Dynamic bitrate range selection in the cloud for optimized video streaming

• US 10,178,043 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/08/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Conviva Inc.
• Original Assignee: Conviva Inc.
• Inventors: Ganjam, Aditya Ravikumar, Zhan, Jibin, Siddiqi, Faisal Zakaria, Serbin, Alexey, Shepherd, Davis, Vasilyev, Oleg
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ling, Chhian (Amy)
• Application Number:
  US14/871,624
• Time in Patent Office: 1,196 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Selecting an optimal bitrate range is disclosed. A request for content from a first client is received. An optimal subset of bitrates for the first client is determined. The optimal subset of bitrates for the first client is determined based at least in part on one or more real-time quality measures. A different optimal subset of bitrates is determined for a second client. An indication of the optimal subset of bitrates determined for the first client is provided to the first client. The first client is configured to obtain content according to the indication of the optimal subset of bitrates.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a set of one or more processors configured to, using a set of one or more interfaces;

receive a request for content from a first client;

receive a set of attributes associated with the first client;

based at least in part on the set of attributes associated with the first client, determine, from a set of clients, a partition of clients correlated with the first client;

based at least in part on one or more real-time quality measures associated with the partition of clients determined to be correlated with the first client, determine, from a set of bitrates, a subset of bitrates for the first client, wherein a different subset of bitrates is determined for a second client, wherein determining the subset of bitrates for the first client comprises determining a threshold bitrate, and wherein the threshold bitrate is predicted based at least in part on an evaluation of interrupts with respect to bitrates; and

provide to the first client the threshold bitrate determined for the first client, wherein the first client is configured to locally rewrite an existing manifest file based at least in part on the threshold bitrate determined for the first client, and wherein the first client is configured to obtain content according to the locally rewritten manifest file; and

a memory coupled to the set of one or more processors and configured to provide the set of one or more processors with instructions.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the set of attributes includes information indicative of a client device type and a network associated with the first client.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the real-time quality measures include measures aggregated from the partition of clients.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the set of one or more processors is further configured to receive a full list of bitrates.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein determining the subset of bitrates for the first client includes determining, from the full list of bitrates, a usable set of bitrates that the first client is capable of reliably playing.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the threshold bitrate is predicted based on an observation of bitrates sustained by the partition of clients.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein determining the subset of bitrates for the first client includes determining a bitrate to exclude.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the subset of bitrates for the first client is determined based at least in part on a set of one or more policies relevant to the first client.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving a request for content from a first client;

receiving a set of attributes associated with the first client;

based at least in part on the set of attributes associated with the first client, determining, from a set of clients, a partition of clients correlated with the first client;

based at least in part on one or more real-time quality measures associated with the partition of clients determined to be correlated with the first client, determining, from a set of bitrates and using a set of one or more processors, a subset of bitrates for the first client, wherein a different subset of bitrates is determined for a second client, wherein determining the subset of bitrates for the first client comprises determining a threshold bitrate, and wherein the threshold bitrate is predicted based at least in part on an evaluation of interrupts with respect to bitrates; and

providing to the first client the threshold bitrate determined for the first client, wherein the first client is configured to locally rewrite an existing manifest file based at least in part on the threshold bitrate determined for the first client, and wherein the first client is configured to obtain content according to the locally rewritten manifest file.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the set of attributes includes information indicative of a client device type and a network associated with the first client.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the real-time quality measures include measures aggregated from the partition of clients.

12. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving a full list of bitrates.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein determining the subset of bitrates for the first client includes determining, from the full list of bitrates, a usable set of bitrates that the first client is capable of reliably playing.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the threshold bitrate is predicted based on an observation of bitrates sustained by the partition of clients.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein determining the subset of bitrates for the first client includes determining a bitrate to exclude.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the subset of bitrates for the first client is determined based at least in part on a set of one or more policies relevant to the first client.

17. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a request for content from a first client;

receiving a set of attributes associated with the first client;

based at least in part on the set of attributes associated with the first client, determining, from a set of clients, a partition of clients correlated with the first client;

based at least in part on one or more real-time quality measures associated with the partition of clients determined to be correlated with the first client, determining, from a set of bitrates and using a set of one or more processors, a subset of bitrates for the first client, wherein a different subset of bitrates is determined for a second client, wherein determining the subset of bitrates for the first client comprises determining a threshold bitrate, and wherein the threshold bitrate is predicted based at least in part on an evaluation of interrupts with respect to bitrates; and

providing to the first client the threshold bitrate determined for the first client, wherein the first client is configured to locally rewrite an existing manifest file based at least in part on the threshold bitrate determined for the first client, and wherein the first client is configured to obtain content according to the locally rewritten manifest file.