Mark Porter

This was the main patent for the incredibly difficult project led by Matt Walters to get RDS working on local, on-premises VMWare clusters. Matt (and the team’s) work was truly groundbreaking as the bar for stability, security, and functionality was sky-high from the first release.

(Dave Pawson is the full inventor, despite LinkedIn listing him as a contributor. I was deeply involved in the design of the invention in this patent but because I didn't write any of the code, we didn't make me an inventor)

A method and apparatus for dynamic quality adjustment of digital media based on changing streaming constraints is provided. A digital media server sends a digital media stream according to a set of streaming constraints to a requesting client. Audio and visual… Show more

(Dave Pawson is the full inventor, despite LinkedIn listing him as a contributor. I was deeply involved in the design of the invention in this patent but because I didn't write any of the code, we didn't make me an inventor)

A method and apparatus for dynamic quality adjustment of digital media based on changing streaming constraints is provided. A digital media server sends a digital media stream according to a set of streaming constraints to a requesting client. Audio and visual information may be sent to a requesting client together in a single stream, or separately in multiple streams. A client sends a request over a control network to the digital media server indicating information of a particular type is no longer desired. In response to receiving the signal, the video server ceases transmission of that particular type of information to the signaling client, thus relaxing streaming constraints. As a result of the techniques described herein, an improved quality digital presentation is available for the client and, consequently, when a viewer signals that a particular type of information is not desired, that particular type of information is not transmitted to the client, which thereby reduces the streaming constraints on a video streaming service, and improved quality digital media information may be sent to any client using the freed-up portion of the bandwidth previously allocated to the signaling client. Show less

(Larry Ellison, Mark Porter, Dave Pawson, and Bill Bailey are all co-Inventors on this patent. Larry and I originally conceived it while I standing in a car repair shop, then I came straight to work and we designed it more together in his office.)

A method and apparatus for dynamic quality adjustment based on changing streaming constraints is provided. According to one aspect of the present invention, a video stream is sent to a client according to a set of streaming constraints. At… Show more

(Larry Ellison, Mark Porter, Dave Pawson, and Bill Bailey are all co-Inventors on this patent. Larry and I originally conceived it while I standing in a car repair shop, then I came straight to work and we designed it more together in his office.)

A method and apparatus for dynamic quality adjustment based on changing streaming constraints is provided. According to one aspect of the present invention, a video stream is sent to a client according to a set of streaming constraints. At least a subset of the video information in the video stream is sent from a first source. Next, a signal is received indicating a relaxation of streaming constraints corresponding to the video stream. In one embodiment, the signal is a freeze frame signal. In another embodiment, the signal is a slow motion signal. In response to the signal, a set of improved quality video information from a second source is accessed and sent to the client. According to one embodiment, the set of improved quality video information comprises a still image. According to another embodiment, the set of improved quality video information comprises a set of preprocessed video information ready to be streamed. As a result of the techniques described herein, an improved quality visual image is available for presentation on the client and, consequently, when a viewer requests a presentation rate that reduces the streaming constraints on a video streaming service, the improved quality video information may be sent using the freed-up portion of the bandwidth previously allocated to the client. Show less

(I was a contributor on this patent, but since I didn't write any of the code, we left me off the Inventor list - Dave Pawson is the sole Inventor on this patent)

A streaming media server is provided for dynamically resolving a request for digital content based upon the identity of the requester. The digital content may be specifically tailored to the demographics of the viewer, and need not be physically stored in sequence. Information about a viewer of digital video is stored within a… Show more

(I was a contributor on this patent, but since I didn't write any of the code, we left me off the Inventor list - Dave Pawson is the sole Inventor on this patent)

A streaming media server is provided for dynamically resolving a request for digital content based upon the identity of the requester. The digital content may be specifically tailored to the demographics of the viewer, and need not be physically stored in sequence. Information about a viewer of digital video is stored within a user profile. The collection of all user profiles is maintained by a profile manager. When a viewer requests a digital data stream from the media server, a content resolver, coupled to the media server, determines how to service the request based upon the appropriate user profile. In certain embodiments, the content resolver may be configured to send targeted advertisements towards the requester of the digital data stream. In other embodiments, the content resolver may be configured to send personalized information pertaining to the requesting user. In other embodiments, the content resolver may personalize the requested content according to the user profile. Show less

