Multimedia data processing apparatus and method of terminal

• US 10,404,772 B2
• Filed: 03/11/2013
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Lee, Heungki, Hong, Seungseok, Kim, Gilyoon, Jeong, Seunghwan
• Primary Examiner(s): Survillo, Oleg
• Application Number:
  US13/792,878
• Publication Number:
  US 20130246582A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,367 Days
• Field of Search: 709219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6373 for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6375 for requesting retransmission , e.g. of data packets lost or corrupted during transmission from serverARQ protocols H04L1/18; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection

Abstract

The data download method of a terminal device processing data downloaded in progressive download mode is provided. The method includes measuring bandwidth of the data downloaded, requesting, when the measured bandwidth is narrower than a reference bandwidth, for transmitting data with narrow bandwidth, registering a duration in which the data is downloaded with narrow bandwidth as a backup duration, requesting, when the measured bandwidth is equal to or greater than the reference bandwidth, for retransmission of backup data corresponding to the backup duration through a backup channel, and storing the data of the backup duration.

Claims

1. A data download method of a terminal device for processing data downloaded in a progressive download mode, the method comprising:

measuring, by the terminal device, a first download rate of first data while the first data being received, the first data having a first level of quality;

when the measured first download rate is lower than a reference download rate, requesting, by the terminal device, for transmission of second data through a playback channel, the second data having a second level of quality that is lower than the first level of quality, stopping reception of the first data, and receiving the second data;

registering, by the terminal device, a duration in which the second data is received as a backup duration;

measuring, by the terminal device, a second download rate of the second data while the second data being received;

determining, by the terminal device, an amount of data of the second data received but not played;

when the second download rate is equal to or greater than the reference download rate and the determined amount of data of the second data is larger than a predetermined size, requesting, by the terminal device, for transmission of backup data corresponding to the second data through a backup channel, the backup data having the first level of quality and the backup duration; and

storing, by the terminal device, the backup data.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

requesting, when the second download rate is greater than the reference download rate, for transmission of third data at the reference download rate; and

storing the third data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein each of the first data, the second data, and the third data comprises motion picture data.

4. A multimedia data playback method of a terminal device, the method comprising:

configuring a reference download rate for progressive download playback;

measuring a first download rate of first multimedia data while the first multimedia data being received;

when the measured first download rate is lower than the reference download rate, requesting for transmission of backup multimedia data through a playback channel, stopping reception of the first multimedia data, and receiving the backup multimedia data;

registering a duration during which the first download rate is lower than the reference download rate as a backup duration;

measuring a download rate of the backup multimedia data while the backup multimedia data being received;

determining a number of unit data of the backup multimedia data received but not played;

when the download rate of the backup multimedia data is greater than the reference download rate and the determined number of the unit data of the backup multimedia data that are neither downloaded nor played is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, requesting for second multimedia data corresponding to the backup multimedia data through a backup channel, the second multimedia data having the backup duration;

storing the received first multimedia data and the received backup multimedia data;

storing, when the download rate of the second multimedia data matches the reference download rate, the second multimedia data; and

requesting transmission of third multimedia data at the reference download rate,

wherein the first multimedia data, the second multimedia data, and the third multimedia data correspond to a multimedia data file having a first level of quality.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the backup multimedia data and the second multimedia data are respective copies of multimedia data having different levels of quality, and each copy includes respective unit data having a same playback time.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the configuring comprises:

selecting an index file of a selected multimedia data; and

selecting a reference download rate of the unit data to be played in the progressive download playback by parsing the index file.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the registering comprises:

configuring the reference download rate corresponding to a download rate of downloaded unit data; and

registering, when the download rate of the downloaded unit data is lower than the reference download rate, the duration of the download rate being lower than the reference download rate as the backup duration with a download table.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the storing of the received first multimedia and the received backup multimedia data comprises:

configuring the reference download rate as a data reception rate;

storing, when the downloaded unit data is the backup multimedia data, the backup multimedia data;

deleting the backup multimedia data from the download table; and

configuring, when the backup multimedia data to be stored exists, the unit data for backup next in the download table.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising downloading and storing the backup multimedia data which is not stored,

wherein the downloading and storing of the backup multimedia data which is not stored comprises:

configuring the unit data for backup next in the download table;

requesting the transmission of the backup multimedia data;

storing the backup multimedia data; and

deleting the backup multimedia data from the download table.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the first multimedia data, the second multimedia data, the third multimedia data, and the backup multimedia data comprises hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) live streaming motion picture data, and the unit data comprises transport stream (TS).

