System and methods for preventing interruptions due to battery drain during streaming media sessions between devices

• US 9,037,682 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Issued: 05/19/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Das, Sujoy
• Primary Examiner(s): Whipple, Brian P
• Application Number:
  US13/713,045
• Publication Number:
  US 20140173036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 887 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3212 Monitoring battery levels, e.g. power saving mode being initiated when battery voltage goes below a certain level
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/329 by task scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/1074 for supporting data block transmission mechanisms file transfer H04L67/06

Abstract

A cloud server intermediates in a streaming media session from a source to a receiving device for a media content. Upon determining that time remaining to complete the streaming media session for the media content is greater than time of remaining battery power for the source, the cloud server redirects the streaming media session to the receiving device. The cloud server may detect that the remaining source battery power is below a threshold and obtain a compressed data file, compressing at least a remaining portion of the media content in response to determining that time remaining to complete the streaming media session is greater than time of remaining battery power for the source. The cloud server may send or receive a pointer along with the compressed data file that indicates a position within the media content at which to resume the streaming media session.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a streaming media session from a source to a receiving device for a media content;

determining that time remaining to complete the streaming media session for the media content is greater than time of remaining battery power for the source; and

redirecting the streaming media session to the receiving device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the remaining battery power is below a threshold in the source.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining a compressed data file, compressing at least a remaining portion of the media content in response to determining that time remaining to complete the streaming media session is greater than time of remaining battery power for the source.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

sending a pointer to a second source along with the compressed data file, the pointer indicating a position within the media content at which to resume the streaming media session.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

decompressing the compressed data file to obtain at least the remaining portion of the media content;

establishing a streaming media session with the receiving device; and

streaming the remaining portion of the media content to the receiving device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein streaming the remaining portion of the media content to the receiving device, comprises:

streaming the remaining portion of the media content beginning at the position indicated by a pointer.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein obtaining the compressed data file, comprises:

performing a server pull from the source by a cloud server, or performing a push operation from the source to the cloud server.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein detecting that the remaining battery power is below a threshold in the source, further comprises:

sending a request for battery power level to the source from a cloud server; and

receiving, by the cloud server, a battery power level update from the source.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining that time remaining to complete the streaming media session for the media content is greater than time of remaining battery power for the source, comprises:

obtaining a value calculated by the source; and

taking over provisioning of the streaming media session to the receiving device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

requesting, by the cloud server, a portion of the media content from the source; and

obtaining the portion of the media content from the source as a compressed data file.

11. An apparatus comprising:

memory; and

at least one processor, operatively coupled to the memory, the at least one processor operative to;

provide a streaming media session from a source to a receiving device for a media content;

determine that time remaining to complete the streaming media session for the media content is greater than time of remaining battery power for the source; and

redirect the streaming media session to the receiving device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to:

detect that the remaining battery power is below a threshold in the source device.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to:

obtain a compressed data file from the source, the compressed data file compressing at least a remaining portion of the media content in response to determining that time remaining to complete the streaming media session is greater than time of remaining battery power for the source.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to:

send a pointer to a second source along with the compressed data file, the pointer indicating a position within the media content at which to resume the streaming media session.

15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to:

decompress the compressed data file to obtain at least the remaining portion of the media content;

establish a streaming media session with the receiving device; and

stream the remaining portion of the media content to the receiving device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to:

stream the remaining portion of the media content beginning at the position indicated by a pointer.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to:

obtain the compressed data file from the source by one of a push operation by the source or a pull operation.

18. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to detect that the remaining battery power is below a threshold in the source, by:

sending a request for battery power level to the source; and

receiving a battery power level update from the source.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to determine that time remaining to complete the streaming media session for the media content is greater than time of remaining battery power for the source, by:

obtaining a value calculated by the source; and

taking over provision of the streaming media session to the receiving device.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the at least one processor is further operative to:

request a portion of the media content from the source; and

obtain the portion of the media content from the source as a compressed data file.