Signaling cached segments for broadcast

• US 10,193,994 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Issued: 01/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lotfallah, Osama Abdel Latif, Pazos, Carlos Marcelo Dias, Stockhammer, Thomas, Naik, Nagaraju
• Primary Examiner(s): Nano, Sargon N
• Application Number:
  US15/184,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20160373546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 957 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• 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 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/5681 Pre-fetching or pre-delivering data based on network characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• 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 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/06 Selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS]; Services to user groups; One-way selective calling services

Abstract

An example client device includes a middleware unit for receiving media data either via a broadcast service or a unicast service, depending on whether the broadcast service is available. The client device also includes a streaming client, such as a Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) client. The DASH client sends requests to retrieve media data via the middleware unit. The middleware unit may cache media data received via the broadcast service, such that even when the broadcast service is not active, if the streaming client requests media data that was previously received via the broadcast service, the middleware unit may provide the media data to the streaming client from the cache, rather than requesting the media data from an external server device specified in the request from the streaming client.

Claims

1. A method of retrieving media data by a middleware unit at a client device, wherein the middleware unit controls a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) proxy unit of the client device, and wherein the client device includes a local server unit, the method comprising, by the middleware unit:

receiving a first set of media data of a media session via a broadcast service;

determining that the broadcast service is no longer available after receiving the first set of media data;

receiving a request to retrieve a second set of media data of the media session via a unicast service from a streaming application executed by the client device based on the determination that the broadcast service is no longer available, wherein the request specifies an address external to the client device; and

in response to the request, when the second set of media data was previously received via the broadcast service, causing the HTTP proxy unit to redirect the request to the local server unit instead of the address external to the client device, wherein the second set of media data was previously received via the broadcast service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the request from the streaming application comprises intercepting the request from the streaming application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein causing the HTTP proxy unit to redirect comprises causing the HTTP proxy unit to send an HTTP 300 response to the streaming client that includes a localhost address associated with the local server unit.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring an interface of the streaming application to the middleware unit with proxy information for the HTTP proxy unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein a manifest file for the media session indicates that there are multiple representations for the media data, wherein the unicast service provides data of a first representation of the multiple representations, and wherein the broadcast service provides data of a second, different representation of the multiple representations, the method further comprising:

when the broadcast service is available, using a first Server and Network assisted DASH (SAND) enforcement message to cause the streaming client to retrieve data from the second representation; and

when the broadcast service is not available, using a second SAND enforcement message to cause the streaming client to retrieve data from the first representation.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first SAND enforcement message and the second SAND enforcement message conform to a SAND enforcement message schema that includes:

a base uniform resource locator (URL) field that represents a uniform resource identifier (URI) prefix that identifies a representation in a corresponding manifest file; and

a status field that represents statuses of all associated resources.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein causing the HTTP proxy unit to redirect comprises causing the HTTP proxy unit to include an identifier of the second representation in an HTTP 300 response to the streaming client.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to a switch from the unicast service to the broadcast service, retrieving a third set of media data of the media session using the unicast service in response to requests from the streaming client for the third set of media data;

after the switch from the unicast service to the broadcast service, receiving a fourth set of media data of the media session via the broadcast service.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, when the second set of media data was not previously received via the broadcast service, redirecting the request for the second set of media data to a server device separate from the client device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the HTTP proxy unit to:

direct requests for segments cached in the local server unit to the local server unit; and

provide a list of segment identifiers that can be satisfied by the local server unit to the streaming application.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising causing data to be sent to the streaming client, the data including one or more identifiers of media data cached by the local server unit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the data conforms to a SAND message.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the data includes a list of comma separated values representing the identifiers, and wherein the identifiers specify a start of available media data and an end of the available media data.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the data includes a from-field and a to-field, wherein the from-field specifies a start of available media data and the to-field specifies an end of the available media data.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the data comprises one or more regular expressions.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the data comprises a list of statuses for sets of media data.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the media data comprises a plurality of segments, each of the segments being associated with a distinct uniform resource locator (URL).

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the manifest file comprises a media presentation description (MPD).

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the streaming client comprises a dynamic adaptive streaming over HTTP (DASH) client.

20. A device for retrieving media data, the device comprising:

a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) proxy unit;

a local server unit; and

a middleware unit that controls the HTTP proxy unit, wherein the middleware unit is implemented by a hardware-based processing unit comprising logic circuitry, and wherein the middleware unit is configured to;

receive a first set of media data of a media session via a broadcast service;

determine that the broadcast service is no longer available after receiving the first set of media data;

receive a request to retrieve a second set of media data of the media session via a unicast service from a streaming application executed by the client device based on the determination that the broadcast service is no longer available, wherein the request specifies an address external to the client device; and

in response to the request, when the second set of media data was previously received via the broadcast service, cause the HTTP proxy unit to redirect the request to the local server unit instead of the address external to the client device, wherein the second set of media data was previously received via the broadcast service.

21. The device of claim 20, wherein a manifest file for the media session indicates that there are multiple representations for the media data, wherein the unicast service provides data of a first representation of the multiple representations, and wherein the broadcast service provides data of a second, different representation of the multiple representations, and wherein the middleware unit is further configured to:

when the broadcast service is available, use a first Server and Network assisted DASH (SAND) enforcement message to cause the streaming client to retrieve data from the second representation; and

when the broadcast service is not available, use a second SAND enforcement message to cause the streaming client to retrieve data from the first representation.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the first SAND enforcement message and the second SAND enforcement message conform to a SAND enforcement message schema that includes:

a base uniform resource locator (URL) field that represents a uniform resource identifier (URI) prefix that identifies a representation in a corresponding manifest file; and

a status field that represents statuses of all associated resources.

