On-Demand Multi-Channel Streaming Session Over Packet-Switched Networks
First Claim
1. A method for providing an on-demand streaming session to a user node of a packet-switched communication network wherein said on-demand session is available at a server said session comprising a number of channels providing a content and being accessible by the user node, the method comprising the following steps performed at the server:
- providing an aggregated channel bundle session description to the user node wherein each channel of the channel bundle is described by means of a unique channel identifier;
establishing one streaming session between the user node and the server using the aggregated channel bundle session descriptionreceiving a channel switch request message from the user node to perform a channel switch from a first channel to a second channel wherein the channels are identified by means of the unique channel identifierperforming a channel switch procedure for switching between the first and the second channel within the established streaming session wherein the switching comprises determination of an appropriate switch point for performing the switch; and
providing the content of the second channel starting at the determined switch point.
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Abstract
An aggregation procedure for aggregating of a number of session descriptions parameters corresponding to a multitude of channels into one single session description. Each channel is described by a mandatory unique identifier. A corresponding client application processes the SDP describing the channel bundle and uses the found information for allowing a user to switch to a channel associated with a certain identifier. Signaling of a channel switch control unit, which is part of the multi-channel streaming server, receives a multitude of RTP flows and selects one of the flows for forwarding to the client. A switching point determination is a part of the channel switch control unit and determines the next possible point of time for switching to a requested channel. The client application receives time information for the switch point in response to a channel switch request.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for providing an on-demand streaming session to a user node of a packet-switched communication network wherein said on-demand session is available at a server said session comprising a number of channels providing a content and being accessible by the user node, the method comprising the following steps performed at the server:
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providing an aggregated channel bundle session description to the user node wherein each channel of the channel bundle is described by means of a unique channel identifier; establishing one streaming session between the user node and the server using the aggregated channel bundle session description receiving a channel switch request message from the user node to perform a channel switch from a first channel to a second channel wherein the channels are identified by means of the unique channel identifier performing a channel switch procedure for switching between the first and the second channel within the established streaming session wherein the switching comprises determination of an appropriate switch point for performing the switch; and providing the content of the second channel starting at the determined switch point. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 8)
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- 6. The method according to claim wherein channel switch is performed at synchronization points marking position in a data flow of the content at which decoding of the channel can be started without any quality degradation.
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9. A method for providing an on-demand streaming session, to a user node of a packet-switched telecommunication network wherein said on-demand streaming session is provided by a server, said session comprising a number of channels providing the content and being accessible by the user node, the method comprising the following steps performed at the user node:
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receiving a single channel bundle session description from the server, wherein each channel of the channel bundle is described by a unique channel identifier; establishing of one streaming session from the user node to the server using the channel bundle session description; sending a channel switch request message to the server to perform a channel switch procedure for switching between a first and a second channel within the established streaming session wherein the switching comprises a determination of an appropriate switch point for performing the switch wherein the channels are identified by means of the unique channel identifier; receiving the content of the second channel by reaching the determined switch point and delivering said content to a user interface. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A server adapted to provide an on-demand streaming session to a user node of a packet-switched wireless telecommunication network wherein said on-demand streaming session is provided by said server said session comprising a number of channels providing a content and being accessible by the user node, the server comprising:
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an aggregator adapted to aggregate a bundle of channels, wherein each channel of the channel bundle is described by a unique channel identifier, into a single channel bundle session description said aggregator being adapted to provide said single channel bundle session description to the user node; a session establishment control unit adapted to provide a streaming session between the user node and the server being identified by the channel bundle session description; a channel switch control unit adapted to receive a channel switch request message from the user node and to perform a channel switch from a first channel to a second channel within the established streaming session; and a channel selection unit adapted to switch between the first and the second channel wherein said channel selection unit is adapted to estimate an appropriate switch point for performing the switch and to provide the content of the second channel to the user node by reaching the estimated switch point.
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16. A user node of a packet-switched telecommunication network adapted to receive an on-demand streaming session wherein said on-demand streaming session is provided by a server said session comprising a number of channels providing the content and being accessible by the user node, the user node comprising:
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a streaming application unit adapted to receive a single channel bundle session description from the server wherein each channel of the channel bundle is described by a unique channel identifier and, a session establishment control unit adapted to establish one streaming session from the user node to the server by means of the channel bundle session description and, a channel switch control unit adapted to send a channel switch request message from the user node to the server to perform a channel switch from a first channel to a second channel within the established streaming session wherein the channels are identified by means of the unique channel identifier and, a content provision unit for receiving the content of the second channel and for delivering said content to a user interface.
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17. (canceled)
Specification