Method and device for providing streaming content

• US 10,356,145 B2
• Filed: 12/18/2018
• Issued: 07/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helios Streaming, LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ideahub, Inc.
• Inventors: Thang, Truong Cong, Lee, Jin Young, Bae, Seong Jun, Kang, Jung Won, Jung, Soon Heung, Park, Sang Taick, Ryu, Won
• Primary Examiner(s): Sall, El Hadji M
• Application Number:
  US16/224,555
• Publication Number:
  US 20190124130A1
• Time in Patent Office: 210 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25825 involving client display capabilities, e.g. screen resolution of a mobile phone optimising the visualisation of content during browsing in the Internet G06F16/9577; processing of terminal status or physical abilities in wireless networks H04W8/22; authentication in wireless network security H04W12/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6437 Real-time Transport Protocol [RTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for an adaptive Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) streaming service using metadata of content are provided. The metadata of the content may be efficiently divided for a purpose of use of a terminal based on general media information or specific media information, and may be transmitted to the terminal. A group may include one or more representations of content. The metadata may include a group element, and the group element may provide a summary of attributes of one or more representations included in the group.

Claims

1. A method of providing media content performed by a server or multiple servers, the method comprising:

receiving a request for the media content from a client based on a media presentation description (MPD) with respect to the media content; and

providing a segment of media content through streaming to the client in response to the request,

wherein the MPD includes one or more periods,

wherein the period includes one or more groups,

wherein the group includes one or more representations,

wherein the representation includes one or more segments,

wherein the group includes one or more group elements for each of the groups, and

wherein a group element provides a summary of values of all representations with a group.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the group element includes at least one of (i) an ID of the group, (ii) a minBandWidth indicating a minimum value among bandwidth attributes of all representations in the group, (iii) a maxBandwidth indicating a maximum value among bandwidth attributes of all representations in the group, (iv) a minWidth indicating a minimum value among width attributes of all representations in the group, (v) a maxWidth indicating a maximum value among width attributes of all representations in the group, (vi) a minHeight indicating a minimum value among height attributes of all representations in the group, (vii) a maxHeight indicating a maximum value among height attributes of all representations in the group, (viii) a minFrameRate indicating a minimum value among frame rate attributes of all representations in the group, (ix) a maxFrameRate indicating a maximum value among frame rate attributes of all representations in the group, (x) a language attribute indicating the language of all representations in the group, (xi) a mimeType attribute indicating the mime type for all representation in the group, and (xii) a codec indicating a codec that is used for all representations in the group.

3. A method of providing media content performed by a client, the method comprising:

transmitting a request for the media content to a server based on a media presentation description (MPD) with respect to the media content; and

receiving a segment of media content through streaming from the sever in response to the request,

wherein the MPD includes one or more periods,

wherein the period includes one or more groups,

wherein the group includes one or more representations,

wherein the representation includes one or more segments,

wherein the group includes one or more group elements for each of the groups, and

wherein a group element provides a summary of values of all representations within a group.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the group element includes at least one of (i) an ID of the group, (ii) a minBandWidth indicating a minimum value among bandwidth attributes of all representations in the group, (iii) a maxBandwidth indicating a maximum value among bandwidth attributes of all representations in the group, (iv) a minWidth indicating a minimum value among width attributes of all representations in the group, (v) a maxWidth indicating a maximum value among width attributes of all representations in the group, (vi) a minHeight indicating a minimum value among height attributes of all representations in the group, (vii) a maxHeight indicating a maximum value among height attributes of all representations in the group, (viii) a minFrameRate indicating a minimum value among frame rate attributes of all representations in the group, (ix) a maxFrameRate indicating a maximum value among frame rate attributes of all representations in the group, (x) a language attribute indicating the language of all representations in the group, (xi) a mimeType attribute indicating the mime type for all representation in the group, and (xii) a codec indicating a codec that is used for all representations in the group.

5. A method of providing content performed by a client, the method comprising:

transmitting, to a server, a transmission request message from the client;

receiving, from the server, a specific Media Presentation Description (MPD) suitable for the client, the specific MPD comprising descriptions of representations of the content suitable for the client;

selecting an appropriate representation from among the representations in the specific MPD based on the descriptions of the representations; and

requesting the server to transmit content corresponding to the selected representation,

wherein the specific MPD includes one or more periods,

wherein the period includes one or more groups,

wherein the group includes one or more representations,

wherein the representation includes one or more segments,

wherein the specific MPD includes one or more group elements for each of the groups, and

