Method and system for optimizing streaming media

• US 20070088862A1
• Filed: 10/13/2005
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Chen, Yen-Fu, Kinstler, Francis, Burkman, Troy
• Application Number:
  US11/249,936
• Publication Number:
  US 20070088862A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 710/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

The invention comprises a computer implemented process for optimizing a media environment having a media player and a data stream, the process comprising: configuring a performance criterion; receiving the data stream; collecting performance data from the data stream; analyzing the performance data to determine if the performance data satisfies the performance criterion; and if the performance data does not satisfy the performance criterion, identifying an alternate media environment that provides improved performance data, and changing to the alternate media environment for improved performance.

Claims

1. A computer implemented process for optimizing a media environment having a media player and a data stream, the process comprising:

configuring a performance criterion;

receiving the data stream;

collecting performance data from the data stream;

analyzing the performance data to determine if the performance data satisfies the performance criterion; and

if the performance data does not satisfy the performance criterion,

identifying an alternate media environment that provides improved performance data, and

changing to the alternate media environment for improved performance.

2. The computer implemented process of claim 1 wherein the alternate media environment comprises an alternate data stream.

3. The computer implemented process of claim 1 wherein the alternate media environment comprises an alternate media player.

4. The computer implemented process of claim 1 further comprising displaying a prompt to receive user input before changing to the alternate media environment.

5. The computer implemented process of claim 1 wherein the performance criterion is a data rate.

6. The computer implemented process of claim 1 wherein the performance criterion is a video quality metric.

7. The computer implemented process of claim 1 wherein the performance criterion is an audio quality metric.

8. The computer implemented process of claim 1 wherein the performance criterion comprises a packet loss rate.

9. An apparatus for optimizing a media environment having a media player and a data stream, the apparatus comprising:

a processor;

a memory connected to the processor;

a performance criterion stored in the memory; and

a streaming media optimizer program in the memory operable to cause the processor to receive the data stream,

collect performance data from the data stream,

analyze the performance data to determine if the performance data satisfies the performance criterion, and

if the performance data does not satisfy the performance criterion, identify an alternate media environment that provides improved performance data, and change to the alternate media environment to improve performance.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the alternate media environment comprises an alternate data stream.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the alternate media environment comprises an alternate media player.

12. The apparatus of claim 9 further comprising an output device connected to the processor;

and wherein the streaming media optimizer program further causes the processor to display a prompt to receive user input before changing to the alternate media environment.

13. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the performance criterion is a data rate.

14. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the performance criterion is a video quality metric.

15. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the performance criterion is an audio quality metric.

16. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the performance criterion is a packet loss rate.

17. A computer-readable memory having a computer program for performing a method of optimizing a media environment having a media player and a data stream, the method comprising:

configuring a performance criterion;

receiving the data stream;

collecting performance data from the data stream;

analyzing the performance data to determine if the performance data satisfies the performance criterion; and

if the performance data does not satisfy the performance criterion,

identifying an alternate media environment that provides improved performance data, and

changing to the alternate media environment for improved performance.

18. The computer-readable memory of claim 17 wherein the alternate media environment comprises an alternate data stream.

19. The computer-readable memory of claim 17 wherein the alternate media environment comprises an alternate media player.

20. The computer-readable memory of claim 17 further comprising displaying a prompt to receive user input before changing to the alternate media environment.