Apparatus and method for providing streaming content

• US 10,027,736 B2
• Filed: 10/06/2016
• Issued: 07/17/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helios Streaming, LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, University-Industry Cooperation Foundation of Korea Aerospace University
• Inventors: Thang, Truong Cong, Lee, Jin Young, Bae, Seong Jun, Kang, Jung Won, Jung, Soon Heung, Park, Sang Taick, Ryu, Won, Kim, Jae Gon
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US15/287,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20170026451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 649 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4305 Synchronising client clock from received content stream, e.g. locking decoder clock with encoder clock, extraction of the PCR packets arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter by comparing receiver clock with transmitter clock H04L7/0012; arrangements for synchronising receiver with transmitter wherein the receiver takes measures against momentary loss of synchronisation H04L7/0083
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80

Abstract

A method and apparatus for an adaptive Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) streaming service using metadata of content are provided. The metadata may include one or more BaseURL elements. Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) of segments forming media may be generated based on the BaseURL elements. Additionally, a URL of a segment may be generated by mapping a BaseURL element among the BaseURL elements to a sourceURL attribute of the segment. Segments indicated by generated URLs may be identical to each other.

Claims

1. A method for receiving media content in a terminal performed by a processor, the method comprising:

receiving metadata of media content, the metadata comprising an attribute with multiple BaseURL elements,

selecting a BaseURL element from the multiple BaseURL elements;

sending a request for a segment of the media content using a URL of the segment to a server, the URL being generated based on the selected BaseURL element;

receiving the segment from the server,

wherein the metadata is Media Presentation Description (MPD),

wherein the MPD describes one or more periods,

wherein the period includes one or more groups

wherein the group includes one or more representation,

wherein the representation includes one or more segments of the media content,

wherein the receiver receives identical segments that are accessible at multiple locations indicated by URLs resolved with respect to the respective BaseURL elements, and a first BaseURL element among the BaseURL elements is used as a base Universal Resource Indicator (URI).

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the BaseURL element include an MPD level Base URL element of MPD, a period level Base URL element of each period, a group level Base URL element of each group, and a representation level Base URL element of each representation.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the BaseURL element of a specific level is resolved with respect to a BaseURL element of a higher level,

wherein the period level BaseURL element is resolved with respect to the MPD level BaseURL element,

wherein the group level BaseURL element is resolved with respect to the period level BaseURL element,

wherein the representation level BaseURL element is resolved with respect to the group level BaseURL element.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the media content is requested using a URI generated based on a resource type including bitrate, vertical resolution, or horizontal resolution.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is sent using an HTTP GET method.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata comprises a range attribute, and

wherein the request comprises a request for bytes of a resource indicated by the URL that are designated by the range attribute.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the URL is an absolute URL or a relative URL.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata selectively comprises a sourceURL attribute of the segment, and

wherein, when the metadata selectively comprises the sourceURL attribute of the segment, a BaseURL element among the BaseURL elements is mapped to the sourceURL attribute, so that the URL is generated.

9. A method of providing media content by a server performed by a processor, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a segment of the media content using a URL of the segment from a terminal, the URL being generated based on the selected BaseURL element;

providing the segment to the terminal,

wherein the terminal selects a BaseURL element from the multiple BaseURL elements based on the metadata of the media content,

wherein the metadata is Media Presentation Description (MPD),

wherein the MPD describes one or more periods,

wherein the period includes one or more groups

wherein the group includes one or more representation,

wherein the representation includes one or more segments of the media content,

wherein the receiver receives identical segments that are accessible at multiple locations indicated by URLs resolved with respect to the respective BaseURL elements, and a first BaseURL element among the BaseURL elements is used as a base Universal Resource Indicator (URI).

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the BaseURL element include an MPD level Base URL element of MPD, a period level Base URL element of each period, a group level Base URL element of each group, and a representation level Base URL element of each representation.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the BaseURL element of a specific level is resolved with respect to a BaseURL element of a higher level,

wherein the period level BaseURL element is resolved with respect to the MPD level BaseURL element,

wherein the group level BaseURL element is resolved with respect to the period level BaseURL element,

wherein the representation level BaseURL element is resolved with respect to the group level BaseURL element.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the media content is requested using a URI generated based on a resource type including bitrate, vertical resolution, or horizontal resolution.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the request is sent using an HTTP GET method.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the metadata comprises a range attribute, and

wherein the request comprises a request for bytes of a resource indicated by the URL that are designated by the range attribute.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the URL is an absolute URL or a relative URL.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the metadata selectively comprises a sourceURL attribute of the segment, and

wherein, when the metadata selectively comprises the sourceURL attribute of the segment, a BaseURL element among the BaseURL elements is mapped to the sourceURL attribute, so that the URL is generated.