Video Distribution System for Switching Video Streams

• US 20090106807A1
• Filed: 10/17/2008
• Published: 04/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: SUZUKI, Toshiaki, Nakayama, Mariko
• Application Number:
  US12/253,272
• Publication Number:
  US 20090106807A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8352 involving content or source identification data, e.g. Unique Material Identifier [UMID]

Abstract

Provided is a video distribution system including: a video server for transmitting a plurality of video streams; and a video gateway for transferring at least one of the plurality of the transmitted video streams to a video client. The video server adds a first identifier for identifying whether data of an independently decodable unit included in the video stream corresponds in time to the video stream; and transmits the video stream to which the first identifier has been added. The video gateway specifies, based on first identifiers added to the transmitted plurality of video streams, the data of the independently decodable unit of the video stream transferred after switching in a case where the video stream is switched to another video stream in the independently decodable unit; and transfers the video stream transferred after the switching from the specified data of the independently decodable unit.

Claims

1. A video distribution system, comprising:

a video server for transmitting a video stream; and

a video gateway for receiving a plurality of the transmitted video streams, and transferring at least one of the received plurality of the transmitted video streams to a video client,

wherein the video server is configured to;

add a first identifier for identifying whether data of an independently decodable unit included in the video stream corresponds in time to the video stream; and

transmit the video stream to which the first identifier has been added; and

wherein the video gateway is configured to;

specify, based on first identifiers added to the received plurality of video streams, the data of the independently decodable unit of the video stream transferred after the switching in a case where the video stream is switched to another video stream in the independently decodable unit; and

transfer the video stream transferred after the switching from the specified data of the independently decodable unit.

2. The video distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the video gateway is further configured to:

store at least a video stream of one independently decodable unit among the received plurality of video streams in a buffer;

receive meta-data indicating contents of the received plurality of video streams;

receive request information on the video stream from the video client; and

select a video stream to be distributed based on the received meta-data and the received request information.

3. The video distribution system according to claim 2, wherein the video gateway is further configured to:

delete data of the independently decodable unit which is an unselected video stream and to which the first identifier for identifying the same time as that of the transferred data of the independently decodable unit has been added from the buffer in the independently decodable unit, in a case where the selected video stream is transferred to the video client.

4. The video distribution system according to claim 2, wherein the video gateway is further configured to transfer an unselected video stream to the video client.

5. The video distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the independently decodable unit of the video stream is GOP data.

6. The video distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the video server is further configured to add the first identifier to a header of an RTP packet of a video stream broken into independently decodable units.

7. The video distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the video server is further configured to:

store the video stream;

read the stored video stream;

add the first identifier for identifying the data of the independently decodable unit included in the video stream corresponds in time to the read video stream; and

transmit the video stream to which the first identifier has been added.

8. The video distribution system according to claim 1, wherein the video gateway is further configured to:

generate a plurality of video streams to be distributed to the video client;

notify the video client of a second identifier for selecting one of the generated plurality of video streams; and

select a video stream specified by the second identifier selected by the video client.

9. The video distribution system according to claim 8, wherein the video client is configured to:

receive second identifiers for selecting a video stream from the video gateway;

select one of the received second identifiers;

transmit the selected second identifier to the video gateway;

receive a video stream selected by the video gateway; and

play the received video stream.

10. A video distribution system, comprising:

a video server for transmitting video streams; and

a video gateway for storing the video streams transmitted from the video server in a buffer, and transferring a selected one of video streams to a video client,

wherein the video server is configured to transmit the video stream by adding boundary information indicating a playable unit of the video stream, and

wherein the video gateway is configured to switch the video stream to be transferred only at a location of the boundary information.

11. The video distribution system according to claim 10, further comprising:

a meta-data server for transmitting information on the video streams transmitted from the video server,

wherein the meta-data server is configured to transmit meta-data including information on a subject included in the video streams and information on locations of the video streams corresponding to the information on the subject, and

wherein the video gateway is configured to;

receive the meta-data transmitted from the meta-data server and a video transmission request including the information on the subject included in the video streams and transmitted from the video client;

refer to the received meta-data to judge whether a video stream matching the received video transmission request has been distributed;

transfers, in a case where the video stream matching the received video transmission request has been distributed, a first video stream currently transferred up to a video specified by the boundary information and transfer a second video stream transferred after the switching from the video specified by the boundary information.