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the unit data comprises motion picture data having one of a high TS (H.TS), a medium TS (M.TS), and a low TS (L.TS) data rate.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein each of the first multimedia data, the second multimedia data, the third multimedia data, and the backup multimedia data comprises smooth streaming motion picture data, and the unit data comprises a fragment (Frag).

13. The method of claim 12, wherein each of the first multimedia data, the second multimedia data, the third multimedia data, and the backup multimedia data comprises smooth streaming motion picture data having one of a video high Frag (VH.Frag), a video medium Frag (VM.Frag), or a video low Frag (VL.Frag) data rate.

14. A multimedia data processing method of a terminal device, the method comprising:

measuring, by the terminal device, a download rate of multimedia data which is being downloaded and played while the multimedia data being received;

when the measured download rate is lower than a reference download rate, requesting, by the terminal device, for transmission of second data through a playback channel, the second data having a second level of quality that is lower than the first level of quality, stopping reception of the multimedia data, and receiving the second data;

registering, by the terminal device, when the measured download rate is less than a reference download rate, a duration during which the measured download rate is less than the reference rate as a backup duration, the multimedia data being stored simultaneously;

re-measuring, by the terminal device, the download rate of the multimedia data while the multimedia data being received;

storing, by the terminal device, when the re-measured download rate matches the reference download rate, the received multimedia data in a memory;

determining, by the terminal device, an amount of data of the second data received but not played;

requesting, by the terminal device, when the re-measured download rate is equal to or greater than the reference download rate and the determined amount of data of the second data is larger than a predetermined size, requesting, by the terminal device, for transmission of backup data corresponding to the multimedia data through a backup channel as corresponding backup duration data; and

storing, by the terminal device, the backup data in the memory.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

requesting, when a multimedia data playback completes but the download of the multimedia data for the backup duration does not complete, for retransmission of the multimedia data for the backup duration; and

downloading and storing the retransmitted multimedia data.

16. A progressive download playback apparatus of a terminal, the apparatus comprising:

a transceiver configured to;

request a server to transmit at least one of first data, second data, and backup data, and

download the at least one of the first data or the second data, and the backup data through a playback channel and a backup channel, respectively;

a memory including a download table and a content storage;

a processor configured to;

measure a first download rate of the first data having a first level of quality while the first data being received,

when the measured first download rate is lower than a reference download rate, request transmission of the second data having a second level of quality lower than the first level of quality,

register a duration in which the second data is downloaded as a backup duration with the download table,

measure a second download rate while receiving the second data while the second data being received,

determine an number of unit data of the second data received but not played,

when the second download rate is equal to or greater than the reference download rate and the number of the unit data downloaded but not played is greater than a predetermined value, request the server to transmit the backup data corresponding to the second data through the backup channel, the backup data having the first level of quality and the backup duration, and

store the backup data in the content storage; and

a display configured to display the first data and the backup data under control of the processor.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the backup data and the second data are respective copies of a multimedia data file that have different levels of quality, and each copy comprises respective unit data having a same playback time.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein, when a reception rate of measured data is less than the reference download rate, the processor is further configured to request data transmission at a download rate corresponding to the reception rate of the measured data.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to:

request, when the reception rate of the measured data is greater than the reference download rate, for data transmission, and store downloaded data in the content storage.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein each of the first data, the second data, and the backup data comprises hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) live streaming motion picture data, and the unit data comprises transport stream (TS).

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein each of the first data, the second data, and the backup data comprises smooth streaming motion picture data, and the unit data comprises fragment.