Method and apparatus for media data transmission

• US 6,744,763 B1
• Filed: 08/25/1998
• Issued: 06/01/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Computer Incorporated (Apple Inc.)
• Inventors: Jones, Anne, Gong, Kevin L., Periyannan, Alagu, Geagan, Jay, Singer, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): HSU, ALPUS
• Application Number:
  US09/139,196
• Time in Patent Office: 2,107 Days
• Field of Search: 370/389, 370/392, 370/394, 370/465, 370/468, 370/470, 370/471, 370/474, 370/477, 348/13, 348/14, 348/17, 348/384, 348/423, 348/465, 348/467, 348/469, 707/104, 345/327, 345/328, 709/230, 709/231, 709/322, 709/328
• US Class Current: 370/394
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4143 embedded in a Personal Computer [PC]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6437 Real-time Transport Protocol [RTP]
• 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 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/52 Systems for transmission of a pulse code modulated video signal with one or more other pulse code modulated signals, e.g. an audio signal or a synchronizing signal assembling of a multiplex stream by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, assembling of a packetised elementary stream at server side H04N21/236; disassembling of a multiplex stream, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, extraction or processing of Service Information, disassembling of packetised elementary stream at client side H04N21/434

Abstract

The present invention relates to information which allows transmission of time related data over a data communication medium. In one embodiment, a set of data includes at least one instruction to cause a digital processing system to generate a set of packets representing a time related sequence of media data. The set of packets is associated with a transmission protocol. The set of data includes a time related sequence of data which is associated with the time related sequence of media data.

Claims

1. A computer readable medium containing media data and information which indicates how to transmit said media data from one digital processing system to another digital processing system, said computer readable medium comprising:

a first time related sequence of data;

a second time related sequence of data comprising a hint track that indicates how to packetize said first time related sequence of data in a media file for transmission over a network according to a particular network transmission protocol, wherein said second time related sequence of data is associated with said first time related sequence of data.

2. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises references to a track of indicating data containing logical links to said first time related sequence of data and instructions for packetizing said first time related sequence of data, and wherein said transmission protocol comprises a packet data protocol.

3. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said second time related sequence of data is associated with a QuickTime file.

4. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said second time related sequence of data indicates a timing parameter for transmitting said first time related sequence of data as a set of packets.

5. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said second time related sequence of data includes instructions to provide multiplexing of said first time related sequence of data into a set of packets.

6. The computer readable medium of claim 1, wherein said particular network transmission protocol comprises an Internet protocol.

7. The computer readable medium of claim 1, comprising a magnetic storage medium.

8. The computer readable medium of claim 1, comprising an electronic storage medium.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 1, comprising an optical storage medium.

10. A method for creating media data to be transmitted from one digital processing system to another digital processing system, the method comprising:

associating a second time related sequence of data with a first time related sequence of data, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises a hint track that indicates how to packetize said first time related sequence of data in a media file for transmission over a network according to a particular network transmission protocol.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises references to a track of indicating data containing logical links to said first time related sequence of data and instructions for packetizing said first time related sequence of data.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein said second time related sequence of data is associated with a QuickTime file.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein said second time related sequence of data indicates a timing parameter for transmitting said first time related sequence of data as a set of packets.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein said second time related sequence of data includes instructions to provide multiplexing of said first time related sequence of data into a set of packets.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein said particular network transmission protocol comprises an Internet protocol.

16. An apparatus for creating media data to be transmitted from one digital processing system to another digital processing system, the apparatus comprising:

means for associating a second time related sequence of data with a first time related sequence of data, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprising a hint track that indicates how to packetize said first time related sequence of data in a media file for transmission over a network according to a particular network transmission protocol.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises references to a track of indicating data containing logical links to said first time related sequence of data and instructions for packetizing said first time related sequence of data.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said second time related sequence of data is associated with a QuickTime file.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said second time related sequence of data indicates a timing parameter for transmitting said first time related sequence of data as a set of packets.

20. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said second time related sequence of data includes instructions to provide multiplexing of said first time related sequence of data into a set of packets.

21. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said particular network transmission protocol comprises an Internet protocol.

22. A computer system for creating media data to be transmitted from one digital processing system to another digital processing system, the apparatus comprising:

a processing unit to execute instructions that associate a second time related sequence of data with a first time related sequence of data, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises a hint track that indicates how to packetize said first time related sequence of data in a media file for transmission over a network according to a particular network transmission protocol; and

a port coupled to the processing unit to provide said first and second time related sequences of data for transmission.

