Enhanced block-request streaming system for handling low-latency streaming

• US 9,380,096 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2012
• Issued: 06/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Luby, Michael G., Watson, Mark, Vicisano, Lorenzo, Pakzad, Payam, Wang, Bin, Chen, Ying, Stockhammer, Thomas, Borran, Jaber Mohammad
• Primary Examiner(s): Algibhah, Hamza
• Application Number:
  US13/456,474
• Publication Number:
  US 20130007223A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,524 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• 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 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440227 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• 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 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A block-request streaming system provides for low-latency streaming of a media presentation. A plurality of media segments are generated according to an encoding protocol. Each media segment includes a random access point. A plurality of media fragments are encoded according to the same protocol. The media segments are aggregated from a plurality of media fragments.

Claims

1. A method, using a media server, for structuring data of content to be served, comprising:

obtaining the content to be served;

generating a plurality of media segments representing the content and encoded according to an encoding protocol that includes one or more frames of a media presentation encoded into each media segment, wherein a random access point is available in each media segment;

generating a plurality of media fragments encoded according to the encoding protocol, wherein a media segment includes the plurality of media fragments, and wherein at least some of the plurality of media fragments include random access points and at least some do not include random access points, a random access point including a position in a segment at which a decoder can decode fragments that are subsequent to the random access point independently of fragments that are prior to the random access point; and

generating a segment index for the media segment, the segment index including a presentation time range for each media fragment within the media segment, a corresponding byte range in the media segment occupied by each media fragment, and a random access point presence indicator that indicates whether a random access point is present within each media fragment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the media segment is generated by concatenating the plurality of media fragments.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating the media segment in a cache and, wherein after the media segment is generated in the cache, the plurality of media fragments used to generate the media segment are purged from the cache.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a single media presentation description (MPD) file that stores information about a first representation of the c comprising the plurality of media segments and a second representation of the media presentation comprising the plurality of media fragments.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the MPD file comprises an attribute to indicate a frequency of occurrence of random access points within the second representation.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the frequency is a period of time.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the frequency is a number of media fragments.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining positions for the random access points among the plurality of media fragments, wherein the random access points are positioned at variable non-fixed points among the plurality of media fragments.

9. A media server, comprising:

a processor configured to;

obtain content to be served;

generate a plurality of media segments representing the content and encoded according to an encoding protocol that includes one or more frames of a media presentation encoded into each media segment, wherein a random access point is available in each media segment;

generate a plurality of media fragments encoded according to the encoding protocol, wherein a media segment includes the plurality of media fragments, and wherein at least some of the plurality of media fragments include random access points and at least some do not include random access points, a random access point including a position in a segment in which a decoder can decode fragments that are subsequent to the random access point independently of fragments that are prior to the random access point; and

generate a segment index for the media segment, the segment index including a presentation time range for each media fragment within the media segment, a corresponding byte range in the media segment occupied by each media fragment, and a random access point presence indicator that indicates whether a random access point is present within each media fragment.

10. The media server of claim 9, wherein the media segment is generated by concatenating the plurality of media fragments.

11. The media server of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to generate the media segment in a cache and, wherein after the media segment is generated in the cache, the plurality of media fragments used to generate the media segment are purged from the cache.

12. The media server of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to generate a single media presentation description (MPD) file that stores information about a first representation of the media presentation comprising the plurality of media segments and a second representation of the media presentation comprising the plurality of media fragments.

13. The media server of claim 12, wherein the MPD file comprises an attribute to indicate a frequency of occurrence of random access points within the second representation.

14. The media server of claim 13, wherein the frequency is a period of time.

15. The media server of claim 14, wherein the frequency is a number of media fragments.

16. The media server of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to determine positions for the random access points among the plurality of media fragments, wherein the random access points are positioned at variable non-fixed points among the plurality of media fragments.

17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more computing devices to:

obtain content to be served;

generate a plurality of media segments representing the content and encoded according to an encoding protocol that includes one or more frames of a media presentation encoded into each media segment, wherein a random access point is available in each media segment;

generate a plurality of media fragments encoded according to the encoding protocol, wherein a media segment includes the plurality of media fragments, and wherein at least some of the plurality of media fragments include random access points and at least some do not include random access points, a random access point including a position in a segment in which a decoder can decode fragments that are subsequent to the random access point independently of fragments that are prior to the random access point; and

generate a segment index for the media segment, the segment index including a presentation time range for each media fragment within the media segment, a corresponding byte range in the media segment occupied by each media fragment, and a random access point presence indicator that indicates whether a random access point is present within each media fragment.

18. The computer-readable media of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, cause the one or more computing devices to determine positions for the random access points among the plurality of media fragments, wherein the random access points are positioned at variable non-fixed points among the plurality of media fragments.