Resuming media objects delivered via live streaming services upon data reduction events

• US 8,423,071 B1
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 04/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Sun, Yaojun
• Primary Examiner(s): Safaipour, Bobbak
• Application Number:
  US12/323,263
• Time in Patent Office: 1,603 Days
• Field of Search: 370/318, 455/522, 710/29, 710/15, 710/30, 710/33, 709/217, 709/238
• US Class Current: 455/522
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26216 involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2625 for delaying content or additional data distribution, e.g. because of an extended sport event
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6131 involving transmission via a mobile phone network wireless downlink channel access H04W74/006
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6373 for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64738 Monitoring network characteristics, e.g. bandwidth, congestion level data switched network analysis H04L41/14; monitoring functioning in data switched networks H04L43/0817; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10

Abstract

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for resuming a media object presented on a mobile device following a data loss event that interrupts the presentation of the media object, wherein live streaming services are used to deliver the media object are provided. During presentation of the media object, a reduced data rate at which data is communicated to the mobile device is observed. The reduced data rate interrupting the presentation of the media object. An indication to pause delivery of the media object to the mobile device is provided. A preferred data rate at which data is communicated to the mobile device is observed and, thereafter, an indication to resume delivery of the media object to the mobile device is communicated.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for resuming a media object presented on a mobile device following a data reduction event that interrupts the presentation of the media object, wherein a live streaming service is utilized to deliver the media object to the mobile device via a live streaming service, the method comprising:

during the presentation of the media object, observing a reduced data rate at which data is communicated to the mobile device, the reduced data rate interrupting the presentation of the media object;

providing an indication to pause delivery of the media object to the mobile device based on the reduced data rate, the indication to pause delivery being communicated to a network pause node that stores the media object received from a content delivery server that is remote from the network pause node;

observing a preferred data rate at which data is communicated to the mobile device; and

in response to observing the preferred data rate, communicating an indication to resume delivery of the media object to the mobile device.

2. The media of claim 1, wherein the reduced data rate is observed based on the mobile device receiving one or more media packets associated with the media object out of sequence.

3. The media of claim 1, wherein the reduced data rate comprises data being transmitted to the mobile device at a data rate below the preferred data rate that is required to adequately support the live streaming service.

4. The media of claim 1 further comprising identifying a point in the media object at which the reduced data rate occurred.

5. The media of claim 4, wherein the indication to resume delivery of the media object comprises a resume request.

6. The media of claim 5, wherein the resume request includes an indication of the point in the media object at which the reduced data rate occurred.

7. The media of claim 1, wherein the indication to resume delivery of the media object comprises a successful transmission of a connection signal.

8. The media of claim 1 further comprising pausing the presentation of the media object.

9. The media of claim 1, wherein the indication to pause delivery of the media object comprises a pause request or an unsuccessful transmission of a connection signal.

10. The media of claim 1 further comprising resuming delivery of the media object to the mobile device.

11. The media of claim 1, wherein the media object is provided by a live media source that provides the media object at a predetermined time and is delivered in a continuous stream to the mobile device that temporarily stores the media object and begins presenting the media object upon receiving at least a portion of the media object.

12. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for resuming a media object presented on a mobile device following a data reduction event that interrupts the presentation of the media object, wherein a live streaming service is utilized to deliver the media object to the mobile device, the method comprising:

pausing delivery of the media object to the mobile device upon receiving from the mobile device an indication to pause delivery of the media object;

increasing a capacity of a storage queue to accommodate storage of a portion of the media object received while delivery of the media object to the mobile device is paused;

receiving an indication to resume delivery of the media object to the mobile device, the indication including a point within the media object at which to resume delivery; and

communicating the media object in accordance with the indication to resume delivery of the media object.

13. The media 12, wherein the media object is delivered in a continuous stream to the mobile device that temporarily stores the media object.

14. The media 12 further comprising receiving the media object from a content delivery server, the content delivery server receiving the media object from a live media source that provides the media object at a predetermined time.

15. The media 12, wherein the indication to pause delivery of the media object comprises a pause request or an unsuccessful transmission of a connection signal.

16. The media 12, wherein an algorithm is used to determine the capacity to which the storage queue is to increase.

17. The media 12, wherein the indication to resume delivery of the media object comprises a resume request or a successful transmission of a connection signal.

18. The media 12, wherein the media object comprises a video media object, an audio media object, or a combination thereof.

19. The media 12 further comprising reducing the capacity of the storage queue after delivery of the media object resumes.

20. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that, when executed, perform a method for resuming a media object presented on a mobile device following a data reduction event that interrupts the presentation of the media object, wherein a live streaming service is utilized to deliver the media object to the mobile device, the method comprising:

communicating a first set of one or more media packets containing media data associated with the media object from a network pause node to the mobile device, the first set of one or more media packets provided by a live media source that delivers the media object in a continuous stream beginning at a predetermined time;

receiving a pause request from the mobile device that provides an indication to pause delivery of the media object, the mobile device communicating the pause request upon recognizing a reduced data rate at which data is communicated to the mobile device that is below a data rate required to adequately support the presentation of the media object;

based on the pause request,

pausing delivery of a second set of one or more media packets containing media data associated with the media object, the second set of one or more media packets being provided by the live media source,

storing the second set of the one or more media packets within a storage queue of the network pause node, and

increasing a size of the storage queue to accommodate additional media packets received by the network pause node;

receiving a resume request from the mobile device that provides an indication to resume delivery of the media object to the mobile device, the mobile device communicating the resume request to the network pause node upon a completion of the reduced data rate, the resume request including an indication of a point at which to begin communicating the media object; and

based on the resume request, resuming delivery of the media object by communicating the second set of the one or more media packets to the mobile device so that the mobile device can present the media object at the point at which it was interrupted.