Surrogate stream for monitoring realtime media
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving media packets for a media stream, wherein the media packets are User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets that contain UDP media payloads and do not contain Real-Time Protocol (RTP) transmission parameters;
generating checksums for at least portions of the media packets with a processing element;
generating RTP transmission parameters for the media packets with the processing element;
combining the RTP transmission parameters with the checksums for the same media packets into monitor packets;
forwarding the received media packets in the media stream to one or more receivers, wherein the media packets are forwarded by the processing element separately from any RTP transmission parameters generated for the media packets; and
transmitting the monitor packets that include the RTP transmission parameters for the media packets as a separate monitor stream for the media stream separately from media in the media packet, wherein both the media stream and monitor stream are sent by the processing element to at least some of the same receivers so Real-Time Control Protocol (RTCP) packet reports for the media stream can be derived using the RTP transmission parameters from the monitor stream.
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Abstract
In one embodiment, a separate surrogate monitor stream provides real-time media monitoring statistics for non-media savvy protocols. The surrogate monitor stream contains packet transmission parameters, such as sequence numbers and time stamps, for associated media packets in the non-savvy media stream. The surrogate monitor stream also contains checksums derived from the media packets. The checksums are used to correlate the packets in the surrogate monitor stream with the media packets in the media stream. The information in the surrogate monitor stream is then used in conjunction with the non-savvy media stream to provide real-time media monitoring without having to modify existing infrastructure. For example, head-end video servers do not have to add Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) support or deal with protocol upgrades like RTP/UDP co-existence.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving media packets for a media stream, wherein the media packets are User Datagram Protocol (UDP) packets that contain UDP media payloads and do not contain Real-Time Protocol (RTP) transmission parameters; generating checksums for at least portions of the media packets with a processing element; generating RTP transmission parameters for the media packets with the processing element; combining the RTP transmission parameters with the checksums for the same media packets into monitor packets; forwarding the received media packets in the media stream to one or more receivers, wherein the media packets are forwarded by the processing element separately from any RTP transmission parameters generated for the media packets; and transmitting the monitor packets that include the RTP transmission parameters for the media packets as a separate monitor stream for the media stream separately from media in the media packet, wherein both the media stream and monitor stream are sent by the processing element to at least some of the same receivers so Real-Time Control Protocol (RTCP) packet reports for the media stream can be derived using the RTP transmission parameters from the monitor stream. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An apparatus, comprising:
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one or more processors; and a memory coupled to the one or more processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to; generate checksums for media packets in a media stream, wherein the media packets use a first packet transmission protocol; generate transmission parameters for the media packets that are not provided by the first packet transmission protocol, wherein the transmission parameters identify when the media packets are received or identify what order the media packets are received; combine the transmission parameters associated with the media packets with the checksums generated for the same media packets forming monitor packets; transmit the monitor packets in a different monitor packet stream as supplemental monitoring information for the media stream, wherein the media packets used for generating the checksums are not part of the monitor packet stream. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A method, comprising:
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receiving media packets over a media stream connection; generating a checksum from the media packets; receiving monitoring support packets in a separate monitor stream connection that contain packet parameter information and checksums for the media packets while omitting payloads from the media packets; using the checksums in the monitor stream connection to correlate the monitoring support packets with corresponding media packets in the media stream connection; and using the packet parameter information in the monitoring support packets to monitor transmission metrics for the corresponding media packets. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An apparatus, comprising:
one or more processors configured to receive both media packets from a media stream and monitor packets from a second separate monitor stream, the one or more processors identifying which monitor packets are associated with the media packets and then using packet transmission parameters in the identified monitor packets to generate packet transmission metrics for the media packets, wherein the one or more processors generate checksums from the media packets and compare the generated checksums with checksums in the monitor packets to identify which monitor packets are associated with which media packets. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
Specification