Methods, data structures, and systems for processing media data streams

• US 7,496,676 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2004
• Issued: 02/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: MAUI X-Stream Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MAUI X-Stream Incorporated
• Inventors: Kryeziu, Arben
• Primary Examiner(s): Jean, Frantz B
• Application Number:
  US10/802,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20040177151A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,805 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/246, 709/247, 709/233
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/48 Retrieval characterised by using metadata, e.g. metadata not derived from the content or metadata generated manually
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/50 of still image data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/23 with coding of regions that are present throughout a whole video segment, e.g. sprites, background or mosaic
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/25 with scene description coding, e.g. binary format for scenes [BIFS] compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234381 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8193 dedicated tools, e.g. video decoder software or IPMP tool
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

Methods, systems, and data structures are provided for custom compressing, encrypting, and streaming media data. A requestor makes a request for media data and based on the connection rate of the requester a pixel resolution for the media data is customized and the media data is compressed. Optionally, the compressed media data is encrypted, such that only a customized media player knows the encryption algorithm needed to decrypt the encrypted media data. Next, the compressed media data and portions of a media player are streamed to the requestor.

Claims

1. A method to process media data, comprising:

receiving a request for media data from a requestor;

compressing the media data using a custom pixel resolution, wherein the custom pixel resolution is determined based on a connection rate of the requestor that is requesting the media data, wherein the connection rate is associated with a rate of transmission for communication over a network with the requestor, and wherein a size of the compressed media data is decreased when the connection rate is increased indicating the custom pixel resolution is lowered and the size of the compressed media data is increased when the connection rate is lowered indicating the custom pixel resolution is increased; and

streaming a media player with the compressed media data to the requestor at the connection rate.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the compressing further includes receiving the custom pixel resolution from the requestor in response to a query issued to the requestor.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the compressing and the streaming further include compressing the media data and streaming the compressed media data, wherein the media data is dynamically produced and compressed from a live broadcast.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the compressing further includes decreasing the custom pixel resolution when the connection rate is lower than a threshold.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the compressing further includes increasing the custom pixel resolution when the connection rate is higher than a threshold.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising encrypting the compressed media data before streaming to the requestor.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the encrypting further includes permitting only the media player which is streamed with the compressed and encrypted media data to know the decryption algorithm necessary to play the media data for the requestor.

8. A media data server, comprising:

a data store having media data;

a media player; and

a streaming application to stream portions of the media data from the data store to a requestor in a compressed format along with the media player that plays the compressed format of the portions of the media data, and wherein the portions of the compressed media data are altered to achieve a custom pixel resolution using and based on a connection rate associated with the requestor, and wherein when the connection rate is increased a size of the compressed media data is decreased and the custom pixel resolution is lowered and when the connection rate is decreased the size of the compressed media data is increased and the custom pixel resolution is increased, and wherein the media player self-loads and executes within an environment of the requestor and is configured to decompress the compressed format of the portions of the media data, and wherein the connection rate is associated with a rate of transmission for communication over a network with the requestor.

9. The media data server of claim 8 wherein the compressed media data is also encrypted and the portions of the media player include the decryption algorithm necessary to decrypt the portions of the media data.

10. The media data server of claim 8 wherein the media data server interacts with the requestor to determine the connection rate.

11. The media data server of claim 8 wherein the media data is stored in a single format and is not duplicated within the data store.

12. The media data server of claim 8 wherein the media data is captured in the data store from a live broadcast and streamed from the data store to streaming application for delivery to the requestor in a compressed format.

13. The media data server of claim 8 wherein the portions of the compressed media data is also encrypted and the encryption technique is customized to correspond with specific instances of the media player.

14. The media data server of claim 8 wherein the media data natively resides within the data store in a compressed format.