SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR TRANSMISSION OF UNINTERRUPTED RADIO, TELEVISION PROGRAMS AND ADDITIONAL DATA SERVICES THROUGH WIRELESS NETWORKS

• US 20120099514A1
• Filed: 06/30/2010
• Published: 04/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fosco Bianchetti, Ioannis Katsavounidis
• Original Assignee: Fosco Bianchetti, Ioannis Katsavounidis
• Inventors: Katsavounidis, Ioannis, Bianchetti, Fosco
• Granted Patent: US 9,030,987 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1835 Buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/22 using redundant apparatus to increase reliability
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41422 located in transportation means, e.g. personal vehicle arrangements specially adapted for transportation systems in broadcast systems H04H20/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP

Abstract

A method and system for In-Dash Multimedia Players or Portable Multimedia Players for automotive, aviation, boating, and personal use that, exploiting the services and capabilities of the Digital Wireless Network DWLN (107), such as 3G network, and buffering the live stream data on both the Server (101) and User Equipment (111), combines in a novel synergistic integration a suite of new and known features such as: immediate and uninterrupted listening/viewing of Live Streaming Media LSM (109) by the user with or without optimization of the data bandwidth, and the provision to customize the commercial messages according to the user location, and the capability of reporting the customer choices and habits, and the automatic deletion of LSM after the time-shift time to benefit from copyright agreements.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A method of sending packetized live streaming media information (LSM), by way of example an internet radio, comprising:

a) providing a server which is able to encode said information into a series of digital packetized data, or receive said information in digital form and packetize it, or receive said information in digital packetized data,

b) providing a user equipment (UE) which is able to receive and decode said digital packetized data into said live information,

c) providing a bidirectional digital wireless network (DWLN) which is able to transfer said digital packetized data from said server to said UE,

d) providing means to send requests and other control information and data from said UE to said Server,

e) providing a server buffer (SB) in said server which is able to orderly store said digital packetized data,

f) providing a receiving buffer (RB) in said UE which is able to store said digital packetized data, received either in order or out-of-order,

g) providing in said server a controller which will;

I. transfer from said server said digital packetized data into said SB beginning in a free location of said SB and filling said SB until said free locations are available and

i. overwriting the oldest said digital packetized data when no more said free locations are available and

ii. attaching a progressive serial number to the packets of said digital packetized data and

II. continuously transfer said digital packetized data to said DWLN at a rate equal to the buffer filling rate, such that

i. one packet of data is sent to said DWLN simultaneously to each packet of data that is written to said SB, and

ii. using a multicast transmission method that allows reception of the same data packet by more than one said UE, by way of example multimedia broadcast multicast service (MBMS), and

III. transfer at the highest possible speed from said SB, upon request of said UE, said digital packetized data to said DWLN using a unicast protocol, by way of example TCP/IP method, that allows reception of the data packet by only the UE that requested it and

i. at the first said request, according to said progressive serial number and

ii. starting from the smallest said serial number of said SB and

iii. stopping said transfer when the highest said serial number packet has been transferred or when the serial number packet that is being transferred has said progressive serial number that corresponds to a later time than the serial number of MBMS packet transmitted via said multicast transmission and

iv. at the following requests, according to the specific said progressive serial number as requested by said UE,

h) providing in the UE a receiver controller which will;

I. send to said server via said DWLN said first transfer request and

II. receive from said server, via said unicast protocol method said series of digital packetized data and

i. store said digital packetized data into said RB and

ii. fill said RB until free locations are available or the server has emptied said SB and

III. join said multicast transmission, by way of example said MBMS, at substantially the same time as the transfer request in order to receive packets from said Server sent via said multicast method and

i. fill said RB with said MBMS received packets irrespectively of said unicast transfer and

ii. fill said RB until free locations are available and

iii. keep feeding said RB overwriting the oldest said digital packetized data when no more said free locations are available and

IV. send to said server via said DWLN said specific progressive serial number transfer requests as needed to keep the RB full with a non interrupted serial number series of non-defective packets and

V. continuously extract from said RB said digital packetized data according to said progressive serial number at a rate equal to the SB filling rate,

whereby the simultaneous feeding of said RB with said requested unicast transfers together with said multicast stream minimizes the required transfer bandwidth while allowing a plurality of UE to play said LSM without short term interruptions (dropouts), long term interruptions (outages) and without initial delay at the establishment of the connection.