Data transmission
First Claim
1. A server for streaming a data signal over a transmission link to a client for streaming playback at the client, the data signal comprising a sequence of data units including primary data units and secondary data units, the primary and secondary data units having a scheduled playback time for streaming playback at the client, the primary and secondary data units being ordered in the data signal according to an original data unit order, the server comprising a re-ordering unit for changing the order of primary and secondary data units in the sequence of data units by exchanging a secondary data unit that precedes a primary data unit in the original data unit order with the primary data unit so as produce a re-ordered data signal with a modified data unit order in which the primary data unit precedes the secondary data unit in the sequence of data units, thereby increasing the likelihood that the primary data unit will be received at the client in time to be played back at its scheduled playback time during streaming playback at the client.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A data transmission system is provided for transmitting a data signal between a server and a communications terminal over a transmission link having a variable bandwidth. The data signal is a scalable compressed multimedia clip comprising a sequence of images. Each image has a base layer and a number of enhancement layers. To cope with variability in the bandwidth, the sequence is re-ordered so that the base layers have greater safety times than the enhancement layers. This allows all of the base layers to arrive in time to be played at the expense of the enhancement layers.
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Citations
66 Claims
- 1. A server for streaming a data signal over a transmission link to a client for streaming playback at the client, the data signal comprising a sequence of data units including primary data units and secondary data units, the primary and secondary data units having a scheduled playback time for streaming playback at the client, the primary and secondary data units being ordered in the data signal according to an original data unit order, the server comprising a re-ordering unit for changing the order of primary and secondary data units in the sequence of data units by exchanging a secondary data unit that precedes a primary data unit in the original data unit order with the primary data unit so as produce a re-ordered data signal with a modified data unit order in which the primary data unit precedes the secondary data unit in the sequence of data units, thereby increasing the likelihood that the primary data unit will be received at the client in time to be played back at its scheduled playback time during streaming playback at the client.
- 20. A data transmission system including a server for streaming a data signal over a transmission link from the server to a client for streaming playback at the client, the data signal comprising a sequence of data units including primary data units and secondary data units, the primary and secondary data units having a scheduled playback time for streaming playback at the client, the primary and secondary data units being ordered in the data signal according to an original data unit order, the system comprising a re-ordering unit, for changing the order the primary and secondary data units in the sequence of data units by exchanging a secondary data unit that precedes a primary data unit in the original data unit order with the primary data unit so as to produce a re-ordered data signal with a modified data unit order in which the primary data unit precedes the secondary data unit in the sequence of data units, thereby increasing the likelihood that the primary data unit will be received at the client in time to be played back at its scheduled playback time during streaming playback at the client.
- 27. A method of streaming a data signal over a transmission link from a server to a client for streaming playback at the client, the data signal comprising a sequence of data units including primary data units and secondary data units, the primary and secondary data units having a scheduled playback time for streaming playback at the client, the primary and secondary data units being ordered in the data signal according to an original data unit order, the method comprising changing the order of primary and secondary data units in the sequence of data units by exchanging a secondary data unit that precedes a primary data unit in the original data unit order with the primary data unit so as to produce a re-ordered data signal with a modified data unit order in which the primary data unit precedes the secondary data unit in the sequence of data units, thereby increasing the likelihood that the primary data unit will be received at the client in time to be played back at its scheduled playback time during streaming playback at the client.
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43. A computer-readable medium embodying a computer program executable by one or more processors, wherein a computer code of the program comprises instructions, when executed, directing the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:
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streaming a data signal over a transmission link from a server to a client for streaming playback at a client, the data signal comprising a sequence of data units including primary data units and secondary data units, the primary and secondary data units having a scheduled playback time at the client, the primary and secondary data units being ordered in the data signal according to an original data unit order, changing the order of primary and secondary data units in the sequence of data units by exchanging a secondary data unit that precedes a primary data unit in the original data unit order with the primary data unit so as to produce a re-ordered data signal with a modified data unit order in which the primary data unit precedes the secondary data unit in the sequence of data units, thereby increasing the likelihood that the primary data unit will be received at the client in time to be played back at its scheduled playback time during streaming playback at the client. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54)
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55. A server for streaming a data signal over a transmission link, the server re-ordering the data signal for streaming over a transmission channel to a client for playback at the client, the data signal comprising a sequence of data units including primary data units and secondary data units, the primary and secondary data units having a scheduled playback time for streaming playback at the client, the primary and secondary data units being ordered in the data signal according to an original data unit order, the re-ordering being accomplished by:
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identifying primary and secondary data units in the sequence of data units; determining a relative importance of the primary and secondary data units; and changing the order of the primary and secondary data units in the sequence of data units by exchanging a secondary data unit that precedes a primary data unit in the original data unit order with the primary data unit so as to produce a re-ordered data signal with a modified data unit order in which the primary data unit precedes the secondary data unit in the sequence of data units, thereby increasing the likelihood that the primary data unit will be received at the client in time to be played back at its scheduled playback time during streaming playback at the client. - View Dependent Claims (56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. A client device for receiving a data signal for streaming playback at the client device, the data signal comprising a sequence of data units including primary data units and secondary data units, the primary and secondary data units having a scheduled playback time for streaming playback at the client device, an order of the primary and secondary data units in the sequence of data units having been changed with respect to an original data unit order by exchanging a secondary data unit that precedes a primary data unit in the original data unit order with the primary data unit so as to produce a re-ordered data signal with a modified data unit order in which the primary data unit precedes the secondary data unit in the sequence of data units, thereby increasing the likelihood that the primary data unit will be received at the client device in time to be played back at its scheduled playback time during streaming, the client device being arranged to receive the primary and secondary data units in the modified data unit order and to return the primary and secondary data units to the original data unit order.
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66. A method of receiving a data signal for streaming playback, the data signal comprising a sequence of data units including primary data units and secondary data units, the primary and secondary data units having a scheduled playback time for streaming playback at the client device, an order of the primary and secondary data units in the sequence of data units having been changed with respect to an original data unit order by exchanging a secondary data unit that precedes a primary data unit in the original data unit order with the primary data unit so as to produce a re-ordered data signal with a modified data unit order in which the primary data unit precedes the secondary data unit in the sequence of data units, thereby increasing the likelihood that the primary data unit will be received at the client device in time to be played back at its scheduled playback time during streaming, the method comprising receiving the primary and secondary data units in the modified data unit order and returning the primary and secondary data units to the original data unit order.
Specification