Transmitting and Receiving Media Packet Streams

• US 20100046383A1
• Filed: 05/17/2007
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Audinate Holdings Pty Limited
• Original Assignee: Audinate Pty Ltd (Audinate Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Williams, Aidan, White, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 9,178,927 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/564 Attaching a deadline to packets, e.g. earliest due date first
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/901 using storage descriptor, e.g. read or write pointers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• 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 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/14 Multichannel or multilink protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4392 involving audio buffer management

Abstract

This invention concerns the transmitting and receiving of digital media packets, such as audio and video channels and lighting instructions. The network (104) is comprised of at least a transmitter device (110) and a receiving device (112). The controllers (122) and (126) of these devices handle the exchanging of configuration messages between the devices (110) and (112). Using the invention, the user is not required to manually configure the processor to receive media packet streams. Instead, a controller (126) of a receiving device (112) operates to receive information on a user selection of media channels and automatically configure the processor of the transmitter device. Further, the receiving device (112) is able to receive media channels using both unicast and multicast protocols. Media channels can be given textual labels which are unique on the unique (104) and easily identify to the user the actual source of the media channel. Media channels of different formats to be sent on the same net work simultaneous. Further, redundant media channels are easily accommodated.

Claims

1. A receiver device for receiving media packet streams from a data network, the receiver device comprising:

a data interface to receive media packet streams, each media packet stream containing one or more user selected media channels;

a processor to extract the user selected media channels from the received media packet streams; and

a controller to receive information on a user selection of media channels advertised on the data network, to receive information on the transmission source of each of the user selected media channels so as to group the user selected media channels that can be transmitted from the same transmission source, and to automatically provide instructions to the processor that one or more media packet streams are to be received for each group and the number of user selected media channels in each media packet stream.

2. A receiver device according to claim 1, wherein the selected media channels each have a format and the controller further operates to receive information on the format of each of the selected media channels so as to group the selected media channels with reference to the format of the selected media channels.

3. A receiver device according to claim 1, wherein one or more media packet streams of a group also contains media channels that are not the selected media channels of that group.

4. A receiver device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is remote from the processor and/or the data interface.

5. A receiver device according to claim 1, wherein information about the transmission source includes network parameters of the transmission source.

6. A receiver device according to claim 5, wherein the network parameters include an IP address and configuration port identifier.

7. A receiver device according to claim 1, wherein the transmission source is a transmitter device.

8. A receiver device according to claim 1, wherein for each selected media channel the controller further receives information on the methods by which the selected media channel can be received.

9. A receiver device according to claim 8, wherein the method by which the selected media channel can be received is within one or more pre-defined media packet streams using multicast protocol.

10. A receiver device according to claim 8, wherein the method by which the selected media channel can be received is on request to the transmission source using unicast protocol.

11. A receiver device according to claim 10, wherein the controller further operates to send a request to receive a media packet stream containing the one or more selected media channels of a group.

12. A receiver device according to claim 1, wherein the controller further operates to determine the preferred method of receiving the selected media channel.

13. A receiver device according to claim 1, wherein the controller provides further instruction to the processor on which output channels the extracted selected media channels should be routed to.

15. A receiver device according to claim 1, wherein the receiver device comprises two or more data interfaces, and the controller provides further instruction to the processor on which data interface each media packet stream will be received.

16. A receiver device according to claim 15, wherein the controller further operates to send a request to receive a first media packet stream at a first data interface and a second media packet stream at the second data interface, wherein samples contained in the first and second media packet stream are the same.

17. A receiver device according to claim 1, wherein the information the controller receives on the user selection of media channels is indicative of a unique name of each user selected media channel that describes in words the source of the media channel.

18. A receiver device according to claim 1, wherein the controller further operates to send an indication of the advertised name of the media channel as a look-up-key to a database connected to the data network and to receive the media channel format information for the media channel.

19. A receiver device according to claim 1, wherein the media packet stream contains distinct or overlapping media channels having different bit depths, encodings and sample rates.

22. An instruction message sent from a controller to a processor of a receiver device according to claim 1, wherein the instructions message contains information on one or more media packet streams to be received by the transmission device for each group and the number of user selected media channels in each media packet stream.

44. A data network comprising:

a transmitter device comprising;

a) a plurality of input media channels to receive media channels, each media channel having a format;

b) one or more transmission ports to transmit media packet streams;

c) a processor to packetize received media channels to create media packet streams for transmission by the transmission port; and

d) a controller to group received media channels having the same format or to receive instructions on which received media channels comprise a group; and

to automatically provide instructions to the processor to packetize media channels of a group into the same media packet stream;

a receiver device according to claim 1; and

communication means to allow media packet streams to be sent from the transmitter device to the receiving device.

