System and Method for Low-Latency Content Streaming

• US 20130132507A1
• Filed: 02/28/2011
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Inventors: Swaminathan, Viswanathan, Wei, Sheng, Manapragada, Srinivas R.
• Granted Patent: US 11,025,962 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/217
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Embodiments of a system and method for low-latency content streaming are described. In various embodiments, multiple data fragments may be sequentially generated. Each data fragment may represent a distinct portion of media content generated from a live content source. Each data fragment may include multiple sub-portions. Furthermore, for each data fragment, generating that fragment may include sequentially generating each sub-portion of that fragment. Embodiments may include, responsive to receiving a request for a particular data fragment from a client during the generation of a particular sub-portion of that particular data fragment, providing the particular sub-portion to the client subsequent to that particular sub-portion being generated and prior to the generation of that particular data fragment being completed in order to reduce playback latency at the client relative to the live content source.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

sequentially generating multiple data fragments;

wherein each data fragment represents a distinct portion of media content generated from a live content source;

wherein each data fragment includes multiple sub-portions;

wherein for a given data fragment, said generating comprises sequentially generating each sub-portion of that data fragment; and

responsive to receiving a request for a particular data fragment from a client during the generation of a particular sub-portion of that particular data fragment, providing the particular sub-portion to the client subsequent to that particular sub-portion being generated and prior to the generation of that particular data fragment being completed in order to reduce playback latency at the client relative to the live content source.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said multiple data fragments represent different consecutive time periods of the media content from the live content source.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein for a given data fragment, the sub portions within that data fragment represent different consecutive time periods of the media content represented by that given data fragment.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least some of the sub-portions are generated to represent an equal period of time of the media content.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the media content generated from the live content source is encoded according to an inter-frame compression standard utilizing key frames, wherein the method comprises generating each sub-portion of at least some of the sub portions such that that sub portion begins with a key frame and subsequent frames within that sub-portion are dependent upon that key frame.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein providing the particular sub-portion to the client comprises providing that sub portion to the client as a chunk according to chunked transfer encoding specified by Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, wherein the media content generated from the live content source is formatted such that each sub portion of a given data fragment maps to a single chunk according to said chunked transfer encoding.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the method comprises, prior to receiving said request from the client, providing the client with metadata that maps different time periods to respective ones of said multiple data fragments.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the media content generated from the live content source represents one or more of:

a live sporting event or a live video conference.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the particular sub-portion comprises receiving that sub portion as a chunk according to chunked transfer encoding specified by Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein the media content generated from the live content source is formatted such that each sub portion of a given data fragment maps to a single chunk according to said chunked transfer encoding.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

providing a request for a particular data fragment to a remote system including one or more computers that sequentially generate multiple data fragments that each include multiple sub-portions, wherein the remote system sequentially generates each sub-portion within a given data fragment, wherein each data fragment represents a distinct portion of media content generated from a live content source, wherein said request is provided during the generation of a particular sub-portion of a particular data fragment;

subsequent to the particular sub-portion being generated and prior to the generation of the particular data fragment being completed, receiving that particular sub-portion from the remote system; and

initiating playback of the particular sub-portion prior to the generation of the particular data fragment being completed in order to reduce playback latency relative to the live content source.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the method comprises receiving multiple sub-portions of content and discarding one or more sub-portions that represent content prior to said particular sub-portion.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein said multiple data fragments represent different consecutive time periods of the media content from the live content source.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein for a given data fragment, the sub portions within that data fragment represent different consecutive time periods of the media content represented by that given data fragment.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein at least some of the sub-portions are generated to represent an equal period of time of the media content.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the media content is encoded according to an inter-frame compression standard utilizing key frames, wherein at least some of the sub portions begin with a key frame and wherein subsequent frames within that sub-portion are dependent upon that key frame.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the method comprises, prior to providing said request from the client, receiving metadata that maps different time periods to respective ones of said multiple data fragments.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein the method comprises determining a current time and determining which fragment to request based on which data fragment of said multiple data fragments corresponds to the current time as specified by the mapping of the received metadata.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the media content generated from the live content source represents one or more of:

a live sporting event or a live video conference.

21. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory, wherein the memory comprises program instructions executable by the one or more processors to;

sequentially generate multiple data fragments;

wherein each data fragment represents a distinct portion of media content generated from a live content source;

wherein each data fragment includes multiple sub-portions;

wherein for a given data fragment, wherein sequentially generating a given data fragment comprises sequentially generating each sub-portion of that data fragment; and

responsive to receiving a request for a particular data fragment from a client during the generation of a particular sub-portion of that particular data fragment, providing the particular sub-portion to the client subsequent to that particular sub-portion being generated and prior to the generation of that particular data fragment being completed in order to reduce playback latency at the client relative to the live content source.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein said multiple data fragments represent different consecutive time periods of the media content from the live content source.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein for a given data fragment, the sub portions within that data fragment represent different consecutive time periods of the media content represented by that given data fragment.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein at least some of the sub-portions are generated to represent an equal period of time of the media content.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the media content generated from the live content source is encoded according to an inter-frame compression standard utilizing key frames, wherein the program instructions are configured to generate each sub-portion of at least some of the sub portions such that that sub portion begins with a key frame and subsequent frames within that sub-portion are dependent upon that key frame.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein to provide the particular sub-portion to the client the program instructions are configured to provide that sub portion to the client as a chunk according to chunked transfer encoding specified by Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

27. The system of claim 26, wherein the media content generated from the live content source is formatted such that each sub-portion of a given data fragment maps to a single chunk according to said chunked transfer encoding.

28. The system of claim 21, wherein the program instructions are configured to, prior to receiving said request from the client, provide the client with metadata that maps different time periods to respective ones of said multiple data fragments.

29. The system of claim 21, wherein the media content generated from the live content source represents one or more of:

a live sporting event or a live video conference.

30. The system of claim 21, wherein the program instructions are configured to, responsive to a request for a next fragment that is to be generated after said particular data fragment, provide the next fragment to said client after that fragment has been generated.

31. A system, comprising:

a memory; and

one or more processors coupled to the memory, wherein the memory comprises program instructions executable by the one or more processors to;

provide a request for a particular data fragment to a remote system including one or more computers that sequentially generate multiple data fragments that each include multiple sub-portions, wherein the remote system sequentially generates each sub-portion within a given data fragment, wherein each data fragment represents a distinct portion of media content generated from a live content source, wherein said request is provided during the generation of a particular sub-portion of a particular data fragment;

subsequent to the particular sub-portion being generated and prior to the generation of the particular data fragment being completed, receive that particular sub-portion from the remote system; and

initiate playback of the particular sub-portion prior to the generation of the particular data fragment being completed in order to reduce playback latency relative to the live content source.

32. The system of claim 31, wherein the program instructions are configured to receive multiple sub-portions of content and discard one or more sub-portions that represent content prior to said particular sub-portion.

33. The system of claim 31, wherein said multiple data fragments represent different consecutive time periods of the media content from the live content source.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein for a given data fragment, the sub portions within that data fragment represent different consecutive time periods of the media content represented by that given data fragment.

35. The system of claim 31, wherein each sub-portion is generated to represent an equal period of time of the media content.

36. The system of claim 31, wherein the media content is encoded according to an inter-frame compression standard utilizing key frames, wherein at least some of the sub portions begin with a key frame and wherein subsequent frames within that sub-portion are dependent upon that key frame.

37. The system of claim 32, wherein to receive the particular sub-portion the program instructions are configured to receive that sub portion as a chunk according to chunked transfer encoding specified by Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

38. The system of claim 37, wherein the media content generated from the live content source is formatted such that each sub portion of a given data fragment maps to a single chunk according to said chunked transfer encoding.

39. The system of claim 31, wherein the program instructions are configured to, prior to providing said request from the client, receive metadata that maps different time periods to respective ones of said multiple data fragments.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the program instructions are configured to determine a current time and determine which fragment to request based on which data fragment of said multiple data fragments corresponds to the current time as specified by the mapping of the received metadata.

41. The system of claim 31, wherein the media content generated from the live content source represents one or more of:

a live sporting event or a live video conference.

42. The system of claim 31, wherein the program instructions are configured to:

provide to the remote system, a request for a next fragment that is to be generated after said particular data fragment, and

after the next fragment has been generated, receive that fragment from the remote system.