System and method for adaptive segment prefetching of streaming media
First Claim
1. A method of operation of a user device comprising:
- receiving a stream of a media item from a streaming media source;
providing playback of the stream of the media item;
obtaining one or more look-ahead segments of the media item, wherein the one or more look-ahead segments are one or more segments of the media item that have not yet been streamed to the user device selected based on information that describes content of the one or more look-ahead segments and wherein the information is not indicative of a location of the one or more look-ahead segments in the media item; and
storing the one or more look-ahead segments in local storage of the user device;
wherein obtaining the one or more look-ahead segments of the media item comprises;
selecting the one or more look-ahead segments based on the information that describes the content of the one or more look-ahead segments; and
prefetching the one or more look-ahead segments from the streaming media source; and
wherein selecting the one or more look-ahead segments comprises selecting the one or more look-ahead segments from a plurality of segments of the media item that have not yet been streamed to the user device based on a comparison of information describing content of the plurality of segments of the media item and user preferences of a user of the user device.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for obtaining look-ahead segments for a streaming media item during playback such that the viewer can easily skip to the look-ahead segments without experiencing any substantial interruption or delay in playback. In general, a streaming media source begins streaming a media item to a streaming media client for playback. In one embodiment, the streaming media client selects one or more segments of the media item as one or more look-ahead segments to prefetch from the streaming media source. Then, while the media item is being streamed to the streaming media client for playback, the streaming media client prefetches the one or more look-ahead segments of the media item from the streaming media source. The look-ahead segments are thereafter utilized to enable the viewer to skip ahead in playback without experiencing a substantial interruption or delay in playback.
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Citations
21 Claims
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1. A method of operation of a user device comprising:
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receiving a stream of a media item from a streaming media source; providing playback of the stream of the media item; obtaining one or more look-ahead segments of the media item, wherein the one or more look-ahead segments are one or more segments of the media item that have not yet been streamed to the user device selected based on information that describes content of the one or more look-ahead segments and wherein the information is not indicative of a location of the one or more look-ahead segments in the media item; and storing the one or more look-ahead segments in local storage of the user device; wherein obtaining the one or more look-ahead segments of the media item comprises; selecting the one or more look-ahead segments based on the information that describes the content of the one or more look-ahead segments; and prefetching the one or more look-ahead segments from the streaming media source; and wherein selecting the one or more look-ahead segments comprises selecting the one or more look-ahead segments from a plurality of segments of the media item that have not yet been streamed to the user device based on a comparison of information describing content of the plurality of segments of the media item and user preferences of a user of the user device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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8. A method of operation of a user device comprising:
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receiving a stream of a media item from a streaming media source; providing playback of the stream of the media item; obtaining one or more look-ahead segments of the media item, wherein the one or more look-ahead segments are one or more segments of the media item that have not yet been streamed to the user device selected based on information that describes content of the one or more look-ahead segments and wherein the information is not indicative of a location of the one or more look-ahead segments in the media item; and storing the one or more look-ahead segments in local storage of the user device; wherein obtaining the one or more look-ahead segments of the media item comprises; selecting the one or more look-ahead segments based on the information that describes the content of the one or more look-ahead segments; and prefetching the one or more look-ahead segments from the streaming media source; and wherein selecting the one or more look-ahead segments comprises selecting the one or more look-ahead segments based on the information that describes the content of the one or more look-ahead segments and a profile of a user of the user device obtained from a social networking service.
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17. A user device comprising:
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a local storage; a communication interface communicatively coupling the user device to a streaming media source via a network; and a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to; receive a stream of a media item from the streaming media source; provide playback of the stream of the media item; obtain one or more look-ahead segments of the media item, wherein the one or more look-ahead segments are one or more segments of the media item that have not yet been streamed to the user device selected based on information that describes content of the one or more look-ahead segments and wherein the information is not indicative of a location of the one or more look-ahead segments in the media item; and store the one or more look-ahead segments in the local storage of the user device; wherein in order to obtain the one or more look-ahead segments of the media item, the control system is further adapted to; select the one or more look-ahead segments based on the information that describes the content of the one or more look-ahead segments; and
prefetch the one or more look-ahead segments from the streaming media source; andwherein in order to select the one or more look-ahead segments, the control system is further adapted to select the one or more look-ahead segments from a plurality of segments of the media item that have not yet been streamed to the user device based on a comparison of information describing content of the plurality of segments of the media item and user preferences of a user of the user device.
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18. A method of operation of a streaming media source comprising:
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receiving a request for a media item from a user device via a network; streaming the media item to the user device via the network; selecting one or more segments of the media item as one or more look-ahead segments to push to the user device, wherein the one or more look-ahead segments are one or more segments of the media item that have not yet been streamed to the user device selected based on information that describes content of the one or more look-ahead segments and wherein the information is not indicative of a location of the one or more look-ahead segments in the media item; and pushing the one or more look-ahead segments to the user device via the network; wherein selecting the one or more look-ahead segments comprises selecting the one or more look-ahead segments from a plurality of segments of the media item that have not yet been streamed to the user device based on a comparison of information describing content of the plurality of segments of the media item and user preferences of a user of the user device. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A streaming media source comprising:
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one or more storage devices; a communication interface communicatively coupling the streaming media source to a user device via a network; and a control system associated with the communication interface and the one or more storage devices and adapted to; receive a request for a media item from the user device;
stream the media item to the user device from the one or more storage devices;select one or more segments of the media item as one or more look-ahead segments to push to the user device, wherein the one or more look-ahead segments are one or more segments of the media item that have not yet been streamed to the user device selected based on information that describes content of the one or more look-ahead segments and wherein the information is not indicative of a location of the one or more look-ahead segments in the media item; and push the one or more look-ahead segments to the user device; wherein in order to select the one or more look-ahead segments, the control system is further adapted to select the one or more look-ahead segments from a plurality of segments of the media item that have not yet been streamed to the user device based on a comparison of information describing content of the plurality of segments of the media item and user preferences of a user of the user device. - View Dependent Claims (21)
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Specification