SYSTEMS, METHODS, AND APPARATUSES FOR MEDIA FILE STREAMING

• US 20100262711A1
• Filed: 04/08/2010
• Published: 10/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Bouazizi, Imed
• Application Number:
  US12/756,891
• Publication Number:
  US 20100262711A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system are provided for media file streaming. A method may include receiving a transfer protocol request for a media file indicating that the media file is to be streamed to a client device requesting the media file. The method may further include transmitting at least a portion of metadata describing at least a portion of the media file content. The method may additionally include extracting one or more other portions of metadata corresponding to one or more media data samples in the media file. The method may also include progressively transmitting the extracted one or more other portions of metadata with the corresponding one or more media data samples from the media file. Corresponding apparatuses and systems are also provided.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a transfer protocol request for a media file indicating that the media file is to be streamed to a client device requesting the media file;

transmitting at least a portion of metadata describing at least a portion of the media file content;

extracting one or more other portions of metadata corresponding to one or more media data samples in the media file; and

progressively transmitting the extracted one or more other portions of metadata with the corresponding one or more media data samples from the media file.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a transfer protocol request comprises receiving a hypertext transfer protocol GET request comprising a header field including a token indicating that the media file is to be streamed.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more other portions of metadata describe one or more of a structure of the media data, decoding parameters of the media data, or presentation parameters of the media data.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a selection of a subset of media tracks of the media file; and

wherein

the progressively transmitted one or more media data samples being associated with at least one of the selected subset of media tracks.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a transfer protocol request comprises receiving a transfer protocol request at a media content source;

and further comprising accessing the requested media file from a memory.

6. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program instructions, when executed, cause an apparatus the perform the method of claim 1.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a processor, and

a memory storing executable instructions,

the memory and the executable instructions, with the processor, being configured to cause the apparatus to at least;

receive a transfer protocol request for a media file indicating that the media file is to be streamed to a client device requesting the media file;

transmit at least a portion of metadata describing at least a portion of the media file content;

extract one or more other portions of metadata corresponding to one or more media data samples in the media file; and

progressively transmit the extracted one or more other portions of metadata with the corresponding one or more media data samples from the media file.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the memory and the executable instructions, with the processor, being configured to cause the apparatus to receive a transfer protocol request by receiving a hypertext transfer protocol GET request comprising a header field including a token indicating that the media file is to be streamed.

9. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the one or more other portions of metadata describe one or more of a structure of the media data, decoding parameters of the media data, or presentation parameters of the media data.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the memory and the executable instructions, with the processor, being configured to further cause the apparatus to:

receive a selection of a subset of media tracks of the media file; and

wherein

the instructions when executed by the processor cause the apparatus to progressively transmit one or more media data samples by progressively transmitting one or more media data samples associated with at least one of the selected subset of media tracks.

11. A method comprising:

sending a transfer protocol request for a media file to a media content source, wherein the transfer protocol request indicates that the media file is to be streamed;

receiving at least a portion of metadata describing at least a portion of the media file content; and

progressively receiving one or more other portions of metadata with corresponding one or more media data samples from the media file.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein sending a transfer protocol request comprises sending a hypertext transfer protocol GET request comprising a header field including a token indicating that the media file is to be streamed.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more other portions of metadata describe one or more of a structure of the media data, decoding parameters of the media data, or presentation parameters of the media data.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting a subset of media tracks of the media file based at least in part upon the received at least a portion of metadata; and

sending an indication of the selection to the media content source; and

wherein

progressively receiving one or more other portions of metadata with the corresponding one or more media data samples from the media file comprises progressively receiving one or more media data samples associated with at least one of the selected subset of media tracks.

15. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program instructions, when executed, cause an apparatus to perform the method of claim 11.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a processor, and

a memory storing executable instructions,

the memory and the executable instructions, with the processor, being configured to cause the apparatus to at least;

send a transfer protocol request for a media file to a media content source, wherein the transfer protocol request indicates that the media file is to be streamed;

receive at least a portion of metadata describing at least a portion of the media file content; and

progressively receive one or more other portions of metadata with corresponding one or more media data samples from the media file.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the memory and the executable instructions, with the processor, being configured to cause the apparatus to send a transfer protocol request by sending a hypertext transfer protocol GET request comprising a header field including a token indicating that the media file is to be streamed.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the one or more other portions of metadata describe one or more of a structure of the media data, decoding parameters of the media data, or presentation parameters of the media data.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the memory and the executable instructions, with the processor, being configured to further cause the apparatus to:

select a subset of media tracks of the media file based at least in part upon the received at least a portion of metadata; and

send an indication of the selection to the media content source; and

wherein

the memory and the executable instructions, with the processor, being configured to progressively receive one or more other portions of metadata with the corresponding one or more media data samples from the media file by progressively receiving one or more media data samples associated with at least one of the selected subset of media tracks.