(I contributed to the design of this patent but since I did not do any of the actual coding, we didn't put me on as an Inventor. Dave and Dan are the co-Inventors of this patent)

A method and system for storing a continuous feed of video is provided. According to one aspect of the invention, the continuous feed is encoded in a digital video format to produce a digital data stream. A series of content files is created by repeatedly performing the steps of (1) storing the digital data… Show more

(I contributed to the design of this patent but since I did not do any of the actual coding, we didn't put me on as an Inventor. Dave and Dan are the co-Inventors of this patent)

A method and system for storing a continuous feed of video is provided. According to one aspect of the invention, the continuous feed is encoded in a digital video format to produce a digital data stream. A series of content files is created by repeatedly performing the steps of (1) storing the digital data stream in a current file, and (2) establishing a new file as the current file when the current file satisfies a predetermined condition. If the series of content files satisfy a particular deletion criteria, then a particular content file that satisfies a particular deletion criteria is deleted. A determination is made as to whether any reader is currently playing information from the particular content file. If it is determined that a reader is playing information from the particular content file then the step of deleting the particular content file is delayed. In certain aspects, tag information that indicates information about frames contained in the digital data stream is generated. The tag information includes timestamps that indicate timing of frames relative to a beginning of the digital data stream. An initial time value that indicates an absolute time that corresponds to the beginning of the digital data stream. When a request from a client for playback beginning at a specified absolute time is received, the initial time value is subtracted from the specified absolute time to determine a relative time. The tag information is used to identify a location in the digital data stream that corresponds to the relative time. The digital data stream is then transmitted to the client beginning at the location in the digital data stream that corresponds to the relative time. Show less

(Dave and I are co-Inventors on this patent)

A method and apparatus for use in a digital video delivery system is provided. A digital representation of an audio-visual work, such as an MPEG file, is parsed to produce a tag file. The tag file includes information about each of the frames in the audio-visual work. During the performance of the audio-visual work, data from the digital representation is sent from a video pump to a decoder. Seek operations are performed by causing the video… Show more

(Dave and I are co-Inventors on this patent)

A method and apparatus for use in a digital video delivery system is provided. A digital representation of an audio-visual work, such as an MPEG file, is parsed to produce a tag file. The tag file includes information about each of the frames in the audio-visual work. During the performance of the audio-visual work, data from the digital representation is sent from a video pump to a decoder. Seek operations are performed by causing the video pump to stop transmitting data from the current position in the digital representation, and to start transmitting data from a new position in the digital representation. The information in the tag file is inspected to determine the new position from which to start transmitting data. To ensure that the data stream transmitted by the video pump maintains compliance with the applicable video format, prefix data that includes appropriate header information is transmitted by said video pump prior to transmitting data from the new position. Fast and slow forward and rewind operations are performed by selecting video frames based on the information contained in the tag file and the desired presentation rate, and generating a data stream containing data that represents the selected video frames. A video editor is provided for generating a new video file from pre-existing video files. The video editor selects frames from the pre-existing video files based on editing commands and the information contained in the tag files of the pre-existing video files. A presentation rate, start position, end position, and source file may be separately specified for each sequence to be created by the video editor. Show less

(Dave and I are co-Inventors on this patent)

A method and apparatus for use in a digital video delivery system is provided. A digital representation of an audio-visual work, such as an MPEG file, is parsed to produce a tag file. The tag file includes information about each of the frames in the audio-visual work. During the performance of the audio-visual work, data from the digital representation is sent from a video pump to a decoder. Seek operations are performed by causing the video… Show more

(Dave and I are co-Inventors on this patent)

