Proxy apparatus and method for streaming media information and for increasing the quality of stored media information
First Claim
1. A method of increasing a quality of streamed media information, comprising:
- streaming media information from a media server to a gateway proxy device;
storing a first copy of the media information in a storage device not directly connected to the media server, the first copy of the media information missing information present in a complete copy of the media information, the first copy of the media information automatically requested responsive to a user request for the media information, the first copy of the media information associated with a first bandwidth, the gateway proxy device adapted to transmit the first copy of the media information responsive to the user request, the gateway proxy device adapted to automatically request a second copy of the media information from the media server, the automatic request responsive to a meta tag that identifies other versions of the media information that are present on the media server, the second copy of the media information being a second version of the media information associated with a second bandwidth;
sending a request to the media server for the missing information, the request responsive to an automatic determination that network congestion is below a predetermined threshold, the network congestion determined via a measured delay of a media server ping;
receiving the missing information; and
storing the missing information to form a third copy of the media information in the storage device.
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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.
55 Citations
22 Claims
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1. A method of increasing a quality of streamed media information, comprising:
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streaming media information from a media server to a gateway proxy device; storing a first copy of the media information in a storage device not directly connected to the media server, the first copy of the media information missing information present in a complete copy of the media information, the first copy of the media information automatically requested responsive to a user request for the media information, the first copy of the media information associated with a first bandwidth, the gateway proxy device adapted to transmit the first copy of the media information responsive to the user request, the gateway proxy device adapted to automatically request a second copy of the media information from the media server, the automatic request responsive to a meta tag that identifies other versions of the media information that are present on the media server, the second copy of the media information being a second version of the media information associated with a second bandwidth; sending a request to the media server for the missing information, the request responsive to an automatic determination that network congestion is below a predetermined threshold, the network congestion determined via a measured delay of a media server ping; receiving the missing information; and storing the missing information to form a third copy of the media information in the storage device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An apparatus that increases a quality of streamed media information, comprising:
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a controller; and a storage device not directly connected to a media server, wherein media information is streamed from the media server to the storage device and a copy of the media information is stored in the storage device, the copy automatically requested responsive to a user request for the media information and a meta tag that identifies other versions of the media information that are present on the media server, the user request for a first version of the media information associated with a first bandwidth, the copy a second version of the media information associated with a second bandwidth, the first version of the media information missing information present in a complete version of the media 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, the request responsive to an automatic determination that network congestion is below a predetermined threshold, the network congestion determined via a measured delay of a media server ping. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22)
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Specification