Support for interactive playback devices for performance aware peer-to-peer content-on-demand

• US 8,688,852 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2006
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Magnolia Licensing LLC (IP Edge LLC)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Guo, Yang, Mathur, Saurabh, Ramaswamy, Kumar
• Primary Examiner(s): Donabed, Ninos
• Application Number:
  US12/227,961
• Publication Number:
  US 20090202221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,835 Days
• Field of Search: 709229-231
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/104 Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1068 Discovery involving direct consultation or announcement among potential requesting and potential source peers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/108 characterised by resources being split in blocks or fragments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1085 involving dynamic management of active down- or uploading connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/21815 comprising local storage units
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

A method and apparatus are described comprising detecting a playback operation, determining a target playback point for the playback operation and detecting a sub-clip type into which the target playback point falls. The method and apparatus also receive a streamed leading sub-clip, determine a set of needed sub-clips, locate one of the set of needed sub-clips and download the located sub-clip.

Claims

1. A method for supporting video playback operations for a peer-to-peer content-on-demand service, said method comprising:

detecting a playback operation;

determining a target playback point for said playback operation;

detecting a sub-clip type into which said target playback point falls, wherein said target playback point is a new intended playback point upon receipt of said playback operation, and wherein said sub-clip type includes an empty sub-clip, a downloaded sub-clip, a streamed sub-clip, and a downloading-in-process sub-clip;

receiving a streamed leading sub-clip from a server;

determining a set of needed sub-clips;

locating one of said set of needed sub-clips;

downloading said located sub-clip;

preparing a missing data vector as a playback deadline approaches;

transmitting said missing data vector to a server; and

receiving by complementary streaming missing data specified in said missing data vector from said server as said playback deadline approaches, wherein said peer-to-peer content-on-demand service is performance aware.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said playback operation is one of jump forward and further comprising:

determining a maximum number of sub-clips to stream;

determining an actual number of sub-clips to stream;

streaming a sub-clip containing said target playback point;

calculating sub-clip deadlines;

starting playback;

downloading sub-clips following said streamed sub-clip.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said playback operation is one of jump backward and further comprising:

determining a maximum number of sub-clips to stream;

determining an actual number of sub-clips to stream;

streaming a sub-clip containing a target playback point;

starting playback at a sub-clip containing a target playback point;

calculating sub-clip deadlines; and

downloading sub-clips following said streamed sub-clip.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said playback operation is one of pause and further comprising:

stopping playback;

stopping sub-clip streaming;

stopping sub-clip downloading; and

setting sub-clip deadlines to infinity.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein said playback operation is one of resume and further comprising:

calculating new sub-clip deadlines;

resuming sub-clip streaming, if sub-clips were being streamed;

starting playback; and

resuming sub-clip downloading of any sub-clips that were being downloaded when said pause operation was invoked.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein said playback operation is one of fast forward and further comprising:

calculating a sped-up playback rate;

determining a maximum number of sub-clips to stream;

determining an actual number of sub-clips to stream;

streaming sub-clips;

calculating sub-clip deadlines;

starting playback;

downloading sub-clips following said streamed sub-clip.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein said playback operation is one of fast reverse and further comprising:

calculating a sped-up playback rate;

determining a maximum number of sub-clips to stream;

determining an actual number of sub-clips to stream;

streaming sub-clips;

starting playback;

calculating sub-clip deadlines; and

downloading sub-clips preceding said streamed sub-clip.

8. An apparatus for supporting video playback operations for a peer-to-peer content-on-demand service, comprising:

a memory for storing sub-clip types;

a control module for directing an operation module; and

an operation module which, when invoked by the control module;

detects a playback operation;

determines a target playback point for said playback operation wherein said target playback point is a new intended playback point upon receipt of said playback operation, and wherein said sub-clip type includes an empty sub-clip, a downloaded sub-clip, a streamed sub-clip, and a downloading-in-process sub-clip;

detects a sub-clip type into which said target playback point falls;

receives a streamed leading sub-clip from a server;

determines a set of needed sub-clips;

locates one of said set of needed sub-clips;

downloads said located sub-clip;

prepares a missing data vector as a playback deadline approaches;

transmits said missing data vector to a server; and

receives by complementary streaming missing data specified in said missing data vector from said server as said playback deadline approaches, wherein said peer-to-peer content-on-demand service is performance aware.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said playback operation is one of jump forward and the operation module:

determines a maximum number of sub-clips to stream;

determines an actual number of sub-clips to stream;

streams a sub-clip containing said target playback point;

calculates sub-clip deadlines;

starts playback;

downloads sub-clips following said streamed sub-clip.

10. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said playback operation is one of jump backward and the operation module:

determining a maximum number of sub-clips to stream;

determining an actual number of sub-clips to stream;

streaming a sub-clip containing a target playback point;

starting playback at a sub-clip containing a target playback point;

calculating sub-clip deadlines; and

downloading sub-clips following said streamed sub-clip.

11. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said playback operation is one of pause and the operation module:

stops playback;

stops sub-clip streaming;

stops sub-clip downloading; and

sets sub-clip deadlines to infinity.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein said playback operation is one of resume and the operation module:

calculates new sub-clip deadlines;

resumes sub-clip streaming, if sub-clips were being streamed;

starts playback; and

resumes sub-clip downloading of any sub-clips that were being downloaded when said pause operation was invoked.

13. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said playback operation is one of fast forward and the operation module:

calculates a sped-up playback rate;

determines a maximum number of sub-clips to stream;

determines an actual number of sub-clips to stream;

streams sub-clips;

calculates sub-clip deadlines;

starts playback;

downloads sub-clips following said streamed sub-clip.

14. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said playback operation is one of fast reverse and the operation module:

calculates a sped-up playback rate;

determines a maximum number of sub-clips to stream;

determines an actual number of sub-clips to stream;

streams sub-clips;

starts playback;

calculates sub-clip deadlines; and

downloads sub-clips preceding said streamed sub-clip.