A method and apparatus for use in a digital video delivery system is provided. A digital representation of an audio-visual work, such as an MPEG file, is parsed to produce a tag file. The tag file includes information about each of the frames in the audio-visual work. During the performance of the audio-visual work, data from the digital representation is sent from a video pump to a decoder. Seek operations are performed by causing the video pump to stop transmitting data from the current position in the digital representation, and to start transmitting data from a new position in the digital representation. The information in the tag file is inspected to determine the new position from which to start transmitting data. To ensure that the data stream transmitted by the video pump maintains compliance with the applicable video format, prefix data that includes appropriate header information is transmitted by said video pump prior to transmitting data from the new position. Fast and slow forward and rewind operations are performed by selecting video frames based on the information contained in the tag file and the desired presentation rate, and generating a data stream containing data that represents the selected video frames. A video editor is provided for generating a new video file from pre-existing video files. The video editor selects frames from the pre-existing video files based on editing commands and the information contained in the tag files of the pre-existing video files. A presentation rate, start position, end position, and source file may be separately specified for each sequence to be created by the video editor. Show less

(I am a co-inventor on this patent, along with Dave Pawson and Daniel Weaver)

A method and system for delivering a live feed to a client is provided. According to one aspect of the invention, content data is generated by an encoder. Tag data that indicates locations of video frame data within the content data is generated while the content data is being generated. According to one embodiment, the tag data is generated by the encoder. According to an alternative embodiment, the tag data… Show more

(I am a co-inventor on this patent, along with Dave Pawson and Daniel Weaver)

A method and system for delivering a live feed to a client is provided. According to one aspect of the invention, content data is generated by an encoder. Tag data that indicates locations of video frame data within the content data is generated while the content data is being generated. According to one embodiment, the tag data is generated by the encoder. According to an alternative embodiment, the tag data is generated by parsing the content data. The content data is at a location from which the content data is delivered to the client. The tag data is stored at a location from which the tag data may be used to provide the client non-sequential access to the content data. Before the encoder finishes generating the content data, a request is received for non-sequential access to the content data by the client, second content data is constructed based on the content data, the tag data and the request for non-sequential access, and the second content data is sent to the client. Show less

(Dan, Dave, and I are co-Inventors on this patent)

A method and system for providing non-sequential access to visual information that is being digitally encoded in a digital data stream is provided. The digital data stream includes a sequence of video frame data. Each video frame data in the sequence of video frame data corresponds to a video frame of the visual information. The digital data stream is generated with an encoder. The encoder generates tag data that indicates locations of… Show more

(Dan, Dave, and I are co-Inventors on this patent)

A method and system for providing non-sequential access to visual information that is being digitally encoded in a digital data stream is provided. The digital data stream includes a sequence of video frame data. Each video frame data in the sequence of video frame data corresponds to a video frame of the visual information. The digital data stream is generated with an encoder. The encoder generates tag data that indicates locations of the video frame data within the digital data stream. The digital data stream is stored at a location from which the digital data stream is delivered to a client. Tag data is stored at a location from which the tag data may be used to provide the client non-sequential access to the digital data stream. A selected set of video frames within the digital data stream is selected based on the tag data in response to a request for non-sequential access by the client. A second digital data stream that includes the video frame data that corresponds to each video frame of the selected set of video frames is constructed and transmitted to the client. Show less

(I was a contributor to the designs in this patent, but since I didn't write any of the code, I did not put myself on as an inventor. Dave Lowe is the sole Inventor on this patent)

A file system configuration is scored by summing the squares of the sizes of each contiguous section of free space. A set of defragmentation plans, each describing a sequence of file movements, is generated and scored. The defragmentation plan with the highest score is chosen and executed. In moving a file, a… Show more

(I was a contributor to the designs in this patent, but since I didn't write any of the code, I did not put myself on as an inventor. Dave Lowe is the sole Inventor on this patent)

A file system configuration is scored by summing the squares of the sizes of each contiguous section of free space. A set of defragmentation plans, each describing a sequence of file movements, is generated and scored. The defragmentation plan with the highest score is chosen and executed. In moving a file, a temporary file of the same size is created and the file is copied to the temporary file. After the copying, the temporary file is designated as the file, and the file system space originally occupied by the file is unallocated. Show less

