Adaptable accelerated content streaming

• US 7,650,421 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Issued: 01/19/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Patrick, Stuart Raymond, Walsh, James E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Srivastava; Vivek
• Assistant Examiner(s): MIRZA, ADNAN M
• Application Number:
  US10/331,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20040128396A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,577 Days
• Field of Search: 709/223, 709/231, 709/232, 709/234
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6373 for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6437 Real-time Transport Protocol [RTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/173 with two-way working, e.g. subscriber sending a programme selection signal

Abstract

Adaptable accelerated content streaming allows data to be streamed from a server to a client over a network at an accelerated rate for an amount of time before reducing the rate. In accordance with one aspect, the accelerated rate is prohibited from exceeding a threshold amount, which is based at least in part on both a total bandwidth of the server and an amount of bandwidth currently being used by the server. In accordance with one aspect, the data can be streamed to the client at up to an adaptable accelerated rate.

Claims

1. A method, implemented in a server computing device, the method comprising:

receiving a request for media content to be streamed to a client device;

identifying an available bandwidth of the server computing device;

determining, as a percentage of the available bandwidth of the server computing device, an amount of bandwidth available for accelerated streaming of the media content to the client device;

accelerating, up to a particular rate that is greater than a steady state rate, streaming of the media content to the client device until a data buffer at the client device is filled to a desired level with a portion of the media content, and then reducing streaming of the media content to the client device from the particular rate to the steady state rate, wherein the particular rate is based at least in part on the amount of bandwidth available for accelerated streaming, wherein said accelerating is performed only if the amount of bandwidth available for accelerated streaming exceeds a threshold amount;

re-determining, while accelerating streaming of the media content to the client device, the amount of bandwidth available for accelerated streaming of the media content to the client device; and

wherein the particular rate is based at least in part on the re-determined amount of bandwidth available for accelerated streaming of the media content to the client device.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the particular rate is further based at least in part on a rate at which the client device can receive the media content.

3. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein the particular rate comprises a percentage of the amount of bandwidth available for accelerated streaming.

4. A method as recited in claim 1, wherein receiving the request comprises receiving the request from the client device.

5. One or more computer storage media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a server computing device, causes the one or more processors to:

determine, in response to a request received from a client computing device for the media content to be streamed to the client computing device, an amount of bandwidth available for accelerated streaming of media content from the server computing device to a client computing device, wherein the amount of bandwidth is a portion of an amount of bandwidth currently available on the server computing device;

stream, at an accelerated rate that is greater than a steady state rate, an initial portion of the media content to the client computing device until a buffer at the client computing device is filled to a desired level, and then stream a remaining portion of the media content to the client computing device at the steady state rate;

re-determine, while accelerating streaming of the media content to the client computing device, the amount of bandwidth available for accelerated streaming of the media content to the client computing device; and

wherein the accelerated rate is based at least in part on the re-determined amount of bandwidth available for accelerated streaming of the media content to the client device.

6. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 5, wherein the server computing device comprises an origin server.

7. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 5, wherein the server computing device comprises a proxy server.

8. One or more computer storage media as recited in claim 5, wherein the amount of the bandwidth is in a range of 20% to 85% of the amount of bandwidth currently available on the server computing device.

9. A computing device comprising:

a streaming module configured to manage streaming of media content from the computing device over a network to a remote client device;

an accelerated streaming control module configured to determine an amount of bandwidth available for streaming the media content to the remote client device at an accelerated rate based at least in part on a current bandwidth load of the computing device, wherein the accelerated rate is greater than a steady state rate; and

wherein the streaming module is further configured to allow an initial portion of the media content to be streamed over the network at the accelerated rate until a data buffer at the remote client device is filled to a desired level, and further configured to allow a remaining portion of the media content to be streamed over the network at the steady state rate, the streaming module further being configured to re-determine, while accelerating streaming of the media content to the client device, the amount of bandwidth available for accelerated streaming of the media content to the client device; and

wherein the particular rate is based at least in part on the re-determined amount of bandwidth available for accelerated streaming of the media content to the client device.

10. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the computing device comprises an origin server.

11. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the computing device comprises a proxy server.

12. A system as recited in claim 9, wherein the amount of bandwidth available for streaming the media content to the remote client device at the accelerated rate comprises a percentage of the difference between a total bandwidth of the computing device and the current bandwidth load of the computing device.