METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR OPTIMIZING DOWNLOAD AND INSTANTANEOUS VIEWING OF MEDIA FILES

• US 20110082914A1
• Filed: 10/02/2009
• Published: 04/07/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Arana, Mark, Drake, Eddie, Robert, Arnaud
• Granted Patent: US 8,484,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Methods and arrangements for replacing segments or portions of a media file that was received via adaptive streaming or other transfer mechanism, to obtain a media file for local storage and further playback as if it came from a download. This maximizes the experience of both instant viewing and delayed viewing, and additionally provides a capability to extend the viewing experience to in-home streaming and copying to other devices. Accordingly, there is provided herein a capability to take advantage of adaptive streaming to provide a highly reliable mechanism for consumers to view media in real-time transmission, and also to obtain a resultant, locally stored media file of high quality. There is further provided herein a capability to obtain complete copies of media at different quality levels. Moreover, embodiments of the present invention facilitate adaptive streaming and copying within the home environment.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a media device having one or more processors and one or more modules executable by the one or more processors, the one or more modules being configured to;

read an initial media file comprising file segments each having an audiovisual quality, the segments comprising a first segment having a first quality and at least a second segment having a second quality, the second quality being different from the first quality; and

modify the read media file such that;

the first segment retains the first quality; and

the at least one second segment is modified to match the first quality.

2. The system according to claim 1, the one or more modules further being configured to modify the read media file via changing the at least one second segment in the read media file to match the first quality.

3. The system according to claim 1, the one or more modules further being configured to obtain, from a first media source, at least one file segment having the first quality and modify the read media file with the at least one obtained file segment having the first quality such that:

the first segment retains the first quality; and

the at least one second segment is modified to match the first quality.

4. The system according to claim 3, the one or more modules further being configured to receive the initial media file from a second media source over a network, prior to reading the initial media file.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the second media source comprises a media source which employs a media streaming protocol.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the second media source comprises a media source which employs a file download protocol.

7. The system according to claim 4, wherein the second media source is the same as the first media source.

8. The system according to claim 3, the one or more modules further being configured to create a second media file comprising segments all having the first audiovisual quality.

9. The system according to claim 3, wherein the first media source is a single media source.

10. The system according to claim 3, wherein the first media source comprises at least two media sources.

11. The system according to claim 3, the one or more modules further being configured to obtain the at least one segment having the first quality simultaneously with reading the initial media file.

12. The system according to claim 3, the one or more modules further being configured to obtain the at least one segment having the first quality subsequent to completion of the reading of the initial media file.

13. The system according to claim 1, the one or more modules further being configured to employ an index file in obtaining the at least one file segment, the index file containing data about the initial media file.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein the index file is employed in modifying the read media file.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein the index file contains data about audiovisual quality of segments of the initial media file.

16. The system according to claim 1, wherein the first quality is a higher quality than the second quality.

17. The system according to claim 1, wherein the modified media file is a first modified media file and the one or more modules are further configured to modify the read media file to create a second modified media file wherein, in the second modified media file:

the first segment is modified to match the second quality; and

the at least one second segment retains the second quality.

18. The system according to claim 17, the one or more modules further being configured to modify the read media file to create a second modified media file via changing the first segment in the read media file to match the second quality.

19. The system according to claim 17, the one or more modules further being configured to obtain, from a first media source, at least one file segment having the second quality and modify the read media file to create the second modified media file with the at least one obtained file segment having the first quality such that:

the first segment is modified to match the second quality; and

the at least one second segment retains the second quality.

20. The system according to claim 19, the one or more modules further being configured to enable the media device to determine an audiovisual quality level employed in generating the second modified media file.

21. The system according to claim 19, wherein an audiovisual quality level employed in generating the second modified media file is determined by the first media source.

22. The system according to claim 19, the one or more modules further being configured to store the second modified media file on the media device.

23. The system according to claim 19, the one or more modules further being configured to deliver the modified media files, via adaptive streaming, to a second media device.

24. The system according to claim 19, the one or more modules further being configured to create the second modified media file to impart all audiovisual quality levels to all segments.