(I was a contributor to the designs in this patent but since I didn't write any of the code, I am not an inventor. Bill Bailey and Sue Lee are the co-Inventors on this patent)

A method and apparatus for coordinating access to a storage system in a real time processing system is disclosed. In an apparatus including a file server, a storage system, a real time process, and a non-real time process, an apparatus and method is disclosed for coordinating accesses to the storage system, the… Show more

(I was a contributor to the designs in this patent but since I didn't write any of the code, I am not an inventor. Bill Bailey and Sue Lee are the co-Inventors on this patent)

A method and apparatus for coordinating access to a storage system in a real time processing system is disclosed. In an apparatus including a file server, a storage system, a real time process, and a non-real time process, an apparatus and method is disclosed for coordinating accesses to the storage system, the method includes the steps of: 1) computing an available data rate from a peak bandwidth data transfer rate for the storage system, 2) receiving a first access request from the real time process, the first access request including a request for a requested data rate, 3) granting the first access request if the requested data rate is less than or equal to the available data rate, and 4) allowing the real time process to directly access the storage system at the requested data rate. In addition, the method of the present invention includes the steps of: 1) receiving a second access request from the non-real time process, the second access request including information indicating an identity of a desired file, 2) assigning an assigned data rate to the non-real-time process, the assigned data rate being less than or equal to the available data rate, and 3) allowing the non-real time process to directly access the storage system at the assigned data rate. Show less

(Jeffrey Olkin and I are co-Inventors on this patent, but because of the way LinkedIn shows patents, it looks like he is just a contributor)

A data transport system has application for transferring binary large objects (blobs) to one or more clients. The data transport system includes a mass storage device, a high bandwidth network, a blob server and an applications server. The blobs are pre-packetized in a general format compatible with a network protocol in that the packets do not… Show more

(Jeffrey Olkin and I are co-Inventors on this patent, but because of the way LinkedIn shows patents, it looks like he is just a contributor)

A data transport system has application for transferring binary large objects (blobs) to one or more clients. The data transport system includes a mass storage device, a high bandwidth network, a blob server and an applications server. The blobs are pre-packetized in a general format compatible with a network protocol in that the packets do not include specific control information that identifies a particular client and a particular request for a blob. At run time, a requesting client generates a request to the applications server to request a blob stored in the mass storage device. In turn, the applications server generates a request, that includes control information to identify the requesting client and the particular request, to the blob server. The blob server accesses the mass storage device to retrieve packets corresponding to the blob requested, and transfers the packets and the control information from the blob server to the requesting client. The requesting client modifies each packet to include the control information, thereby conforming the packets to the network protocol. Show less

(Dave and I are co-Inventors on this patent)

A method and apparatus for use in a digital video delivery system is provided. A digital representation of an audio-visual work, such as an MPEG file, is parsed to produce a tag file. The tag file includes information about each of the frames in the audio-visual work. During the performance of the audio-visual work, data from the digital representation is sent from a video pump to a decoder. Seek operations are performed by causing the video… Show more

(Dave and I are co-Inventors on this patent)

A method and apparatus for use in a digital video delivery system is provided. A digital representation of an audio-visual work, such as an MPEG file, is parsed to produce a tag file. The tag file includes information about each of the frames in the audio-visual work. During the performance of the audio-visual work, data from the digital representation is sent from a video pump to a decoder. Seek operations are performed by causing the video pump to stop transmitting data from the current position in the digital representation, and to start transmitting data from a new position in the digital representation. The information in the tag file is inspected to determine the new position from which to start transmitting data. To ensure that the data stream transmitted by the video pump maintains compliance with the applicable video format, prefix data that includes appropriate header information is transmitted by said video pump prior to transmitting data from the new position. Fast and slow forward and rewind operations are performed by selecting video frames based on the information contained in the tag file and the desired presentation rate, and generating a data stream containing data that represents the selected video frames. A video editor is provided for generating a new video file from pre-existing video files. The video editor selects frames from the pre-existing video files based on editing commands and the information contained in the tag files of the pre-existing video files. A presentation rate, start position, end position, and source file may be separately specified for each sequence to be created by the video editor. Show less

