Real-time interstitial content resolution and trick mode restrictions

• US 10,681,431 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2017
• Issued: 06/09/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Levy, Thomas, Elbert, Dan Ariel, Tzur, Doron, Taub, Gilad, Millar, Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): Hong, Michael H
• Application Number:
  US15/662,360
• Publication Number:
  US 20180220202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,047 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23418 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics television picture signal circuitry for scene change detection H04N5/147; filtering for image enhancement G06T5/00; methods or arrangements for recognising scenes G06V20/00; arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• 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 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8453 by locking or enabling a set of features, e.g. optional functionalities in an executable program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Server-side trick mode restrictions in a stream may be provided. The stream may comprise, for example, a Video on Demand (VOD) Adaptive Bitrate (ABR) stream. First, a playlist request corresponding to a stream may be received from a user device. Next, a current stream position in the stream may be determined. In response to receiving the playlist request and when the current stream position corresponds to a non-skip segment, a playlist may be created having a last chunk comprising a next chunk of the stream from the current stream position. The playlist may then be provided to the user device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a playlist request corresponding to a stream;

determining a current stream position in the stream;

determining that the current stream position corresponds to a non-skip segment of the stream;

creating, in response to receiving the playlist request and in response to determining that the current stream position corresponds to the non-skip segment, a playlist having a last chunk, the last chunk of the playlist comprising a next chunk of the stream from the current stream position; and

providing the playlist.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the playlist request corresponding to the stream comprises receiving the playlist request corresponding to the stream comprising an Adaptive bitrate (ABR) stream.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the playlist request corresponding to the stream comprises receiving the playlist request corresponding to the stream comprising a Video on Demand (VOD) stream.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the playlist request corresponding to the stream comprises receiving the playlist request comprising one of a plurality of playlist requests received from a user device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the current stream position in the stream comprises determining the current stream position in the stream from information received from a user device consuming the stream.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein creating, in response to receiving the playlist request and when the current stream position corresponds to the non-skip segment, comprises creating, in response to receiving the playlist request and when the current stream position corresponds to the non-skip segment corresponding to interstitial content inserted into the stream.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the playlist comprises providing the playlist to a user device that is consuming the stream.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a playlist request corresponding to a stream;

determining a current stream position in the stream;

determining that the current stream position corresponds to a skip segment of the stream;

creating, in response to receiving the playlist request and in response to determining that the current stream position corresponds to the skip segment, a playlist comprising all chunks between the current stream position and an end of the skip segment, the playlist further comprising a first chunk of a non-skip segment immediately after the skip segment; and

providing the playlist.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the playlist request corresponding to the stream comprises receiving the playlist request corresponding to the stream comprising an Adaptive bitrate (ABR) stream.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the playlist request corresponding to the stream comprises receiving the playlist request corresponding to the stream comprising a Video on Demand (VOD) stream.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the playlist request corresponding to the stream comprises receiving the playlist request comprising one of a plurality of playlist requests received from a user device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein determining the current stream position in the stream comprises determining the current stream position in the stream from information received from a user device consuming the stream.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein creating the playlist having chunks between the current stream position and the end of the skip segment and the first chunk of the non-skip segment after the skip segment comprises creating the playlist wherein the non-skip segment corresponds to interstitial content inserted into the stream.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein providing the playlist comprises providing the playlist to a user device that is consuming the stream.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a playlist request corresponding to a stream;

determining a current stream position in the stream;

determining that the current stream position in the stream is within a predetermined number of segments of a next unresolved interstitial content opportunity position;

creating, in response to determining that the current stream position in the stream is within the predetermined number of segments of the next unresolved interstitial content opportunity position, a playlist having interstitial content inserted at the next unresolved interstitial content opportunity position; and

providing the playlist.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the playlist request corresponding to the stream comprises receiving the playlist request corresponding to the stream comprising an Adaptive bitrate (ABR) stream.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the playlist request corresponding to the stream comprises receiving the playlist request corresponding to the stream comprising a Video on Demand (VOD) stream.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein receiving the playlist request corresponding to the stream comprises receiving the playlist request comprising one of a plurality of playlist requests received from a user device.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the current stream position in the stream comprises determining the current stream position in the stream from information received from a user device consuming the stream.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising creating an alternate playlist that is synchronized with the playlist.