SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROGRESSIVE DELIVERY OF MEDIA CONTENT

• US 20100094931A1
• Filed: 10/14/2009
• Published: 04/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imagine Communications Limited (Gores Broadcast Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Ripcode Incorporated (Gores Broadcast Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Brickey, Jonathan R., Hosur, Prabhudev I., Nguyen, Cuong T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,247,276 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/066 Format adaptation, e.g. format conversion or compression
• 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 21/23611 Insertion of stuffing data into a multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bitrate synchronisation arrangements in time-division multiplex systems using bit stuffing for systems with different or fluctuating information rates H04J3/073
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method for delivering media content includes receiving a request for media content from a client and identifying a first media file containing media content associated with the request. The first file has a first media format. The method further includes initiating creation of a second media file associated with the request and estimating one or more characteristic of the second media file. The second media file has a second media format. Additionally, the method includes generating media information for the second media file based on the estimated characteristics of the second media file and transmitting the media information to the client before creation of the second media file has been completed.

Claims

1. A method for delivering media content, comprising:

receiving a request for media content from a client;

identifying a first media file containing media content associated with the request, wherein the first file has a first media format;

estimating one or more characteristics of a second media file based, at least in part, on the first media file, wherein the second media file has a second media format;

generating media information for the second media file based, at least in part, on the estimated characteristics of the second media file;

initiating creation of the second media file associated with the request; and

transmitting the media information to the client before creation of the second media file has been completed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating one or more characteristics of the second media file comprises calculating a frame size for each of a plurality of media frames associated with the media content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating one or more characteristics of the second media file comprises calculating a time stamp for each of a plurality of media frames associated with the media content.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein generating media information comprises determining a location in the second media file for each of a plurality of media frames in the first media file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating media information comprises determining an amount of time associated with each block of content to be written to the second media file.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein generating media information comprises:

determining an amount of time associated with each block of content to be written to the second media file; and

determining a number of video frames in each block of video content based on the amount of time and a video frame rate associated with the second media file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein generating media information comprises:

determining an amount of time associated with each block of content to be written to the second media file; and

determining a number of audio frames in each block of audio content based on the amount of time, an audio sample rate, and a number of samples per audio frame associated with the second media file.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising writing media content to the second media file based, at least in part, on the generated media information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein writing media content to the second media file comprises:

generating a media frame in the second format;

determining whether the generated media frame is larger than an estimated frame size; and

in response to determining that the generated media frame is larger than the estimated frame size, discarding the generated media frame.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein writing media content to the media file comprises:

generating a media frame in the second format;

determining whether the generated media frame is smaller than an estimated frame size; and

in response to determining that the generated media frame is smaller than the estimated frame size, adding dummy bits to the generated media frame.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a portion of the second media file to the client before creation of the second media file has been completed.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the portion of the second media file to the client comprises transmitting the portion to the client as part of a progressive download of the second media file.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising initiating, at the client, playback of the portion of the second media file before creation of the second media file has been completed.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating one or more characteristics of the second media file comprises estimating one or more characteristics of the second media file before any media content is written to the second file.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein estimating one or more characteristics of the second media file comprises:

generating one or more media frames in the second format based, at least in part, on the first media file; and

estimating the one or more characteristics of the second media file based on the generated media frames.

16. An apparatus for processing media content, comprising:

a memory operable to store processor instructions;

a processor operable to execute the processor instructions and, while executing the processor instructions, operable to;

receive a request for media content from a client;

identify a first media file containing media content associated with the request, wherein the first file has a first media format;

estimate one or more characteristics of a second media file based, at least in part, on the first media file, wherein the second media file has a second media format;

generate media information for the second media file based, at least in part, on the estimated characteristics of the second media file;

initiate creation of the second media file associated with the request; and

transmit the media information to the client before creation of the second media file has been completed.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is operable to estimate one or more characteristics of the second media file by calculating a frame size for each of a plurality of media frames associated with the media content.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is operable to estimate one or more characteristics of the second media file by calculating a time stamp for each of a plurality of media frames associated with the media content.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is operable to estimate one or more characteristics of the second media file by determining a location in the second media file for each of a plurality of media frames in the first media file.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is operable to generate the media information by determining an amount of time associated with each block of content to be written to the second media file.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is operable to generate media information by:

determining an amount of time associated with each block of content to be written to the second media file; and

determining a number of video frames in each block of video content based on the amount of time and a video frame rate associated with the second media file.

22. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is operable to generate media information by:

determining an amount of time associated with each block of content to be written to the second media file; and

determining a number of audio frames in each block of audio content based on the amount of time, an audio sample rate, and a number of samples per audio frame associated with the second media file.

23. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operable to write media content to the second media file based, at least in part, on the generated media information.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the processor is operable to write media content to the second media file by:

generating a media frame in the second format;

determining whether the generated media frame is larger than an estimated frame size; and

in response to determining that the generated media frame is larger than the estimated frame size, discarding the generated media frame.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the processor is operable to write media content to the second media file by:

generating a media frame in the second format;

determining whether the generated media frame is smaller than an estimated frame size; and

in response to determining that the generated media frame is smaller than the estimated frame size, adding dummy bits to the generated media frame.

26. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is further operable to transmit a portion of the second media file to the client before creation of the second media file has been completed.

27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein the processor is operable to transmit the portion of the second media file to the client by transmitting the portion to the client as part of a progressive download of the second media file.

28. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is operable to estimate one or more characteristics of the second media file by estimating one or more characteristics of the second media file before any media content is written to the second file.

29. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the processor is operable to estimate one or more characteristics of the second media file by:

generating one or more media frames in the second format based, at least in part, on the first media file; and

estimating the one or more characteristics of the second media file based on the generated media frames.

30. A system for delivering media content, comprising:

a transcoder comprising;

a memory operable to store processor instructions for the transcoder; and

a processor operable, when executing the processor instructions for the transcoder, to;

receive a request for media content from a client;

identify a first media file containing media content associated with the request, wherein the first file has a first media format;

estimate one or more characteristics of a second media file based, at least in part, on the first media file, wherein the second media file has a second media format;

generate media information for the second media file based, at least in part, on the estimated characteristics of the second media file;

initiate creation of the second media file associated with the request; and

transmit the media information to the client before creation of the second media file has been completed; and

the client operable to;

receive the media information;

request at least a portion of the second media file from the transcoder; and

play the portion of the second media file based on the received media information.