RENDERING TIME CONTROL

• US 20150229986A1
• Filed: 08/28/2013
• Published: 08/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Legallais, Yvon, Howson, Christopher, Laurent, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 10,057,624 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/289 Intermediate processing functionally located close to the data consumer application, e.g. in same machine, in same home or in same sub-network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/568 Storing data temporarily at an intermediate stage, e.g. caching
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43079 of additional data with content streams on multiple devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6543 for forcing some client operations, e.g. recording remote booting in general G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Method for controlling a rendering time of a second content stream on a second device, said second content stream being organized in chunks, each chunk comprising data packets, said method comprising steps of:

• • a) receiving a request of a chunk of the second content stream from the second device;
  • b) determining a second position of said requested chunk on the basis of a playback position of a first content stream being rendered on a first device;
  • c) receiving the packets of the requested chunk from a server; and
  • d) delivering the requested chunk to the second device at a delivery time at which said requested chunk should be delivered to the second device, said delivery time being function of said second position.

Claims

1. Method for controlling a rendering time of a second content stream on a second device, said second content stream being organized in chunks, each chunk corresponding to a part accessible individually of the second content stream, each chunk comprising data packets, said method comprising:

a) receiving, by a control device a request of a chunk of the second content stream from the second device;

b) receiving, by the control device, the packets of the requested chunk; and

c) delivering, by the control device, the requested chunk to the second device at a delivery time at which said requested chunk should be delivered to the second device so that the second device rendering of the second content stream is synchronized with a first device rendering of a first content stream, said delivery time being function of a second position of said requested chunk in the second content stream determined on the basis of a playback position of the first content stream being rendered on the first device.

2. Method of claim 1, wherein the step of delivering uses an adaptive streaming protocol.

3. Method of claim 1, further comprising:

d) transmitting, by the control device, said packets of the requested chunk to the second device, except the last packet of the requested chunk; and

e) buffering, by the control device, said last packet of the requested chunk,

wherein the step c) of delivering comprises delivering said last packet of the requested chunk to the second device at the delivery time.

4. Method of claim 1, comprising determining a time necessary for a processing of the requested chunk by the second device.

5. Method of claim 1, wherein if the requested chunk cannot be delivered at the delivery time at step c), the method comprises further:

f) discarding said requested chunk;

g) repeating steps b) to c) with a chunk following said requested chunk in the second content stream.

6. Method of claim 1, wherein the first content stream and the second content stream carry a same content.

10. A computer-readable program comprising computer-executable instructions to enable a computer to perform the method of claim 1.

7. Control device for controlling a rendering time of a second content stream on a second device so that the second device rendering of the second content stream is synchronized with a first device rendering of a first content stream, said control device being adapted for:

a) receiving a request of a chunk of the second content stream from the second device;

b) receiving the packets of the requested chunk; and

c) delivering the requested chunk to the second device at a delivery time at which said requested chunk should be delivered, said delivery time being function of a second position of said requested chunk in the second content stream determined on the basis of a playback position of the first content stream being rendered on the first device.

8. Control device of claim 7, wherein said control device is a home gateway or a set-top box.

9. Control device of claim 7, wherein said control device is a proxy server.