Patent ID: 7809830
Filing Date: 2010-10-05
Classification: H04N

Abstract:
1. A method of distributing bitstreams by a server device to a plurality of client devices connected to said server device via a network, in which said server device transfers a bitstream via said network to a client device belonging to said plurality of client devices, and in which said bitstream is to be transcoded according to a plurality of predetermined transcoding methods, said method comprising the following steps: a) calculating a rate associated with each of said bitstreams resulting from application of at least one of said plurality of transcoding methods; b) classifying a quality of each client device of said plurality of client devices; c) for each client device of said plurality of client devices, determining, among said plurality of predetermined transcoding methods, those which are acceptable for said client device, depending on said calculated rates of the bitstreams and said classification of the quality of the clients; and d) performing a global selection to select a transcoding distribution solution in which an acceptable transcoding method is associated with each client device of said plurality of client devices, and in which the sum of calculated rates of bitstreams resulting from the transcoding methods in the transcoding distribution solution is less than or equal to a bandwidth of the network, wherein said global selection is performed each time a client device connects to the network so as to select a transcoding distribution solution in which an acceptable transcoding method is associated with each client device of said plurality of client devices, and in which the sum of calculated rates of bitstreams resulting from the transcoding methods in the transcoding distribution solution is less than or equal to a bandwidth of the network, and wherein said global selection is performed each time a client device previously connected to the network disconnects so as to select a transcoding distribution solution in which an acceptable transcoding method is associated with each client device of said plurality of client devices, and in which the sum of calculated rates of bitstreams resulting from the transcoding methods in the transcoding distribution solution is less than or equal to a bandwidth of the network.