Facilitating Random Access In Streaming Content

• US 20080168516A1
• Filed: 01/08/2007
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/08/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Flick, Christopher Lance, Brodersen, Rainer, Seymour, Eric Taylor, Madden, Thomas Michael, Robbin, Jeffrey, Biderman, David L., Bienz, Tim
• Application Number:
  US11/621,092
• Publication Number:
  US 20080168516A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/112
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/232 Content retrieval operation locally within server, e.g. reading video streams from disk arrays storage management G06F3/0604; details of querying and searching of video data from a database G06F16/739
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection

Abstract

At least a portion of a media file can be downloaded by accessing one or more items of media data associated with a media file stored on a remote server, wherein the media data includes at least one sample table; receiving input from a user identifying a playback location associated with the media file; determining a plurality of data items required to play at least a portion of the media file from the identified playback location based on the at least one sample table; and transmitting one or more byte-range requests to the remote server using the hypertext transfer protocol to retrieve the plurality of data items. Further, the media file can be progressively downloaded from the identified playback location until the end of the media file is reached, playback of the media file is terminated, or input is received from the user identifying a new playback location.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of downloading at least a portion of a media file, the method comprising:

accessing one or more items of media data associated with a media file stored on a remote server, wherein the media data includes at least one index;

receiving input from a user identifying a playback location associated with the media file;

determining a plurality of data items required to play at least a portion of the media file from the identified playback location based on the at least one index; and

transmitting one or more byte-range requests to the remote server using the hypertext transfer protocol to retrieve the plurality of data items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of data items are non-contiguously ordered in the media file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating playback of the media file from the identified playback location before the entire media file has been downloaded.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the media file is comprised of a plurality of atoms, each atom including a size field, a type field, and a data portion.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein accessing one or more items of media data further comprises:

reading the type field of an atom included in the media file to determine whether the atom includes media data;

retrieving the data portion of the atom if the atom includes media data; and

accessing the beginning of the next atom based on a size indicated by the size field of the atom.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the data portion of an atom can comprise audio content, video content, or media data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting one or more byte-range requests further comprises:

transmitting the one or more byte-range requests substantially simultaneously.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting one or more byte-range requests further comprises:

transmitting the one or more byte-range before a response to at least one previously transmitted byte-range request is received.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

progressively downloading the media file from the identified playback location until the limit of the media file is reached, playback of the media file is terminated, or input is received from the user identifying a new playback location.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the index comprises one or more sample tables.

11. A computer program product, encoded on a computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

accessing one or more items of media data associated with a media file stored on a remote server, wherein the media data includes at least one index;

receiving input from a user identifying a playback location associated with the media file;

determining a plurality of data items required to play at least a portion of the media file from the identified playback location based on the at least one index; and

transmitting one or more byte-range requests to the remote server using the hypertext transfer protocol to retrieve the plurality of data items.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein:

the plurality of data items are non-contiguously ordered in the media file.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

initiating playback of the media file from the identified playback location before the entire media file has been downloaded.

14. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein:

the media file is comprised of a plurality of atoms, each atom including a size field, a type field, and a data portion.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein accessing one or more items of media data further comprises:

reading the type field of an atom included in the media file to determine whether the atom includes media data;

retrieving the data portion of the atom if the atom includes media data; and

accessing the beginning of the next atom based on a size indicated by the size field of the atom.

16. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein:

the data portion of an atom can comprise audio content, video content, or media data.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein transmitting one or more byte-range requests further comprises:

transmitting the one or more byte-range requests substantially simultaneously.

18. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein transmitting one or more byte-range requests further comprises:

transmitting the one or more byte-range before a response to at least one previously transmitted byte-range request is received.

19. The computer program product of claim 11, further operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

progressively downloading the media file from the identified playback location until the limit of the media file is reached, playback of the media file is terminated, or input is received from the user identifying a new playback location.

20. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein:

the index comprises one or more sample tables.