing and the full evolvable range of networked signal distribution technology to meet key cost and application quality requirements described above.
2. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a networked multimedia system comprising a plurality of workstations and at least one storage server. At least one signal path interconnects the workstations and the storage server. Each workstation includes video and audio reproduction capabilities, as well as video and audio capture capabilities. Any given storage server comprises a set of storage cells that operate under the direction of a storage cell manager. A storage cell may include one or more encoding and/or transcoding converters configured to convert or transform audio and video signals originating at a workstation into a form suitable for digital storage. A storage ce
Applebaum Daniel
Brown William Blake
Burnett Gerald
Lauwers Chris
Ludwig Lester
Collaboration Properties, Inc.
Dinh Dung C.
Sughrue & Mion, PLLC
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