Method for playing streaming data, electronic device for performing the same and information storage media for storing the same

• US 8,364,838 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2008
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Original Assignee: HTC Corporation
• Inventors: Li, Kuan-Hui, Wang, Yung-Hsing
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, PHUOC H
• Application Number:
  US12/241,402
• Publication Number:
  US 20090292820A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,582 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/219, 709/231, 709/233
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/04 specially adapted for terminals or networks with limited capabilities; specially adapted for terminal portability

Abstract

A method for playing streaming data is suitable for an electronic device having a limited memory resource. The method includes: downloading a part of a streaming file to a buffer memory for playing, a size of the streaming file being larger than a capacity of the buffer memory; downloading another part of the streaming file to the buffer memory; and overwriting a played part of the streaming file stored in the buffer memory based on a usage status of the buffer memory.

Claims

1. A method for playing streaming data, the method being suitable for an electronic device having a buffer memory, the method comprising:

downloading a part of a streaming file to the buffer memory for playing, wherein a size of the streaming file is larger than a capacity of the buffer memory;

downloading another part of the streaming file to the buffer memory; and

overwriting a played part of the streaming file stored in the buffer memory based on a usage status of the buffer memory;

wherein the usage status comprises an allowable overwriting position of the buffer memory, a download speed of the streaming file and a data reading position of the buffer memory.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the usage status of the buffer memory indicates an overwritten event, the allowable overwriting position of the buffer memory is determined and the played part of the streaming file stored in the buffer memory is overwritten based on the download speed of the streaming file and the data reading position of the buffer memory.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

playing a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file if the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has been stored in the buffer memory during forward seeking.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

downloading a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file if the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has not yet been stored in the buffer memory during forward seeking.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

playing a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file if the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has not yet been overwritten during backward seeking.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

downloading a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file if the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has been overwritten during backward seeking.

7. A method for playing streaming data, the method being suitable for an electronic device having a buffer memory, the method comprising:

progressively downloading a streaming file to the buffer memory, wherein a size of the streaming file is larger than a capacity of the buffer memory;

playing and temporarily storing the streaming file stored the buffer memory; and

determining whether or not to overwrite a part of the streaming file stored in the buffer memory based on a data writing position of the buffer memory

wherein the overwriting is performed according to an allowable overwriting position of the buffer memory, a download speed of the streaming file and a data reading position of the buffer memory.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein when the data writing position indicates that the buffer memory has been fully filled, the allowable overwriting position of the buffer memory is determined and the streaming file stored in the buffer memory is thus overwritten based on the download speed of the streaming file and the data reading position of the buffer memory.

9. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

playing a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file if the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has been stored in the buffer memory during forward seeking.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

downloading a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file if the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has not yet been stored in the buffer memory during forward seeking.

11. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

playing a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file if the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has not yet been overwritten during backward seeking.

12. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

downloading a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file if the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has been overwritten during backward seeking.

13. An electronic device, comprising:

a buffer memory;

a download unit; and

a processing module, coupled to the buffer memory and the download unit, for controlling operations of the buffer memory and the download unit, wherein;

the download unit downloads a part of a streaming file to the buffer memory for playing, and a size of the streaming file is larger than a capacity of the buffer memory;

the download unit downloads another part of the streaming file to the buffer memory; and

when the buffer memory has been fully filled, the processing module overwrites a played part of the streaming file stored in the buffer memory,

wherein the overwriting is performed according to an allowable overwriting position of the buffer memory, a download speed of the streaming file and a data reading position of the buffer memory.

14. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein when the buffer memory has been fully filled, the processing module determines the allowable overwriting position of the buffer memory and thus overwrites the streaming file stored in the buffer memory based on the download speed of the streaming file and the data reading position of the buffer memory.

15. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein if a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has been stored in the buffer memory during forward seeking, the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file is played under control of the processing module.

16. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein if a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has not yet been stored in the buffer memory during forward seeking, the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file is downloaded to the buffer memory under control of the processing module.

17. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein if a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has not yet been overwritten during backward seeking, the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file is played under control of the processing module.

18. The electronic device according to claim 13, wherein if a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has been overwritten during backward seeking, the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file is downloaded to the buffer memory under control of the processing module.

