System and method for adaptive segment prefetching of streaming media
First Claim
1. A method of operation of a user device comprising:
- receiving a stream of a media item from a streaming media source;
providing playback of the stream of the media item;
obtaining one or more look-ahead segments of the media item, wherein the one or more look-ahead segments are one or more segments of the media item that have not yet been streamed to the user device selected based on a comparison of information that describes content of the one or more look-ahead segments and user preferences of a user of the user device; and
storing the one or more look-ahead segments in local storage of the user device.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for obtaining look-ahead segments for a streaming media item during playback such that the viewer can easily skip to the look-ahead segments without experiencing any substantial interruption or delay in playback. In general, a streaming media source begins streaming a media item to a streaming media client for playback. In one embodiment, the streaming media client selects one or more segments of the media item as one or more look-ahead segments to prefetch from the streaming media source. Then, while the media item is being streamed to the streaming media client for playback, the streaming media client prefetches the one or more look-ahead segments of the media item from the streaming media source. The look-ahead segments are thereafter utilized to enable the viewer to skip ahead in playback without experiencing a substantial interruption or delay in playback.
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Citations
40 Claims
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1. A method of operation of a user device comprising:
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receiving a stream of a media item from a streaming media source; providing playback of the stream of the media item; obtaining one or more look-ahead segments of the media item, wherein the one or more look-ahead segments are one or more segments of the media item that have not yet been streamed to the user device selected based on a comparison of information that describes content of the one or more look-ahead segments and user preferences of a user of the user device; and storing the one or more look-ahead segments in local storage of the user device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A user device comprising:
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a communication interface communicatively coupling the user device to a streaming media source via a network; and a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to; receive a stream of a media item from the streaming media source; provide playback of the stream of the media item; obtain one or more look-ahead segments of the media item, wherein the one or more look-ahead segments are one or more segments of the media item that have not yet been streamed to the user device selected based on a comparison of information that describes content of the one or more look-ahead segments and user preferences of a user of the user device; and store the one or more look-ahead segments in local storage of the user device.
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37. A method of operation of a streaming media source comprising:
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receiving a request for a media item from a user device via a network; streaming the media item to the user device via the network; selecting one or more segments of the media item as one or more look-ahead segments to push to the user device, wherein the one or more look-ahead segments are one or more segments of the media item that have not yet been streamed to the user device selected based on a comparison of information that describes content of the one or more look-ahead segments and user preferences of a user of the user device; and pushing the one or more look-ahead segments to the user device via the network. - View Dependent Claims (38)
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39. A streaming media source comprising:
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a communication interface communicatively coupling the streaming media source to a user device via a network; and a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to; receive a request for a media item from the user device; stream the media item to the user device; select one or more segments of the media item as one or more look-ahead segments to push to the user device, wherein the one or more look-ahead segments are one or more segments of the media item that have not yet been streamed to the user device selected based on a comparison of information that describes content of the one or more look-ahead segments and user preferences of a user of the user device; and push the one or more look-ahead segments to the user device. - View Dependent Claims (40)
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Specification