25. A system comprising:

a media device arrangement comprising a first media device and a second media device;

said first media device comprising one or more processors and one or more modules executable by the one or more processors, the one or more modules being configured to;

read an initial media file comprising file segments each having an audiovisual quality, the segments comprising a first segment having a first quality and at least a second segment having a second quality, the second quality being different from the first quality; and

copy to said second media device a media file comprising at least one file segment from said read media file corresponding to a single predetermined audiovisual quality.

26. The system according to claim 25, wherein said second media device comprises one or more processors and one or more modules executable by the one or more processors, the one or more modules being configured to obtain from a first media source at least one file segment at the single predetermined audiovisual quality not already present in the copied media file.

27. The system according to claim 25, wherein the single predetermined audiovisual quality is determined by said first media device.

28. The system according to claim 25, wherein the single predetermined audiovisual quality is determined by said second media device.

29. The system according to claim 25, wherein the initial media file is read from a first media source.

30. The system according to claim 25, the one or more modules further being configured to receive the initial media file from a second media source over a network, prior to reading the initial media file.

31. The system according to claim 25, wherein the first media source is a single media source.

32. The system according to claim 25, the one or more modules further being configured to employ an index file in obtaining the at least one file segment, the index file containing data about the at least one file segment.

33. A method comprising:

reading an initial media file comprising file segments each having an audiovisual quality, the segments comprising a first segment having a first quality and at least a second segment having a second quality, the second quality being different from the first quality;

modifying the read media file such that;

the first segment retains the first quality; and

the at least one second segment is modified to match the first quality.

34. The method according to claim 33, wherein said modifying comprises modifying the read media file via changing the at least one second segment in the read media file to match the first quality.

35. The method according to claim 33, further comprising:

obtaining, from a first media source, at least one file segment having the first quality;

said modifying comprising modifying the read media file with the at least one obtained file segment having the first quality such that;

the first segment retains the first quality; and

the at least one second segment is modified to match the first quality.

36. The method according to claim 35, further comprising receiving the initial media file from a second media source over a network, prior to reading the initial media file.

37. The method according to claim 35, further comprising creating a second media file comprising segments all having the first audiovisual quality.

38. The method according to claim 33, the one or more modules further being configured to employ an index file in obtaining the at least one file segment, the index file containing data about the at least one file segment.

39. The method according to claim 33, wherein the modified media file is a first modified media file and said modifying further comprises modifying the read media file to create a second modified media file wherein, in the second modified media file:

the first segment is modified to match the second quality; and

the at least one second segment retains the second quality.

40. The method according to claim 39, further comprising delivering the second modified media file, via adaptive streaming, to a media device.

41. A method comprising:

reading an initial media file comprising file segments each having an audiovisual quality, the segments comprising a first segment having a first quality and at least a second segment having a second quality, the second quality being different from the first quality;

copying to a media device a media file comprising at least one file segment from the read media file corresponding to a single predetermined audiovisual quality.

42. The method according to claim 41, further comprising obtaining, from a media source, at least one file segment at the single predetermined audiovisual quality not already present in the copied media file.

43. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer program code configured to read a streaming media file comprising file segments each having an audiovisual quality, the segments comprising a first segment having a first quality and at least a second segment having a second quality, the second quality being different from the first quality;

computer program code configured to modify the read media file such that;

the first segment retains the first quality; and

the at least one second segment is modified to match the first quality.

44. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer program code configured to read an initial media file comprising file segments each having an audiovisual quality, the segments comprising a first segment having a first quality and at least a second segment having a second quality, the second quality being different from the first quality;

computer program code configured to copy to a second media device a media file comprising at least one file segment from said read media file corresponding to a single predetermined audiovisual quality.

45. A system comprising:

a media device having one or more processors and one or more modules executable by the one or more processors, the one or more modules being configured to;

read an initial media file comprising file segments each having an audiovisual quality, the segments comprising a first segment having a first quality and at least a second segment having a second quality; and

modify the read media file such that;

the first segment is modified to match a third quality, the third quality being different from the first and second qualities; and

the at least one second segment is modified to match the third quality.

46. The system according to claim 45, wherein the third quality is a higher quality than the first quality and the second quality.

47. The system according to claim 45, wherein the first quality is the same as the second quality.