Progressive downloading of timed multimedia content

• US 20050004997A1
• Filed: 06/09/2004
• Published: 01/06/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Balcisoy, Selim S., Karczewicz, Marta, Capin, Tolga K.
• Application Number:
  US10/865,670
• Publication Number:
  US 20050004997A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44012 involving rendering scenes according to scene graphs, e.g. MPEG-4 scene graphs
• 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 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80

Abstract

In progressive downloading of multimedia content, such as SVG files, the client buffers some data for a certain time so the content can be decoded and presented in a timely manner. In order for the client to start presenting the content of a file at an appropriate time, the client has to estimate the start-up delay time correctly. The server, prior to or at the time of sending the data, provides the client information indicative of content properties, such as the size and content presentation time of some or all scenes. The information may include transmission minimum bandwidth to ensure each remaining scene will be available before its presentation time. The client estimates the start-up delay time based on the provided information. Furthermore, the client can determine when to remove one or more files from its data buffer in order to minimize the memory usage.

Claims

1. A method of signaling in a network, the network having a least a client, and a server for transmitting to the client data having a plurality of components, the components having various content properties, so as to allow the client to download the data in a client buffer before presenting at least a part of the data, each component having a component size, said method comprising:

conveying to the client information indicative of the content properties of the components; and

determining in the client, responsive to the information, a start-up delay in the presentation based on the content properties of the components.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is indicative of the content presentation times of the components.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is indicative of the component sizes.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information is conveyed to the client prior to the downloading of the data.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the information is further indicative of content end times of the components.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

presenting the components at player start times of the components based on the start-up delay and the content presentation times of the components.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the information is further indicative of content end times of the components, said method further comprising:

removing a portion of the data after presenting said portion of the data based on the content start times and the content end times of the components.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted at a transmission rate in the network, and the information is indicative of the transmission rate.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the data is transmitted at a transmission rate in the network, and the information is indicative of minimum bandwidths for the components based on the transmission rate.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the content properties comprise content presentation times of the components and content end times of the components, said method further comprising:

presenting the components at player start times of the components based on the component size and the content presentation times of the components; and

removing one or more components after presenting said one or more components based on the content presentation times and the content end time of said one or more components while presenting other components in the data.

11. A multimedia system comprising:

at least a client having a data buffer, and

at least a server for transmitting to the client data having a plurality of components, the components having various content properties so as to allow the client to download the data in the data buffer before presenting at least a part of the data, each component has a component size, wherein

the server comprises;

means for determining the content presentation times of the components based on the content properties of the components; and

means for conveying to the client information indicative of the presentation times of the components and

the client comprises;

means for receiving the conveyed information; and

means for determining a start-up delay in the presentation based on the received information.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the means for determining the content presentation times is also for determining the component sizes, and

wherein the means for conveying to the client information indicative of the presentation times is also for conveying to the client information indicative of the component sizes.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the client further comprises:

means for presenting the data according to player start times of the components based on the start-up delay and the content presentation times of the components.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the conveyed information is further indicative of content end times of the components and the client is adapted to

removing one or more components after presenting said one or more components based on the content presentation times of the components and the content end times of the components.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the information is conveyed to the client prior to the downloading of the data.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the data are transmitted at a transmission rate and the information is indicative of minimum bandwidths in transmitting the components based on the transmission rate.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the client is adapted to removing one or more components after presenting said one or more components based on the content presentation times and the minimum bandwidths of the components.

18. A server in a multimedia network, the network having at least a client, the server is adapted to transmit to the client data having a plurality of components, the components having various content properties, so as to allow the client to download the data in a client buffer before presenting at least a part of the data, each component having a component size, said server comprising:

means for determining the content presentation times of the components based on the content properties of the files; and

means for conveying to the client information indicative of the presentation times so as to allow the client to determine a start up delay in the presentation based on the information.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein the means for determining the content presentation times is also for determining the component sizes, and

wherein the means for conveying to the client information indicative of the presentation times is also for conveying to the client information indicative of the component sizes.

20. The server of claim 18, wherein the information is conveyed to the client prior to transmitting of data to the client.

21. The server of claim 18, wherein the data are transmitted at a transmission rate, and the information is indicative of minimum bandwidths in transmitting the components based on the transmission rate.

22. A client in the multimedia network, the network having at least a server for transmitting to the client data having a plurality of components, the components having various content properties so as to allow the client to download the data before presenting at least a part of the data, each component having a component size, wherein the server further transmits to the client information indicative of the content properties of the components, said client comprising:

a buffer for storing at least part of the data; and

means, responsive to the information, for determining a start up delay in the presentation based on the content properties of the components.

23. The client of claim 22, wherein the information is indicative of the content presentation times and sizes of the components, said client further comprising:

means for presenting the data according to player start times of the components based on the start-up delay and the content presentation times of the components.

24. The client of claim 23, wherein the information is further indicative of content end times of the components, and the client removes one or more components after presenting said one or more components based on the content presentation times and the content end times of the components.

25. A computer program for use in a server in a network, the network having at least a client, wherein the server is adapted to transmit to the client data having various content properties, so as to allow the client to download the data in a client buffer before presenting at least a part of the data, each component having a component size, said computer program comprising:

a first code to determine the presentation times and sizes based on the content properties of the files; and

a second code to generate information indicative of the presentation times and sizes, so as to allow the client to determine a start up delay in the presentation.

26. A computer program for use in a client in a network, the network having at least a server for transmitting to the client data having various content properties, so as to allow the client to download the data in a client buffer before presenting at least a part of the data, each component having a component size, wherein the server is adapted to transmit to the client information indicative of the content properties, said computer program comprising:

a code to determine a start up delay in the presentation; and

a code to determine player start times of the components based on the content properties and the start-up delay in the presentation.