Switching media streams in a client

• US 10,601,884 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2018
• Issued: 03/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Amsterdam, Jeffrey D., Holladay, Christopher E., Whitman, Ryan L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Wing F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ng, Billy H
• Application Number:
  US16/051,662
• Publication Number:
  US 20180343293A1
• Time in Patent Office: 601 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42202 environmental sensors, e.g. for detecting temperature, luminosity, pressure, earthquakes
• 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 21/44218 Detecting physical presence or behaviour of the user, e.g. using sensors to detect if the user is leaving the room or changes his face expression during a TV program methods or arrangements for recognising human body or animal bodies or body parts G06V40/10; methods or arrangements for acquiring or recognising human faces, facial parts, facial sketches, facial expressions G06V40/16; methods or arrangements for recognising movements or behaviour G06V40/20; arrangements for identifying users in broadcast systems H04H60/45

Abstract

A method and system for switching media streams of a video. A first media stream of the video is played in a SHOW mode in a client system as the first media stream is received. Aa switch is made from playing the first media stream to playing a second media stream of the video in the SHOW mode as the second media stream is being received. The switch preserves video content continuity of the video and includes pausing play of the first media stream. A pausing rank is associated with each timecode in the first and second media streams. The pausing occurs at a timecode in the first media stream at which the associated pausing rank is not less than a predesignated threshold.

Claims

1. A method for switching media streams of a video, said method comprising:

playing, by a processor, a first media stream of the video in a SHOW mode in a client system as the first media stream is being received from a content providing system;

said processor switching from playing the first media stream to playing a second media stream of the video in the SHOW mode as the second media stream is being received from the content providing system, said switching preserving video content continuity of the video, said second media stream differing from the first media stream with respect to a differentiating characteristic, said switching comprising pausing said playing the first media stream, wherein timecodes identifying relative time within the video are distributed in the first media stream and the second media stream, and wherein a pausing rank is associated with each timecode in the first and second media streams and denotes a relative rank to pausing said playing the first media stream; and

said processor constraining said pausing to occur at a timecode in the first media stream at which the associated pausing rank is not less than a predesignated pausing rank threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

after said pausing and at a real time corresponding to having determined a mate timecode of said timecodes within a specified tolerance, in the first and second media stream, said processor transitioning from playing the second media stream in a HIDE mode to playing the second media stream in the SHOW mode and stopping the first media stream from being paused and being played.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said switching comprises:

before said transitioning, playing the second media stream in the HIDE mode in the client system while the second media stream is being received from the content providing system, wherein the second media stream is lagging the first media stream with respect to their respective content.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said pausing occurs before or during said playing the second media stream in the HIDE mode.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the differentiating characteristic is selected from the group consisting of a content modality, a color scheme, and a media stream bandwidth.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

during said playing the first media stream, said processor detecting an environmental change in an environment within or adjacent to the client system,

wherein said switching is in response to said detecting the environmental change.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the environmental change is selected from the group consisting of a change in a screen saver of the client system in use, a change in a sound level adjacent to the client system hat exceeds a pre-specified change in sound level, a change in lighting level adjacent to the client system that exceeds a pre-specified change in lighting level, and a hardware overload in the client system.

8. A computer system, comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a computer readable hardware storage device coupled to the processor, said storage device containing program code executable by the processor via the memory to implement a method for switching media streams of a video, said method comprising:

said processor playing a first media stream of the video in a SHOW mode in a client system as the first media stream is being received from a content providing system;

said processor switching from playing the first media stream to playing a second media stream of the video in the SHOW mode as the second media stream is being received from the content providing system, said switching preserving video content continuity of the video, said second media stream differing from the first media stream with respect to a differentiating characteristic, said switching comprising pausing said playing the first media stream, wherein timecodes identifying relative time within the video are distributed in the first media stream and the second media stream, and wherein a pausing rank is associated with each timecode in the first and second media streams and denotes a relative rank to pausing said playing the first media stream; and

said processor constraining said pausing to occur at a timecode in the first media stream at which the associated pausing rank is not less than a predesignated pausing rank threshold.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

after said pausing and at a real time corresponding to having determined a matching timecode of said timecodes within a specified tolerance, in the first and second media stream, said processor transitioning from playing the second media stream in a HIDE mode to playing the second media stream in the SHOW mode and stopping the first media stream from being paused and being played.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein said switching comprises:

before said transitioning, playing the second media stream in the HIDE mode in the client system while the second media stream is being received from the content providing system, wherein the second media stream is lagging the first media stream with respect to their respective content.

11. The computer system of claim 10, wherein said pausing occurs before or during said playing the second media stream in the HIDE mode.

12. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the differentiating characteristic is selected from the group consisting of a content modality, a color scheme, and a media stream bandwidth.

13. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

during said playing the first media stream, said processor detecting an environmental change in an environment within or adjacent to the client system,

wherein said switching is in response to said detecting the environmental change.

14. The computer system of claim 13, wherein the environmental change is selected from the group consisting of a change in a screen saver of the client system in use, a change in a sound level adjacent to the client system that exceeds a pre-specified change in sound level, a change in lighting level adjacent to the client system that exceeds a pre-specified change in lighting level and a hardware overload in the client system.

15. A computer program product, comprising a computer readable hardware storage device having computer readable program code stored therein, said program code containing instructions executable by a processor of a computer system to implement a method for switching media streams of a video, said method comprising:

said processor playing a first media stream of the video in a SHOW mode in a client system as the first media stream is being received from a content providing system;

said processor switching from playing the first media stream to playing a second media stream of the video in the SHOW mode as the second media stream is being received from the content providing system, said switching preserving video content continuity of the video, said second media stream differing from the first media stream with respect to a differentiating characteristic, said switching comprising pausing said playing the first media stream, wherein timecodes identifying relative time within the video are distributed in the first media stream and the second media stream, and wherein a pausing rank is associated with each timecode in the first and second media streams and denotes a relative rank to pausing said playing the first media stream; and

said processor constraining said pausing to occur at a timecode in the first media stream at which the associated pausing rank is not less than a predesignated pausing rank threshold.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

after said pausing and at a real time corresponding to having determined a matching timecode of said timecodes within a specified tolerance, in the first and second media stream, said processor transitioning from playing the second media stream in a HIDE mode to playing the second media stream in the SHOW mode and stopping the first media stream from being paused and being played.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein said switching comprises:

before said transitioning, playing the second media stream in the HIDE mode in the client system while the second media stream is being received from the content providing system, wherein the second media stream is lagging the first media stream with respect to their respective content.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein said pausing occurs before or during said playing the second media stream in the HIDE mode.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the differentiating characteristic is selected from the group consisting of a content modality, a color scheme, and a media stream bandwidth.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

during said playing the first media stream, said processor detecting an environmental change in an environment within or adjacent to the client system,

wherein said switching is in response to said detecting the environmental change.