14. (canceled)

20. A method for receiving media packet streams from a data network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving information on a user selection of media channels advertised on the data network;

receiving information on the transmission source of each of the user selected media channels so as to group the user selected media channels that can be transmitted from the same transmission source;

automatically providing instructions to a processor that one or more media packet streams are to be received for each group and the number of user selected media channels in each media packet stream;

receiving the one or more media packet streams; and

extracting the user selected media channels from the received media packet streams.

21. Computer software to operate a receiver device to perform the method of claim 20.

23. A transmitter device for transmitting media packet streams on a data network, the transmitter device comprising:

a plurality of input media channels to receive media channels, each media channel having a format;

one or more transmission ports to transmit media packet streams;

a processor to packetize received media channels to create media packet streams for transmission by the transmission port; and

a controller to group received media channels having the same format or to receive instructions on which received media channels comprise a group; and

to automatically provide instructions to the processor to packetize media channels of a group into the same media packet stream.

24. A transmitter device according to claim 23, wherein the controller further operates to receive further instructions amending which received media channels comprise a group.

25. A transmitter device according to claim 23, wherein the controller further controls the processor to address the media packet stream to an address and port.

26. A transmitter device according to claim 25, wherein the address is a multicast address or a unicast address.

27. A transmitter device according to claim 23, wherein the instruction message to the processor includes any one or more of the destination address, destination port, number of channels in the group and slot details of each media channel of the group.

28. A transmitter device according to claim 23, wherein the controller is remote from the processor and/or input media channels.

29. A transmitter device according to claim 23, wherein if the format of a media channel changes, the controller further operates to automatically regroup the media channels into groups having the same format.

30. A transmitter device according to claim 24, wherein the instructions on which received media channels comprise a group is received from a controller associated with a receiver device.

31. A transmitter device according to claim 24, wherein the controller further operates to provide instructions to the processor to transmit a first media packet stream to a receiver device and a second media packet stream to the receiver device, wherein samples contained in the first and second media packet stream are the same.

34. An instruction message sent from a controller to a processor of a transmitter device according to claim 24, wherein the instruction message contains identification information on one or more of the media channels of each group and a transmission address.

32. A method for transmitting media packet streams on a data network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving media channels at a plurality of input media channels, each media channel having a format;

grouping one or more received media channels having the same format or grouping one or more media channels according to instructions received on which media channels comprise a group;

automatically providing instructions to a processor to packetize media channels of a group into the same media packet stream; and

transmitting the media packet streams.

33. Computer software to operate a transmitter device to perform the method of claim 32.

35. A transmitter device for transmitting media packet streams on a data network, the transmitter device comprising:

a plurality of input media channels to receive media channels, each media channel having a format;

one or more transmission ports to transmit media packet streams;

a processor to packetize received media channels to create media packet streams for transmission by the transmission port; and

a controller to control the processor to create a first media packet stream containing one or more media channels having the same format, and to create a second media packet stream containing one or more media channels having the same format, wherein the format of the media channels of the first media packet stream is different to the format of the media channels of the second media packet stream.

36. A transmitter device of claim 35, wherein the controller further automatically determines the number of frames per packet of each packet stream, wherein the number of frames per packet of the first packet stream is different to the number of frames per packet of the second packet stream.

37. A transmitter device according to claim 35, wherein the number of frames per packet is determined based on the sample rate and bit depth of the media channels within that group.

38. A transmitter device according to claim 35, wherein the controller further controls the processor to cause the first media packet stream to be sent to a multicast address, and the second media packet stream to be sent to a unicast address.

39. A method for transmitting media packet streams on a data network, the transmitter device comprising:

receiving media channels at a plurality of input media channels, each media channel having a format;

controlling a processor to create a first media packet stream containing one or more media channels having the same format, and to create a second media packet stream containing one or more media channels having the same format, wherein the format of the media channels of the first media packet stream is different to the format of the media channels of the second media packet stream; and

transmitting the created media packet streams.

40. Computer software to operate a transmitter device to perform the method of claim 39.

41. A receiver device for receiving media packet streams from a data network, the receiver device comprising:

a data interface to receive a first media packet stream and a second media packet stream, wherein each packet of the first and second media packet streams contain one or more media channels;

a processor to extract the media channels from the first and second media packet streams; and

a controller to receive information on the format of the media channels contained within the first and second media packet streams, wherein the format of the media channels contained within the first media packet stream is different to the format of the media channels contained within the second media packet stream; and

to provide instructions to the processor on how to de-packetize the first and second media packet steams according to the different media channel formats.

42. A method for receiving media packet streams from a data network, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a first media packet stream and a second media packet stream, wherein each packet of the first and second media packet streams contain one or more media channels;

receiving information on the format of the media channels contained within the first and second media packet streams, wherein the format of the media channels contained within the first media packet stream is different to the format of the media channels contained within the second media packet stream; and

providing instructions to a processor on how to de-packetize the first and second media packet steams according to the different media channel formats to cause the processor to extract the media channels from the first and second media packet streams.

43. Computer software to operate a receiver device to perform the method of claim 42.