LINEAR HINT VIDEO STREAMING

• US 20090327215A1
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Published: 12/31/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Xu, Xi, He, Kaichuan, Lemon, Jonathan, Zhu, Jiang, Thomas, Anil, Koroth, Dipak Punnoran
• Granted Patent: US 8,261,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6437 Real-time Transport Protocol [RTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format

Abstract

A streaming file is constructed with a file header section that includes a file header object, a media data file descriptor, and an index descriptor. A hinting index section includes a first level hinting index with a linear organization corresponding to timing tick key values. A second level hinting index has a non-sequential organization corresponding to such timing tick key values. A special mark in the second level hinting index indicates that the first level hinting index must be consulted for a next timing tick key value. Such mark is positioned in the last of a sequential run of timing tick key values associated with its entries. A data section that can be put in a separate file, and it accepts media data blocks associated in sequential runs of timing tick key values as its entries. Thus hinting is provided for a non-sequential media data file.

Claims

1. A streaming file, comprising:

a file header section with a file header object, a media data file descriptor, and an index descriptor;

a hinting index section with a first level hinting index and a second level hinting index;

a special mark disposed in said second level hinting index for indicating to a streaming engine that said first level hinting index must be consulted for a next timing tick key value; and

a data section;

wherein, hinting is provided for a non-sequential media data file.

2. The streaming file of claim 1, further comprising:

a separate file containing the data section.

3. The streaming file of claim 1, wherein said first level hinting index has a linear organization corresponding to timing tick key values.

4. The streaming file of claim 1, wherein said second level hinting index has a non-sequential organization corresponding to timing tick key values.

5. The streaming file of claim 1, wherein said second level hinting index includes the special mark in the last of a sequential run of timing tick key values associated with its entries.

6. The streaming file of claim 1, wherein the data section accepts media data blocks associated in sequential runs of timing tick key values as its entries.

7. The streaming file of claim 1, wherein the data section is such that it accepts media data blocks associated in sequential runs of timing tick key values as its entries, and said second level hinting index includes the special mark in the last of a sequential run of timing tick key values associated with its entries.

8. The streaming file of claim 1, further comprising:

a linear organization corresponding to timing tick key values included in said first level hinting index;

a non-sequential organization corresponding to timing tick key values included in said second level hinting index;

wherein, said second level hinting index includes the special mark in the last of a sequential run of timing tick key values associated with its entries; and

wherein, the data section accepts media data blocks associated in sequential runs of timing tick key values as its entries.

9. The streaming file of claim 1, wherein said media data file descriptor carries information about a sequential or non-sequential data file that the hinting index section will point to, and such that multiple data files can be used with a single hinting index, and provides for handling multiple clips in one movie stored in different media data files.

10. A streaming file, comprising:

a file header section with a file header object, a media data file descriptor, and an index descriptor, wherein said media data file descriptor carries information about a sequential or non-sequential data file, and such that multiple data files can be used with a single hinting index, and provides for handling multiple clips in one movie stored in different media data files;

a hinting index section with a first level hinting index and a second level hinting index, wherein said first level hinting index has a linear organization corresponding to timing tick key values, and wherein said second level hinting index has a non-sequential organization corresponding to timing tick key values;

a special mark disposed in said second level hinting index for indicating to a streaming engine that said first level hinting index must be consulted for a next timing tick key value, and is positioned in the last of a sequential run of timing tick key values associated with its entries; and

a data section that can be disposed in a separate file, and is such that it accepts media data blocks associated in sequential runs of timing tick key values as its entries.

wherein, hinting is provided for a non-sequential media data file.

11. A method for linear hinting in streaming media data files, comprising:

configuring a first level linear hinting index with pointers to a second level non-sequential hinting index;

providing said second level non-sequential hinting index with pointers to a non-sequential media data file; and

searching for media data blocks in said non-sequential media data file by accessing said first level linear hinting index to get a pointer to said second level non-sequential hinting index which in turn provides a final pointer to a particular media data block in said non-sequential media data file.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

not first consulting said first level linear hinting index for a next access; and

obtaining a next media data block in said non-sequential media data file by accessing only a next entry in said second level non-sequential hinting index to fetch a corresponding pointer to said next media data block in said non-sequential media data file.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

marking a discontinuity in the order of said media data blocks in said non-sequential media data file with a special character placed in a corresponding pointer to a last continuous media data block in said second level non-sequential hinting index.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

if said special character was not obtained in a last access, obtaining a next media data block in said non-sequential media data file by accessing only a next entry in said second level non-sequential hinting index to fetch a corresponding pointer to said next media data block in said non-sequential media data file, and not first consulting said first level linear hinting index;

otherwise, returning to search for media data blocks in said non-sequential media data file by accessing said first level linear hinting index to get a pointer to said second level non-sequential hinting index which in turn provides a final pointer to a particular media data block in said non-sequential media data file.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

packing said first level linear hinting index and said second level non-sequential hinting index together in a single file with a media file descriptor; and

associating at least one separate media data file.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

packing said first level linear hinting index and said second level non-sequential hinting index together in a single file with a media file descriptor, and at least one non-sequential media data file.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

organizing an index section is such that said first level linear hinting index has a linear organization corresponding to timing tick key values.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

organizing an index section is such that said second level hinting index has a non-sequential organization corresponding to timing tick key values.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

organizing an index section is such that said second level hinting index includes the special mark in the last of a sequential run of timing tick key values associated with its entries.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

organizing a data section is such that it accepts media data blocks associated in sequential runs of timing tick key values as its entries.