System and method for combining media data

• US 8,027,365 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2007
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: RealNetworks, Inc.
• Inventors: Ayars, Jeff, Boic, Milko, Wright, Greg
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; Huy D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Chery; Dady
• Application Number:
  US11/829,672
• Publication Number:
  US 20090028188A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,523 Days
• Field of Search: 370/473, 370/465, 370/464, 370/474, 370/503, 702/4, 709/231, 709/219, 709/250
• US Class Current: 370/474
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/434 Disassembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. demultiplexing audio and video streams, extraction of additional data from a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Extraction or processing of SI; Disassembling of packetised elementary stream demultiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A method and computer program product for processing a locally-stored, specific media data file portion to generate a first normalized packetized stream. A remotely-sourced, specific media data stream is processed to generate a second normalized packetized stream. At least a portion of the first normalized packetized stream and at least a portion of the second normalized packetized stream are combined, using a packet loss tolerant stitching algorithm, to generate a loss-compensated media data stream.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining a specific media data file portion by a client electronic device from a remote source, the specific media data file portion comprising an initial chronological portion of a longer time-based digital-media work;

locally-storing the specific media data file portion by the client electronic device;

processing the locally-stored, specific media data file portion by the client device to generate a first normalized packetized stream;

obtaining a specific media data stream by the client electronic device from the remote source, the specific media data stream comprising a residual chronological portion of the longer time-based digital-media work;

wherein the locally-stored specific media data file portion is sampled at a first bit rate and the remotely-sourced, specific media data stream is sampled at a second bit rate, wherein the first bit rate is less than the second bit rate;

processing the remotely-sourced, specific media data stream by the client electronic device to generate a second normalized packetized stream; and

combining, using a packet loss tolerant stitching algorithm, at least a portion of the first normalized packetized stream and at least a portion of the second normalized packetized stream to generate a loss-compensated media data stream substantially comprising the longer time-based digital-media work.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

rendering the loss-compensated media data stream on the client electronic device.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the client electronic device is chosen from the group consisting of:

a personal computer;

a laptop computer;

a notebook computer;

a personal media device;

a personal digital assistant;

a data-enabled cellular telephone;

a television;

a cable box;

an internet radio; and

a dedicated network device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the locally-stored, specific media data file portion is obtained from the remote source using a networking protocol during a period of low bandwidth-usage prior to the combining.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the networking protocol is chosen from the group consisting of:

a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) protocol;

a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP);

a FLUTE protocol; and

a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) protocol.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the remotely-sourced, specific media data stream is obtained from the remote source using a networking protocol contemporaneous with processing the locally-stored, specific media data file portion.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the networking protocol is chosen from the group consisting of:

a Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP);

a Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP); and

a User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

8. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the locally-stored, specific media data file portion to generate the first normalized packetized stream includes:

parsing the locally-stored, specific media data file portion to generate the first normalized packetized stream.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein processing the remotely-sourced, specific media data stream to generate the second normalized packetized stream includes:

parsing the remotely-sourced, specific media data stream to generate the second normalized packetized stream.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the locally-stored, specific media data file portion includes metadata.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the metadata defines a location of the remotely-sourced, specific media data stream.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the loss-compensated media data stream includes an A/V loss-compensated media data stream.

13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second normalized packetized streams are processed to have equally sized data packets.

14. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining a specific media data file portion from a remote source, the specific media data file portion comprising an initial chronological portion of a longer time-based digital-media work;

locally-storing the specific media data file portion;

processing the locally-stored, specific media data file portion to generate a first normalized packetized stream;

obtaining a specific media data stream by the client electronic device from the remote source, the specific media data stream comprising a residual chronological portion of the longer time-based digital-media work;

wherein the locally-stored specific media data file portion is sampled at a first bit rate and the remotely-sourced, specific media data stream is sampled at a second bit rate, wherein the first bit rate is less than the second bit rate;

obtaining a specific media data stream from the remote source, the specific media data stream comprising a residual chronological portion of the longer time-based digital-media work;

processing the remotely-sourced, specific media data stream to generate a second normalized packetized stream; and

combining, using a packet loss tolerant stitching algorithm, at least a portion of the first normalized packetized stream and at least a portion of the second normalized packetized stream to generate a loss-compensated media data stream substantially comprising the longer time-based digital-media work.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 further comprising instructions for:

rendering the loss-compensated media data stream on the client electronic device.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the client electronic device is chosen from the group consisting of:

a personal computer;

a laptop computer;

a notebook computer;

a personal media device;

a personal digital assistant;

a data-enabled cellular telephone;

a television;

a cable box;

an internet radio; and

a dedicated network device.

17. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the locally-stored, specific media data file portion is obtained from the remote source using a networking protocol during a period of low bandwidth-usage prior to the combining.

18. The computer program product of claim 17 wherein the networking protocol is chosen from the group consisting of:

a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) protocol;

a HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP);

a FLUTE protocol; and

a Really Simple Syndication (RSS) protocol.

19. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the remotely-sourced, specific media data stream is obtained from the remote source using a networking protocol contemporaneous with processing the locally-stored, specific media data file portion.

20. The computer program product of claim 19 wherein the networking protocol is chosen from the group consisting of:

a Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP);

a Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP); and

a User Datagram Protocol (UDP).

21. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the instructions for processing the locally-stored, specific media data file portion to generate the first normalized packetized stream include instructions for:

parsing the locally-stored, specific media data file portion to generate the first normalized packetized stream.

22. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the instructions for processing the remotely-sourced, specific media data stream to generate the second normalized packetized stream include instructions for:

parsing the remotely-sourced, specific media data stream to generate the second normalized packetized stream.

23. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the locally-stored, specific media data file portion includes metadata.

24. The computer program product of claim 23 wherein the metadata defines a location of the remotely-sourced, specific media data stream.

25. The computer program product of claim 14 wherein the loss-compensated media data stream includes an A/V loss-compensated media data stream.

26. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein the instructions for generating first and second normalized packetized streams comprise instructions which generate first and second normalized packetized streams having equally sized data packets.