IP to VOD Gateway Protocol Conversion
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional media server systems require customers to manage and store media content locally, which can be burdensome for non-technical users and necessitate additional hardware or software support for playing media on different devices, and involve costly physical storage and transcoding processes when sharing content.
Innovation Solution
A media server hosted in a service provider's network that supports DLNA networks, allowing media content to be stored and rendered remotely, with integrated gateway functions for converting IP-based content to VOD assets and vice versa, and digital rights management, reducing the need for local servers and physical storage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If media content is stored locally on customer premises with traditional DLNA systems, then media playback is enabled on multiple devices, but device complexity and hardware requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the media server functionality from the customer premises and relocates it to the service provider's network infrastructure. This allows media content to be stored and managed remotely, eliminating the need for customers to maintain local media servers while still enabling playback on multiple DLNA-compliant devices through the gateway's protocol conversion capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway device performs multiple functions: it acts as a DLNA media server, converts between IP and VOD protocols, and interfaces with both set-top boxes and IP-based devices. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require separate hardware components into a single device, reducing overall system complexity
2Adaptability or versatility
If a local DLNA media server is deployed at customer home, then content sharing between devices is enabled, but cost and maintenance burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the media server functionality with the service provider's existing network infrastructure and gateway devices. Instead of requiring a separate local media server, the gateway itself serves as the media server, leveraging existing hardware resources and reducing deployment costs while maintaining content sharing capabilities across the home network
3Adaptability or versatility
If media content is converted between IP and VOD protocols, then compatibility between different device types is improved, but processing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway serves as an intermediary device between IP-based media servers and VOD-based set-top boxes. It performs protocol conversion by receiving IP protocol requests, translating them into VOD protocol commands, and vice versa, thereby enabling communication between incompatible device types without requiring complex modifications to the endpoint devices
Data Source
AI summary
A media server is hosted in a service provider's network so that media content can be stored from or rendered to a private network such as a Digital Living Network Alliance network. Media content may be stored by accessing the media server or by downloading the media content to the media server. Support of set top boxes interacting with voice-on-demand (VOD) controllers and computers interacting with IP-based video content servers are integrated through the media server. Consequently, VOD assets can be played on IP-based devices and IP-based content can be played on set top boxes. A gateway function converts IP-based content to a VOD asset, and renders the VOD asset to a set top box while mapping digital rights management information for the VOD asset. Conversely, the gateway function may convert a VOD asset to IP-based content that can be played on an IP-based device.