SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR NETWORK-ASSISTED ADAPTIVE STREAMING

• US 20150032854A1
• Filed: 07/24/2014
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/24/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wang, Xin, Zhou, Lei, Liu, Xin, Zhang, Shaobo, Liu, Yongliang, Fan, Yuqun
• Application Number:
  US14/340,465
• Publication Number:
  US 20150032854A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/225 Determination of shaping rate, e.g. using a moving window
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25866 Management of end-user data customer care in data networks H04L41/5077
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A system, method and device are configured to guarantee bandwidth to adaptive streaming clients through negotiation with a network unit to achieve better quality of services in adaptive streaming that utilizes network bandwidth conditions more accurately than based on client estimations.

Claims

1. A method for requesting media content in a dynamic adaptive media streaming system over a transmission network, according to a media presentation description (MPD) comprising information identifying a plurality of media segments, the method comprising:

generating and transmitting, by a user device, a request for a guaranteed bitrate/bandwidth rate (GBR) to the network,

receiving, at the user device, a response authorizing a GBR for the user device;

selecting, at the user device, based on the authorized GBR and the MPD information, at least one of the plurality of media segments;

generating and transmitting a request to a content server identifying the selected at least one of the plurality of media segments; and

receiving from the content server the selected at least one of the plurality of media segments.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein selecting at least one of the plurality of segments comprises:

selecting a media segment having a bitrate closest to the authorized GBR.

3. The method in accordance with claim 1 further comprising:

playing the received media segment at the user device.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the authorized GBR is a minimum bitrate/bandwidth rate.

5. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the request for the GBR does not identify a specific GBR.

6. The method in accordance with claim 1 wherein the request for the GBR requests a specific GBR, and the authorized GBR is higher than the requested specific GBR.

7. The method in accordance with claim 5 wherein the request for the GBR requests a specific GBR, and the authorized GBR is lower than the requested specific GBR.

8. An adaptive media streaming method in a network, the method comprising:

authenticating and authorizing a bandwidth limit of a user based on subscription information of the user in a network;

receiving a request from a user device coupled to the network for a guaranteed bandwidth rate (GBR) based on a media presentation description (MPD);

determining if the requested GBR can be authorized, based on the bandwidth limit, the subscription information of the user and the network condition and usage;

transmitting a GBR response message to the user device in response to receiving the request for the GBR, the GBR response message indicating whether the GBR is authorized;

after transmitting the GBR response message indicating the requested GBR is authorized, receiving a media segment request from the user device requesting a media segment compatible with the GBR; and

transmitting the requested media segment to the user device.

9. The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the subscription information is configured at least at one of the following levels:

a network operator level and a media service provider level.

10. The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the GBR response message indicates the GBR is not authorized when the request for the GBR exceeds the user bandwidth limit.

11. The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the user device is configured as a Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over Hypertext Transfer Protocol (DASH) client.

12. The method in accordance with claim 11 wherein an adaptation strategy of the DASH client is based on the authorized GBR from the network instead of its own bandwidth detection.

13. The method in accordance with claim 11 wherein the network is a long-term evolution (LTE) network comprising an eNodeB configured to transmit the requested media segment to the user device in accordance with the authorized GBR.

14. The method in accordance with claim 8 wherein the authorized GBR is a minimum bitrate/bandwidth rate.

15. An adaptive media streaming system, comprising:

a user device coupled to a network and configured to request a guaranteed bandwidth rate (GBR) based on a media presentation description (MPD) and request a media segment according to an authorized GBR;

a content server coupled to the network and configured to send the requested media segment to the user device; and

,

wherein the network is configured to provide a communications path between the user device and the content server, to authorize a GBR in response to a GBR request from the user device, and send the media segment to the user device in accordance with the authorized GBR.

16. The system in accordance with claim 15 wherein the network is further configured to reject the request for the GBR when the requested GBR exceeds a predetermined bandwidth limit associated with the user device.

17. The system in accordance with claim 15 wherein the user device is configured as a Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over Hypertext Transfer Protocol (DASH) client.

18. The system in accordance with claim 16 wherein an adaptation strategy of the DASH client is based on guaranteed bandwidth from the network instead of its own bandwidth detection.

19. The system in accordance with claim 15 wherein the network is a long-term evolution (LTE) network having an eNodeB configured to transmit the requested media segment to the user device in accordance with the GBR.

20. The system in accordance with claim 15 wherein the authorized GBR is a minimum bitrate/bandwidth rate.