(Andy, Jeffrey, Zod, Bill, Mark, and I are all co-Inventors on this patent)

An improved system and method for providing multimedia data in a networked system is disclosed. The present invention provides a platform for distributed client-server computing and access to data over asymmetric real-time networks. A service mechanism allows applications to be split such that client devices (set-top boxes, personal digital assistants, etc.) can focus on presentation, while backend services… Show more

(Andy, Jeffrey, Zod, Bill, Mark, and I are all co-Inventors on this patent)

An improved system and method for providing multimedia data in a networked system is disclosed. The present invention provides a platform for distributed client-server computing and access to data over asymmetric real-time networks. A service mechanism allows applications to be split such that client devices (set-top boxes, personal digital assistants, etc.) can focus on presentation, while backend services running in a distributed server complex, provide access to data via messaging across an abstracted interface. Show less

(Dave and I are co-Inventors on this patent)

A method and apparatus for use in a digital video delivery system is provided. A digital representation of an audio-visual work, such as an MPEG file, is parsed to produce a tag file. The tag file includes information about each of the frames in the audio-visual work. During the performance of the audio-visual work, data from the digital representation is sent from a video pump to a decoder. Seek operations are performed by causing the video… Show more

(Dave and I are co-Inventors on this patent)

A method and apparatus for use in a digital video delivery system is provided. A digital representation of an audio-visual work, such as an MPEG file, is parsed to produce a tag file. The tag file includes information about each of the frames in the audio-visual work. During the performance of the audio-visual work, data from the digital representation is sent from a video pump to a decoder. Seek operations are performed by causing the video pump to stop transmitting data from the current position in the digital representation, and to start transmitting data from a new position in the digital representation. The information in the tag file is inspected to determine the new position from which to start transmitting data. To ensure that the data stream transmitted by the video pump maintains compliance with the applicable video format, prefix data that includes appropriate header information is transmitted by said video pump prior to transmitting data from the new position. Fast and slow forward and rewind operations are performed by selecting video frames based on the information contained in the tag file and the desired presentation rate, and generating a data stream containing data that represents the selected video frames. A video editor is provided for generating a new video file from pre-existing video files. The video editor selects frames from the pre-existing video files based on editing commands and the information contained in the tag files of the pre-existing video files. A presentation rate, start position, end position, and source file may be separately specified for each sequence to be created by the video editor. Show less

(I was involved in the design of the work in this patent, but since I did not write any of the code, I was a contributor, not an inventor. Bill Bailey is the sole Inventor on this patent)

A method and apparatus for providing real time reconstruction of corrupted disk from a redundant array of disks. Each parcel is divided into 'N" blocks of data. An "N+1st" parity block for each parcel is derived based on the content of the "N" blocks of data. The "N" blocks of data and the parity block… Show more

(I was involved in the design of the work in this patent, but since I did not write any of the code, I was a contributor, not an inventor. Bill Bailey is the sole Inventor on this patent)

A method and apparatus for providing real time reconstruction of corrupted disk from a redundant array of disks. Each parcel is divided into 'N" blocks of data. An "N+1st" parity block for each parcel is derived based on the content of the "N" blocks of data. The "N" blocks of data and the parity block for each parcel are stored in stripes in the blocks in a redundancy group consisting of "N+1" data storage units. Data is read in "N+1" whole block reads (600, 610, 620). If none of the received blocks are parity then the data is copied to a buffer (630, 650). If parity exists in some of the received blocks, then if the "N+1" block has been received the data is copied to a buffer; if not then XOR blocks are received (630, 635, 640, 650). Show less

(Note that many others contributed to the patent as well - Karen, Harish, Augustin, Bob, Cory, Lori, Chris, to name a few)

(Note that many others contributed to the patent - Ryan, Lingzhi, Tim, Max, Samyukta, Judah, Andy, Randolph)