Media streaming of web content data

• US 20060288113A1
• Filed: 08/14/2006
• Published: 12/21/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mercer, Ian Cameron, Wilson, Mei L., Alkove, James Morris, Saunders, Richard William, Crites, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,714 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content

Abstract

Methods for streaming web content data via a computer-readable medium. The web content data comprises one or more media samples. The media samples are encoded in a streaming media format as a web component stream. The web component stream is combined with other component streams comprising additional data other than web content data into a presentation stream. The presentation stream is transmitted via a media server to a client. Rendering commands, which are included in one or more rendering samples encoded in the web component stream along with the media samples, coordinate synchronization between the media samples and the additional data when the client renders the presentation stream.

Claims

1. A data signal having a data field encoded therein for transmission over a communications channel, said data field comprising web content data in a streaming media format, said web content data comprising a web component stream, said web component stream comprising a media sample, wherein said media sample comprises a header and media data, said header comprising:

a tag indicating a rendering time in a rendering command in a rendering sample encoded in the web component stream of the media sample, and

a tag indicating a pre-roll time of the media sample.

2. The data signal of claim 1, wherein said web component stream comprises clean points representing key frames for the web content data, or comprises a plurality of media samples wherein said media samples have a substantially constant bandwidth and are substantially contiguous to each other.

3. The data signal of claim 1, wherein said web content data is encoded in a plurality of web component streams, each having an assigned bandwidth assigned by a content author, wherein an additional component stream comprising additional data other than web content data accompanies the web component stream, and wherein said additional data includes multiple languages in separate component streams wherein each of the separate component streams corresponds to one of the multiple languages, or wherein said additional data is encoded in a plurality of component streams, each having an assigned bandwidth assigned by a content author.

4. A method for authoring and encoding a web component stream comprising a media sample, said method comprising:

setting a rendering time for the media sample;

setting a pre-roll time for the media sample;

formatting the media sample into a web component stream as a function of the set rendering time and the set pre-roll time; and

calculating a send time for the media sample and wherein the web component stream is a function of the calculated send time.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising setting a substantially constant bandwidth for the media sample, assigning a uniform resource locator to the media sample, breaking the media sample into pieces, wherein each piece of said media sample comprises a header, said header comprising a tag indicating that said piece is part of said media sample, said web component stream comprises a plurality of media samples forming a web content data, and further comprising including clean points in the web component stream to represent key frames for the web content data.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising encoding said media sample in a plurality of web component streams, each having an assigned bandwidth assigned by a content author or encoding said media sample in separate web component streams wherein each of the separate web component streams corresponds to one of multiple languages.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising issuing a rendering command for the media sample, said rendering command comprising the rendering time for the media sample, encoding the rendering command for the media sample in a rendering sample, and encoding said rendering sample in the web component stream following the media sample in a time line.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising encoding additional data other than web content data in an additional component stream, encoding said additional data in a plurality of component streams, each having an assigned bandwidth assigned by a content author or encoding said additional data in separate component streams wherein each of the separate component streams corresponds to one of multiple languages.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising combining said web component stream into a combined presentation stream and redundantly streaming said combined presentation stream to a media server or combining said web component stream and an additional component stream comprising additional data other than web content data into a combined presentation stream and redundantly streaming said combined presentation stream to a media server.

10. The method of claim 4, further comprising separately streaming said web component stream and/or an additional component stream comprising additional data other than web content data to a media server and grouping said web component stream into a presentation file.

11. The method of claim 4, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 4.

12. A method for rendering a web component stream, comprising:

receiving the web component stream from a computer-readable medium;

retrieving a media sample from the web component stream; and

rendering the media sample, wherein said web component stream is received as part of a presentation stream or presentation file.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing the media sample in a cache.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said media sample is retrieved from the web component stream and stored in the cache piece by piece, wherein each piece of said media sample comprises a header, said header comprising a tag indicating that said piece is part of said media sample.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a rendering time for the media sample, retrieving the media sample from the cache, and rendering the retrieved media sample as a function of the received rendering time of the media sample, wherein said retrieving of the media sample from the cache comprises referencing the media sample to be retrieved by appending a custom protocol to a uniform resource locator of the media sample, said custom protocol restricting a renderer to search for the media sample only in the cache.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising retrieving additional data other than web content data from the presentation stream or presentation file and rendering said additional data.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a rendering command relating to the media sample and coordinating a rendering time for the media sample by the received rendering command.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising coordinating synchronization between the media sample and additional data other than web content data by the received rendering command.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising seeking a particular media sample based on clean points.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 12.