Method and apparatus for sharing media files among network nodes with respect to available bandwidths

Abstract

Techniques for sharing data among a plurality of networked devices, also referred to network nodes, are discussed. To best use an available uploading bandwidth of a device sharing data with a receiving device, a portion of the data is uploaded within the available uploading bandwidth, and another portion of the data is uploaded from another device locally caching the same data. To satisfy the minimum transmission rate of the data to the receiving device, both portions of the data are concurrently uploaded from the two devices to the receiving device. In reference to a predetermined minimum uploading bandwidth and the available uploading bandwidth, the two portions of data are interleaved and must be reassembled to recover the data for consumption in the receiving device. A size of the first portion of the data is determined by a server in view of the available uploading bandwidth a designated supplying box has.

1 . A method for providing media-on-demand services, the method comprising:
 preparing media data pertaining to a title into a sequence of data blocks, each of the data blocks including a chunk of data;   fragmenting the media data into K segments, each of the K segments including data blocks interleaved from the media data, thus the data blocks in each of the K segments are non-consecutive;   distributing the K segments into boxes in service, and causing an i-th segment of the K segments to be cached in at least a first box and a second box;   measuring an available uploading bandwidth of the first and second boxes when receiving an order for the title from an ordering box;   designating the first and second boxes to supply collectively the i-th segment to the ordering box, wherein the first device is configured to supply a first portion of the i-th segment not exceeding the available uploading bandwidth of the first device.   
   
   
       2 . The method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising: designating the second box to supply another one of the segment in addition to a second portion of the i-th segment to the ordering device without exceeding the available uploading bandwidth of the second device. 
   
   
       3 . The method as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the ordering box is configured to multiplex the first and second portions of the i-th segment being streamed in to recover the i-th segment being streamed in, and at the same time to multiplex the i-th segment being streamed in and remaining K−1 segments some or all of which are being streamed in for a playback of the title on the ordering box. 
   
   
       4 . A system for providing media-on-demand services, the system comprising
 a plurality of boxes including an ordering box, a first device and a second device, the ordering box associated with a user being placed an order of a title offered in a library;   a server configured to perform operations of:
 preparing media data pertaining to a title into a sequence of data blocks, each of the data blocks including a chunk of data; 
 fragmenting the media data into K segments, each of the K segments including data blocks interleaved from the media data, thus the data blocks in each of the K segments are non-consecutive; 
 distributing the K segments into the boxes ahead of the order, and causing an i-th segment of the K segments to be cached in at least the first box and the second box; 
 measuring an available uploading bandwidth of the first and second boxes when receiving the order for the title from the ordering box; and 
 designating the first and second boxes to supply collectively the i-th segment to the ordering box, wherein the first device is configured to supply a first portion of the i-th segment not exceeding the available uploading bandwidth of the first device. 
   
   
   
       5 . The system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the uploading bandwidth of the first box is below a predefined minimum uploading bandwidth so that only the first portion of the data segment is uploaded to the ordering box, and thus the second box is configured to upload a remaining portion of the i-th segment to the ordering box.