User-controlled download duration time

• US 9,319,453 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2011
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nostromo LLC
• Original Assignee: Shmuel Ur Innovations Ltd.
• Inventors: Ur, Shmuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Christensen, Scott B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Do, Lam
• Application Number:
  US13/183,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20130060904A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/24 Traffic characterised by specific attributes, e.g. priority or QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/58 Changing or combining different scheduling modes, e.g. multimode scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/06 specially adapted for file transfer, e.g. file transfer protocol [FTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring

Abstract

A method, apparatus and computer program product useful for communicating media content, over a computerized network, in accordance with download duration time. One exemplary method may comprise obtaining a download duration time from a client with respect to a media content; determining a quality of the media content so as to be provided within the download duration time; and transmitting to the client a version of the media content having the quality. Another exemplary embodiment may be a computer program product for enabling a user of a client to select download duration time, the computer program product comprising: program code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium; wherein the program code is operative to display a Graphical User Interface (GUI) widget on a display of the client, wherein the GUI widget comprises: a download duration time input component, wherein the GUI widget is operative to provide the download duration time to a content delivery apparatus for providing a media content within the download duration time.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining a download duration time from a client with respect to a media content, the download duration time defining a time by which download of the media content by the client is to be completed;

determining a quality of the media content based on the download duration time to be provided within the download duration time;

transmitting to the client a version of the media content having the quality, wherein during said transmitting, monitoring a remaining download duration time;

modifying the quality based on the remaining download duration time; and

continuing transmission to the client of the media content by transmitting a second version of the media content having the modified quality, wherein the transmission is completed by the time defined by the download duration time.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to said determining the quality, encoding the media content thereby providing the version of the media having the quality.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said determining the quality comprises selecting the version from a predetermined set of versions, wherein said selecting comprises:

determining a transmission rate to the client;

computing maximal data capacity to be transferred in the download duration time given the transmission rate;

selecting the version from the predetermined set of versions, wherein the version having largest size which does not exceed the maximal data capacity.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said transmitting comprises transmitting the version to the client in a transmission method;

wherein the transmission method is selected from the group consisting of;

streaming transmission of the version, and

transmitting a file comprising the version.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising identifying a change of transmission rate;

and in response to the change of transmission rate switching the transmitted version to a second version having a second quality, so as to complete transmittal within the download duration time.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the change of transmission rate is a reduction in transmission speed, and wherein the second quality is of reduced quality than the determined quality.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the change of transmission rate is an increase in transmission speed, and wherein the second quality is of an improved quality than the determined quality.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein said switching the transmitted version comprises:

determining the second quality of the media content so as to be provided with the download duration time given the change of transmission rate; and

having a first portion of the media content transmitted in the version, transmitting a second portion of the media content using the second version.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 further comprises continuously monitoring transmission rate and modifying quality of transmitted version, thereby transmitting the media content in the download duration time.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprises:

during said transmitting, receiving from the client an indication to modify transmission time; and

switching the transmitted version to a second version having a second quality, so as to comply with the indication.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the indication is selected from the group consisting of:

an indication to reduce transmission time;

an indication to increase transmission time; and

a modified download duration time.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the indication from the client is responsive to a notification from a user of the client, wherein the notification is associated with a modification of a communication link of the client.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the modification of the communication link is a change in download speed to the client.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the modification of the communication link is switching from a first network connection to a second network connection.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein either the first or second network connection is a cellular network connection.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 14, wherein either the first or second network connection is associated with higher costs of downloading data.

17. An apparatus, the apparatus comprising:

a processing unit adapted to;

obtain a download duration time from a client with respect to a media content, the download duration time defining a time by which download of the media content by the client is to be completed;

determine a quality of the media content based on the download duration time to be provided within the download duration time;

transmit to the client a version of the media content having the quality, wherein during the transmission, monitor a remaining download duration time;

modify the quality based on the remaining download duration time; and

continue transmission to the client of the media content by transmitting a second version of the media content having the modified quality, wherein the transmission is completed by the time defined by the download duration time.

18. A computer program product comprising program code stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, which program code, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

obtaining a download duration time from a client with respect to a media content, the download duration time defining a time by which download of the media content by the client is to be completed;

determining a quality of the media content based on the download duration time to be provided within the download duration time;

transmitting to the client a version of the media content having the quality, wherein during said transmitting, monitoring a remaining download duration time;

modifying the quality based on the remaining download duration time; and

continuing transmission to the client of the media content by transmitting a second version of the media content having the modified quality, wherein the transmission is completed by the time defined by the download duration time.