Hybrid stream delivery

• US 10,178,431 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2014
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Inventors: Thornburgh, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Alcon, Fernando
• Application Number:
  US14/444,932
• Publication Number:
  US 20160029050A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/858 Linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object, by creating a hotspot

Abstract

Hybrid stream delivery techniques are described. In one or more implementations, a multicast stream of primary content is received at a computing device for output by the computing device. Timing information in the multicast stream is identified indicating when a break in the primary content is to occur. Responsive to the identification and before output of the primary content attains to the break, supplemental content is requested by the computing device that is available via a single dedicated stream. The supplemental content received via the single dedicated stream is cached during output of the primary content and the cached supplemental content is output upon completion of the output of the primary content up to the break.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, a multicast stream of primary content;

displaying, by the computing device, the primary content of the multicast stream;

identifying, by the computing device during the outputting of the primary content, timing information in the multicast stream indicating when a break in the displaying of the primary content is to occur;

responsive to the identifying by the computing device and before reaching the break in the displaying of the primary content by the computing device, requesting supplemental content by the computing device that is available via a single dedicated stream, the requesting performed concurrently during the receiving and the displaying of the primary content via the multicast stream;

receiving, by the computing device, the single dedicated stream concurrently during the receiving and the displaying of the multicast stream of the primary content by the computing device;

caching, by the computing device, the supplemental content received via the single dedicated stream concurrently during the receiving and the displaying of the primary content by the computing device; and

upon completion of the displaying of the primary content up to the break;

reducing, by the computing device, network bandwidth consumption of the primary content; and

displaying, by the computing device, the cached supplemental content.

2. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the supplemental content is an advertisement.

3. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising determining which supplemental content is to be obtained via the single dedicated stream by the computing device.

4. A method as described in claim 3, wherein the determination is made using information included in the multicast stream.

5. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

reconfiguring the primary content received by the computing device via the multicast stream for availability as a single dedicated stream; and

exposing the reconfigured primary content as the single dedicated stream by the computing device to one or more applications that are also executed on the computing device such that the one or more other applications are not aware that the primary content is received at the computing device via the multicast stream.

6. A method as described in claim 1, further comprising:

exposing one or more controls that are selectable by a user to initiate one or more inputs to navigate primary content received via a multicast stream; and

responsive to receipt of the inputs to navigate the primary content received via the multicast stream;

identifying a point in time in the displaying of the primary content that corresponds to the navigation;

locating a single dedicated stream that corresponds to the identified point in time; and

obtaining the single dedicated stream for display.

7. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the single dedicated stream is configured in accordance with a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP).

8. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the multicasting is performed as a network multicast that leverages infrastructure of the network to perform the multicasting of individual packets for receipt by a plurality of said computing devices.

9. A method as described in claim 1, wherein the multicasting is performed via a peer-to-peer network or a mesh network.

10. A method implemented by a computing device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the computing device, primary content via a multicast stream;

displaying, by the computing device, the primary content of the multicast stream;

identifying, by the computing device concurrently during the displaying of the primary content from the multicast steam;

timing information in the multicast stream indicating when a break period that does not include packets in the multicast stream in the primary content is to occur;

requesting, by the computing device, supplemental content via a single dedicated stream concurrently during the displaying of the primary content of the multicast stream;

receiving, by the computing device, the single dedicated stream concurrently during the receiving and the displaying of the multicast stream of the primary content by the computing device;

replacing, by the computing device, the break period of the primary content with supplemental content received at the computing device via a single dedicated stream;

reconfiguring the primary content and the replacement supplemental content by the computing device for availability as a single dedicated stream according to a manifest;

exposing the reconfigured content as the single dedicated stream by the computing device in compliance with the manifest to one or more applications that are also executed on the computing device such that the one or more applications are not aware that the content is received at the computing device via the multicast stream; and

displaying, by the computing device, the reconfigured content through execution of the one or more applications by the computing device.

11. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the reconfiguring into the single dedicated stream is performed in accordance with a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

12. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the manifest describes network locations of where portions of the single dedicated stream are available.

13. A method as described in claim 12, wherein the exposing is performed such that requests by the one or more applications for the portions of the network locations are available at the computing device.

14. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the multicast is performed as a network multicast that leverages infrastructure of the network to perform the multicasting of individual packets for receipt by a plurality of said computing devices.

15. A method as described in claim 10, wherein the multicast is performed via a peer-to-peer network or a mesh network.

16. A computing device comprising:

one or more modules implemented at least partially in hardware including a processing system and computer-readable storage media, the one or more modules configured to perform operations comprising;

displaying primary content received via a multicast stream;

exposing one or more controls that are selectable by a user to initiate one or more inputs to navigate content received via a multicast stream; and

responsive to receipt of the inputs to navigate the content received via the multicast stream;

identifying a point in time in the output of the content that corresponds to the navigation, the identifying performed concurrently during the displaying of the primary content;

locating a single dedicated stream that corresponds to the identified point in time;

obtaining the single dedicated stream for output concurrently during the displaying of the primary content received via the multicast stream as the multicast stream is received;

displaying the single dedicated stream; and

reducing network bandwidth consumption of the multicast stream during the displaying of the single dedicated stream.

17. A computing device as described in claim 16, further comprising

locating a multicast stream to be output subsequent to the displaying of the single dedicated stream.

18. A computing device as described in claim 16, wherein the navigation is a fast forward, rewind, or slow motion playback.

19. A computing device as described in claim 16, wherein the navigation is to initiate the displaying of the content.

20. A computing device as described in claim 16, wherein the single dedicated stream is configured accordingly to a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).