Granted Patent B2

US 12,425,310 · App. 14/815,438 · Granted Sep 23, 2025

Inventors: Marc Butler (Denver, CO); Richard Fliam (Greenwood Village, CO)

Assignee: Comcast Cable Communications, LLC

H04L41/30

Abstract

Claims (42)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, a request for a task associated with packaging and delivering a content asset;

sending, to each network device of a plurality of network devices, information associated with the task;

receiving, from each network device of the plurality of network devices, a bid of a plurality of bids, wherein each bid of the plurality of bids represents a cost associated with each network device of the plurality of network devices accepting the task and a capability of each network device to package and deliver the content asset;

determining, based on the plurality of bids, a winning bid;

sending, to a network device, of the plurality of network devices, associated with the winning bid, an assignment to complete the task; and

causing the network device to receive the content asset and complete the task by packaging the content asset for delivery.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein causing the network device to receive the content asset comprises sending, to the network device, the content asset.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining, by at least one network device of the plurality of network devices, before calculating a respective bid of the plurality of bids and based on a threshold, that the at least one network device is capable of completing the task.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one bid of the plurality of bids is based at least on a current workload of a respective network device of the plurality of network devices.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of network devices are determined based on one or more of a successful processing of a previous content asset, a failed processing of the previous content asset, a successful delivery of the previous content asset, or a failed delivery of the previous content asset.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information comprises a size of the content asset.

7. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network device, a request for a bid associated with performing a task associated with packaging and delivering a content asset;

determining, by the network device and based on a cost and a capability to package and deliver the content asset, the bid, wherein the cost is associated with an expected completion time of the task;

sending the bid;

receiving, based on the bid, an assignment for the network device to perform the task;

receiving the content asset; and

performing the task, wherein performing the task comprises at least packaging the content asset for delivery.

8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising sending, based on performing the task, resulting information.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein sending the resulting information comprises sending, to a computing device, a notification that the content asset has been packaged and delivered.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein receiving the content asset comprises receiving the content asset with the assignment.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the request comprises a size of the content asset.

12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the bid is a lowest bid of a plurality of bids.

13. The method of claim 7 , wherein the bid is further based at least on a size of the content asset.

14. The method of claim 7 , wherein the request for the bid is received based on one or more of a successful processing of a previous content asset, a failed processing of the previous content asset, a successful delivery of the previous content asset, or a failed delivery of the previous content asset.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network device, a request for a bid to perform a task associated with packaging and delivering a content asset, wherein the task comprises one or more parameters;

determining a current workload and a capability of the network device to package and deliver the content asset;

determining, based on the capability and one or more of the current workload or the one or more parameters, the bid;

sending the bid;

receiving, based on the bid, an assignment for the network device to perform the task;

receiving the content asset;

performing the task, wherein performing the task comprises at least packaging the content asset to be sent; and

sending, based on performing the task, the content asset.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more parameters comprise an encoding format, wherein the request for the bid is received based on one or more of a successful processing of a previous content asset, a failed processing of the previous content asset, a successful delivery of the previous content asset, or a failed delivery of the previous content asset.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein sending the content asset comprises sending the content asset to a content player.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the one or more parameters comprise a deadline to complete the task.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein determining the bid further comprises determining, based on a likelihood of completing the task by the deadline, the bid.

20. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

receiving another plurality of bids associated with performing the task; and

comparing the bid to the another plurality of bids.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (1)

References Cited (17)