Embedding a session description message in a real-time control protocol (RTCP) message

• US 7,492,769 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2004
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/24/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Klemets, Anders E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad; Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ho; Chuong T
• Application Number:
  US10/836,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091190A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,754 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395.51, 370389-394, 709/236
• US Class Current: 370/392
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1895 for short real-time information, e.g. alarms, notifications, alerts, updates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/4015 where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference
• 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 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/643 Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6437 Real-time Transport Protocol [RTP]

Abstract

Embedded within at least some Real-Time Control Protocol (RTCP) messages sent from a media content source to a recipient is a session description message that describes a media presentation being streamed to the recipient. The session description message can be associated, for example, with one of a plurality of pieces of media content in a play list of media content being streamed from the device to the recipient. In accordance with certain aspects, an RTCP message that embeds a session description message includes at least three fields: a first field containing data identifying the RTCP message as being a type that embeds a session description message; a second field containing data that is the session description message for a media presentation; and a third field containing data identifying a length of the RTCP message, generated by summing the length of the first, second, and third fields.

Claims

1. One or more computer readable media encoded with computer-readable instructions that when executed by a computing device, configure the computing device to execute a method, the method comprising:

identifying a piece of media content to be streamed from the computing device to a recipient computing device requesting the piece of media content;

obtaining information describing the identified piece of media content;

generating a Real Time Control Protocol (RTCP) message having the obtained information of the identified piece of media content, the RTCP message comprising;

a first field containing data identifying the RTCP message as being a type that embeds a session description message;

a second field containing data that is the session description message for a media presentation, the session description message being a Session Description Protocol (SDP) session description message such that SDP information of the media presentation is made available to the client device through the RTCP message without the client receiving a separate SDP session description message;

a third field containing data identifying a length of the RTCP message;

a fourth field containing data that identifies a version of RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol) being used to stream the media presentation;

a fifth field containing data identifying whether additional padding octets are included in the RTCP message;

a sixth field containing data identifying whether the data in the second field has been compressed;

a seventh field containing data identifying the session description message and an address of a sender of the session description message;

an eighth field containing data identifying a number of RTP-State blocks contained in the RTCP message;

a ninth field containing data identifying whether data in an RTP-State block of the RTCP message applies to all RTP packets having a particular SDP Flow ID or only to RTP packets having a particular RTP Payload Type number;

a tenth field containing data identifying an RTP Payload Type number for the RTP-State block of the RTCP message;

an eleventh field containing data identifying a media stream of the media presentation to which the RTP-State block of the RTCP message refers;

a twelfth field containing data identifying a source of the media stream of the media presentation to which the RTP-State block of the RTCP message refers;

a thirteenth field containing data identifying a value of an RTP Timestamp field that an RTP packet for the media stream of the media presentation would have if the RTP packet was sent at the beginning of the media presentation;

a fourteenth field containing data identifying a value of an RTP sequence number field of a first RTP packet that is sent for the media stream of the media presentation;

a fifteenth field containing data that indicates that the RTCP message contains a fragment of the session description message; and

a sixteenth field containing data that identifies the fragment;

wherein the length of the RTCP message in the third filed is generated by summing the length of the first field, the length of the second field, the length of the third field, a length of the fourth field, a length of the fifth field, a length of the sixth field, a length of the seventh field, a length of the eighth field, a length of the ninth field, a length of the tenth field, a length of the eleventh field, a length of the twelfth field, a length of the thirteenth field, a length of the fourteenth field, a length of the fifteenth field, and a length of the sixteenth field transmitting the RTCP message to the recipient computing device.

2. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the media presentation comprises a multimedia presentation.

3. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the data in the seventh field comprises a check-sum calculated over the session description message and the address of the sender of the session description message.

4. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the eighth field contains a value of zero to indicate that no RTP-State blocks are contained in the RTCP message.

