Apparatus and computer-readable recording medium having program recorded therein for providing low-latency real-time broadcast content

• US 10,148,725 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SK Telecom Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Jongmin
• Primary Examiner(s): Schnurr, John R
• Application Number:
  US15/622,539
• Publication Number:
  US 20170324797A1
• Time in Patent Office: 538 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• 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 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/236 Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream multiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2365 Multiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4335 Housekeeping operations, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; unloading stored programs G06F9/445; storage management in file systems G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47217 for controlling playback functions for recorded or on-demand content, e.g. using progress bars, mode or play-point indicators or bookmarks specific graphical features in visual interfaces H04N21/4312
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/631 Multimode Transmission, e.g. transmitting basic layers and enhancement layers of the content over different transmission paths or transmitting with different error corrections, different keys or with different transmission protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an apparatus for providing low-latency real-time broadcast content in an MMT-based streaming service and a computer-readable recording medium having a related program recorded therein. According to the disclosure, when a streaming request event for an arbitrary channel occurs, the apparatus determines whether the streaming request event satisfies an event condition for switching to a low-latency real-time broadcast mode. Depending on a determination results, the apparatus transmits a streaming request to a first or second streaming server for providing a streaming service based on a first or second media transmission technique. Then the apparatus receives and decodes a first or second streaming data packet of real-time broadcast content from the first or second streaming server and plays the decoded first or second streaming data packet.

Claims

1. An apparatus for providing low-latency real-time broadcast content, the apparatus comprising:

a first media receiving circuit, implemented by a microprocessor, configured to receive and decode a first streaming data packet of real-time broadcast content from a first streaming server for providing a streaming service based on a first media transmission technique;

a second media receiving circuit, implemented by a microprocessor, configured to receive and decode a second streaming data packet of the real-time broadcast content from a second streaming server for providing the streaming service based on a second media transmission technique which is different from the first media transmission technique; and

a playback circuit, implemented by a microprocessor, configured to provide a user interface for playback of the real-time broadcast content, to determine whether a streaming request event satisfies an event condition for switching to a low-latency real-time broadcast mode when the streaming request event for an arbitrary channel occurs through the user interface, to instruct a streaming request to the first or second media receiving circuit depending on a determination result, and to play the decoded first or second streaming data packet received from the first or second media receiving circuit,

wherein the second media receiving circuit is further configured to switch a transport layer protocol to a transmission control protocol (TCP) so as to receive the second streaming data packet if an interruption is detected or predicted while the second streaming data packet is received based on a user datagram protocol (UDP).

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the playback circuit is further configured to determine that event condition is satisfied when a mode switching button for instructing a switch to the low-latency real-time broadcast mode is selected through the user interface or when the arbitrary channel is a specific channel predetermined for the low-latency real-time broadcast mode.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second media receiving circuit is further configured to check a buffer status by detecting or predicting an interruption while receiving the second streaming data packet from the second streaming server, and to adjust a buffer size when the interruption is detected or predicted.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded therein for providing low-latency real-time broadcast content, the program, executed by a microprocessor including electronic circuits, comprising steps of:

determining whether a streaming request event satisfies an event condition for switching to a low-latency real-time broadcast mode when the streaming request event for an arbitrary channel occurs;

if the event condition is not satisfied, transmitting a streaming request to a first streaming server for providing a streaming service based on a first media transmission technique and then receiving and decoding a first streaming data packet of real-time broadcast content from the first streaming server;

if the event condition is satisfied, transmitting the streaming request to a second streaming server for providing the streaming service based on a second media transmission technique different from the first media transmission technique and then receiving and decoding a second streaming data packet of the real-time broadcast content from the second streaming server; and

playing the decoded first or second streaming data packet,

wherein the program further comprises steps of;

if the interruption is detected or predicted, switching a transport layer protocol of the second streaming data packet from a user datagram protocol (UDP) to a transmission control protocol (TCP).

5. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 4, wherein the determining step includes determining that event condition is satisfied when a mode switching button for instructing a switch to the low-latency real-time broadcast mode is selected or when the arbitrary channel is a specific channel predetermined for the low-latency real-time broadcast mode.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 4, further comprising steps of:

checking a buffer status by detecting or predicting an interruption while receiving the second streaming data packet from the second streaming server; and

if the interruption is detected or predicted, adjusting a size of a buffer for storing the second streaming data packet received from the second streaming server.