wherein the group element is related to a summary of values of attributes of all representations within the group.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the transmission request message from the client includes specific attributes of the client including at least one of (i) capability, (ii) preference, (iii) minBand, (iv) maxBand, (v) averBand, (vi) width, (vii) height, (viii) framerate, (ix) lang, (x) mime, (xi) a view identifier (ID) of a multi-view video, and (xii) a complexity and quality of audio or video.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the specific MPD is selected among multiple specific MPDs that are generated in advance.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the representations in the specific MPD are specific to a predetermined category of a terminal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the terminal is one of a high-definition television (HDTV), a personal computer, and a mobile phone.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the group element is related to a summary of values of attributes of all representations within the group, wherein the attribute of the group includes at least one of (i) minBandWidth for indicating a minimum value among bandwidth attributes of all representations in the group, (ii) maxBandWidth for indicating a maximum value among bandwidth attributes of all representations in a group, (iii) minWidth for indicating a minimum value among horizontal resolution attributes of all representations in a group, (iv) maxWidth for indicating a maximum value among horizontal resolution attributes of all representations in a group, (v) minHeight for indicating a minimum value among minimum height attributes of all representations in a group, (vi) maxHeight for indicating a maximum value among maximum height attributes of all representations in a group, (vii) minFrameRate for indicating a minimum value among frame rate attributes of all representations in a group, and (viii) maxFrameRate for indicating a maximum value among frame rate attributes of all representations in a group.

11. A method of providing content performed by a server or multiple servers, the method comprising:

receiving, from a client, a transmission request message from the client;

transmitting, to the client, a specific Media Presentation Description (MPD) suitable for the client, the specific MPD comprising descriptions of representations suitable for the client;

receiving, from the client, a request for content corresponding to a representation in the specific MPD selected by the client, and

transmitting the content corresponding to the selected representation in the specific MPD to the client,

wherein the specific MPD includes one or more periods,

wherein the period includes one or more groups,

wherein the group includes one or more representations,

wherein the representation includes one or more segments,

wherein the specific MPD includes one or more group elements for each of the groups, and

wherein the group element is related to a summary of values of attributes of all representations within the group.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the transmission request message from the client includes specific attributes of the client including at least one of (i) capability, (ii) preference, (iii) minBand, (iv) maxBand, (v) averBand, (vi) width, (vii) height, (viii) framerate, (ix) lang, (x) mime, (xi) a view identifier (ID) of a multi-view video, and (xii) a complexity and quality of audio or video.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the specific MPD is selected among multiple specific MPDs that are generated in advance.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the representations in the specific MPD are specific to a predetermined category of a terminal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the terminal is one of a high-definition television (HDTV), a personal computer, and a mobile phone.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the group element is related to a summary of values of attributes of all representations within the group, wherein the attribute of the group includes at least one of (i) minBandwidth for indicating a minimum value among bandwidth attributes of all representations in the group, (ii) maxBandwidth for indicating a maximum value among bandwidth attributes of all representations in a group, (iii) minWidth for indicating a minimum value among horizontal resolution attributes of all representations in a group, (iv) maxWidth for indicating a maximum value among horizontal resolution attributes of all representations in a group, (v) minHeight for indicating a minimum value among minimum height attributes of all representations in a group, (vi) maxHeight for indicating a maximum value among maximum height attributes of all representations in a group, (vii) minFrameRate for indicating a minimum value among frame rate attributes of all representations in a group, and (viii) maxFrameRate for indicating a maximum value among frame rate attributes of all representations in a group.

17. A method of providing content performed by a client, the method comprising:

transmitting, to a server, a transmission request message from the client;

receiving, from the server, a specific Media Presentation Description (MPD), the specific MPD comprising a subset of all representations in a general MPD that are suitable for the client;

selecting an appropriate representation from among the representations in the specific MPD, based on the descriptions of the representations; and

requesting the server to transmit content corresponding to the selected representation,

wherein the specific MPD includes one or more periods,

wherein the period includes one or more groups,

wherein the group includes one or more representations,

wherein the representation includes one or more segments,

wherein the specific MPD includes one or more group elements for each of the groups, and

wherein the group element is related to a summary of values of attributes of all representations within the group.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the representations in the specific MPD are specific to a predetermined category of a terminal.

19. A method of providing content performed by a server or multiple servers, the method comprising:

receiving, from a client, a transmission request message from the client;

transmitting, to the client, a specific Media Presentation Description (MPD) suitable for the client, the specific MPD comprising descriptions of representations suitable for the client;

receiving, from the client, a request for content corresponding to a representation in the specific MPD selected by the client, and

transmitting the content corresponding to the selected representation in the specific MPD to the client,

wherein the specific MPD includes one or more periods,

wherein the period includes one or more groups,

wherein the group includes one or more representations,

wherein the representation includes one or more segments,

wherein the specific MPD includes one or more group elements for each of the groups, and

wherein the group element is related to a summary of values of attributes of all representations within the group.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the representations in the specific MPD are specific to a predetermined category of a terminal.