Audio-video data switching and viewing system
First Claim
1. A method for switching between streams of audio-video data transmitted to a plurality of users over a packet-switching network, comprising:
- establishing separate connections with each of said plurality of users over the network;
streaming first audio data and first video data in a first stream from at least one server to at least one of said plurality of users via at least one of said connections, said first audio and first video data relating to an event; and
for at least one of said plurality of users, switching the first stream with a second stream comprising second video data that is different from the first video data, wherein only one of said first and second streams is transmitted to a user at a time, and wherein;
(a) the first video data and the second video data each comprise differentially compressed data;
(b) the first stream comprising first video data and the second stream comprising second video data each comprise one or more key frames; and
,(c) the first stream comprising first video data switches to the second stream comprising second video data at said one or more key frames.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A computer system and method providing for viewing and switching of audio-video data. The system comprises: a plurality of audio/video sources containing information referring to an event; a streaming server, streaming the contents of a first audio signal and a first video signal from the audio and video sources to a user; a feed distributor controllably feeding the first audio signal and first video signal to the streaming server; and a user-operated control unit communicating with the feed distributor and controlling operation of the feed distributor, so as to instruct the feed distributor to switch between audio or video. Switching between audio signals occurs without altering the video signals and switching between video signals occurs without altering the audio signals.
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Citations
47 Claims
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1. A method for switching between streams of audio-video data transmitted to a plurality of users over a packet-switching network, comprising:
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establishing separate connections with each of said plurality of users over the network; streaming first audio data and first video data in a first stream from at least one server to at least one of said plurality of users via at least one of said connections, said first audio and first video data relating to an event; and for at least one of said plurality of users, switching the first stream with a second stream comprising second video data that is different from the first video data, wherein only one of said first and second streams is transmitted to a user at a time, and wherein; (a) the first video data and the second video data each comprise differentially compressed data; (b) the first stream comprising first video data and the second stream comprising second video data each comprise one or more key frames; and
,(c) the first stream comprising first video data switches to the second stream comprising second video data at said one or more key frames. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A system adapted to switch between streams of audio-video data transmitted to a plurality of users over a packet-switching network, comprising:
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a first device or devices, comprising one or more stream producers, capable of streaming to a second device or devices, a first stream comprising first audio data and first video data to a plurality of users over the network through separate connections with each of said plurality of users, said first audio data and first video data relating to an event; and the second device or devices, comprising one or more stream readers, capable of switching for at least one of said plurality of users, the first stream comprising first video data with a second stream comprising second video data that is different from the first video data, wherein only one of said first and second streams is transmitted to a user at a time, and wherein; (a) the first video data in the first stream and the second video data in the second stream each comprise differentially compressed data; (b) the first stream comprising first video data and the second stream comprising second video data each comprise one or more key frames; and (c) the first stream comprising first video data switches to the second stream comprising second video data at said one or more key frames. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A system for streaming audio-video data to a plurality of users over a packet-switching network, comprising:
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a) a user-operated client comprising a processor and a memory, said processor executing instructions stored in said memory, said instructions including those related to a stream renderer and a stream consumer; b) said user-operated client establishing a communication over the network with one or more servers; c) said stream consumer receiving first audio and first video data from said one or more servers, said first audio and first video data relating to an event; wherein for at least one of said plurality of users, at a switching point, the first video data switches to a second video data, upon such switching, the stream consumer receives the second video data at the switching point, only one of said first and second video data at a time is received by a user'"'"'s client and said second video data comprises a keyframe at said switching point. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47)
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Specification