CONTENT SUPPLY APPARATUS, CONTENT SUPPLY METHOD, PROGRAM, TERMINAL APPARATUS, AND CONTENT SUPPLY SYSTEM

• US 20160234328A1
• Filed: 10/14/2014
• Published: 08/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Saturn Licensing LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: YAMAGISHI, YASUAKI, MORI, MASAHITO
• Granted Patent: US 10,637,948 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/6418 Hybrid transport
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• 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 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/561 Adding application-functional data or data for application control, e.g. adding metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/238 Interfacing the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. adapting the transmission rate of a video stream to network bandwidth; Processing of multiplex streams hybrid fiber coaxial [HFC] networks for downstream channel allocation for video distribution H04L12/2801; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; real-time communication protocols in data switching networks H04L65/00; scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/18 Information format or content conversion, e.g. adaptation by the network of the transmitted or received information for the purpose of wireless delivery to users or terminals
• 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

The present disclosure relates to a content supply apparatus, a content supply method, a program, a terminal apparatus, and a content supply system that allow to provide a receiver with pieces of general required network quality information for respective delivery paths for a case of supplying pieces of content of the same content through a plurality of different delivery paths. A content supply apparatus of the present disclosure delivers streams of content through a plurality of different networks, respectively, according to an adaptive streaming technique, and includes: a generating unit that generates metadata describing QoS parameters for the respective plurality of different networks through which the streams are delivered, and condition values of the QoS parameters; and a delivering unit that delivers the generated metadata to a receiver. The present disclosure can be applied to a system that streams content.

Claims

1. A content supply apparatus that delivers streams of content through a plurality of different networks, respectively, according to an adaptive streaming technique, the content supply apparatus comprising:

a generating unit that generates metadata describing QoS parameters for the respective plurality of different networks through which the streams are delivered, and condition values of the QoS parameters; and

a delivering unit that delivers the generated metadata to a receiver, wherein

the QoS parameters are delay, delay jitter, loss, throughput, radio field intensity, or bit error rate, and

the condition values are an upper limit, a lower limit, or a specified value.

2. The content supply apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the generating unit generates an extended USD as the metadata, and

the delivering unit FLUTE-multicasts the generated extended USD.

3. The content supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of different networks include at least one of Internet, a terrestrial broadcast network, a satellite broadcast network, a cable television broadcast network, a mobile broadcast network, and a wireless LAN.

4. The content supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the generating unit introduces an MPDBaseMapping element in the USD, introduces a RequiredQos element in the MPDBaseMapping element, and describes, in the RequiredQos element, the QoS parameters for the respective plurality of different networks through which the streams are delivered, and the condition values of the QoS parameters.

5. The content supply apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the generating unit introduces a RequiredQos element in DeliverMethod of the USD, and describes, in the RequiredQos element, the QoS parameters for the respective plurality of different networks through which the streams are delivered, and the condition values of the QoS parameters.

6. A content supply method for a content supply apparatus that delivers streams of content through a plurality of different networks, respectively, according to an adaptive streaming technique, wherein

the content supply apparatus includes:

a generating unit that generates metadata describing QoS parameters for the respective plurality of different networks through which the streams are delivered, and condition values of the QoS parameters; and

a delivering unit that delivers the generated metadata to a receiver,

the QoS parameters are delay, delay jitter, loss, throughput, radio field intensity, or bit error rate, and

the condition values are an upper limit, a lower limit, or a specified value.

7. A program causing a computer that delivers streams of content through a plurality of different networks, respectively, according to an adaptive streaming technique, to function as:

a generating unit that generates metadata describing QoS parameters for the respective plurality of different networks through which the streams are delivered, and condition values of the QoS parameters; and

a delivering unit that delivers the generated metadata to a receiver, wherein

the QoS parameters are delay, delay jitter, loss, throughput, radio field intensity, or bit error rate, and

the condition values are an upper limit, a lower limit, or a specified value.

8. A terminal apparatus that receives a stream delivered from a content supply apparatus that includes:

a stream delivering unit that supplies streams of content through a plurality of different networks, respectively, according to an adaptive streaming technique;

a generating unit that generates metadata describing QoS parameters for the respective plurality of different networks through which the streams are delivered, and condition values of the QoS parameters; and

a metadata delivering unit that delivers the generated metadata to a receiver, the terminal apparatus being configured to;

obtain the metadata and receive and play back the stream delivered through any one of the plurality of different networks, according to a determination made based on the obtained metadata as to whether reception can be performed, wherein

the QoS parameters are delay, delay jitter, loss, throughput, radio field intensity, or bit error rate, and

the condition values are an upper limit, a lower limit, or a specified value.

9. A content supply system including a content supply apparatus and a terminal apparatus, wherein

the content supply apparatus includes:

a stream delivering unit that supplies streams of content through a plurality of different networks, respectively, according to an adaptive streaming technique;

a generating unit that generates metadata describing QoS parameters for the respective plurality of different networks through which the streams are delivered, and condition values of the QoS parameters; and

a metadata delivering unit that delivers the generated metadata to a receiver,

the terminal apparatus is configured to;

obtain the metadata and receive and play back the stream delivered through any one of the plurality of different networks, according to a determination made based on the obtained metadata as to whether reception can be performed,

the QoS parameters are delay, delay jitter, loss, throughput, radio field intensity, or bit error rate, and

the condition values are an upper limit, a lower limit, or a specified value.