Accelerated channel change

• US 8,135,040 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2005
• Issued: 03/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cuijpers, Maurice, Vink, Frans
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks Harold, Marsha D
• Assistant Examiner(s): WYLLIE, CHRISTOPHER T
• Application Number:
  US11/292,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20070121629A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,295 Days
• Field of Search: 370/321, 370/326, 725/114, 725/118, 725/131, 725/138, 725/139, 725/144, 725/151, 725/39, 348/731
• US Class Current: 370/486
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1859 adapted to provide push services, e.g. data channels
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/28 in relation to timing considerations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/901 using storage descriptor, e.g. read or write pointers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18

Abstract

Channel changing can be accelerated by multicasting a bouquet of multicast burst streams from a server. In an example implementation, each multicast burst stream is delayed sufficiently so that a past independent frame is available for delivery to and display by a client device without waiting for a future independent frame. A multicast burst segment of a multicast burst stream includes a portion in which the bandwidth exceeds the nominal data rate of the underlying resource being streamed. The temporal delay between adjacent multicast burst streams in a multicast bouquet is set responsive to a maximum client delay time for tuning to a new resource stream.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

replicating a media stream to provide a multicast bouquet having multiple burst streams, wherein a number of the multiple burst streams of the multicast bouquet is set at least in part according to a desired channel change delay time; and

multicasting the multiple burst streams of the multicast bouquet via a communication channel, wherein the multiple burst streams are separated in the communication channel by a temporal offset time shorter than a duration time of a group of pictures (GOP) of the media stream, and wherein individual burst streams comprise;

at least one burst segment portion transmittable at a first rate for a first time period, wherein the first rate comprises a nominal bandwidth rate of the communication channel and an excess bandwidth rate of the communication channel; and

at least one other burst segment portion transmittable at a second rate for a second time period, wherein the second rate comprises the excess bandwidth rate of the communication channel and the second time period is subsequent to the first time period,

wherein the temporal offset time is set responsive to the desired channel change delay time.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media stream is designed to be consumed by a decoding process at the nominal bandwidth rate.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to the replicating, receiving the media stream; and

delaying the media stream by a delay time that equals or exceeds the duration time of the GOP of the media stream, wherein the delaying is performed after the receiving and prior to the multicasting.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple burst streams are multicast using Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple burst streams are substantially identical.

6. A system comprising:

a server module configured to;

replicate a media stream to provide a multicast bouquet having multiple burst streams, wherein a number of the multiple burst streams of the multicast bouquet is set at least in part according to a channel change delay time; and

multicast the multiple burst streams of the multicast bouquet via a communication channel, wherein the multiple burst streams are separated in the communication channel by a temporal offset time shorter than a duration time of a group of pictures (GOP) of the media stream, and wherein individual burst streams comprise;

at least one burst segment portion transmittable at a first rate for a first time period, wherein the first rate comprises a nominal bandwidth rate of the communication channel and an excess bandwidth rate of the communication channel; and

at least one other burst segment portion transmittable at a second rate for a second time period, wherein the second rate comprises the excess bandwidth rate of the communication channel and the second time period is subsequent to the first time period; and

one or more processing devices configured to execute the server module, wherein the temporal offset time is set responsive to the channel change delay time.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the media stream is designed to be consumed by a decoding process at the nominal bandwidth rate.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the server module is configured to:

receive the media stream prior to replicating the media stream; and

delay the media stream by a delay time that equals or exceeds the duration time of the GOP of the media stream, wherein the delaying is performed after receiving the media stream and prior to multicasting the multiple burst streams.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the multiple burst streams are multicast using Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).

10. One or more computer readable storage devices having processor executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, perform acts comprising:

replicating a media stream to provide a multicast bouquet having multiple burst streams, wherein a number of the multiple burst streams of the multicast bouquet is set at least in part according to a maximum desired channel change delay time; and

multicasting the multiple burst streams of the multicast bouquet via a communication channel, wherein the multiple burst streams are separated in the communication channel by a temporal offset time shorter than a duration time of a group of pictures (GOP) of the media stream, and wherein individual burst streams comprise;

at least one burst segment portion transmittable at a first rate for a first time period, wherein the first rate comprises a nominal bandwidth rate of the communication channel and an excess bandwidth rate of the communication channel; and

at least one other burst segment portion transmittable at a second rate for a second time period, wherein the second rate comprises the excess bandwidth rate of the communication channel and the second time period is subsequent to the first time period,

wherein the temporal offset time is set responsive to the maximum desired channel change delay time.

11. The one or more computer readable storage devices of claim 10, wherein the media stream is designed to be consumed by a decoding process at the nominal bandwidth rate.

12. The one or more computer readable storage devices of claim 10, wherein the acts further comprise:

prior to the replicating, receiving the media stream; and

delaying the media stream by a delay time that equals or exceeds the duration time of the GOP of the media stream, wherein the delaying is performed after the receiving and prior to the multicasting.

13. The one or more computer readable storage devices of claim 10, wherein the multiple burst streams are multicast using Internet Group Management Protocol (IGMP).

14. The one or more computer readable storage devices of claim 10, wherein the multiple burst streams are substantially identical.