Mobile video delivery

• US 9,252,916 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2012
• Issued: 02/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Affirmed Networks, Inc. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Venkatraman, Srinivasan, Krishnamurthy, Anand, Chung, Jae, Sherer, Paul, Garg, Deepak
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peng, Fred
• Application Number:
  US13/372,400
• Publication Number:
  US 20130212630A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,450 Days
• Field of Search: 725/62, 725/86, 725/87, 725/90, 725 93- 96
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0014 by adapting the source coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• 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 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for mobile video delivery. A method includes, in a mobile network comprising at least a core element and one or more evolved Node Bs (eNBs), receiving a request to initiate a progressive download of a video object, splitting the requested video object into self-contained independent video segments, transrating each of the self-contained independent video segments for different rates, and delivering a segment from a rate bucket that matches a current network condition determined by bandwidth estimation.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

in a mobile network comprising at least a core element and one or more evolved Node Bs (eNBs), receiving a request to initiate a progressive download of a video object;

splitting the requested video object into self-contained independent video segments;

transrating each of the self-contained independent video segments for different rates;

determining, using bandwidth estimation, a current network condition of a network, wherein bandwidth estimation comprises a combination of;

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) based bandwidth estimation, and

X2 interface based bandwidth estimation for Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks; and

delivering a segment from a rate bucket suitable for the current network condition determined by the bandwidth estimation,

wherein the TCP based bandwidth estimation comprises monitoring a media server'"'"'s TCP socket queue length,

further wherein monitoring the media server'"'"'s TCP socket queue length comprises;

obtaining the TCP socket queue length periodically to determine a drain rate, and

executing an Active Queue Management (AQM) process on the TCP socket queue length to detect impending congestion on the TCP link.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the self-contained independent video segments is a playable unit.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein transrating each of the self-contained independent video segments for different rates further comprises registering each of the different bit rate versions with a media server so that the media server can select an appropriate version for a segment transmission as available bandwidth changes.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the X2 interface based bandwidth estimation for LTE networks comprises:

establishing X2AP protocol with each eNB;

initiating a load indication;

initiating a resource status reporting; and

determining a resource status reporting.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the X2 interface based bandwidth estimation for LTE networks comprises:

routing all X2AP messages through the core network element; and

for messages of interest, initiating a load indication, initiating a resource status reporting, and determining a resource status reporting.

6. A server in a mobile network comprising:

one or more central processing units (CPUs); and

a memory, the memory comprising an operating system (OS) and machine readable instructions that when executed cause;

at least one of the one or more CPUs to receive a request to initiate a progressive download of a video object;

at least one of the one or more CPUs to split the requested video object into self-contained independent video segments;

at least one of the one or more CPUs to transrate each of the self-contained independent video segments for different rates;

at least one of the one or more CPUs to determine, using bandwidth estimation, a current network condition of a network, wherein bandwidth estimation comprises a combination of;

Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) based bandwidth estimation, and X2 interface based bandwidth estimation for Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks, and

at least one of the one or more CPUs to deliver a segment from a rate bucket suitable for the current network condition determined by the bandwidth estimation,

wherein the TCP based bandwidth estimation comprises monitoring a media server'"'"'s TCP socket queue length,

further wherein monitoring the media server'"'"'s TCP socket queue length comprises;

obtaining the TCP socket queue length periodically to determine a drain rate, and

executing an Active Queue Management (AQM) process on the TCP socket queue length to detect impending congestion on the TCP link.

7. The server of claim 6 wherein each of the self-contained independent video segments is a playable unit.

8. The server of claim 6 wherein transrating each of the self-contained independent video segments for different rates further comprises registering each of the different bit rate versions with a media server so that the media server can select an appropriate version for a segment transmission as available bandwidth changes.

9. The server of claim 6 wherein the X2 interface based bandwidth estimation for LTE networks comprises:

establishing X2AP protocol with each eNB;

initiating a load indication;

initiating a resource status reporting; and

determining a resource status reporting.

10. The server of claim 6 wherein the X2 interface based bandwidth estimation for LTE networks comprises:

routing all X2AP messages through the core network element; and

for messages of interest, initiating a load indication, initiating a resource status reporting, and determining a resource status reporting.