VIDEO STREAMING IN A WEB BROWSER

• US 20130145267A1
• Filed: 12/01/2011
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ramachandran, Vivek V.
• Granted Patent: US 9,569,097 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/719
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/748 Hypervideo linking data to content, e.g. by linking an URL to a video object in the context of video distribution systems H04N21/858
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04842 Selection of displayed objects or displayed text elements G06F3/0482 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04845 for image manipulation, e.g. dragging, rotation, expansion or change of colour
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0485 Scrolling or panning
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/106 Display of layout of documents; Previewing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/19684 Portable terminal, e.g. mobile phone, used for viewing video remotely
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2355 involving reformatting operations of additional data, e.g. HTML pages optimising the visualization of content for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/9577; tracking of instant messages H04L51/234; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

A video element of a browser can be moved, resized, etc. independently of the remainder of a browser page. In one embodiment, as the video element is moved, the remainder of the browser page is reformatted so as to change the page'"'"'s layout. The renderer of the content can have a different video provider sourcing the video element than the remainder of the browser page. As a result, two different content streams can be provided to the renderer in parallel. In another embodiment, the video element can be docked, such as through a flick operation or a drag-and-drop operation. Once docked, the browser page can be scrolled while the docked video element remains at a fixed location relative to an edge of the browser page.

Claims

1. A method of streaming video to a browser on a client device, comprising:

receiving a video stream displayable in a video element of the browser on the client device;

receiving content, separate from the video stream;

displaying the video stream and content in a same browser page; and

in response to user input, moving the video element relative to the content so that a layout of the browser page changes.

2. The method of claim 1, further including docking the video element relative to an edge of the browser page.

3. The method of claim 2, further including scrolling the content, while the video element remains at a fixed location relative to an edge of the browser page.

4. The method of claim 1, further including passing position coordinates of the video element to a user interface renderer.

5. The method of claim 1, further including receiving the video stream and the content from a network using a media engine on the client device, and further including decoding the video stream and content using the media engine.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user input includes a drag-and-drop operation or a flick operation.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a renderer, which displays the browser page, receives the video stream from a media engine in parallel with receiving the content from a browser engine.

8. The method of claim 1, further including passing control of the video element from a browser engine to a media engine upon selection of the video element.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein passing control includes passing a video element identifier from the browser engine to the media engine and passing the video element identifier from the browser engine to a renderer.

10. The method of claim 1, further including combining, in a renderer, which displays the browser page, the video stream provided from a media engine, and the content provided from a browser engine.

11. The method of claim 10, further including receiving user input selecting the video element while the video stream is playing and switching to a full-screen mode wherein only the video stream from the media engine is rendered.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the layout of the page changing includes reformatting the content to account for movement of the video element.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein reformatting includes resizing the content.

14. A computer-readable storage having instructions thereon for implementing a method, comprising:

playing a video in a video element of a browser while displaying written content outside of the video element;

receiving user input to move the video element;

in response to the user input, moving the video element to a docked position; and

scrolling the written content, while maintaining the video element in the docked position, which is a fixed position relative to an edge of a user interface.

15. The computer-readable storage of claim 14, further including reformatting the written content to account for a change in position of the video element relative to the written content as the written content is scrolled.

16. The computer-readable storage of claim 14, wherein the browser is located on a mobile phone and the video and the written content are displayed in a single browser page.

17. The computer-readable storage of claim 14, wherein the received user input is a flick operation or a drag-and-drop operation.

18. The computer-readable storage of claim 14, wherein the video is sourced from a media engine and the written content is sourced from a browser engine, so that a renderer displaying the video and written content simultaneously receives the video and written content in parallel streams.

19. A mobile phone, comprising:

a media engine for decoding a video stream;

a browser engine for providing written content;

a renderer for receiving the written content from the browser engine and for receiving the decoded video stream from the media engine, the written content and the decoded video stream being received by the renderer as two separate and parallel streams; and

a gesture engine coupled to the renderer for receiving user input indicating a docking command to dock the decoded video stream relative to an edge of a user interface.

20. The mobile phone of claim 19, wherein the renderer is capable of moving the decoded video stream relative to the written content.