23. The device of claim 20, wherein the middleware unit is further configured to configure the HTTP proxy unit to:

direct requests for segments cached in the local server unit to the local server unit; and

provide a list of segment identifiers that can be satisfied by the local server unit to the streaming application.

24. The device of claim 20, wherein the middleware unit is further configured to cause data to be sent to the streaming client, the data including one or more identifiers of media data cached by the local server unit.

25. The device of claim 24, wherein the data includes a list of comma separated values representing the identifiers, wherein the identifiers specify a start of available media data and an end of the available media data, wherein the data includes a from-field and a to-field, wherein the from-field specifies a start of available media data and the to-field specifies an end of the available media data, wherein the data comprises one or more regular expressions, and wherein the data comprises a list of statuses for sets of media data.

26. The device of claim 20, wherein the HTTP proxy unit is included in the middleware unit.

27. The device of claim 20, wherein the HTTP proxy unit is separate from the middleware unit.

28. A device for retrieving media data, the device comprising:

a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) proxy unit;

a local server unit;

middleware means for receiving a first set of media data of a media session via a broadcast service;

middleware means for determining that the broadcast service is no longer available after receiving the first set of media data;

middleware means for receiving a request to retrieve a second set of media data of the media session via a unicast service from a streaming application executed by the client device based on the determination that the broadcast service is no longer available, wherein the request specifies an address external to the client device; and

middleware means for causing, in response to the request, when the second set of media data was previously received via the broadcast service, the HTTP proxy unit to redirect the request to the local server unit instead of the address external to the client device, wherein the second set of media data was previously received via the broadcast service.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein a manifest file for the media session indicates that there are multiple representations for the media data, wherein the unicast service provides data of a first representation of the multiple representations, and wherein the broadcast service provides data of a second, different representation of the multiple representations, further comprising:

means for using, when the broadcast service is available, a first Server and Network assisted DASH (SAND) enforcement message to cause the streaming client to retrieve data from the second representation; and

means for using, when the broadcast service is not available, a second SAND enforcement message to cause the streaming client to retrieve data from the first representation.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the first SAND enforcement message and the second SAND enforcement message conform to a SAND enforcement message schema that includes:

a base uniform resource locator (URL) field that represents a uniform resource identifier (URI) prefix that identifies a representation in a corresponding manifest file; and

a status field that represents statuses of all associated resources.

31. The device of claim 28, further comprising means for configuring the HTTP proxy unit to:

direct requests for segments cached in the local server unit to the local server unit; and

provide a list of segment identifiers that can be satisfied by the local server unit to the streaming application.

32. The device of claim 28, further comprising means for causing data to be sent to the streaming client, the data including one or more identifiers of media data cached by the local server unit.

33. The device of claim 32, wherein the data includes a list of comma separated values representing the identifiers, wherein the identifiers specify a start of available media data and an end of the available media data, wherein the data includes a from-field and a to-field, wherein the from-field specifies a start of available media data and the to-field specifies an end of the available media data, wherein the data comprises one or more regular expressions, and wherein the data comprises a list of statuses for sets of media data.

34. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause a processor comprising a middleware unit at a client device, wherein the middleware unit controls a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) proxy unit of the client device, and wherein the client device includes a local server unit, to:

receive a first set of media data of a media session via a broadcast service;

determine that the broadcast service is no longer available after receiving the first set of media data;

receive a request to retrieve a second set of media data of the media session via a unicast service from a streaming application executed by the client device based on the determination that the broadcast service is no longer available, wherein the request specifies an address external to the client device; and

in response to the request, when the second set of media data was previously received via the broadcast service, cause the HTTP proxy unit to redirect the request to the local server unit instead of the address external to the client device, wherein the second set of media data was previously received via the broadcast service.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, wherein a manifest file for the media session indicates that there are multiple representations for the media data, wherein the unicast service provides data of a first representation of the multiple representations, and wherein the broadcast service provides data of a second, different representation of the multiple representations, further comprising instructions that cause the processor to:

when the broadcast service is available, use a first Server and Network assisted DASH (SAND) enforcement message to cause the streaming client to retrieve data from the second representation; and

when the broadcast service is not available, use a second SAND enforcement message to cause the streaming client to retrieve data from the first representation.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 35, wherein the first SAND enforcement message and the second SAND enforcement message conform to a SAND enforcement message schema that includes:

a base uniform resource locator (URL) field that represents a uniform resource identifier (URI) prefix that identifies a representation in a corresponding manifest file; and

a status field that represents statuses of all associated resources.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, further comprising instructions that cause the processor to configure the HTTP proxy unit to:

direct requests for segments cached in the local server unit to the local server unit; and

provide a list of segment identifiers that can be satisfied by the local server unit to the streaming application.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 34, further comprising instructions that cause the processor to cause data to be sent to the streaming client, the data including one or more identifiers of media data cached by the local server unit.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 38, wherein the data includes a list of comma separated values representing the identifiers, wherein the identifiers specify a start of available media data and an end of the available media data, wherein the data includes a from-field and a to-field, wherein the from-field specifies a start of available media data and the to-field specifies an end of the available media data, wherein the data comprises one or more regular expressions, and wherein the data comprises a list of statuses for sets of media data.