Media streaming of web content data

• US 7,290,057 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2002
• Issued: 10/30/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Mercer, Ian Cameron, Wilson, Mei L., Alkove, James Morris, Saunders, Richard William, Crites, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Najjar; Saleh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nano; Sargon N
• Application Number:
  US10/223,930
• Publication Number:
  US 20040039834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,897 Days
• Field of Search: 709/217, 709/219, 709/223, 709/231
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/55 Push-based network services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/22 Parsing or analysis of headers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43074 of additional data with content streams on the same device, e.g. of EPG data or interactive icon with a TV program
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6175 involving transmission via Internet broadcast-related systems characterised by the transmission system being the Internet H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8543 using a description language, e.g. Multimedia and Hypermedia information coding Expert Group [MHEG], eXtensible Markup Language [XML] information retrieval of semistructured data, the underlying structure being taken into account, e.g. mark-up language structure data G06F16/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8547 involving timestamps for synchronizing content

Abstract

Methods for streaming web content data via a computer-readable medium. The web content data comprises one or more media samples. The media samples are encoded in a streaming media format as a web component stream. The web component stream is combined with other component streams comprising additional data other than web content data into a presentation stream. The presentation stream is transmitted via a media server to a client. Rendering commands, which are included in one or more rendering samples encoded in the web component stream along with the media samples, coordinate synchronization between the media samples and the additional data when the client renders the presentation stream.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting a data signal having a data field encoded therein for transmission over a communications channel,

said data field of said transmitted data signal comprising streaming web content data in a streaming media format, said streaming web content data encoded in a plurality of web component streams, each said stream having an assigned bandwidth assigned by a content author, each said web component stream comprising a plurality of media samples each including a header and media data, wherein said media samples have a constant bandwidth and are contiguous to each other such that each said stream has a constant aggregate bandwidth.

2. The method of claim 1, said header comprising a tag indicating one or more of the following:

a send time of the media sample, a type of the media sample, a name of the media sample, a size of the media sample, a compression type of the media sample, or a uniform resource locator of the media sample, wherein said header further comprises;

a tag indicating a rendering time of the media sample, and

a tag indicating a pre-roll time of the media sample.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said rendering time is further provided in a rendering command, wherein said rendering command is included in a rendering sample encoded in the web component stream.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said web component stream includes clean points representing key frames for the web content data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said media sample appears twice in the web component stream during a period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said web content data includes multiple languages in separate web component streams wherein each of the separate web component streams corresponds to one of the multiple languages.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein an additional component stream comprising additional data other than web content data accompanies the web component stream.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said additional data includes multiple languages in separate component streams wherein each of the separate component streams corresponds to one of the multiple languages.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said additional data is encoded in a plurality of component streams, each having an assigned bandwidth assigned by a content author.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the data signal on a computer-readable medium.

11. A method for authoring and encoding a web component stream comprising a media sample, said method comprising:

setting a rendering time for the media sample;

setting a pre-roll time for the media sample; and

formatting the media sample into a web component stream as a function of the set rendering time and the set pre-roll time wherein said web component stream has a constant aggregate assigned bandwidth assigned by a content author.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising calculating a send time for the media sample and wherein the web component stream is a function of the calculated send time.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising assigning a uniform resource locator to the media sample.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising breaking the media sample into pieces, wherein each piece of said media sample comprises a separate header, each said separate header comprising a tag indicating that each said piece is part of said media sample.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said web component stream comprises a plurality of media samples forming a web content data, and further comprising including clean points in the web component stream to represent key frames for the web content data.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising encoding said media sample in a plurality of web component streams, each having an assigned bandwidth assigned by a content author.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising encoding said media sample in separate web component streams wherein each of the separate web component streams corresponds to one of multiple languages.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising issuing a rendering command for the media sample, said rendering command comprising the rendering time for the media sample.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising encoding the rendering command for the media sample in a rendering sample.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising encoding said rendering sample in the web component stream following the media sample in a time line.

21. The method of claim 11, further comprising encoding additional data other than web content data in an additional component stream.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising encoding said additional data in a plurality of component streams, each having an assigned bandwidth assigned by a content author.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising encoding said additional data in separate component streams wherein each of the separate component streams corresponds to one of multiple languages.

24. The method of claim 11, further comprising combining said web component stream into a combined presentation stream and redundantly streaming said combined presentation stream to a media server.

25. The method of claim 11, further comprising combining said web component stream and an additional component stream comprising additional data other than web content data into a combined presentation stream and redundantly streaming said combined presentation stream to a media server.

26. The method of claim 11, further comprising separately streaming said web component stream and/or an additional component stream comprising additional data other than web content data to a media server.

27. The method of claim 11, further comprising grouping said web component stream into a presentation file.

28. The method of claim 27, further comprising storing said presentation file on a computer-readable medium.

29. The method of claim 11, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 11.

30. A method for rendering a web component stream, comprising:

receiving the web component stream from a computer-readable medium;

retrieving a media sample from the web component stream; and

rendering the media sample wherein said web component stream has a constant, aggregate assigned bandwidth assigned by a content author.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said web component stream is received as part of a presentation stream or presentation file.

32. The method of claim 30, further comprising storing the media sample in a cache.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein said media sample is retrieved from the web component stream and stored in the cache piece by piece, wherein each piece of said media sample comprises a separate header, each said separate header comprising a tag indicating that each said piece is part of said media sample.

34. The method of claim 30, further comprising receiving a rendering time for the media sample, retrieving the media sample from the cache, and rendering the retrieved media sample as a function of the received rendering time of the media sample.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein said retrieving of the media sample from the cache comprises referencing the media sample to be retrieved by appending a custom protocol to a uniform resource locator of the media sample, said custom protocol restricting a renderer to search for the media sample only in the cache.

36. The method of claim 30, further comprising retrieving additional data other than web content data from the presentation stream or presentation file and rendering said additional data.

37. The method of claim 30, further comprising receiving a rendering command relating to the media sample and coordinating a rendering time for the media sample by the received rendering command.

38. The method of claim 37, further comprising coordinating synchronization between the media sample and additional data other than web content data by the received rendering command.

39. The method of claim 30, further comprising seeking a particular media sample based on clean points.

40. The method of claim 30, further comprising storing the web component stream on a computer-readable medium.

41. The method of claim 30, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 30.