Method and system for providing the download of transcoded files

摘要

A technique and system that generates transcoded media files from requested original compressed media files, and then transmits the transcoded media files to a requester rather than the original compressed media files. Advantageously, the disclosed solutions provide a more bandwidth efficient downloading of media files to a requesting device. In addition, the disclosed solutions also fully support the seek function that is typically employed in media player devices. By correlating the requested original compressed media files time-wise with the generated transcoded media files, seek requests generated by a requesting device can be mapped to the appropriate or a close proximity to the transcoded media file.

主权项

1. A method of delivering transcoded media, the method comprising:
preparing a transcoded database (“TDB”) in a memory element, wherein the TDB stores a plurality of transcoded media files, each transcoded media file comprising a plurality of transcoded key frames, wherein the offset in bytes from the beginning of the transcoded media file of each transcoded key frame is associated with an hash value that was calculated by implementing an hash function on data of a corresponding-original-compressed-media file at a location which is relevant to the location of that transcoded key frame from the beginning of the stored transcoded media file; an intermediate server obtaining a chunk of an original compressed media file from a web server, the chunk of the original compressed media file being sent by the web server in response to a seek request that was sent from a specific requester's device and, the chunk of the original compressed media file being directed toward the specific requester's device, wherein the obtained chunk is located within the original compressed media file at an offset from the beginning of the original compressed media file identified by the seek request and wherein the intermediate server is communicatively positioned between a plurality of web servers and a plurality of requesting devices, and wherein the specific requester's device is one of the plurality of requesting devices; calculating a hash value on a portion of the obtained chunk of the original compressed media file; the intermediate server selecting a transcoded media file from the plurality of transcoded media files stored in the TDB by searching for a transcoded media file associated with the calculated hash value; and the intermediate server sending a portion of the selected transcoded media file, starting at a point within the transcoded media file that is associated with the calculated hash value, toward the specific requester's device; wherein the seek request was sent while the selected transcoded media file is rendered by the specific requester's device.