System and method using data keyframes

• US 8,055,779 B1
• Filed: 05/10/2007
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Adobe Inc.
• Original Assignee: Adobe Systems Incorporated (Adobe Inc.)
• Inventors: Shetty, Pritham, Cheng, Stephen
• Primary Examiner(s): Pappas; Peter-Anthony
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hussain; Farrukh
• Application Number:
  US11/747,156
• Time in Patent Office: 1,643 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/227, 709/231, 709/236, 725/105, 725/118, 715/105, 715/118
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26275 for distributing content or additional data in a staggered manner, e.g. repeating movies on different channels in a time-staggered manner in a near video on demand system
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26616 for merging a unicast channel into a multicast channel, e.g. in a VOD application, when a client served by unicast channel catches up a multicast channel to save bandwidth data multicast over packet-switching network H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products, for using data keyframes. In one aspect, a method includes storing a data keyframe transmitted as part of a live streaming broadcast; receiving a request from a client to join the live streaming broadcast in-progress; determining that the stored data keyframe was transmitted before the request from the client was received; transmitting the stored data keyframe to the client; and distributing streaming content associated with the live streaming broadcast to the client. Further, the data keyframe can be generated by a publisher of the live streaming broadcast. Distributing streaming content further can include storing a plurality of data keyframes transmitted as part of the live streaming broadcast and transmitting the plurality of stored data keyframes to the client before distributing streaming content associated with the live streaming broadcast to the client.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of distributing data keyframes, the method comprising:

storing, by a computer-system comprising a processor and one or more storage devices, a data keyframe transmitted as part of a live streaming broadcast comprising media content frames, the data key frames being distinct from the media content frames, wherein the data keyframe includes a predetermined identifier that distinguishes the data keyframe from a data message that is distributed as part of the live streaming broadcast but not stored for distribution to clients who join the live streaming broadcast after the data message has been distributed;

receiving a request from a client to join the live streaming broadcast in-progress;

determining that the stored data keyframe was transmitted before the request from the client was received;

transmitting the stored data keyframe to the client, wherein the stored data keyframe comprises one or more functions to be performed at the client; and

distributing streaming content, including at least a portion of the media content frames, associated with the live streaming broadcast to the client.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data keyframe is generated by a publisher of the live streaming broadcast.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

determining that the publisher is no longer publishing to the live streaming broadcast; and

deleting the stored data keyframe in response to the determining that the publisher is no longer publishing to the live streaming broadcast.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a clear data message associated with the live streaming broadcast, wherein the clear data message identifies the stored data keyframe; and

deleting the stored data keyframe in response to the clear data message.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing a plurality of data keyframes transmitted as part of the live streaming broadcast; and

transmitting the plurality of stored data keyframes to the client before distributing streaming content associated with the live streaming broadcast to the client.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data keyframe includes a data keyframe handler name, a data message handler name, and one or more arguments.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6, further comprising deleting the data keyframe handler name prior to storing the data keyframe.

8. A computer program product, encoded on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations comprising:

storing a data keyframe transmitted as part of a live streaming broadcast comprising media content frames, the data key frame being distinct from the media content frames, wherein the data keyframe includes a predetermined identifier that distinguishes the data keyframe from a data message that is distributed as part of the live streaming broadcast but not stored for distribution to clients who join the live streaming broadcast after the data message has been distributed;

receiving a request from a client to join the live streaming broadcast in-progress;

determining that the stored data keyframe was transmitted before the request from the client was received;

transmitting the stored data keyframe to the client, wherein the stored data keyframe comprises one or more functions to be performed at the client; and

distributing streaming content, including at least a portion of the media content frames, associated with the live streaming broadcast to the client.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the data keyframe is generated by a publisher of the live streaming broadcast.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

determining that the publisher is no longer publishing to the live streaming broadcast; and

deleting the stored data keyframe in response to the determining that the publisher is no longer publishing to the live streaming broadcast.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving a clear data message associated with the live streaming broadcast, wherein the clear data message identifies the stored data keyframe; and

deleting the stored data keyframe in response to the clear data message.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to perform operations comprising:

storing a plurality of data keyframes transmitted as part of the live streaming broadcast; and

transmitting the plurality of stored data keyframes to the client before distributing streaming content associated with the live streaming broadcast to the client.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the data keyframe includes a data keyframe handler name, a data message handler name, and one or more arguments.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to perform operations comprising deleting the data keyframe handler name prior to storing the data keyframe.

15. A system comprising:

a publisher configured to publish streaming content associated with a live streaming broadcast; and

a streaming server comprising a hardware processor and configured to perform operations comprising;

storing a data keyframe transmitted as part of the live streaming broadcast comprising media content frames, the data key frames being distinct from the media content frames, wherein the data keyframe includes a predetermined identifier that distinguishes the data keyframe from a data message that is distributed as part of the live streaming broadcast but not stored for distribution to clients who join the live streaming broadcast after the data message has been distributed;

receiving a request from a client to join the live streaming broadcast in-progress;

determining that the stored data keyframe was transmitted before the request from the client was received;

transmitting the stored data keyframe to the client, wherein the stored data keyframe comprises one or more functions to be performed at the client; and

distributing streaming content, including at least a portion of the media content frames, associated with the live streaming broadcast to the client.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the streaming server is further configured to perform operations comprising:

determining that the publisher is no longer publishing to the live streaming broadcast; and

deleting the stored data keyframe in response to the determining that the publisher is no longer publishing to the live streaming broadcast.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the streaming server is further configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving a clear data message associated with the live streaming broadcast, wherein the clear data message identifies the stored data keyframe; and

deleting the stored data keyframe in response to the clear data message.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the streaming server is further configured to perform operations comprising:

storing a plurality of data keyframes transmitted as part of the live streaming broadcast; and

transmitting the plurality of stored data keyframes to the client before distributing streaming content associated with the live streaming broadcast to the client.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the data keyframe includes a data keyframe handler name, a data message handler name, and one or more arguments.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the streaming server is further configured to perform operations comprising deleting the data keyframe handler name prior to storing the data keyframe.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the publisher is integrated with the streaming server.