Dynamic reconfiguration of multimedia stream processing modules

• US 7,665,095 B2
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Issued: 02/16/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Speed, Robin, Bhattacharya, Syon
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Andy
• Application Number:
  US10/853,344
• Publication Number:
  US 20040221073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,093 Days
• Field of Search: 719/313, 719/318, 709/231, 709/232
• US Class Current: 719/313
• 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 21/443 OS processes, e.g. booting an STB, implementing a Java virtual machine in an STB or power management in an STB
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/854 Content authoring

Abstract

A method to dynamically reconfigure multimedia streaming processing modules using interfaces that allow applications and modules to seamlessly change the configuration of streaming modules. Reconfigurations are initiated by a processing module in a stream or by an application by sending a notification packet through the processing modules in the portion of the stream being changed that informs that modules that a change is being made and the modules to complete processing of its data. Modules affected by the change are stopped once the notification packet is received by all processing modules in the stream being changed and modules are then added, removed, or replaced and the portion of the stream being changed resumes processing the data stream. The modules at the beginning of the portion being changed can resume operation as soon as they are reconnected to other modules.

Claims

1. A method for enabling dynamic changing of a streaming data path of a graph having a plurality of processing modules, each module connected to at least one other module to form the streaming data path, the streaming data path having at least one input module located at an input edge and at least one output module located at an output edge, comprising:

issuing a command to temporarily block data flow from an output pin of a module until changing of the streaming data path is completed;

sending a notification packet through the streaming data path to each module within the streaming data path, the notification packet indicating that data flow has stopped;

detecting when the notification packet is received at each output module;

commanding one or more modules selected for removal from the streaming data path to change to a stop state after detecting when the notification packet is received at each output module;

removing each selected module;

restarting data flow in the streaming data path;

adding at least one additional module to the streaming data path after detecting when the notification packet is received at each output module; and

commanding the additional module to change to a run state.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each additional module has at least one pin, the step of adding at least one additional module comprises:

connecting each pin of the additional module to a pin of the module to which it is to be connected.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein each module has at least one pin, the method

further comprising the steps of:

detecting when the input module receives the notification packet;

connecting at least one output pin of the input module to at least one input pin of the additional module; and

wherein the step of commanding each additional module to change to a run state is performed after the step of connecting the output pin of the input module to the input pin of the additional module.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising acquiring a graph lock.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising executing a multiple wait, the multiple wait specifying that it exits if at least one of the graph lock and an event type object is set.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising moving one or more modules selected for removal into a filter graph cache.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein each module has at least one pin, and at least two modules have at least one interface to support dynamic reconfiguration, one of the two modules being upstream of one or more modules selected for removal and the other of the two modules being downstream of the selected module, the method further comprising the steps of:

sending a notification packet through the streaming data path to each module within the streaming data path, the notification packet indicating that data flow has stopped;

detecting when the notification packet is received at each output module;

commanding one or more modules selected to be removed from the streaming data path to change to a stop state after detecting when the notification packet is received at each output module;

removing each selected module;

restarting data flow in the streaming data path;

locating at least one input edge module, the input edge module being one of the two modules that is upstream of the selected module;

locating at least one output edge module, the output edge module being the other of the two modules that is downstream of the selected module;

if there exists a first module other than the selected module between the input edge module and the output edge module;

commanding the first module to change to a stop state;

disconnecting each pin of the first module connected to the selected module;

reconnecting each pin of the first module to a pin of an other module that was connected to the selected module; and

commanding the first module to change to a run state.

8. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method for enabling dynamic changing of a streaming data path of a graph having a plurality of processing modules, each module connected to at least one other module to form the streaming data path, the streaming data path having at least one input module located at an input edge and at least one output module located at an output edge, the method comprising:

issuing a command to temporarily block data flow from an output pin of a processing module until changing of the streaming data path is completed;

sending a notification packet through the streaming data path to each module within the streaming data path, the notification packet indicating that data flow has stopped;

detecting when the notification packet is received at each output module;

commanding one or more modules selected for removal from the streaming data path to change to a stop state after detecting when the notification packet is received at each output removing each selected module;

restarting data flow in the streaming data path;

adding at least one additional module to the streaming data path after detecting when the notification packet is received at each output module; and

commanding the additional module to change to a run state.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein each additional module has at least one pin, the step of adding at least one additional module comprises:

connecting each pin of the additional module to a pin of the module to which it is to be connected.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein each module has at least one pin, the method further comprising the steps of:

detecting when the input module receives the notification packet;

connecting at least one output pin of the input module to at least one input pin of the additional module; and

wherein the step of commanding each additional module to change to a run state is performed after the step of connecting the output pin of the input module to the input pin of the additional module.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising acquiring a graph lock.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 further comprising executing a multiple wait, the multiple wait specifying that it exits if at least one of the graph lock and an event type object is set.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 further comprising moving one or more modules selected for removal into a filter graph cache.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 wherein each module has at least one pin, and at least two modules have at least one interface to support dynamic reconfiguration, one of the two modules being upstream of one or more modules selected for removal and the other of the two modules being downstream of the selected module, the method further comprising the steps of:

sending a notification packet through the streaming data path to each module within the streaming data path, the notification packet indicating that data flow has stopped;

detecting when the notification packet is received at each output module;

commanding one or more modules selected to be removed from the streaming data path to change to a stop state after detecting when the notification packet is received at each output module;

removing each selected module;

restarting data flow in the streaming data path;

locating at least one input edge module, the input edge module being one of the two modules that is upstream of the selected module;

locating at least one output edge module, the output edge module being the other of the two modules that is downstream of the selected module;

if there exists a first module other than the selected module between the input edge module and the output edge module;

commanding the first module to change to a stop state;

disconnecting each pin of the first module connected to the selected module;

reconnecting each pin of the first module to a pin of an other module that was connected to the selected module; and

commanding the first module to change to a run state.