Method and systems for scalable representation of multimedia data for progressive asynchronous transmission

• US 6,536,043 B1
• Filed: 01/06/1997
• Issued: 03/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Distributed Media Solutions, LLC (IP Investments Group LLC)
• Original Assignee: ROXIO Incorporated (MelodyVR Group Plc)
• Inventors: Guedalia, Jacob Leon
• Primary Examiner(s): Mehta, Bhavesh
• Assistant Examiner(s): LONSBERRY, HUNTER B
• Application Number:
  US08/778,830
• Time in Patent Office: 2,262 Days
• Field of Search: 725/86, 725/87, 725/91, 725/92, 725/93, 725/94, 725/95, 725/96, 725/100, 725/134, 725/90, 725/98, 709/217-219, 709/231, 375/240.11, 375/240.19, 375/240.24, 375/240.26, 348/425.1, 348/423.1, 348/398.1, 382/234-235
• US Class Current: 725/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/33 in the spatial domain
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/222 Secondary servers, e.g. proxy server, cable television Head-end provisioning of proxy services in data packet switching networks H04L67/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26216 involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A system for transmitting digital data representing an original over plural transmission links, at least of which have limited bandwidth, including a digital data source storing digital data representing the original, a digital data receiver receiving the digital data representing the original via one of the plural transmission links having limited bandwidth and a digital data transmitter operative to transmit the digital data representing the original to the receiver over a transmission link having a limited bandwidth in plural blocks which are sequentially transmitted at a rate determined by the limited bandwidth, each block being an incomplete collection of data which includes parts of multiple frames, each frame being viewable in a selectable order by the receiver even when less than all of the plural blocks have been received, receipt of subsequent blocks by the receiver being used to cumulatively improve the quality of the digital data viewed by the receiver.

Claims

1. A method for encoding video to be stored on a server computer for delivery to client computers, comprising:

encoding the video into a series of encoded data blocks, each block comprising a sequence of encoded frames, with the property that successive blocks when decoded and integrated together provide successively higher bandwidth versions of the video for playback;

storing the encoded data blocks on a server computer;

processing a request by a client computer for delivery of the video, to determine which data blocks to transmit so as to accommodate the client computer bandwidth;

transmitting necessary data blocks to the client computer;

decoding the data blocks on the client computer;

integrating the data blocks together on the client computer to reconstruct an appropriate version of the video; and

playing the reconstructed version of the video on the client computer, wherein said transmitting, decoding, integrating and playing are repeated in succession a number of times in order to transmit additional data blocks to the client, thereby upgrading the quality of the video while it is replayed.

2. A method for encoding audio to be stored on a server computer for delivery to client computers, comprising:

encoding the audio into a series of encoded data blocks, each block comprising a sequence of encoded frames, with the property that successive blocks when decoded and integrated together provide successively higher bandwidth versions of the audio for playback;

storing the encoded data blocks on a server computer;

processing a request by a client computer for delivery of the audio, to determine which data blocks to transmit so as to accommodate the client computer bandwidth;

transmitting necessary data blocks to the client computer;

decoding the data blocks on the client computer;

integrating the data blocks together on the client computer to reconstruct an appropriate version of the audio; and

playing the reconstructed version of the audio on the client computer, wherein said transmitting, decoding, integrating and playing are repeated in succession a number of times in order to transmit additional data blocks to the client, thereby upgrading the quality of the audio while it is replayed.

3. A method for encoding an object movie to be stored on a server computer for delivery to client computers, comprising:

encoding the object movie into a series of encoded data blocks, each block comprising a sequence of encoded frames, with the property that successive blocks when decoded and integrated together provide successively higher bandwidth versions of the object movie for playback;

storing the encoded data blocks on a server computer;

processing a request by a client computer for delivery of the object movie, to determine which data blocks to transmit so as to accommodate the client computer bandwidth;

transmitting necessary data blocks to the client computer;

decoding the data blocks on the client computer;

integrating the data blocks together on the client computer to reconstruct an appropriate version of the object movie; and

playing the reconstructed version of the object movie on the client computer, wherein said transmitting, decoding, integrating and playing are repeated in succession a number of times in order to transmit additional data blocks to the client, thereby upgrading the quality of the object movie while it is replayed.

