System and method to request a portion of a media content item

• US 10,284,341 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2017
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Beattie, Jr., James Gordon, Mallya, Arvind R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tu, Christine T.
• Application Number:
  US15/805,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20180062794A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• Field of Search: 714746, 714 41, 714 471, 714 48, 714 57, 37524027, 37524028, 375224, 375227
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/18502 Airborne stations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/08 by repeating transmission, e.g. Verdan system H04L1/1858 and H04L1/189 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1835 Buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0097 Relays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• 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

Abstract

A method includes concurrently receiving, at a first communication interface of a media device, a first media content stream and a second media content stream. The method includes sending, from the media device to an output device, decoded first media content processed from the first media content stream. The method includes storing decoded second media content processed from the second media content stream in a buffer. The method includes detecting an error associated with a portion of the second media content stream during receipt of the first media content stream and the second media content stream. The method also includes sending, from a second communication interface of the media device to a media content source, a request for the portion. The second communication interface is distinct from the first communication interface.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

concurrently receiving, at a first communication interface of a media device, a first media content stream and a second media content stream;

sending, from the media device to an output device, decoded first media content processed from the first media content stream;

storing, in a buffer, decoded second media content processed from first portions of the second media content stream, wherein the first portions of the second media content stream contain no detected errors;

detecting a second portion of the second media content stream during receipt of the first media content stream and the second media content stream, wherein the second portion of the second media content stream contains a first detected error; and

sending, from a second communication interface of the media device to a media content source, a request for first particular content, the first particular content corresponding to the second portion of the second media content stream and the second communication interface is distinct from the first communication interface.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the first particular content from the media content source; and

storing the first particular content in the buffer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing, in the buffer, the decoded first media content processed from third portions of the first media content stream prior to sending the decoded first media content to the output device, wherein the third portions of the first media content stream contain no detected errors.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

detecting a fourth portion of the first media content stream, wherein the fourth portion contains a second detected error;

sending, from the second communications interface to the media content source, a second request for second particular content, the second particular content corresponding to the fourth portion of the first media content stream;

receiving the second particular content from the media content source; and

storing the second particular content in the buffer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the second media content stream corresponds to a missing portion of the second media content stream.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the second media content stream corresponds to a particular portion of the second media content stream that cannot be decoded.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media content stream and the second media content stream are received from the media content source.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media content stream and the second media content stream are received from a second media content source, the second media content source distinct from the media content source.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the first communication interface comprises a satellite network interface, and wherein the second communication interface comprises a terrestrial network interface.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first media content stream is associated with a first channel, wherein the second media content stream is associated with a second channel, and further comprising:

receiving a channel change request to change from the first channel to the second channel; and

in response to the channel change request, sending the decoded second media content from the buffer to the output device.

11. An apparatus comprising:

a first communication interface to concurrently receive a first media content stream and a second media content stream;

an error detector to detect an error in a portion of the second media content stream while first media content processed from the first media content stream is sent to an output device; and

a second communication interface to send a request for first particular content to a media content source responsive to detection of the error by the error detector, the first particular content corresponding to the portion of the second media content stream and the second communication interface is distinct from the first communication interface.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the error detector is configured to detect a second error associated with a second portion of the first media content stream, and wherein the second communication interface is configured to send a second request for second particular content corresponding to the second portion of the first media content stream to the media content source responsive to detection of the second error by the error detector.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising a buffer to store the first media content processed from the first media content stream and to store second media content processed from the second media content stream.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising a synchronizer to place the first particular content in the buffer at a chronologic location of the second media content.

15. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the error detector determines the error responsive to the portion being absent or in response to not being able to decode the portion.

16. A computer-readable hardware storage device storing instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

concurrently receiving, via a first communication interface, a first media content stream and a second media content stream;

causing an output interface to send decoded first media content processed from the first media content stream to an output device;

storing, in a buffer, decoded second media content processed from first portions of the second media content stream, wherein the first portions of the second media content stream contain no detected errors;

detecting a second portion of the second media content stream during receipt of the first media content stream and the second media content stream, wherein the second portion of the second media content stream contains a first detected error; and

causing a second communication interface to send a request for first particular content, the first particular content corresponding to the second portion of the second media content stream and the second communication interface is distinct from the first communication interface.

17. The computer-readable hardware storage device of claim 16, wherein the first media content stream is associated with a selected channel of a television distribution system, and wherein the second media content stream is associated with a second channel of the television distribution system.

18. The computer-readable hardware storage device of claim 17, wherein the second channel is designated as a favorite channel.

19. The computer-readable hardware storage device of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving a channel change request that indicates the second channel; and

responsive to the channel change request, causing the output interface to send the decoded second media content in the buffer to the output device.

20. The computer-readable hardware storage device of claim 16, wherein the output device comprises a speaker, a speaker system, a monitor, a television, or combinations thereof.