Dynamic composition of media

• US 8,782,268 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Issued: 07/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Pyle, Harry, Hughes, Robert Kilroy
• Primary Examiner(s): Lai, Michael C
• Application Number:
  US12/938,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20120023251A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,350 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/219, 709/246, 386/125
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

The subject disclosure relates to dynamic composition including the ability to create interoperable combinations of content by the publisher, e.g., determined to be an optimal combination, and offer such combinations to client devices in an interoperable way to allow simple selection by devices without complex programming, web pages, etc. specific to each device. Compositions are dynamic in that new audio, video, subtitle, etc. tracks can be added to a given composition without changing any of the other tracks, e.g., by updating the composition'"'"'s extensible markup language (XML), and new compositions can be created or removed at any time without changing any audio or video files. Interoperable and scalable “discovery” is also enabled whereby random devices can contact a Web server, find and play a composition matched to the given devices and users, e.g., optimal composition for a given device and user. Using the content identification and description format of compositions, devices can search, sort, browse, display, etc. content that is available, determine if it is compatible at the device, decode, and determine digital rights management (DRM) level, and content level.

Claims

1. A system that facilitates hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) delivery of streaming media, the system comprising:

at least one processor and at least one memory;

the at least one memory including;

a manifest component that maintains multiple manifests for a single item of content, wherein each manifest included in the multiple manifests describes at least one location of one or more content segments associated with one or more representations of the content, each manifest associated with a particular configuration of the single item of content;

a composition component that organizes the multiple manifests in accordance with descriptions of the multiple manifests and selects a particular manifest from the multiple manifests based upon data included in a request for the content; and

a track set component that identifies track sets available as alternative representations of the content or content segment, the track sets used to adjust the HTTP delivery of the streaming media,

wherein the track sets are classified as one of selectable or switchable, wherein a selectable track set is selectable prior to delivery and a switchable track set is seamlessly switchable with respect to another switchable track set during presentation.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein each manifest further describes a set of attributes associated with the one or more representation of the content.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the composition component organizes the multiple manifests in accordance with an object model that defines a set of attributes associated with one or more representations of the content or content segment thereof.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein a track set is associated with one and only one content component type;

and wherein each content component type is one of audio, video, subtitles or other text, or an enhanced layer of video or audio.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the composition component facilitates composition of a new manifest included in the multiple manifests based upon a set of attributes that correspond to features of one or more track sets identified by the track set component.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the new manifest is optimized in connection with delivery or presentation based upon at least one of a particular device or particular devices or capabilities thereof, a particular form factor, a particular network or network condition, or a particular setting or preference or a particular set of settings or preferences.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a storage component that maintains at least one representation of the content or content segment thereof.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one representation includes at least one partial representation defined as a single track.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the storage component stores the at least one representation in a manner that supports addressability of individual partial representation or individual tracks of the content, and further configured to support independent access to content component types associated with the content.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the storage component stores the at least one representation by way of protected interoperable file format (PIFF).

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the at least one location is described by a uniform resource locator (URL).

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the URL is determined as a function of at least one of a track set;

an attribute associated with the content, a particular content segment, or a particular track;

or a time associated with the content, a particular content segment, or a particular track.

13. A system that facilitates presentation of streaming content delivered by way of hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), comprising:

at least one processor and a computer-readable storage medium;

the computer-readable storage medium including the following processor-executable components;

a selection component that receives a selected manifest that is selected from amongst multiple manifests, wherein the selected manifest describes at least one location of one or more content segments associated with a particular representation of content, each manifest associated with a particular configuration of the particular representation of content;

a communication component that retrieves the particular representation according to a streaming protocol based upon information included in the selected manifest; and

a presentation component that presents at least a portion of a particular representation, and supports real-time seamless switching of tracks associated with a presentation of the content or the particular representation based upon received input, wherein the real-time seamless switching of tracks is based on track sets,

wherein the track sets are classified as one of selectable or switchable, wherein a selectable track set is selectable prior to delivery and a switchable track set is seamlessly switchable with respect to another switchable track set during presentation.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the selection component determines the selected manifest based upon at least one of (1) a local configuration that relates to at least one of device or network configuration, device or network state, device or network settings or preferences, or an indication of options, features, or attributes in connection with the content;

or (2) a recommendation received in response to a request for the content, wherein the request includes all or a portion of the local configuration.

15. A method implemented on a computing device for facilitating hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) delivery of streaming content, the computing device having at least one processor, the method comprising:

maintaining a plurality of manifests for an individual item of content;

configuring the plurality of manifests for describing respective locations of content segments associated with a plurality of representations of the content, each manifest associated with a particular configuration of the content;

maintaining at least one representation of the content or content segment;

classifying the plurality of manifests based upon respective descriptions of the plurality of manifests;

selecting a particular manifest from the plurality of manifests based upon data included in a request for the content; and

identifying track sets associated with respective representations of the content or a content segment, the track sets used to adjust the HTTP delivery of the streaming content, wherein the track sets are classified as one of selectable or switchable, wherein a selectable track set is selectable prior to delivery and a switchable track set is seamlessly switchable with respect to another switchable track set during presentation.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising at least one of the following:

classifying the plurality of manifests according to an object model defining a set of attributes associated with the plurality of representations of the content;

employing a separate track set for each content component type associated with the content;

specifying a first subset of the track sets that are selected prior to delivery as selectable track sets;

specifying a second subset of the track sets that are seamlessly switchable during presentation as switchable track sets;

receiving a request for the content including a set of characteristics defining a suitable representation of the content;

transmitting a request for the content including a set of characteristics defining a suitable representation of the content;

receiving a response to a request including a suitable manifest associated with the suitable representation of the content;

transmitting a response to a request including a suitable manifest associated with the suitable representation of the content;

defining a partial representation of at least one of the plurality of representations as a single track of content;

enabling single track addressability for the plurality of representations;

enabling independent access to any content component type associated with the content or the plurality of representations;

or

employing an addressing scheme for operating as a function of at least one of a track set, an attribute associated with the content, content segment, or a representation thereof, or a time associated with the content, content segment, or a representation thereof.