System and method for transmission of multiple video streams to mobile communication devices

• US 10,129,568 B2
• Filed: 02/22/2016
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IP Investment Holdings LLC
• Original Assignee: Mobilitie, LLC (Bai Communications Pty Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jabara, Gary B., Linder, Lloyd Frederick, Simon, David Brett
• Primary Examiner(s): Lonsberry, Hunter B
• Application Number:
  US15/050,332
• Publication Number:
  US 20160173913A1
• Time in Patent Office: 995 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/162 involving adaptations of sockets based mechanisms secure socket layer H04L63/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/164 Adaptation or special uses of UDP protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2143 located in a single building, e.g. hotel, hospital or museum arrangements specially adapted for plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63; adaptations for transmission by electric cable for domestic distribution in television systems H04N7/106
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2223 being a public access point, e.g. for downloading to or uploading from clients arrangements specially adapted to plural spots in a confined site in broadcast systems H04H20/63
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234 Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43615 Interfacing a Home Network, e.g. for connecting the client to a plurality of peripherals home Audio Video Interoperability [HAVI] data switching networks H04L12/2805
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/647 Control signaling between network components and server or clients; Network processes for video distribution between server and clients, e.g. controlling the quality of the video stream, by dropping packets, protecting content from unauthorised alteration within the network, monitoring of network load, bridging between two different networks, e.g. between IP and wireless real-time session protocols H04L65/1101
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64707 for transferring content from a first network to a second network, e.g. between IP and wireless
• 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: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/40 : for selective distribution or broadcast
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/186 : Processing of subscriber group data
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/205 : Transfer to or from user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 : Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/04 : adapted for relaying to or from another terminal or user

Abstract

A video or multimedia distribution system receives multiple video streams and transcodes them into a single stream of data packets with each of the plurality of video data packets for respective ones of the video streams being assigned a port number corresponding to the respective original video stream. The data packets are routed to a plurality of Access Points (APs) for transmission. A User Equipment (UE) communicates with the APs and selects one of the video streams for viewing on the UE by selecting the port number corresponding to the desired video stream. A processor in the UE identifies and stores data packets having the selected port number and plays the video stream on a display. The UE can “change channels” to view other video streams by changing the port number to the port number of the desired video stream.

Claims

1. A method for the transmission of video data to a plurality of mobile communication devices, comprising:

receiving a plurality of video streams;

converting the plurality of video streams to a single stream of video data packets with each of a plurality of video data packets for a respective one of the video streams being assigned a port number corresponding to the respective video stream;

transmitting the single stream of video data packets from each of a plurality of wireless access points (APs);

in each of the plurality of mobile communication devices communicatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of APs, receiving the single stream of video data packets and extracting ones of the single stream of video data packets having a selected port number to thereby extract one of the plurality of video streams from the single stream of video data packets; and

displaying the extracted video stream on a display of the respective ones of the plurality of mobile communication devices.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the stream of video data packets are generated using a User Datagram Protocol.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising sensing user operation of an input element on a first of the plurality of mobile communication devices to alter the selected port number to thereby cause the first mobile communication device to receive different ones of the stream of video data packets having the altered port number to thereby receive and display a different video stream corresponding to the altered port number.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising sensing user operation of an input element on a first of the plurality of mobile communication devices to change back from the altered port number to the initial port number to cause the first mobile communication device to receive ones of the stream of video data packets having the initial port number to thereby receive and display the video stream corresponding to the initial port number.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein a first of the plurality of mobile communication devices is configured to receive ones of the stream of video data packets having an initial port number, the method further comprising sensing reception of command data, transmitted from one of the plurality of APs, at the first mobile communication device to thereby alter the initial port number and cause the first mobile communication device to receive different ones of the stream of video data packets having the altered port number to thereby receive and display a different video stream corresponding to the altered port number.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein changing back from the altered port number to the initial port number is in response to sensing reception of command data, transmitted from one of the plurality of APs, at the first mobile communication device to thereby change the altered port number to the initial port number.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the plurality of mobile communication devices receiving guide data transmitted from at least one of the plurality of APs, the guide data providing information about the content of each of the plurality of video streams;

displaying the received guide data on the display of the respective ones of the plurality of mobile communication devices;

sensing user operation of an input element on a first of the plurality of mobile communication devices to select a desired video stream based on the displayed guide data; and

receiving ones of the stream of video data packets having a port number corresponding to the user-selected video stream.

8. A system for the transmission of a plurality of video streams, comprising:

a server configured to receive the plurality of video streams and to convert the plurality of video streams to a single stream of video data packets with each of the plurality of video data packets for respective ones of the video streams being assigned a port number corresponding to the respective video stream;

a plurality of wireless access points (APs) communicatively coupled to the server to receive the video packets therefrom, the APs being configured to transmit the stream of video packets;

a routing infrastructure coupled to the server and the plurality of APs to relay communications between the server and the plurality of APs, the routing infrastructure being configured to route the stream of video data packets to selected ones of the plurality of APs; and

a plurality of mobile communication devices, each having;

a short-range transceiver configured to communicate with at least one of the plurality of APs and receive data therefrom, the received data comprising the stream of video data packets;

a processor configured to select a port number corresponding to a desired one of the plurality of video streams wherein the processor is configured to extract the data packets having the selected port number from the single stream of video data packets to thereby extract the desired one of the plurality of video streams from the single stream of video data packets;

a memory device configured to store the extracted data packets having the selected port number;

a display; and

a video player configured to play the stored data packets to thereby play the desired one of the plurality of video streams on the display.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the server is further configured to convert the plurality of video streams to a single stream of video data packets using a User Datagram Protocol.

10. The system of claim 8, further comprising a user operable input element on a first of the plurality of mobile communication devices operable to alter the selected port number to thereby cause the first mobile communication device to receive different ones of the stream of video data packets having the altered port number to thereby receive and display a different video stream corresponding to the altered port number.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein the user operable input element on the first of the plurality of mobile communication devices is further operable to change back from the altered port number to the initial port number to cause the first mobile communication device to receive ones of the stream of video data packets having the initial port number to thereby receive and display the video stream corresponding to the initial port number.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein a first of the plurality of mobile communication devices is configured to receive ones of the stream of video data packets having an initial port number, the system further comprising the processor in the first mobile communication device being configured to sense reception of command data, transmitted from at least one of the plurality of APs, to thereby alter the initial port number and cause the first mobile communication device to receive different ones of the stream of video data packets having the altered port number to thereby receive and display a different video stream corresponding to the altered port number.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the processor in the first mobile communication device is further configured to sense reception of additional command data, transmitted from at least one of the plurality of APs, to thereby change back from the altered port number to the initial port number in response to the reception of the command data to thereby change the altered port number to the initial port number.

14. The system of claim 8, further comprising:

the short-range transceiver in each of the plurality of mobile communication devices being further configured to receive guide data, transmitted from at least one of the plurality of APs, the guide data providing information about the content of each of the plurality of video streams;

the processor in each of the plurality of mobile communication devices being further configured to display the received guide data on the display of the respective ones of the plurality of mobile communication devices;

the processor in each of the plurality of mobile communication devices being further configured to sense user operation of an input element on the respective ones of the plurality of mobile communication devices to select a desired video stream based on the displayed guide data; and

the short-range transceiver in each of the plurality of mobile communication devices being further configured to receive ones of the stream of video data packets having a port number corresponding to the user-selected video stream.