SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SPLICING MEDIA FILES

• US 20100185776A1
• Filed: 01/20/2010
• Published: 07/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Imagine Communications Limited (Gores Broadcast Holdings LLC)
• Original Assignee: Imagine Communications Limited (Gores Broadcast Holdings LLC)
• Inventors: Brickey, Jonathan R., Hosur, Prabhudev I., Nguyen, Cuong T.
• Granted Patent: US 9,282,131 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/258 Data format conversion from or to a database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/44 Browsing; Visualisation therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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: H04L 69/08 Protocols for interworking; Protocol conversion

Abstract

A method for processing media content includes receiving a request for media content and, in response to receiving the request, accessing a plurality of source files associated with the requested media content, wherein the source files comprise media content in one or more source formats. The method also includes generating one or more target files based on the plurality of source files. The target files include media content in a target format. Additionally, the method includes, generating an auxiliary file associated with the target files while generating the target files. The auxiliary file includes a plurality of content records. Each content record is associated with a portion of the media content in the target files and indicates a location of the associated portion of the media content in a particular one of the target files. The method further includes, while generating the target files, transmitting the requested media content from the plurality of target files to a client as a seamless media transmission by reading each of the content records in the auxiliary file and transmitting to the client content corresponding to each content record.

Claims

1. A method for processing media content, comprising:

receiving a request for media content;

in response to receiving the request, accessing a plurality of source files associated with the requested media content, wherein the source files comprise media content in one or more source formats;

generating one or more target files based on the plurality of source files, wherein the target files comprise media content in a target format;

while generating the target files, generating an auxiliary file associated with the target files, the auxiliary file comprising a plurality of content records, each content record associated with a portion of the media content in the target files and indicating a location of the associated portion of the media content in a particular one of the target files; and

while generating the target files, transmitting the requested media content from the plurality of target files to a client as a seamless media transmission by reading each of the content records in the auxiliary file and transmitting to the client content corresponding to each content record.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the requested media content from the plurality of target files to the client comprises streaming the requested media content from the plurality of target files to the client as a single, seamless media stream.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein each content record includes information to facilitate transmission of an associated portion of a corresponding one of the target files to the client prior to the corresponding target file being completely generated.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a request for media content comprises:

receiving, from a client, a request for content from a first media file;

in response to receiving the request, identifying a second media file to be transmitted to the client with the first media file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of source files include a first source file comprising media content in a first source format, wherein the first source format is different from the target format; and

generating the plurality of target files comprises;

modifying content in the first source file from the first source format to the target format; and

writing the modified content to a first target file associated with the first source file.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the plurality of source files further include a second source file comprising media content in the target format.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein generating the auxiliary file comprises generating an auxiliary file comprising a plurality of content records, the plurality of content records including at least one content record associated with media content in the first target file and at least one content record associated with media content in the second source file.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein transmitting the requested media content from the plurality of target files to a client as a seamless media transmission comprises transmitting content from the first target file and the second source file to the client as a seamless media transmission.

9. A system for processing media content, comprising:

a transcoder comprising;

a transcoder memory operable to store processor instructions;

a transcoder processor operable to execute the processor instructions stored by the transcoder memory and, while executing the processor instructions, operable to;

receive a request for media content;

in response to receiving the request, access a plurality of source files associated with the requested media content, wherein the source files comprise media content in one or more source formats;

generate one or more target files based on the plurality of source files, wherein the target files comprise media content in a target format; and

while generating the target files, generate an auxiliary file associated with the target files, the auxiliary file comprising a plurality of content records, each content record associated with a portion of the media content in the target files and indicating a location of the associated portion of the media content in a particular one of the target files; and

a streamer comprising;

a streamer memory operable to store processor instructions; and

a streamer processor operable to execute the processor instructions stored by the streamer memory and, while executing the processor instructions, transmit the requested media content from the plurality of target files to a client as a seamless media transmission by reading each of the content records in the auxiliary file and transmitting to the client content corresponding to each content record.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the streamer is operable to transmit the requested media content from the plurality of target files to the client by streaming the requested media content from the plurality of target files to the client as a single, seamless media stream.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein each content record includes information to facilitate transmission of an associated portion of a corresponding one of the target files to the client prior to the corresponding target file being completely generated.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the transcoder is operable to receive a request for media content by:

receiving a request for content from a first media file;

in response to receiving the request, identifying a second media file to be transmitted to the client with the first media file.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the plurality of source files include a first source file comprising media content in a first source format, wherein the first source format is different from the target format;

and the transcoder is operable to generate the plurality of target files by;

modifying content in the first source file from the first source format to the target format; and

writing the modified content to a first target file associated with the first source file.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of source files further include a second source file comprising media content in the target format.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the transcoder is operable to generate the auxiliary file by generating an auxiliary file comprising a plurality of content records, the plurality of content records including at least one content record associated with media content in the first target file and at least one content record associated with media content in the second source file.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the streamer is operable to transmit the requested media content from the plurality of target files to a client as a seamless media transmission by transmitting content from the first target file and the second source file to the client as a seamless media transmission.

17. A method for processing media content, comprising:

receiving a request for media content from a client;

in response to receiving the request, accessing a plurality of source files associated with the requested media content, wherein the source files comprise media content in one or more source formats;

estimating one or more characteristics of a target file based, at least in part, on the plurality of source files and a target format associated with the request;

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

generating the target file associated with the request; and

while generating the target file, transmitting the media information to the client; and

while generating the target file, transmitting requested media content from the target file to the client as a seamless media transmission.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein transmitting the requested media content from the target file to the client comprises transmitting the requested media content from the target file to the client as part of a single, seamless progressive download.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving a request for media content comprises:

receiving, from the client, a request for content from a first media file;

in response to receiving the request, identifying a second media file to be transmitted to the client with the first media file.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the plurality of source files include a first source file comprising media content in a first source format, wherein the first source format is different from the target format; and

generating the target file comprises;

modifying content in the first source file from the first source format to the target format; and

writing the modified content to a first target file associated with the first source file.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of source files further include a second source file comprising media content in the target format.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein estimating one or more characteristics of the target file comprises:

estimating one or more characteristics of the first source file;

extracting data from the second source file; and

estimating one or more characteristics of the target file based, at least in part, on the estimated characteristics of the first source file and the data extracted from the second source file.

23. A system for processing media content, comprising:

a transcoder comprising;

a transcoder memory operable to store processor instructions; and

a transcoder processor operable to execute the processor instructions stored by the transcoder memory and, while executing the processor instructions, operable to;

receive a request for media content;

in response to receiving the request, access a plurality of source files associated with the requested media content, wherein the source files comprise media content in one or more source formats;

estimate one or more characteristics of a target file based, at least in part, on the plurality of source files and a target format associated with the request;

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

generate the target file associated with the request; and

while generating the target file, transmit the media information to a client associated with the request; and

a download server comprising;

a server memory operable to store processor instructions; and

a server processor operable to execute the processor instructions stored by the server memory and, while executing the processor instructions, to transmit requested media content from the target file to the client as a seamless media transmission before the transcoder has finished generating the target file.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the server processor is further operable to transmit the requested media content from the target file to the client by transmitting the requested media content from the target file to the client as part of a single, seamless progressive download.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the transcoder processor is operable to receive a request for media content by:

receiving a request for content from a first media file;

in response to receiving the request, identifying a second media file to be transmitted to the client with the first media file.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein:

the plurality of source files include a first source file comprising media content in a first source format, wherein the first source format is different from the target format; and

generating the target file comprises;

modifying content in the first source file from the first source format to the target format; and

writing the modified content to a first target file associated with the first source file.

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the plurality of source files further include a second source file comprising media content in the target format.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the transcoder processor is further operable to estimate one or more characteristics of the target file by

estimating one or more characteristics of the first source file;

extracting data from the second source file; and

estimating one or more characteristics of the target file based, at least in part, on the estimated characteristics of the first source file and the data extracted from the second source file.