Theta awarded US Patent 11,659,015 B2 for “Tracker Server in Decentralized Data Streaming and Delivery Network”
Theta Labs has now been awarded U.S. Patent 11,659,015 B2 for “Tracker Server in Decentralized Data Streaming and Delivery Network” on May 23, 2023, validating the innovative and novel approaches to decentralized video streaming built by the Theta team. The decentralized streaming network described in the patent is a multi-layer “global cache” comprising peer viewers, Edge Nodes, and CDN servers with tracker servers coordinating the transfer of data fragments and payments. The patent can be viewed here by accessing the USPTO website and entering “11659015” in the Quick Lookup section, or directly as a PDF here.
This patent approval follows previous Theta patents issued for decentralized data streaming and delivery, ultra-high transaction throughput micropayments, methods and systems for peer node discovery, decentralized DRM via NFTs, and preventing denial-of-service attacks in decentralized edge networks, creating a portfolio of patents to further differentiate and protect the Theta technology and ecosystem.
The patented Edge Network comprises peer-to-peer (P2P) connections implemented on top of a content delivery network (CDN) having CDN servers that provide data resources to network nodes. Such a hybrid network includes viewer peer nodes, edge cacher peer nodes (Edge Nodes), tracker servers, and a payment service module. An Edge Node sends its client statistics to a tracker server, wherein the client statistics comprises a cacher location and a performance specification. In return, the tracker server provides caching instructions according to which the Edge Node downloads fragments of a data file from a CDN server, for later transmission to other viewer peer nodes within the decentralized data delivery edge network.
Another method utilitized by the tracker server includes first receiving a peer list request from a viewer peer node in the network for accessing one or more target fragments of a data file. Next, it extracts from the peer list request a content type of the data file, and a viewer location of the viewer peer node. Then generating a cacher peer list by selecting, from peer nodes currently active in the network, one or more cacher peer nodes to provide access to the one or more target fragments of the data file. Finally, the tracker server transmits the generated peer list to the viewer peer node.
Theta’s portfolio of patents work hand-in-hand with our blockchain and all its related components which are fully open-source. Theta GitHub contains open-source repositories for the underlying Theta Ledger, the Theta Explorer, and the Theta Wallet for any user to build upon. Our technology patents are an integral part of our business strategy to protect our innovative, groundbreaking technology, optimizing for streaming and data delivery, and are strategic to our long-term partnerships with Samsung, Google, Sony, ABS-CBN, NASA, WPT and others.