4. A method for encoding a panorama to be stored on a server computer for delivery to client computers, comprising:

encoding the panorama into a series of encoded data blocks, each block comprising a sequence of encoded frames, with the property that successive blocks when decoded and integrated together provide successively higher bandwidth versions of the panorama for playback;

storing the encoded data blocks on a server computer;

processing a request by a client computer for delivery of the panorama, to determine which data blocks to transmit so as to accommodate the client computer bandwidth;

transmitting necessary data blocks to the client computer;

decoding the data blocks on the client computer;

integrating the data blocks together on the client computer to reconstruct an appropriate version of the panorama; and

playing the reconstructed version of the panorama on the client computer, wherein said transmitting, decoding, integrating and playing are repeated in succession a number of times in order to transmit additional data blocks to the client, thereby upgrading the quality of the panorama while it is replayed.

5. A video processing system operative on video for encoding the video, storing it on a server computer and delivering it to client computers upon request comprising:

an encoder for compressing video into a series of encoded data blocks, each block comprising a sequence of encoded frames, with the property that successive blocks when decoded and integrated together provide successively higher bandwidth versions of the video for playback;

a storage device for storing the encoded data blocks on a server computer;

a processing unit for accepting a request by a client computer for delivery of the video, and for determining which data blocks to transmit so as to accommodate the client computer bandwidth;

a transmitter for delivering necessary data blocks to the client computer;

a decoder for decompressing the data blocks on the client computer;

an accumulator for integrating the data blocks together on the client computer to reconstruct an appropriate version of the video; and

a player on the client computer for playing the reconstructed version of the video, wherein the transmitter, decoder, accumulator and player repeatedly operate in succession a number of times in order to transmit additional data blocks to the client, thereby upgrading the quality of the video while it is being replayed.

6. An audio processing system operative on audio for encoding the audio, storing it on a server computer and delivering it to client computers upon request comprising:

an encoder for compressing the audio into a series of encoded data blocks, each block comprising a sequence of encoded frames, with the property that successive blocks when decoded and integrated together provide successively higher bandwidth versions of the audio for playback;

a storage device for storing the encoded data blocks on a server computer;

a processing unit for accepting a request by a client computer for delivery of the audio, and for determining which data blocks to transmit so as to accommodate the client computer bandwidth;

a transmitter for delivering necessary data blocks to the client computer;

a decoder for decompressing the data blocks on the client computer;

an accumulator for integrating the data blocks together on the client computer to reconstruct an appropriate version of the audio; and

a player on the client computer for playing the reconstructed version of the audio, wherein the transmitter, decoder, accumulator and player repeatedly operate in succession a number of times in order to transmit additional data blocks to the client, thereby upgrading the quality of the audio while it is being replayed.

7. An object movie processing system operative on an object movie for encoding the object movie, storing it on a server computer and delivering it to client computers upon request comprising:

an encoder for compressing the object movie into a series of encoded data blocks, each block comprising a sequence of encoded frames, with the property that successive blocks when decoded and integrated together provide successively higher bandwidth versions of the object movie for playback;

a storage device for storing the encoded data blocks on a server computer;

a processing unit for accepting a request by a client computer for delivery of the object movie, and for determining which data blocks to transmit so as to accommodate the client computer bandwidth;

a transmitter for delivering necessary data blocks to the client computer;

a decoder for decompressing the data blocks on the client computer;

an accumulator for integrating the data blocks together on the client computer to reconstruct an appropriate version of the object movie; and

a player on the client computer for playing the reconstructed version of the object movie, wherein the transmitter, decoder, accumulator and player repeatedly operate in succession a number of times in order to transmit additional data blocks to the client, thereby upgrading the quality of the object movie while it is being replayed.

8. A panorama processing system operative on a panorama for encoding the panorama, storing it on a server computer and delivering it to client computers upon request comprising:

an encoder for compressing the panorama into a series of encoded data blocks, each block comprising a sequence of encoded frames, with the property that successive blocks when decoded and integrated together provide successively higher bandwidth versions of the panorama for playback;

a storage device for storing the encoded data blocks on a server computer;

a processing unit for accepting a request by a client computer for delivery of the panorama, and for determining which data blocks to transmit so as to accommodate the client computer bandwidth;

a transmitter for delivering necessary data blocks to the client computer;

a decoder for decompressing the data blocks on the client computer;

an accumulator for integrating the data blocks together on the client computer to reconstruct an appropriate version of the panorama; and

a player on the client computer for playing the reconstructed version of the panorama, wherein the transmitter, decoder, accumulator and player repeatedly operate in succession a number of times in order to transmit additional data blocks to the client, thereby upgrading the quality of the panorama while it is being replayed.

