Client-side bandwidth allocation for continuous and discrete media
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method of client-side bandwidth allocation, the method comprising the steps of:
- receiving, at a first rate, at least one continuous media stream;
receiving a discrete media stream, while receiving the at least one continuous media stream;
if a source of the continuous media stream is adapted to support the continuous media stream at a second rate lower than the first rate, then receiving the at least one continuous media stream at the second rate while receiving the discrete media stream;
if the at least one continuous media stream is from a stored media file and the source of the continuous media stream is not adapted to support the continuous media stream at the second rate, then applying a slowdown playout factor adapted to reduce a playout rate of the at least one continuous media stream, while receiving the discrete media stream;
if the at least one continuous media stream is transmitted as a live stream and the source of the continuous media stream is not adapted to support the continuous media stream at the second rate, then applying an application-level throttling adapted to slowdown transmission of the at least one continuous media stream, while receiving the discrete media stream; and
receiving the at least one continuous media stream at the first rate, after the discrete media stream is no longer being received by the client.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
The embodiments of the invention relate to client-side bandwidth allocation or rate-lowering processes, systems, and devices. In general, a received continuous stream is received at a lower rate while a discrete media stream is also being received by the client, and having the received continuous stream be received at a previous higher rate when the client is no longer receiving the discrete media stream.
-
Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method of client-side bandwidth allocation, the method comprising the steps of:
-
receiving, at a first rate, at least one continuous media stream; receiving a discrete media stream, while receiving the at least one continuous media stream; if a source of the continuous media stream is adapted to support the continuous media stream at a second rate lower than the first rate, then receiving the at least one continuous media stream at the second rate while receiving the discrete media stream; if the at least one continuous media stream is from a stored media file and the source of the continuous media stream is not adapted to support the continuous media stream at the second rate, then applying a slowdown playout factor adapted to reduce a playout rate of the at least one continuous media stream, while receiving the discrete media stream; if the at least one continuous media stream is transmitted as a live stream and the source of the continuous media stream is not adapted to support the continuous media stream at the second rate, then applying an application-level throttling adapted to slowdown transmission of the at least one continuous media stream, while receiving the discrete media stream; and receiving the at least one continuous media stream at the first rate, after the discrete media stream is no longer being received by the client. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
-
-
13. A client device adapted to be operably coupled to one or more sources via a network, the device comprises:
-
an input and output interface adapted to enable communication via the client device and the one or more sources; and a continuous media reception module adapted to receive at least one continuous media stream; a discrete media reception module adapted to receive at least one discrete media stream; and a client-side bandwidth allocation (CSBA) process module adapted to; if a source of a received continuous media stream, from the one or more received continuous media streams, is adapted to support the received continuous media stream at a rate lower than a previous rate, then receive the received continuous media stream at the lower rate while receiving a discrete media stream from the received discrete media streams, and wherein the source is from the one or more sources operably coupled to the client device; if the received continuous media stream, from the one or more received continuous media streams, is from a stored media file and the source of the received continuous media stream is not adapted to support the received continuous media stream at a rate lower than a previous rate, then apply a slowdown playout factor adapted to reduce a playout rate of the received continuous media stream, while receiving the discrete media stream from the received discrete media streams; if the received continuous media stream, from the one or more received continuous media streams, is received as a live stream and the source of the received continuous media stream is not adapted to support the received continuous media stream at a rate lower than a previous rate, then apply an application-level throttling adapted to slowdown the transmission of the received continuous media stream, while receiving the discrete media stream from the received discrete media streams; receive the received continuous media stream at the previous rate, after the discrete media stream of the received discrete media streams is no longer being received by the continuous media reception module. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A system comprising:
-
a source; a client device operably coupled to the source via one or more network segments, the client device comprising; an input and output interface adapted to enable communication with the source; a continuous media reception module adapted to receive a continuous media stream from the source; a discrete media reception module adapted to receive at least one discrete media stream; and a client-side bandwidth allocation (CSBA) process module adapted to; if the source of the continuous media stream is adapted to support the continuous media stream at a rate lower than a previous rate, then receive the continuous media stream at the lower rate while receiving the at least one discrete media stream; if the continuous media stream is from a stored media file and the source is not adapted to support the continuous media stream at a rate lower than a previous rate, then apply a slowdown playout factor adapted to reduce a playout rate of the continuous media stream, while receiving the at least one discrete media stream; if the continuous media stream is received as a live stream and the source is not adapted to support the continuous media stream at a rate lower than a previous rate, then apply an application-level throttling adapted to slowdown the transmission of the continuous media stream, while receiving the at least one discrete media; and receive the continuous media stream at the previous rate, after the at least one discrete media stream is no longer being received by the continuous media reception module; and the one or more network segments. - View Dependent Claims (25)
-
Specification