Method and apparatus for media data transmission

• US 8,028,080 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2010
• Issued: 09/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Jones, Anne, Gong, Kevin L., Periyannan, Alagu, Geagan, Jay, Singer, David W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim; Krisna
• Application Number:
  US12/822,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20100262713A1
• Time in Patent Office: 461 Days
• Field of Search: 709/230, 709/231, 370/394
• US Class Current: 709/230
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23412 for generating or manipulating the scene composition of objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/242 Synchronization processes, e.g. processing of PCR [Program Clock References] arrangements for synchronising broadcast or distribution via plural systems in broadcast distribution systems H04H20/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4363 Adapting the video stream to a specific local network, e.g. a Bluetooth® network
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4381 Recovering the multiplex stream from a specific network, e.g. recovering MPEG packets from ATM cells transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44012 involving rendering scenes according to scene graphs, e.g. MPEG-4 scene graphs
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47205 for manipulating displayed content, e.g. interacting with MPEG-4 objects, editing locally
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6437 Real-time Transport Protocol [RTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 : involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/52 : Systems for transmission of a pulse code modulated video signal with one or more other pulse code modulated signals, e.g. an audio signal or a synchronizing signal assembling of a multiplex stream by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, assembling of a packetised elementary stream at server side H04N21/236; disassembling of a multiplex stream, remultiplexing of multiplex streams, extraction or processing of Service Information, disassembling of packetised elementary stream at client side H04N21/434

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses for processing media data transmitted in a data communication medium. A digital processing system is provided with a time related sequence of media data provided to the digital processing system based on a set of data, wherein the set of data indicates a method to transmit the time related sequence of media data according to a transmission protocol. The set of data, itself, is a time related sequence of data associated with the time related sequence of media data. The time related sequence of media data may be presented and/or stored by the digital processing system.

Claims

1. A non-transitory machine readable medium containing media data and information which indicates how to transmit said media data from one digital processing system to another digital processing system, said computer readable medium comprising:

a first time related sequence of data;

a second time related sequence of data comprising a hint track that indicates how to packetize a time related sequence of media data for transmission according to defined packetizing characteristics, wherein said second time related sequence of data is associated with said first time related sequence of data.

2. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises references to a track of indicating data containing logical links to said first time related sequence of data and instructions for packetizing said first time related sequence of data.

3. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein said second time related sequence of data is associated with a QuickTime file.

4. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein said second time related sequence of data indicates a timing parameter for transmitting said first time related sequence of data as a set of packets.

5. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein said second time related sequence of data includes instructions to provide multiplexing of said first time related sequence of data into a set of packets.

6. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 1, wherein said particular network transmission protocol comprises an Internet protocol.

7. A method for creating media data to be transmitted from one digital processing system to another digital processing system, the method comprising:

associating a second time related sequence of data with a first time related sequence of data, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises a hint track that that indicates how to packetize a time related sequence of media data for transmission according to defined packetizing characteristics.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises references to a track of indicating data containing logical links to said first time related sequence of data and instructions for packetizing said first time related sequence of data.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said second time related sequence of data is associated with a QuickTime file.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said second time related sequence of data indicates a timing parameter for transmitting said first time related sequence of data as a set of packets.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein said second time related sequence of data includes instructions to provide multiplexing of said first time related sequence of data into a set of packets.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein said particular network transmission protocol comprises an Internet protocol.

13. An apparatus for creating media data to be transmitted from one digital processing system to another digital processing system, the apparatus comprising:

means for associating a second time related sequence of data with a first time related sequence of data, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprising a hint track that that indicates how to packetize a time related sequence of media data for transmission according to defined packetizing characteristics.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises references to a track of indicating data containing logical links to said first time related sequence of data and instructions for packetizing said first time related sequence of data.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said second time related sequence of data is associated with a QuickTime file.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said second time related sequence of data indicates a timing parameter for transmitting said first time related sequence of data as a set of packets.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein said second time related sequence of data includes instructions to provide multiplexing of said first time related sequence of data into a set of packets.

18. A computer system for creating media data to be transmitted from one digital processing system to another digital processing system, the apparatus comprising:

a processing unit to execute instructions that associate a second time related sequence of data with a first time related sequence of data, wherein said second time related sequence of data comprises a hint track that that indicates how to packetize a time related sequence of media data for transmission according to defined packetizing characteristics; and

a port coupled to the processing unit to provide said first and second time related sequences of data for transmission.

19. A method for creating media data to be transmitted from one digital processing system to another digital processing system, said method comprising:

retrieving from a digital storage system a set of data which indicates how to packetize a time related sequence of media data for transmission according to defined packetizing characteristics, wherein said set of data is a time related sequence of data associated with said time related sequence of media data and a relationship in time between the time related sequence of data and the time related sequence of media data is predetermined.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the set of data is a hint track.