Midstream determination of varying bandwidth availability

• US 7,054,774 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2003
• Issued: 05/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Klemets, Anders E., Choi, Yejin, Grigorovitch, Alexandre V., Batterberry, Troy D., Stewart, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barlow, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAU, TUNG S
• Application Number:
  US10/609,329
• Publication Number:
  US 20040267503A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,068 Days
• Field of Search: 702/79, 702/23, 702/89, 702/29, 705/7, 375/240, 375/239, 709/238, 709/233, 370/401, 370/468, 370/252, 370/402, 718/108, 725/95, 463/42
• US Class Current: 702/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

Systems and methods for midstream determination of varying available bandwidth for streaming content between two network entities are described. During content streaming, a client requests a server to surge the content transmission rate. One or more bandwidth measurements are taken during the surge to determine if the increased transmission rate can be adequately managed. If the increased transmission rate can be adequately managed, the client may request the server to transmit remaining content at a transmission rate that is not greater than the increased, or surged, transmission rate. In a multi-bitrate file scenario, the surge rate may be higher than the rate of the fastest useable stream. In such a case, the fastest useable stream is selected. If the increased transmission rate is not suitable for future transmission, then the rate may remain at the original transmission rate.

Claims

1. One or more computer-readable media containing computer-executable instructions that, when executed on a computer, perform the following steps:

requesting a sewer to transmit content file data over a network at a first transmission rate;

while receiving a portion of the content file data at the first transmission rate, requesting the server to transmit a specific portion of the content file data over the network at a second transmission rate;

receiving the specific portion of the content file data from the server at an actual transmission rate which is less than or equal to the second transmission rate;

determining if the network can viably support transmission of the content file data at the actual transmission rate during receipt of the specific portion of the content file data;

if the network can viably support transmission of the content data at the actual transmission rate, requesting the sewer to transmit subsequent content file data at a rate that is not greater than the actual transmission rate;

if the network cannot viably support transmission of the content data at the actual transmission rate, automatically receiving subsequent content file data at the first transmission rate; and

wherein the subsequent content file data is content file data that is transmitted after the specific portion of content file data has concluded transmission.

2. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising storing the actual rate in a history file associated with the server that contains one or more previous transmission rates at which content file data was adequately received from the server.

3. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising determining the first transmission rate from a history list associated with the server that contains one or more previous transmission rates at which content file data was adequately received from the server.

4. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 3, wherein the determining the first transmission rate from a history list further comprises determining a median rate included in the history list as the first transmission rate.

5. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising calculating available network bandwidth to determine the first transmission rate.

6. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, further comprising detecting when the transmission of the content file data at the actual transmission rate begins.

7. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the specific portion of the content file data is specified as a number of seconds of transmission of content file data.

8. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the specific portion of the content file data is specified as a number of bytes of content file data.

9. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the specific portion of the content file data is specified as a number of data packets of content file data.

10. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the actual transmission rate is a higher rate than the first transmission rate.

11. The one or more computer-readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the actual transmission rate is a lower rate than the first transmission rate.

12. A computer-implemented method comprising:

requesting a server to transmit content file data over a network at a first transmission rate;

while receiving a portion of the content file data at the first transmission rate, requesting the server to transmit a specific portion of the content file data over the network at a second transmission rate;

receiving the specific portion of the content file data from the server at an actual transmission rate which is less than or equal to the second transmission rate;

determining if the network can viably support transmission of the content file data at the actual transmission rate during receipt of the specific portion of the content file data;

if the network can viably support transmission of the content data at the actual transmission rate, requesting the server to transmit subsequent content file data at a rate that is not greater than the actual transmission rate;

if the network cannot viably support transmission of the content data at the actual transmission rate, automatically receiving subsequent content file data at the first transmission rate; and

wherein the subsequent content file data is content file data that is transmitted after the specific portion of content file data has concluded transmission.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising storing the actual rate in a history file associated with the server that contains one or more previous transmission rates at which content file data was adequately received from the server.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising determining the first transmission rate from a history list associated with the server that contains one or more previous transmission rates at which content file data was adequately received from the server.

15. The method as recited in claim 14, wherein the determining the first transmission rate from a history list further comprises determining a median rate included in the history list as the first transmission rate.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising calculating available network bandwidth to determine the first transmission rate.

17. The method as recited in claim 12, further comprising detecting when the transmission of the content file data at the actual transmission rate begins.

18. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the specific portion of the content file data is specified as a number of seconds of transmission of content file data.

19. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the specific portion of the content file data is specified as a number of bytes of content file data.

20. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the specific portion of the content file data is specified as a number of data packets of content file data.

21. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the actual transmission rate is a higher rate than the first transmission rate.

22. The method as recited in claim 12, wherein the actual transmission rate is a lower rate than the first transmission rate.

23. A system comprising:

a processor;

one or more computer-readable media;

computer-executable instructions on the one or more computer-readable media which, when executed by the processor, implements a method comprising;

requesting a server to transmit content file data over a network at a first transmission rate;

while receiving a portion of the content file data at the first transmission rate, requesting the server to transmit a specific portion of the content file data over the network at a second transmission rate;

receiving the specific portion of the content file data from the server at an actual transmission rate which is less than or equal to the second transmission rate;

determining if the network can viably support transmission of the content file data at the actual transmission rate during receipt of the specific portion of the content file data;

if the network can viably support transmission of the content data at the actual transmission rate, requesting the server to transmit subsequent content file data at a rate that is not greater than the actual transmission rate;

if the network cannot viably support transmission of the content data at the actual transmission rate, automatically receiving subsequent content file data at the first transmission rate; and

wherein the subsequent content file data is content file data that is transmitted after the specific portion of content file data has concluded transmission.

24. The system as recited in claim 23, further comprising storing the actual rate in a history file associated with the server that contains one or more previous transmission rates at which content file data was adequately received from the server.

25. The system as recited in claim 23, further comprising determining the first transmission rate from a history list associated with the server that contains one or more previous transmission rates at which content file data was adequately received from the server.

26. The system as recited in claim 25, wherein the determining the first transmission rate from a history list further comprises determining a median rate included in the history list as the first transmission rate.

27. The system as recited in claim 23, further comprising calculating available network bandwidth to determine the first transmission rate.

28. The system as recited in claim 23, further comprising detecting when the transmission of the content file data at the actual transmission rate begins.

29. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the specific portion of the content file data is specified as a number of seconds of transmission of content file data.

30. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the specific portion of the content file data is specified as a number of bytes of content file data.

31. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the specific portion of the content file data is specified as a number of data packets of content file data.

32. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the actual transmission rate is a higher rate than the first transmission rate.

33. The system as recited in claim 23, wherein the actual transmission rate is a lower rate than the first transmission rate.