23. The computer system of claim 22, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises references to a track of indicating data containing logical links to said first time related sequence of data and instructions for packetizing said first time related sequence of data.

24. The computer system of claim 22, wherein said second time related sequence of data is associated with a QuickTime file.

25. The computer system of claim 22, wherein said second time related sequence of data indicates a timing parameter for transmitting said first time related sequence of data as a set of packets.

26. The computer system of claim 22, wherein said second time related sequence of data includes instructions to provide multiplexing of said first time related sequence of data into a set of packets.

27. The computer system of claim 22, wherein said particular network transmission protocol comprises an Internet protocol.

28. A computer readable medium containing media data and information which indicates how to transmit said media data from one digital processing system to another digital processing system, said computer readable medium comprising:

a first time related sequence of data;

a second time related sequence of data which comprising a hint track that indicates how to packetize said first time related sequence of data in a media file for transmission over a network according to a particular network transmission protocol, wherein said second time related sequence of data is associated with said first time related sequence of data, and a relationship in time between said first and second time related sequences is predetermined.

29. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises references to a track of indicating data containing logical links to said first time related sequence of data and instructions for packetizing said first time related sequence of data, and wherein said transmission protocol comprises a packet data protocol.

30. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein said second time related sequence of data is associated with a QuickTime file.

31. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein said second time related sequence of data indicates a timing parameter for transmitting said first time related sequence of data as a set of packets.

32. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein said second time related sequence of data includes instructions to provide multiplexing of said first time related sequence of data into a set of packets.

33. The computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein said particular network transmission protocol comprises an Internet protocol.

34. The computer readable medium of claim 28, comprising a magnetic storage medium.

35. The computer readable medium of claim 28, comprising an electronic storage medium.

36. The computer readable medium of claim 28, comprising an optical storage medium.

37. A method for creating media data to be transmitted from one digital processing system to another digital processing system, the method comprising:

associating a second time related sequence of data with a first time related sequence of data, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises a hint track that indicates how to packetize said first time related sequence of data in a media file for transmission over a network according to a particular network transmission protocol and comprises hint track, and a relationship in time between said first and second time related sequences is predetermined.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises references to a track of indicating data containing logical links to said first time related sequence of data and instructions for packetizing said first time related sequence of data.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein said second time related sequence of data is associated with a QuickTime file.

40. The method of claim 37, wherein said second time related sequence of data indicates a timing parameter for transmitting said first time related sequence of data as a set of packets.

41. The method of claim 37, wherein said second time related sequence of data includes instructions to provide multiplexing of said first time related sequence of data into a set of packets.

42. The method of claim 37, wherein said particular network transmission protocol comprises an Internet protocol.

43. An apparatus for creating media data to be transmitted from one digital processing system to another digital processing system, the apparatus comprising:

means for associating a second time related sequence of data with a first time related sequence of data, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises a hint track that indicates how to packetize said first time related sequence of data in a media file for transmission over a network according to a particular network transmission protocol, and a relationship in time between said first and second time related sequences is predetermined.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises references to a track of indicating data containing logical links to said first time related sequence of data and instructions for packetizing said first time related sequence of data.

45. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said second time related sequence of data is associated with a QuickTime file.

46. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said second time related sequence of data indicates a timing parameter for transmitting said first time related sequence of data as a set of packets.

47. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said second time related sequence of data includes instructions to provide multiplexing of said first time related sequence of data into a set of packets.

48. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein said particular network transmission protocol comprises an Internet protocol.

49. A computer system for creating media data to be transmitted from one digital processing system to another digital processing system, the apparatus comprising:

a processing unit to execute instructions that associate a second time related sequence of data with a first time related sequence of data, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises a hint track that indicates how to packetize said first time related sequence of data in a media file for transmission over a network according to a particular network transmission protocol, and a relationship in time between said first and second time related sequences is predetermined; and

a port coupled to the processing unit to provide said first and second time related sequences of data for transmission.

50. The computer system of claim 49, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises references to a track of indicating data containing logical links to said first time related sequence of data and instructions for packetizing said first time related sequence of data.

51. The computer system of claim 49, wherein said second time related sequence of data is associated with a QuickTime file.

52. The computer system of claim 49, wherein said second time related sequence of data indicates a timing parameter for transmitting said first time related sequence of data as a set of packets.

53. The computer system of claim 49, wherein said second time related sequence of data includes instructions to provide multiplexing of said first time related sequence of data into a set of packets.

54. The computer system of claim 49, wherein said particular network transmission protocol comprises an Internet protocol.