12. The video distribution system according to claim 11, wherein the video gateway is configured to:

store data of the second video stream in the buffer; and

delete the data of the second video stream stored in the buffer after reception of the boundary information on the second video stream.

13. The video distribution system according to claim 11, wherein the video stream includes at least a first frame which is independently playable without using any inter-frame prediction, and a second frame playable only based on a forward prediction from another frame, and

wherein the video gateway is configured to:

transfer the first video stream up to immediately before one of the first frame and the second frame; and

transfer the second video stream from the first frame.

14. The video distribution system according to claim 11, wherein the information on the locations of the video streams corresponding to the information on the subject includes an RTP sequence number of a video where the subject begins to appear.

15. The video distribution system according to claim 10, wherein the video server transmits the video stream using an RTP packet, and the boundary information is included in a header of the RTP packet.

16. The video distribution system according to claim 10, wherein the video server adds the boundary information to a location where a frame which can be independently played without using any inter-frame prediction is detected in the video stream to be distributed.

17. A video gateway for storing video streams transmitted from a video server in a buffer and transferring a selected one of video streams to a video client,

wherein the video server adds boundary information indicating a playable unit of the video stream to transmit the video stream,

wherein the video gateway is connected to a meta-data server for transmitting meta-data including information on a subject included in the video streams and information on locations of the video streams corresponding to the information on the subject, and

wherein the video gateway is configured to:

receive the meta-data transmitted from the meta-data server and a video transmission request including the information on the subject included in the video streams and transmitted from a video client;

refer to the received meta-data to judge whether a video stream matching the received video transmission request has been distributed; and

transfer, in a case where the video stream matching the received video transmission request has been distributed, a first video stream currently transferred up to a video specified by the boundary information and transfer a second video stream transferred after the switching from the video specified by the boundary information.

18. The video gateway according to claim 17, wherein the video gateway is configured to:

store data of the second video stream in the buffer; and

delete the data of the second video stream stored in the buffer after reception of the boundary information on the second video information.

19. The video gateway according to claim 17, wherein the video stream includes at least a first frame which is independently playable without using any inter-frame prediction, and a second frame playable only based on a forward prediction from another frame, and

wherein the video gateway is configured to:

transfer the first video stream up to immediately before one of the first frame and the second frame; and

transfer the second video stream from the first frame.

20. The video gateway according to claim 17, wherein the information on the locations of the video streams corresponding to the information on the subject includes an RTP sequence number of a video where the subject begins to appear.

21. The video gateway according to claim 17, wherein the video gateway is configured to:

receive the video stream transmitted using an RTP packet from the video server; and

extract the boundary information from a header of the RTP packet.

22. A video relaying method for a video distribution system, comprising:

a video server for transmitting video streams;

a video gateway for storing the video streams transmitted from the video server in a buffer, and transferring a selected one of video streams to a video client; and

a meta-data server for transmitting information regarding the video streams transmitted from the video server,

the method comprising the steps of;

adding, by the video server, boundary information indicating a playable unit of the video stream to transmit the video stream;

transmitting, by the meta-data server, meta-data including information on a subject included in the video streams and information on locations of the video streams corresponding to the information on the subject;

receiving, by the video gateway, the meta-data transmitted from the meta-data server and a video transmission request including the information on the subject included in the video streams and transmitted from the video client;

referring, by the video gateway, to the received meta-data to judge whether a video stream matching the received video transmission request has been distributed; and

transferring, by the video gateway, in a case where the video stream matching the received video transmission request has been distributed, a first video stream currently transferred up to a video specified by the boundary information and a second video stream transferred after the switching from the video specified by the boundary information.

23. The video relaying method according to claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

storing, by the video gateway, data of the second video stream in the buffer; and

deleting, by the video gateway, the data of the second video stream stored in the buffer after reception of the boundary information on the second video stream.

24. The video relaying method according to claim 22, wherein the video stream includes at least a first frame which is independently playable without using any inter-frame prediction, and a second frame playable only based on a forward prediction from another frame, the video relaying method further comprising the steps of:

transferring, by the video gateway, the first video stream up to immediately before one of the first frame and the second frame; and

transferring, by the video gateway, the second video stream from the first frame.

25. The video relaying method according to claim 22, wherein the information on the locations of the video streams corresponding to the information on the subject includes an RTP sequence number of a video where the subject begins to appear.

26. The video relaying method according to claim 22, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting, by the video server, the video stream using an RTP packet; and

extracting, by the video gateway, the boundary information from a header of the RTP packet.