5. One or more computer readable media encoded with computer-readable instructions, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, configure the one or more processors of the computing device to execute a method, the method comprising:

receiving, a from media content source a Real-Time Control Protocol (RTCP) message;

extracting, from the RTCP message, a session description message associated with one of a plurality of pieces of media content in a play list of media content being streamed from the media content source to the device, the session description message being a Session Description Protocol (SDP) session description message such that SDP information of the one of a plurality of pieces of media content is made available to a client, without the client receiving a separate SDP session description message; and

processing the one of the plurality of pieces of media content based at least in part on the session description message, wherein the RTCP message comprises;

a first field containing data identifying the RTCP message as being a type that embeds a session description message;

a second field containing data that is the session description message for a media presentation, the session description message being a Session Description Protocol (SDP) session description message such that SDP information of the media presentation is made available to the client device through the RTCP message without the client receiving a separate SDP session description message;

a third field containing data identifying a length of the RTCP message;

a fourth field containing data that identifies a version of RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol) being used to stream the media presentation;

a fifth field containing data identifying whether additional padding octets are included in the RTCP message;

a sixth field containing data identifying whether the data in the second field has been compressed;

a seventh field containing data identifying the session description message and an address of a sender of the session description message;

an eighth field containing data identifying a number of RTP-State blocks contained in the RTCP message;

a ninth field containing data identifying whether data in an RTP-State block of the RTCP message applies to all RTP packets having a particular SDP Flow ID or only to RTP packets having a particular RTP Payload Type number;

a tenth field containing data identifying an RTP Payload Type number for the RTP-State block of the RTCP message;

an eleventh field containing data identifying a media stream of the media presentation to which the RTP-State block of the RTCP message refers;

a twelfth field containing data identifying a source of the media stream of the media presentation to which the RTP-State block of the RTCP message refers;

a thirteenth field containing data identifying a value of an RTP Timestamp field that an RTP packet for the media stream of the media presentation would have if the RTP packet was sent at the beginning of the media presentation;

a fourteenth field containing data identifying a value of an RTP sequence number field of a first RTP packet that is sent for the media stream of the media presentation;

a fifteenth field containing data that indicates that the RTCP message contains a fragment of the session description message; and

a sixteenth field containing data that identifies the fragment; and

wherein the length of the RTCP message in the third field is generated by summing the length of the first field, the length of the second field, the length of the third field, a length of the fourth field, a length of the fifth field, a length of the sixth field, a length of the seventh field, a length of the eighth field, a length of the ninth field, a length of the tenth field, a length of the eleventh field, a length of the twelfth field, a length of the thirteenth field, a length of the fourteenth field, a length of the fifteenth field, and a length of the sixteenth field.

6. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 5, wherein the RTCP message is part of an RTCP packet.

7. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 5, wherein the method further comprises playing back the one of the plurality of pieces of media content at the device.

8. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 5, wherein the method further comprises repeating the receiving, extracting, and processing for each of the other pieces of media content in the plurality of pieces of media content.

9. A method, implemented in a device, the method comprising:

creating a Real-Time Control Protocol (RTCP) message that includes a session description message, the session description message being associated with one of a plurality of pieces of media content in a play list of media content being streamed from the device to a client device and the session description message being a Session Description Protocol (SDP) session description message that contains SDP information of the one of a plurality of pieces of media content; and

sending the RTCP message to the client device, wherein the SDP information of the one of a plurality of pieces of media content is made available at the client device without sending a separate SDP session description message from the device;

wherein the RTCP message comprises;

a first field containing data identifying the RTCP message as being a type that embeds a session description message;

a second field containing data that is the session description message for a media presentation, the session description message being a Session Description Protocol (SDP) session description message such that SDP information of the media presentation is made available to the client device through the RTCP message without the client receiving a separate SDP session description message;

a third field containing data identifying a length of the RTCP message;

a fourth field containing data that identifies a version of RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol) being used to stream the media presentation;

a fifth field containing data identifying whether additional padding octets are included in the RTCP message;

a sixth field containing data identifying whether the data in the second field has been compressed;

a seventh field containing data identifying the session description message and an address of a sender of the session description message;

an eighth field containing data identifying a number of RTP-State blocks contained in the RTCP message;

a ninth field containing data identifying whether data in an RTP-State block of the RTCP message applies to all RTP packets having a particular SDP Flow ID or only to RTP packets having a particular RTP Payload Type number;

a tenth field containing data identifying an RTP Payload Type number for the RTP-State block of the RTCP message;