9. A method for caching of data which gets transmitted from server computers to client computers on a central hub within a network, comprising:

encoding content into a series of encoded data blocks with the property that successive blocks when decoded and integrated together provide successively higher bandwidth versions of the content for playback;

storing the encoded data blocks on at least one server computer;

managing within a central hub requests by client computers for delivery of content stored on the at least one server computer, to determine which data to transmit to a given client computer so as to accommodate the given client computer bandwidth;

transmitting necessary data blocks from at least one of the at least one server computer to the hub;

transmitting necessary data from the hub to the given client computer;

storing the data blocks transmitted by the at least one server computer in a cache residing in the hub; and

reconstructing an appropriate version of the content on the given client computer.

10. A method according to claim 9 herein said managing is performed by:

setting inventory flags to indicate which data blocks are currently stored in the hub.

11. A method according to claim 10 wherein said managing further includes:

communicating with at least one of the at least one server computer to monitor which content is outdated;

removing from cache data blocks corresponding to the content which is outdated; and

resetting the inventory flags to indicate that the removed data blocks are no longer stored in the cache.

12. A method according to claim 9 further comprising processing within the hub data blocks it receives, comprising:

decoding the data blocks received;

integrating the decoded data blocks together to reconstruct appropriate versions of the content; and

encoding the reconstructed versions of the content into an intermediate encoded form for further transmission to the client computers.

13. A proxy system operative on a server/client network for caching of data which gets transmitted from server computers to client computers on a central hub, comprising:

an encoder for compressing content into a series of encoded data blocks with the property that successive blocks when decoded and integrated together provide successively higher bandwidth versions of the content for playback;

at least one server communication line from at least one server computer to a central hub for sending data blocks;

client communication lines from the hub to client computers for sending digital data;

at least one storage device for storing the encoded data blocks on the at least one server computer;

a management unit within the hub to process requests by the client computers for delivery of content stored on at least one of the at least one server computer, and to determine which data to transmit to a given client computer so as to accommodate the given client computer bandwidth;

a transmitter for delivering necessary data blocks on the at least one server communication line from at least one server computer to the hub;

a transmitter for delivering necessary data on the client communication lines from the hub to the given client computer;

a storage device for saving the data blocks delivered by the server communication lines in a cache residing in the hub; and

a decoder for reconstructing an appropriate version of the content on the client computer.

14. The system as claimed in claim 13 wherein said management unit operates by setting inventory flags to indicate which data blocks are currently stored in the hub.

15. The system as claimed in claim 14 wherein said management unit operates by monitoring from at least one of the at least one server computer which content is outdated, removing from cache the data blocks corresponding to the content which is outdated, and resetting the inventory flags to indicate that the removed data blocks are no longer stored in the cache.

16. The system as claimed in claim 13 further comprising a processing unit within the hub comprising:

a decoder for decompressing data blocks received;

an accumulator for integrating the decoded data blocks together to reconstruct appropriate versions of the content; and

an encoder for compressing the reconstructed versions of the content into an intermediate encoded form for further transmission to the client computers.

17. A multi-casting unit (MCU) system operative on a broadcasting network for caching of data which gets transmitted from stations to viewers, comprising:

an encoder for compressing content into a series of encoded data blocks with the property that successive blocks when decoded and integrated together provide successively higher bandwidth versions of the content for playback;

station communication lines from at least one station to an MCU for sending data blocks;

viewer communication lines from the MCU to viewers for sending data;

viewer receivers for receiving data sent by the MCU;

at least one storage device for storing the data blocks on at least one station;

a management unit within the MCU to process requests by viewers for delivery of content stored on at least one of the at least one station, and to determine which data blocks to transmit to a given viewer receiver so as to accommodate the given viewer bandwidth;

a transmitter for delivering necessary data blocks on the at least one station communication line from at least one station to the MCU;

a transmitter for delivering necessary data on the viewer communication lines from the MCU to the given viewer receiver;

a storage device for saving data blocks delivered by the station communication lines in a cache residing in the MCU; and

a decoder for reconstructing an appropriate version of the content on the given viewer.

18. The system as claimed in claim 17 wherein said management unit operates by setting inventory flags to indicate which data blocks are currently stored in the MCU.

19. The system as claimed in claim 18 wherein said management unit operates by monitoring from at least one of the at least one station which content is outdated, removing from cache the data blocks corresponding to the content which is outdated, and resetting the inventory flags to indicate that the removed data blocks are no longer stored in the cache.

20. The system as claimed in claim 17 further comprising a processing unit within the MCU comprising:

a decoder for decompressing data blocks received;

an accumulator for integrating the data blocks together to reconstruct appropriate versions of the content; and

an encoder for compressing the reconstructed versions of the content into an intermediate encoded form for further transmission to the viewers.