LIVE STREAMING MEDIA DELIVERY FOR MOBILE AUDIENCES

• US 20120011267A1
• Filed: 09/15/2011
• Published: 01/12/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Azuki Systems, Inc (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Ma, Kevin J., Xu, Jianguo, Ng, Tung, Nair, Raj, Lin, Ichang, Li, Man
• Granted Patent: US 8,874,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/631 Multimode Transmission, e.g. transmitting basic layers and enhancement layers of the content over different transmission paths or transmitting with different error corrections, different keys or with different transmission protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6373 for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6437 Real-time Transport Protocol [RTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A live streaming system/method provides cross platform live streaming capabilities to mobile devices. The live streaming system includes a live streaming recorder operative to (1) capture a live media stream generated by a live media source and save the captured live media stream as a recorded stream in a recorded media file, and (2) transcode the recorded stream into a plurality of transcoded media files of respective different media encoding formats. The system further includes a stream distribution subsystem operative to generate a plurality of distributed media streams each generated from one or more of the transcoded media files, each distributed media stream being delivered to a corresponding set of the mobile endpoint devices.

Claims

1. A live streaming system for delivering a live media stream to heterogeneous mobile endpoint devices, comprising:

a live streaming recorder operative to (1) capture the live media stream generated by a live media source and save the captured live media stream as a recorded stream in a recorded media file, and (2) transcode the recorded stream into a plurality of transcoded media files of respective different media encoding formats; and

a stream distribution subsystem operative to generate a plurality of distributed media streams each generated from one or more of the transcoded media files, each distributed media stream being delivered to a corresponding set of the mobile endpoint devices.

2. A live streaming system according to claim 1, wherein delivery of the distributed media streams to the mobile endpoint devices is via heterogeneous mobile providers.

3. A live streaming system according to claim 1, wherein time-shifted delivery of previous portions of the live media stream is made available to the mobile endpoint devices in near-real time.

4. A live streaming system according to claim 3, wherein the time-shifted delivery is made available in small chapterized video segments.

5. A live streaming system according to claim 1, wherein the stream distribution subsystem includes a streaming tree having a root streamer and a plurality of streaming servers arranged in a hierarchical tree-topology, and wherein a media stream from the root streamer is relayed by the streaming servers to the mobile endpoint devices in a top-down hierarchical manner.

6. A live streaming system according to claim 5, wherein the streaming tree further includes a plurality of branch nodes interposed between the root streamer and the streaming servers, each branch node being operative to generate input media streams for corresponding streaming servers from a corresponding media stream from the root streamer.

7. A live streaming system according to claim 1, wherein video and/or audio of the recorded stream is transcoded to a multiplicity of distinct formats.

8. A live streaming system according to claim 1, wherein delivery of each distributed media stream is via a delivery method selected from HTTP streaming, progressive download, real time streaming protocol (RTSP), and full download.

9. A live streaming system according to claim 1, wherein a multiplicity of metadata associated with the live stream is created and stored in a database and made available to the mobile endpoint devices.

10. A live streaming system according to claim 9, wherein previously stored segments of video can be searched using the metadata stored in the database.

11. A live streaming system according to claim 1, wherein:

the live streaming recorder and transcoder are co-operative to (1) pack the plurality of transcoded media streams in a plurality of file formats each having formatted data, (2) write the formatted data out in segments, and (3) transfer the segments to a storage device accessible to a server; and

the stream distribution subsystem is operative to deliver the segments to the mobile endpoint devices sequentially for live media playback.

12. A method of delivering a live media stream to heterogeneous mobile endpoint devices, comprising:

capturing the live media stream generated by a live media source and saving the captured live media stream as a recorded stream in a recorded media file;

transcoding the recorded stream into a plurality of transcoded media files of respective different media encoding formats;

generating a plurality of distributed media streams each generated from one or more of the transcoded media files; and

delivering each distributed media stream to a corresponding set of the mobile endpoint devices.

13. A method according to claim 12, wherein delivery of the distributed media streams to the mobile endpoint devices is via heterogeneous mobile providers.

14. A method according to claim 12, wherein time-shifted delivery of previous portions of the live media stream is made available to the mobile endpoint devices in near-real time.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the time-shifted delivery is made available in small chapterized video segments.

16. A method according to claim 12, utilizing a streaming tree having a root streamer and a plurality of streaming servers arranged in a hierarchical tree-topology, and wherein a media stream from the root streamer is relayed by the streaming servers to the mobile endpoint devices in a top-down hierarchical manner.

17. A method according to claim 16, wherein the streaming tree further includes a plurality of branch nodes interposed between the root streamer and the streaming servers, and further comprising, by each branch node, generating input media streams for corresponding streaming servers from a corresponding media stream from the root streamer.

18. A method according to claim 12, wherein video and/or audio of the recorded stream is transcoded to a multiplicity of distinct formats.

19. A method according to claim 12, wherein delivery of each distributed media stream is via a delivery method selected from HTTP streaming, progressive download, real time streaming protocol (RTSP), and full download.

20. A method according to claim 12, wherein a multiplicity of metadata associated with the live stream is created and stored in a database and made available to the mobile endpoint devices.

21. A method according to claim 20, wherein previously stored segments of video can be searched using the metadata stored in the database.

22. A method according to claim 12, further comprising:

packing the plurality of transcoded media streams in a plurality of file formats each having formatted data;

writing the formatted data out in segments;

transferring the segments to a storage device accessible to a server; and

delivering the segments to the mobile endpoint devices sequentially for live media playback.