Proxy Apparatus and Method for Streaming Media Information and for Increasing the Quality of Stored Media Information

• US 20110035641A1
• Filed: 10/11/2010
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property II LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stuntebeck, Peter H., Markowitz, Robert Edward, Rosen, Kenneth H., O'Neil, Joseph Thomas
• Granted Patent: US 8,572,205 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/748
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2265 Server identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• 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 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• 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

Abstract

A proxy apparatus and method for streaming media information via at least one network and for building-up a good quality version of the media information. When a user device communicates with the proxy apparatus using a particular bandwidth and requests that media information be provided, the proxy apparatus first determines if a version of the media information encoded for the user device'"'"'s connection bandwidth has been stored in the proxy apparatus. If a version of the media information encoded for the user device'"'"'s bandwidth is not available from the proxy apparatus, the proxy apparatus sends a request to a media server for the media information. If the version of the media information has missing packets, the proxy device sends retransmission requests to the media server to obtain the missing packets, thereby building-up a good quality version of the media information.

Claims

1. A method of streaming information to a user device, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a version of media information from the user device;

determining a bandwidth of a connection associated with the user device, wherein the determining is performed by a gateway proxy device;

determining if the version of media information has missing data packets based on a listing of missing data packets associated with the version of media information;

transmitting a retransmission request to a media server if the version of media information is determined to have missing data packets, wherein the retransmission request requests the missing data packets or all data packets of the version of media information from the media server;

receiving the missing data packets or all the data packets of the version of media information from the media server; and

streaming the version of media information to the user device based on the determined bandwidth or a bandwidth lower than the determined bandwidth, wherein the streaming is performed in response to the request for the version of media information from the user device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the missing data packets or all the data packets of the version of media information in a media storage device.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising writing over an existing copy of the version of media information stored in the media storage device with all the data packets received from the media server.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising inserting the missing data packets into an existing copy of the version of media information stored in the media storage device.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising comparing all the data packets of the version of media information received from the media server to a previously existing copy of the version of media information.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining whether all the data packets of the version of media information received from the media server or the previously existing copy of the version of media information has less missing packets.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising retaining either all the data packets of the version of media information received from the media server or the previously existing copy of the version of media information depending on which has less missing packets.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting a meta tag associated with the version of media information.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising retrieving a value for the meta tag, wherein the value of the meta tag represents whether or not the version of the media information is determined to have missing data packets.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the media information comprises audio information and video information.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising streaming the version of media information to the user device using a first communications protocol and streaming the version of media information to the gateway proxy device using a second communications protocol.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising measuring network congestion of a network associated with the gateway proxy device, wherein the measuring is performed by the gateway proxy device.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising transmitting an additional retransmission request when the network congestion of the network falls below a predetermined threshold.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising measuring the network congestion of the network by pinging the media server.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising determining a delay in receiving a response from the media server based on the pinging of the media server.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the delay in receiving the response is correlated to a network congestion level.

17. A system for streaming information to a user device, the system comprising:

a user device;

a media server; and

a controller comprising an electronic processor, wherein the controller is configured to perform activities comprising;

receiving a request for a version of media information from the user device;

determining a bandwidth of a connection associated with the user device;

determining if the version of media information has missing data packets;

transmitting a retransmission request to the media server if the version of media information is determined to have missing data packets, wherein the retransmission request requests either the missing data packets or all data packets of the version of media information from the media server;

receiving either the missing data packets or all the data packets of the version of media information from the media server; and

streaming the version of media information to the user device based on one of the determined bandwidth and a bandwidth lower than the determined bandwidth.

18. The system of claim 17, the apparatus further comprising a media storage device, wherein the storage device is configured to store the missing data packets or all the data packets of the version of media information from the media server.

19. The system of claim 18, the controller further configured to perform activities comprising:

inserting the missing data packets into an existing copy of the version of media information stored in the media storage device.

20. The system of claim 17, the controller further configured to perform activities comprising:

measuring network congestion of a network associated with the controller; and

transmitting an additional retransmission request when the network congestion of the network falls below a predetermined threshold.