Patent ID: 9113184
Filing Date: 2015-08-18
Classification: H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method of delivering an audio video asset, said method comprising: receiving orders, each order specifying an audio video asset to be delivered and a delivery destination for said audio video asset, wherein said delivery destination represents one or more physical delivery recipients; determining delivery paths that could be used to deliver said audio video asset to said delivery destination, wherein said determining comprises: for each delivery path, matching a delivery sink associated with a delivery capability to a delivery source represented by a delivery option according to one or more criteria of a delivery scheme representing a delivery technology; retrieving a set of path capacity timelines for said delivery paths, wherein path capacity timelines in said set of path capacity timelines each model a quantity of available capacity varying over time; processing said path capacity timelines to yield delivery path capacities; applying an allocation algorithm to said delivery path capacities to yield candidate delivery allocations, wherein said candidate delivery allocations each comprise one or more time periods during which one or more time periods a defined quantity of capacity can be allocated for delivery of said audio video asset; applying a cost function to said candidate delivery allocations to yield cost values, said cost function parameterized by at least one time period, said at least one time period associated with at least one cost factor for calculating said cost values according to at least said at least one time period, wherein said cost values each represent a cost of delivering said audio video asset according to said candidate delivery allocations; calculating scores for said candidate delivery allocations in dependence on a cost value for each of said candidate delivery allocations and one or more other objectives; selecting one of said candidate delivery allocations having a lowest score to yield a selected candidate delivery allocation; and delivering said audio video asset according to said selected candidate delivery allocation.