Proxy apparatus and method for streaming media information and for increasing the quality of stored media information

• US 6,651,103 B1
• Filed: 12/17/1999
• Issued: 11/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 04/20/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Corporation (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Stuntebeck, Peter H., Markowitz, Robert Edward, Rosen, Kenneth H., OʼNeil, Joseph Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar, Saleh
• Application Number:
  US09/466,631
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• Field of Search: 709/232, 709/217, 709/228, 709/229, 709/231, 709/236, 709/237
• US Class Current: 709/231
• 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 21/2265 Server identification by a unique number or address, e.g. serial number network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming H04L61/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23113 involving housekeeping operations for stored content, e.g. prioritizing content for deletion because of storage space restrictions storage management, e.g. defragmentation G06F3/0604; snloading stored programs G06F9/445; housekeeping operations in file systems, e.g. deletion policies G06F16/10; buffering arrangements in a network node or in an end terminal in packet networks H04L49/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application

Abstract

A proxy apparatus and method for streaming media information via at least one network and for building-up a good quality version of the media information. When a user device communicates with the proxy apparatus using a particular bandwidth and requests that media information be provided from a media server, the proxy apparatus first determines if a version of the media information encoded for the user device'"'"'s connection bandwidth has been stored in the proxy apparatus. If a version of the media information encoded for the user device'"'"'s bandwidth is not available from the proxy apparatus, the proxy apparatus sends a request to a media server for the media information. Once the media server receives the request, the media server begins to stream a copy of the media information encoded for the user device'"'"'s bandwidth to the user device via the network and proxy device. If a version of the media information for the bandwidth is not available from the media server, the version for the largest bandwidth that does not exceed the bandwidth of the user device connection, is streamed to the user device. If the version of the media information has missing packets, the proxy device sends retransmission requests to the media server to obtain the missing packets, thereby building-up a good quality version of the media information.

Claims

1. A method of increasing the quality of streamed media information, comprising:

streaming media information from a media server to a user device;

storing a copy of the media information in a storage device, the media information having missing information;

identifying one or more versions of the media information stored in the storage device that have missing information, wherein identifying one or more versions of the media information includes at least one of determining if a list of missing data packets is associated with the one or more versions of the media information and determining if a missing data packet fag is set;

for each of the one or more versions of the media information;

sending a request to the media server for the missing information; and

receiving the missing information; and

storing the missing information in the copy of the media information in the storage device.

2. A method of increasing the quality of streamed media information, comprising:

streaming media information from a media server to a user device;

storing a copy of the media information in a storage device, the media information having missing information;

sending a request to the media server for the missing information, wherein sending a request to the media server includes requesting retransmission of the entire media information;

receiving the missing information; and

storing the missing information in the copy of the media information in the storage device, wherein storing the missing information includes;

storing the entire retransmitted media information in the storage device;

comparing a number of missing data packets in the entire retransmitted media information with a number of missing data packets in the copy of the media information; and

retaining either the entire retransmitted media information or the copy of the media information in the storage device, whichever has fewer missing data packets.

3. An apparatus that increases the quality of streamed media information, comprising:

a controller, wherein the controller identifies one or more versions of the media information stored in the storage device that have missing information and sends the request for each of the one or more versions of the media information, and wherein the controller identifies one or more versions of the media information by at least one of determining if a list of missing data packets is associated with the one or more versions of the media information and determining if a missing data packet flag is set; and

a storage device, wherein media information is streamed from a media server to a user device and a copy of the media information is stored in the storage device, the media information having missing information, and wherein the controller sends a request to the media server for the missing information, receives the missing information and stores the missing information in the storage device.

4. An apparatus that increases the quality of streamed media information, comprising:

a controller, wherein the controller sends a request to the media server by requesting retransmission of the entire media information and wherein the controller stores the missing information in the storage device by;

storing the entire retransmitted media information in the storage device;

comparing a number of missing data packets in the entire retransmitted media information with a number of missing data packets in the copy of the media information; and

retaining either the entire retransmitted media information or the copy of the media information in the storage device, whichever has fewer missing data packets; and

a storage device, wherein media information is streamed from a media server to a user device and a copy of the media information is stored in the storage device, the media information having missing information, and wherein the controller sends a request to the media server for the missing information, receives the missing information and stores the missing information in the storage device.