Data format for a streaming information appliance

• US 20050246456A1
• Filed: 04/01/2005
• Published: 11/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Lorton, Christopher W., Smirnov, Serge, Raja, Jayachandran, Parry, William G., Lee, Mingtzong
• Granted Patent: US 7,139,869 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/53
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10 Digital recording or reproducing
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10666 Ring buffers, e.g. buffers wherein an iteratively progressing read or write pointer moves back to the beginning of the buffer when reaching the last storage cell
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/105 of operating discs
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/322 used signal is digitally coded
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer

Abstract

A method is provided for handling streaming information encoded with a data structure having a data block format. The data block format includes a data block having a header portion and an end portion. The header portion includes a prefix field having a pointer to a succeeding data block and the end portion includes a suffix field having a pointer to a preceding data block. A first data block size field is included in the header portion and indicates the size of the data block and a second data block size field is included in the end portion and indicates the size of the data block. A payload field is bounded by the first data block size field and a second data block size field. The payload field includes streaming information to be rendered.

Claims

1. A method of handling streaming information, comprising:

forming a data block having a header portion and an end portion, the header portion including a prefix field having a pointer to a succeeding data block, the end portion including a suffix field having a pointer to a preceding data block;

indicating the size of the data block with a first data block size field included in the header portion;

indicating the size of the data block with a second data block size field included in the end portion; and

bounding a payload field by the first data block size field and the second data block size field wherein the payload field includes streaming information to be rendered.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the prefix field is of variable size.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the header portion includes a prefix size field indicating a size of the prefix field.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the prefix field includes other information.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the other information includes padding data.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the header portion includes a stream identification field.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the header portion includes a field indicating a location of the payload in the data block.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the prefix field includes other information.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the other information includes padding data.

10. An information appliance having a processor adapted to perform the method of claim 1.

11. A method for handling streaming information comprising a plurality of streams to provide a channel, the method comprising:

accessing a sequence of data blocks for the plurality of streams wherein data blocks for different streams are adjacent each other in the sequence and wherein each data block is associated with one stream of the plurality of streams and includes;

a first pointer field indicating a location of a succeeding data block associated with said one stream;

a second pointer field indicating a location of a preceding data block associated with said one stream; and

a payload field.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the payload field is bounded by the first pointer field and the second pointer field.

13. The method claim 11 wherein the payload field is of variable size.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein the first pointer field is at a known location from a beginning of the data block, and the second pointer field is at a known location from an end of the data block.

15. The method of claim 14 and wherein each data block further includes:

a first data block size field indicating the size of the data block;

a second data block size field indicating the size of the data block; and

wherein the payload field is bounded by the first data block size field and the second data block size field.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the plurality of streams include at least two of an audio stream, a video stream and a data stream.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein the payload field includes streaming information to be rendered from the plurality of streams.

18. An information appliance having a processor adapted to perform the method of claim 11.

19. An information appliance for receiving streaming information encoded with a data structure having a data block format, the data block format comprising:

a data block having a header portion and an end portion, the header portion including a prefix field having a pointer to a succeeding data block, the end portion including a suffix field having a pointer to a preceding data block;

a first data block size field included in the header portion and indicating the size of the data block;

a second data block size field included in the end portion and indicating the size of the data block; and

a payload field bounded by the first data block size field and the second data block size field wherein the payload field includes streaming information to be rendered.

20. The data block format of claim 19 wherein the header portion includes a stream identification field.