TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT IN ADAPTIVE STREAMING PROTOCOLS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer-implemented method for adaptively managing media traffic, the method comprising:
- receiving, by an application-layer proxy server, network traffic destined for a downstream media playback device;
obtaining, by said proxy server, a determination that said network traffic includes a streaming-media playlist that defines at least a portion of an adaptive HTTP audio and/or video stream by identifying a plurality of brief media-content segments, hosted by an upstream media-content origin server, that sequentially make up at least said portion of said adaptive HTTP audio and/or video stream;
determining, by said proxy server, whether said streaming-media playlist conforms to a media policy associated with said downstream media playback device; and
when said streaming-media playlist does not conform to said media policy, said proxy server;
determining a playlist modification according to said media policy, said playlist modification redefining at least said portion of said adaptive HTTP audio and/or video stream by modifying said streaming-media playlist at the brief-media-content-segment level; and
modifying said network traffic according to said playlist modification, such that the modified network traffic includes a modified streaming-media playlist that conforms to said media policy.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A proxy server manages media-data traffic in a network by leveraging the logical separation between the playlist and media segments in modern adaptive streaming protocols to redefine a media stream from an end client'"'"'s perspective. In various embodiments, the media stream can be redefined from the client'"'"'s perspective by dynamically modifying the playlist before the playlist is received by the end client and/or by dynamically modifying requests for media segments before the requests are forwarded to a media-origin server.
177 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method for adaptively managing media traffic, the method comprising:
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receiving, by an application-layer proxy server, network traffic destined for a downstream media playback device; obtaining, by said proxy server, a determination that said network traffic includes a streaming-media playlist that defines at least a portion of an adaptive HTTP audio and/or video stream by identifying a plurality of brief media-content segments, hosted by an upstream media-content origin server, that sequentially make up at least said portion of said adaptive HTTP audio and/or video stream; determining, by said proxy server, whether said streaming-media playlist conforms to a media policy associated with said downstream media playback device; and when said streaming-media playlist does not conform to said media policy, said proxy server; determining a playlist modification according to said media policy, said playlist modification redefining at least said portion of said adaptive HTTP audio and/or video stream by modifying said streaming-media playlist at the brief-media-content-segment level; and modifying said network traffic according to said playlist modification, such that the modified network traffic includes a modified streaming-media playlist that conforms to said media policy. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computer-implemented method for adaptively managing media traffic, the method comprising:
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receiving, by an application-layer proxy server, network traffic destined for a downstream media playback device; obtaining, by said proxy server, a determination that said network traffic includes a streaming-media playlist defining at least a portion of a first stream of an audio and/or video work; determining, by said proxy server, whether said streaming-media playlist conforms to a media policy associated with said downstream media playback device; and when said streaming-media playlist does not conform to said media policy, said proxy server modifying said network traffic to include a modified streaming-media playlist that conforms to said media policy, said modified streaming-media playlist defining at least a portion of a second stream of said audio and/or video work. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A computer-implemented method for adaptively managing media traffic, the method comprising:
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receiving, by an application-layer proxy server, network traffic from a downstream media playback device; determining, by said proxy server, whether said network traffic includes a media-segment request identifying a first brief media-content segment of an adaptive HTTP audio and/or video stream hosted by an upstream media-content origin server; when said network traffic is determined to include said media-segment request, said proxy server determining whether said media-segment request conforms to a media policy associated with said downstream media playback device; and when said media-segment request does not conform to said media policy, said proxy server; determining a request modification according to said media policy, said request modification identifying a second brief media-content segment of said adaptive HTTP audio and/or video stream; and modifying said network traffic according to said request modification, such that said modified network traffic includes a modified media-segment request that conforms to said media policy. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A computer-implemented method for adaptively managing media traffic, the method comprising:
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receiving, by an application-layer proxy server, network traffic destined for a downstream media playback device; obtaining, by said proxy server, a determination that said network traffic includes a first resource identifier that identifies a streaming-media playlist hosted by an upstream origin server and that specifies a secure access scheme for accessing said streaming-media playlist, said streaming-media playlist defining at least a portion of an audio and/or video stream; generating, by said proxy server, a second resource identifier identifying a proxy playlist resource hosted by said proxy server; modifying said network traffic, by said proxy server, to include said second resource identifier in place of said first resource identifier; after modifying said network traffic, said proxy server receiving from said downstream media playback device a request for said proxy playlist resource identified by said second resource identifier; obtaining, by said proxy server, said streaming-media playlist from said origin server according to said first resource identifier; determining, by said proxy server, whether said streaming-media playlist conforms to a media policy associated with said downstream media playback device; and when said streaming-media playlist does not conform to said media policy, said proxy server; modifying said streaming-media playlist according to said media policy; and providing said modified streaming-media playlist to said downstream media playback device. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24)
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Specification