an eleventh field containing data identifying a media stream of the media presentation to which the RTP-State block of the RTCP message refers;

a twelfth field containing data identifying a source of the media stream of the media presentation to which the RTP-State block of the RTCP message refers;

a thirteenth field containing data identifying a value of an RTP Timestamp field that an RTP packet for the media stream of the media presentation would have if the RTP packet was sent at the beginning of the media presentation;

a fourteenth field containing data identifying a value of an RTP sequence number field of a first RTP packet that is sent for the media stream of the media presentation;

a fifteenth field containing data that indicates that the RTCP message contains a fragment of the session description message; and

a sixteenth field containing data that identifies the fragment; and

wherein the length of the RTCP message in the third field is generated by summing the length of the first field, the length of the second field, the length of the third field, a length of the fourth field, a length of the fifth field, a length of the sixth field, a length of the seventh field, a length of the eighth field, a length of the ninth field, a length of the tenth field, a length of the eleventh field, a length of the twelfth field, a length of the thirteenth field, a length of the fourteenth field, a length of the fifteenth field, and a length of the sixteenth field.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

creating a second RTCP message that includes a second session description message, the second session description message being associated with a second of the plurality of pieces of media content in the play list; and

sending the second RTCP message to the client device.

11. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the device comprises a server device.

12. A method as recited in claim 9, wherein the RTCP message is part of an RTCP packet.

13. A system comprising:

a server device;

a client device;

the server device being configured to;

create a Real-Time Control Protocol (RTCP) message that includes a session description message, the session description message being associated with one of a plurality of pieces of media content in a play list of media content being streamed from the server device to the client device and the session description message being a Session Description Protocol (SDP) session description message that contains SDP information of the one of a plurality of pieces of media content; and

send the RTCP message to the client device; and

the client device being configured to;

receive, from the server device, the RTCP message;

extract, from the RTCP message, the session description message, wherein the SDP information of the one of a plurality of pieces of media content in the session description message is made available at the client device without the client device receiving a separate SDP session description message from the server device; and

process the one of the plurality of pieces of media content based at least in part on the session description message;

wherein the RTCP message comprises;

a first field containing data identifying the RTCP message as being a type that embeds a session description message;

a second field containing data that is the session description message for a media presentation, the session description message being a Session Description Protocol (SDP) session description message such that SDP information of the media presentation is made available to the client device through the RTCP message without the client receiving a separate SDP session description message;

a third field containing data identifying a length of the RTCP message;

a fourth field containing data that identifies a version of RTP (Real-Time Transport Protocol) being used to stream the media presentation;

a fifth field containing data identifying whether additional padding octets are included in the RTCP message;

a sixth field containing data identifying whether the data in the second field has been compressed;

a seventh field containing data identifying the session description message and an address of a sender of the session description message;

an eighth field containing data identifying a number of RTP-State blocks contained in the RTCP message;

a ninth field containing data identifying whether data in an RTP-State block of the RTCP message applies to all RTP packets having a particular SDP Flow ID or only to RTP packets having a particular RTP Payload Type number;

a tenth field containing data identifying an RTP Payload Type number for the RTP-State block of the RTCP message;

an eleventh field containing data identifying a media stream of the media presentation to which the RTP-State block of the RTCP message refers;

a twelfth field containing data identifying a source of the media stream of the media presentation to which the RTP-State block of the RTCP message refers;

a thirteenth field containing data identifying a value of an RTP Timestamp field that an RTP packet for the media stream of the media presentation would have if the RTP packet was sent at the beginning of the media presentation;

a fourteenth field containing data identifying a value of an RTP sequence number field of a first RTP packet that is sent for the media stream of the media presentation;

a fifteenth field containing data that indicates that the RTCP message contains a fragment of the session description message; and

a sixteenth field containing data that identifies the fragment; and

wherein the length of the RTCP message in the third field is generated by summing the length of the first field, the length of the second field, the length of the third field, a length of the fourth field, a length of the fifth field, a length of the sixth field, a length of the seventh field, a length of the eighth field, a length of the ninth field, a length of the tenth field, a length of the eleventh field, a length of the twelfth field, a length of the thirteenth field, a length of the fourteenth field, a length of the fifteenth field, and a length of the sixteenth field.