System And Method For Streaming Video Over A Wireless Network

• US 20090254948A1
• Filed: 04/03/2008
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Mendenhall, David, Atkins, Andreas, Middleton, Justin, Khadilkar, Mandar
• Granted Patent: US 8,819,741 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/56 Provisioning of proxy services store-and-forward switching systems in data switching networks H04L12/54
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/565 Conversion or adaptation of application format or content adding application control or application functional data H04L67/561
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42178 by downloading data to substation equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system and method are described for streaming video to a wireless device. For example, one embodiment of a computer-implemented method for providing a multimedia stream to a wireless device over a wireless network comprises: receiving a request for a video stream from a wireless device; requesting the video stream from a streaming server on behalf of the wireless device; streaming the video stream from the streaming server and storing the video stream or portions thereof in a buffer; streaming the video stream from the buffer to the wireless device; detecting that the wireless device has lost communication with the wireless network; sending a command to the streaming server to pause the streaming of the video stream and maintaining a network connection to the remote streaming server; detecting that the wireless device has regained communication with the wireless network; determining a point within the video stream at which the wireless device lost communication; and resuming streaming of the video stream to the wireless device at the determined point within the video stream.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing a multimedia stream to a wireless device over a wireless network comprising:

receiving a request for a video stream from a wireless device;

requesting the video stream from a streaming server on behalf of the wireless device;

streaming the video stream from the streaming server and storing the video stream or portions thereof in a buffer;

streaming the video stream from the buffer to the wireless device;

detecting that the wireless device has lost communication with the wireless network;

sending a command to the streaming server to pause the streaming of the video stream and maintaining a network connection to the remote streaming server;

detecting that the wireless device has regained communication with the wireless network;

determining a point within the video stream at which the wireless device lost communication; and

resuming streaming of the video stream to the wireless device at the determined point within the video stream.

2. The method as in claim 1 wherein the network connection to the remote streaming server comprises a TCP or UDP socket connection.

3. The method as in claim 1 wherein determining a point within the video stream at which the wireless device lost communication comprises:

receiving a notification from the wireless device indicating a point within the video stream of a last successfully received video packet.

4. The method as in claim 3 wherein the notification comprises an indication of a number of bytes of the video stream successfully received by the wireless device and wherein determining comprises subtracting the number of bytes successfully received from a number of bytes transmitted to determine the point within the video stream of the last successfully received video packet.

5. The method as in claim 3 wherein the notification comprises an identifier identifying the last successfully received packet.

6. The method as in claim 1 further comprising:

converting the video stream from a first format to a second format prior to transmitting the video stream to the wireless device.

7. The method as in claim 6 wherein the second format comprises the video stream compressed at a relatively greater compression ratio than the first format.

8. A system for providing a multimedia stream to a wireless device over a wireless network, the system comprising a memory for storing program code and a processor for processing the program code to perform the operations of:

receiving a request for a video stream from a wireless device;

requesting the video stream from a streaming server on behalf of the wireless device;

streaming the video stream from the streaming server and storing the video stream or portions thereof in a buffer;

streaming the video stream from the buffer to the wireless device;

detecting that the wireless device has lost communication with the wireless network;

sending a command to the streaming server to pause the streaming of the video stream and maintaining a network connection to the remote streaming server;

detecting that the wireless device has regained communication with the wireless network;

determining a point within the video stream at which the wireless device lost communication; and

resuming streaming of the video stream to the wireless device at the determined point within the video stream.

9. The system as in claim 8 wherein the network connection to the remote streaming server comprises a TCP or UDP socket connection.

10. The system as in claim 8 wherein determining a point within the video stream at which the wireless device lost communication comprises:

receiving a notification from the wireless device indicating a point within the video stream of a last successfully received video packet.

11. The system as in claim 10 wherein the notification comprises an indication of a number of bytes of the video stream successfully received by the wireless device and wherein determining comprises subtracting the number of bytes successfully received from a number of bytes transmitted to determine the point within the video stream of the last successfully received video packet.

12. The system as in claim 10 wherein the notification comprises an identifier identifying the last successfully received packet.

13. The system as in claim 8 comprising additional program code to cause the operations of:

converting the video stream from a first format to a second format prior to transmitting the video stream to the wireless device.

14. The system as in claim 13 wherein the second format comprises the video stream compressed at a relatively greater compression ratio than the first format.

15. A machine-readable medium having program code stored thereon which, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform the operations of:

receiving a request for a video stream from a wireless device;

requesting the video stream from a streaming server on behalf of the wireless device;

streaming the video stream from the streaming server and storing the video stream or portions thereof in a buffer;

streaming the video stream from the buffer to the wireless device;

detecting that the wireless device has lost communication with the wireless network;

sending a command to the streaming server to pause the streaming of the video stream and maintaining a network connection to the remote streaming server;

detecting that the wireless device has regained communication with the wireless network;

determining a point within the video stream at which the wireless device lost communication; and

resuming streaming of the video stream to the wireless device at the determined point within the video stream.

16. The machine-readable medium as in claim 15 wherein the network connection to the remote streaming server comprises a TCP or UDP socket connection.

17. The machine-readable medium as in claim 15 wherein determining a point within the video stream at which the wireless device lost communication comprises:

receiving a notification from the wireless device indicating a point within the video stream of a last successfully received video packet.

18. The machine-readable medium as in claim 17 wherein the notification comprises an indication of a number of bytes of the video stream successfully received by the wireless device and wherein determining comprises subtracting the number of bytes successfully received from a number of bytes transmitted to determine the point within the video stream of the last successfully received video packet.

19. The machine-readable medium as in claim 17 wherein the notification comprises an identifier identifying the last successfully received packet.

20. The machine-readable medium as in claim 15 comprising additional program code to cause the operations of:

converting the video stream from a first format to a second format prior to transmitting the video stream to the wireless device.

21. The machine-readable medium as in claim 20 wherein the second format comprises the video stream compressed at a relatively greater compression ratio than the first format.