Multi-tier Cloud DVR Recording with Time-shift Buffer
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cloud-based DVR systems only support recording content from the current or future start time, failing to accommodate users who join a program late, and face legal restrictions requiring a unique copy per user, limiting their ability to record programs that aired before their recording setup time.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a multi-tier recording system that includes a control plane and a data plane, where tier-1 recorders store content in a time-shift buffer for a finite sliding window, allowing tier-2 virtual recorders to instantiate user-specific storage and retrieve past content, enabling per-user recording from arbitrary start times.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If conventional cloud-based DVR systems record content from current or future start time only, then system simplicity is maintained, but user experience deteriorates when users join programs late
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides recording into two tiers: tier-1 recorders handle time-shift buffer recording for current/future content, while tier-2 virtual recorders handle past content recording. This segmentation allows the system to maintain simplicity for common cases while adding complexity only when needed for look-back recording requests.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a multi-tier recorder system with a control plane and data plane as intermediaries between the user and the recording process. The control plane manages recording instructions and the data plane handles actual content retrieval and storage, enabling complex look-back recording without exposing complexity to the user.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the system stores content in a time-shift buffer for finite sliding window, then current and future content recording is enabled, but past content recording capability is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by continuously maintaining a time-shift buffer with recent content before users make recording requests. This allows the system to quickly provide both current and past content without requiring complex real-time retrieval operations when users want to record from arbitrary start times.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a temporal dimension to the recording system by introducing look-back capability through tier-2 virtual recorders. Instead of only recording from current time forward, the system now operates in multiple time dimensions, allowing retrieval and recording of content from the past while maintaining future recording capability.
3Reliability
If the system provides unique copy per user for legal compliance, then legal restrictions are satisfied, but system resiliency and adaptability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses virtual recorders that create unique copies of content for each user while maintaining the ability to retrieve and play back content flexibly. The virtual recorder architecture allows multiple users to have simultaneous unique copies without compromising system resiliency or adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-tier recorder system provides universal functionality by handling both current/future recording and past content recording through the same platform. The control plane and data plane architecture ensures that unique copy requirements are met while maintaining system resiliency through distributed recording and retrieval capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
Multi-tier recording to enable, for example, seek-back unique copy recording may be provided. First, content may be recorded to a time-shift buffer. Recording instructions may be received and a virtual recorder corresponding to a user may be instantiated. Next, content from the time-shift buffer may be obtained according to the received recording instructions. Then the obtained content may be saved to the instantiated virtual recorder.