ABR live to VOD system and method

• US 9,154,857 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2014
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CenturyLink Intellectual Property LLC (Lumen Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Casey, Steven, Castro, Felipe, McBride, Kevin, Dhaliwal, Ronnie
• Primary Examiner(s): MENGESHA, MULUGETA A
• Application Number:
  US14/583,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20150156565A1
• Time in Patent Office: 281 Days
• Field of Search: 725/87, 725 93- 95, 725115-116
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2225 Local VOD servers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2393 involving handling client requests scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/266 Channel or content management, e.g. generation and management of keys and entitlement messages in a conditional access system, merging a VOD unicast channel into a multicast channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/274 Storing end-user multimedia data in response to end-user request , e.g. network recorder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2747 Remote storage of video programs received via the downstream path, e.g. from the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8549 Creating video summaries, e.g. movie trailer retrieval in video databases by using presentations in form of a video summary G06F16/739

Abstract

The disclosed embodiments include a method, apparatus, and computer program product for simplifying the process of creating a video-on-demand system. For example, in one embodiment, a method for creating a video-on-demand (VOD) system is disclosed that includes dynamically capturing segments of an adaptive bit rate (ABR) live stream of the program at time of broadcasting and storing the captured segments of the ABR live stream of the program as a VOD file. The method also includes creating a manifest file comprising information for playing back the VOD file. The method further includes playing back, using the manifest, the VOD file by transmitting the captured ABR segments to a client device in response to receiving a subscriber request for the program.

Claims

1. A method for creating a video-on-demand (VOD) system, the method comprising:

receiving a request to record a program for including the program in the VOD system;

determining when the program is to be broadcast;

dynamically capturing segments of fragmented-type encoding live stream of the program at a time of broadcasting;

storing the captured segments of the fragmented-type encoding live stream of the program;

creating a manifest file comprising information for playing back the captured segments; and

playing back, using the manifest file, the captured fragmented-type encoding segments to a client device in response to receiving a request to view the program.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising simultaneously capturing multiple live streams of a plurality of programs.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the captured segments include at least two bit rates for each time segment of the program.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

identifying a type of client device; and

dynamically selecting a particular bit rate of the program for playback based on the type of client device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a poster image for the program from data provided by a content provider.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a poster image for the program by extracting the poster image from a frame of one of the captured segments.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating a trailer for the program from at least one of the captured segments.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the manifest file includes data regarding at least one layer, each layer comprising the captured segments in a respective bit rate different for each layer.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the fragmented-type encoding includes adaptive bit rate encoding.

10. A system for converting a live fragmented-type encoding stream, the system comprising:

a cable head end configured to receive and broadcast media content from a content provider, the cable head end comprising;

a television grid guide configured to encode the media content with a fragmented-type encoding for broadcasting in at least one bitrate;

a video-on-demand (VOD) device in communication with the television grid guide, the VOD device comprising;

at least one processor

a data storage unit for storing captured media;

non-transitory computer readable media having encoded thereon computer software comprising a set of instructions executable by the at least one processor to perform one or more operations, the set of instructions comprising;

instructions to receive, via a client interface, a request to record a program for including the program in the VOD system;

instructions to determine when the program is to be broadcast;

instructions to capture, from the television grid guide, segments of a fragmented-type encoding live stream of the program at a time of broadcasting;

instructions to store, via the data storage unit, the captured segments of the fragmented-type encoding live stream of the program;

instructions to create a manifest file comprising information for playing back the captured segments; and

instructions to play back the captured segments using the manifest file in response to receiving a request to view the program.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the television grid guide encodes the media content in at least two bit rates, and wherein the captured segments include the at least two bit rates of each time segment of the program.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the set of instructions further comprise:

instructions to identify a type of a client device in communication with the VOD device; and

instructions to dynamically select a particular bitrate of the program for playback based on the type of the client device.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the fragmented-type encoding includes adaptive bit rate encoding.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the manifest file includes data regarding at least one layer, each layer comprising the captured segments in a respective bit rate different for each layer.

15. A video-on-demand (VOD) device comprising:

at least one processor

a data storage unit for storing captured media;

non-transitory computer readable media having encoded thereon computer software comprising a set of instructions executable by the at least one processor to perform one or more operations, the set of instructions comprising;

instructions to receive, via a client interface, a request to record a program for including the program in the VOD system;

instructions to determine when the program is to be broadcast;

instructions to capture segments of a fragmented-type encoding live stream of the program at a time of broadcasting;

instructions to store, via the data storage unit, the captured segments of the fragmented-type encoding live stream of the program;

instructions to create a manifest file comprising information for playing back the captured segments; and

instructions to play back the captured segments using the manifest file in response to receiving a request to view the program.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the set of instructions further comprise instructions to simultaneously capture segments of multiple fragmented-type encoding live streams of a plurality of programs.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the captured segments include at least two bit rates of each time segment of the program.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the set of instructions further comprise:

instructions to identify a type of the client device; and

instructions to dynamically select a particular bitrate of the program for playback based on the type of client device.

19. The device of claim 15, wherein the fragmented-type encoding includes adaptive bit rate encoding.

20. The device of claim 15, wherein the manifest file includes data regarding at least one layer, each layer comprising the captured segments in a respective bit rate different for each layer.