Determining an end time of streaming media

• US 10,153,960 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2017
• Issued: 12/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Original Assignee: The Nielsen Company LLC (MOOD Media Corporation)
• Inventors: Frett, Kenneth Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Wasel, Mohamed A
• Application Number:
  US15/819,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20180097715A1
• Time in Patent Office: 385 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0882 Utilisation of link capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0894 Packet rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

A method includes analyzing bandwidth usage during a first phase of streaming of media and during a second phase of the streaming of the media. The first phase corresponds to the streaming of the media before a buffer is filled with a threshold amount of data associated with the media. The second phase corresponds to the streaming of the media after the buffer is filled with the threshold amount of the data and while the media continues to be buffered. The method includes calculating a size of the buffer based on a difference in the bandwidth usage during the first phase relative to the second phase. The method further includes determining an end time of the media based on the size of the buffer. The end time of the media occurs after a time when the data associated with the media completes downloading to the buffer.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

means for analyzing bandwidth usage of streaming of media buffered to a buffer;

means for identifying a transition between a first phase of the streaming of the media and a second phase of the streaming of the media, the transition corresponding to when the buffer is filled with a threshold amount of data associated with the media;

means for calculating a size of the buffer based on a difference in the bandwidth usage during the first phase relative to the bandwidth usage during the second phase; and

means for determining an end time of a playback of the buffered media based on the size of the buffer, the end time of the playback occurring after a time when the data associated with the media completes downloading to the buffer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the end time of the media corresponds to when the buffer is emptied of the data associated with the media.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the means for determining an end time is to calculate an amount of time to empty the buffer based on the size of the buffer multiplied by an average of the bandwidth usage during the second phase, the means for determining an end time to calculate the end time of the media by adding the amount of time to empty the buffer to the time when the data associated with the media completes downloading.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the means for identifying the transition is to determine the time when the data associated with the media completes downloading based on when the bandwidth usage drops from the average of the bandwidth usage to a baseline bandwidth usage corresponding to when no data associated with the media is being downloaded.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first phase occurs before the second phase, the bandwidth usage during the first phase being greater than the bandwidth usage during the second phase.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the means for calculating the size of the buffer is to:

calculate a first amount of data downloaded during a period of time corresponding to the first phase at a rate corresponding to an average of the bandwidth usage during the second phase; and

calculate the size of the buffer based on a second amount of data downloaded during the first phase in excess of the first amount of data.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the means for calculating the size of the buffer is to:

calculate a pre-playback amount of data associated with the bandwidth usage during a pre-playback portion of the first phase, the pre-playback portion of the first phase corresponding to the buffer being filled prior to playing the media; and

determine the size of the buffer based on a sum of the second amount of data and the pre-playback amount of data.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for identifying the transition is to identify the transition based on a drop in the bandwidth usage from a peak toward an average of the bandwidth usage during the second phase.

9. An apparatus, comprising:

memory storing instructions; and

at least one processor to execute the instructions to;

analyze bandwidth usage of streaming of media buffered to a buffer;

identify a transition between a first phase of the streaming of the media and a second phase of the streaming of the media, the transition corresponding to when the buffer is filled with a threshold amount of data associated with the media;

calculate a size of the buffer based on a difference in the bandwidth usage during the first phase relative to the bandwidth usage during the second phase; and

determine an end time of a playback of the buffered media based on the size of the buffer, the end time of the playback occurring after a time when the data associated with the media completes downloading to the buffer.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the end time of the media corresponds to when the buffer is emptied of the data associated with the media.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one processor is to calculate an amount of time to empty the buffer based on the size of the buffer multiplied by an average of the bandwidth usage during the second phase, the at least one processor to calculate the end time of the media by adding the amount of time to empty the buffer to the time when the data associated with the media completes downloading.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is to determine the time when the data associated with the media completes downloading based on when the bandwidth usage drops from the average of the bandwidth usage to a baseline bandwidth usage corresponding to when no data associated with the media is being downloaded.

13. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first phase occurs before the second phase, the bandwidth usage during the first phase being greater than the bandwidth usage during the second phase.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is to:

calculate a first amount of data downloaded during a period of time corresponding to the first phase at a rate corresponding to an average of the bandwidth usage during the second phase; and

calculate the size of the buffer based on a second amount of data downloaded during the first phase in excess of the first amount of data.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the at least one processor is to:

calculate a pre-playback amount of data associated with the bandwidth usage during a pre-playback portion of the first phase, the pre-playback portion of the first phase corresponding to the buffer being filled prior to playing the media; and

determine the size of the buffer based on a sum of the second amount of data and the pre-playback amount of data.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is to identify the transition based on a drop in the bandwidth usage from a peak toward an average of the bandwidth usage.

17. A system comprising:

a data transmission monitor to track a bandwidth usage of streaming of media buffered to a buffer;

a streaming phase identifier to identify a transition between a first phase of the streaming of the media and a second phase of the streaming of the media, the transition corresponding to when the buffer is filled with a threshold amount of data associated with the media;

a buffer size calculator to calculate a size of the buffer based on a difference in the bandwidth usage during the first phase relative to the bandwidth usage during the second phase; and

a media end time calculator to determine an end time of a playback of the buffered media based on the size of the buffer, the end time of the playback occurring after a time when the data associated with the media completes downloading to the buffer.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the end time of the media corresponds to when the buffer is emptied of the data associated with the media.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the media end time calculator is to calculate an amount of time to empty the buffer based on the size of the buffer multiplied by an average of the bandwidth usage during the second phase, the media end time calculator to calculate the end time of the media by adding the amount of time to empty the buffer to the time when the data associated with the media completes downloading.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the streaming phase identifier is to identify the transition based on a drop in the bandwidth usage from a peak toward an average of the bandwidth usage.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the media end time calculator is to determine the time when the data associated with the media completes downloading based on when the bandwidth usage drops from the average of the bandwidth usage to a baseline bandwidth usage corresponding to when no data associated with the media is being downloaded.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the first phase occurs before the second phase, the bandwidth usage during the first phase being greater than the bandwidth usage during the second phase.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the buffer size calculator is to calculate the size of the buffer based on a first amount of data downloaded during the first phase in excess of a second amount of data downloaded during a period of time corresponding to the first phase at a rate corresponding to an average of the bandwidth usage during the second phase.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the buffer size calculator is to determine the size of the buffer based on a sum of the first amount of data and a pre-playback amount of data, the pre-playback amount of data associated with the bandwidth usage during a pre-playback portion of the first phase, the pre-playback portion of the first phase corresponding to the buffer being filled prior to playing the media.