19. An electronic device, comprising:

a buffer memory;

a download unit; and

a processing module, coupled to the buffer memory and the download unit, for controlling operations of the buffer memory and the download unit, wherein;

the download unit progressively downloads a streaming file to the buffer memory, and a size of the streaming file is larger than a capacity of the buffer memory;

the processing module plays and temporarily stores the streaming file stored in the buffer memory; and

the processing module determines whether or not to overwrite a part of the streaming file stored in the buffer memory based on a data writing position of the buffer memory;

wherein the overwriting is performed according to an allowable overwriting position of the buffer memory, a download speed of the streaming file and a data reading position of the buffer memory.

20. The electronic device according to claim 19, wherein when the buffer memory has been fully filled, the processing module determines the allowable overwriting position of the buffer memory and thus overwrites the streaming file stored in the buffer memory based on the download speed of the streaming file and the data reading position of the buffer memory.

21. The electronic device according to claim 19, wherein if a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has been stored in the buffer memory during forward seeking, the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file is played under control of the processing module.

22. The electronic device according to claim 19, wherein if a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has not yet been stored in the buffer memory during forward seeking, the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file is downloaded to the buffer memory under control of the processing module.

23. The electronic device according to claim 19, wherein if a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has not yet been overwritten during backward seeking, the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file is played under control of the processing module.

24. The electronic device according to claim 19, wherein if a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has been overwritten during backward seeking, the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file is downloaded to the buffer memory under control of the processing module.

25. A non-transitory computer readable information storage device, on which a program is stored, the program being used to perform a method for playing streaming data, the method for playing the streaming data being suitable for an electronic device having a buffer memory, the method comprising:

downloading a part of a streaming file to the buffer memory for playing, wherein a size of the streaming file is larger than a capacity of the buffer memory;

downloading another part of the streaming file to the buffer memory; and

overwriting a played part of the streaming file stored in the buffer memory when the buffer memory has been fully filled;

wherein the overwriting is performed according to an allowable overwriting position of the buffer memory, a download speed of the streaming file and a data reading position of the buffer memory.

26. The information storage device according to claim 25, wherein in the method, when the buffer memory has been fully filled, the allowable overwriting position of the buffer memory is determined and the streaming file stored in the buffer memory is thus overwritten based on the download speed of the streaming file and the data reading position of the buffer memory.

27. The information storage device according to claim 25, wherein the method further comprises:

playing a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file if the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has been stored in the buffer memory during forward seeking.

28. The information storage device according to claim 25, wherein the method further comprises:

downloading a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file if the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has not yet been stored in the buffer memory during forward seeking.

29. The information storage device according to claim 25, wherein the method further comprises:

playing a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file if the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has not yet been overwritten during backward seeking.

30. The information storage device according to claim 25, wherein the method further comprises:

downloading a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file if the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has been overwritten during backward seeking.

31. A non-transitory computer readable information storage device, on which a program is stored, the program being used to perform a method for playing streaming data, the method for playing the streaming data being suitable for an electronic device having a buffer memory, the method comprising:

progressively downloading a streaming file to the buffer memory, wherein a size of the streaming file is larger than a capacity of the buffer memory;

playing and temporarily storing the streaming file stored in the buffer memory; and

determining whether or not to overwrite a part of the streaming file stored in the buffer memory based on a data writing position of the buffer memory

wherein the overwriting is performed according to an allowable overwriting position of the buffer memory, a download speed of the streaming file and a data reading position of the buffer memory.

32. The information storage device according to claim 31, wherein in the method for playing the streaming data, when the buffer memory has been fully filled, the allowable overwriting position of the buffer memory is determined and the streaming file stored in the buffer memory is overwritten based on the download speed of the streaming file and the data reading position of the buffer memory.

33. The information storage device according to claim 31, wherein the method for playing the streaming data further comprises:

playing a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file if the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has been stored in the buffer memory during forward seeking.

34. The information storage device according to claim 31, wherein the method for playing the streaming data further comprises:

downloading a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file if the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has not yet been stored in the buffer memory during forward seeking.

35. The information storage device according to claim 31, wherein the method for playing the streaming data further comprises:

playing a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file if the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has not yet been overwritten during backward seeking.

36. The information storage device according to claim 31, wherein the method for playing the streaming data further comprises:

downloading a sought to-be-played part of the streaming file if the sought to-be-played part of the streaming file has been overwritten during backward seeking.