Apparatus, system, and method for adaptive-rate shifting of streaming content
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. An end user station for adaptive-rate content streaming of digital content from a video server over a network, the end user station comprising:
- a media player operating on the end user station configured to stream a video from the video server via at least one transmission control protocol (TCP) connection over the network, wherein multiple different copies of the video encoded at different bit rates are stored on the video server as multiple sets of files, wherein each of the files yields a different portion of the video on playback, wherein the files across the different copies yield the same portions of the video on playback, and wherein each of the files comprises a time index such that the files whose playback is the same portion of the video for each of the different copies have the same time index in relation to the beginning of the video, and wherein the media player streams the video by;
requesting a plurality of sequential files of one of the copies from the video server based on the time indexes;
automatically requesting from the video server subsequent portions of the video by requesting for each such portion one of the files from one of the copies dependent upon successive determinations by the media player to shift the playback quality to a higher or lower quality one of the different copies, the automatically requesting including repeatedly generating a factor indicative of the current ability to sustain the streaming of the video using the files from different ones of the copies, wherein the set of one or more factors relate to the performance of the network;
making the successive determinations to shift the playback quality based on the factor to achieve continuous playback of the video using the files of the highest quality one of the copies determined sustainable at that time so that the media player upshifts to a higher quality one of the different copies when the factor is greater than a first threshold and downshifts to a lower quality one of the different copies when the factor is less than a second threshold; and
presenting the video by playing back the requested media files with the media player on the end user station in order of ascending playback time.
5 Assignments
Litigations
2 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An apparatus for adaptive-rate shifting of streaming content includes an agent controller module configured to simultaneously request at least portions of a plurality of streamlets. The agent controller module is further configured to continuously monitor streamlet requests and subsequent responses, and accordingly request higher or lower quality streamlets. A staging module is configured to stage the streamlets and arrange the streamlets for playback on a content player. A system includes a data communications network, a content server coupled to the data communications network and having a content module configured to process content and generate a plurality of high and low quality streams, and the apparatus. A method includes simultaneously requesting at least portions of a plurality of streamlets, continuously monitoring streamlet requests and subsequent responses, and accordingly requesting higher or lower quality streamlets, and staging the streamlets and arranging the streamlets for playback on a content player.
262 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An end user station for adaptive-rate content streaming of digital content from a video server over a network, the end user station comprising:
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a media player operating on the end user station configured to stream a video from the video server via at least one transmission control protocol (TCP) connection over the network, wherein multiple different copies of the video encoded at different bit rates are stored on the video server as multiple sets of files, wherein each of the files yields a different portion of the video on playback, wherein the files across the different copies yield the same portions of the video on playback, and wherein each of the files comprises a time index such that the files whose playback is the same portion of the video for each of the different copies have the same time index in relation to the beginning of the video, and wherein the media player streams the video by; requesting a plurality of sequential files of one of the copies from the video server based on the time indexes; automatically requesting from the video server subsequent portions of the video by requesting for each such portion one of the files from one of the copies dependent upon successive determinations by the media player to shift the playback quality to a higher or lower quality one of the different copies, the automatically requesting including repeatedly generating a factor indicative of the current ability to sustain the streaming of the video using the files from different ones of the copies, wherein the set of one or more factors relate to the performance of the network; making the successive determinations to shift the playback quality based on the factor to achieve continuous playback of the video using the files of the highest quality one of the copies determined sustainable at that time so that the media player upshifts to a higher quality one of the different copies when the factor is greater than a first threshold and downshifts to a lower quality one of the different copies when the factor is less than a second threshold; and presenting the video by playing back the requested media files with the media player on the end user station in order of ascending playback time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method executable by an end user station to present rate-adaptive streams received via at least one transmission control protocol (TCP) connection with a server over a network, the method comprising;
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streaming, by a media player operating on the end user station, a video from the server via the at least one TCP connection over the network, wherein multiple different copies of the video encoded at different bit rates are stored as multiple sets of files on the server, wherein each of the files yields a different portion of the video on playback, wherein the files across the different copies yield the same portions of the video on playback, and wherein each of the files comprises a time index such that the files whose playback is the same portion of the video for each of the different copies have the same time index in relation to the beginning of the video, and wherein the streaming comprises; requesting by the media player a plurality of sequential files of one of the copies from the server based on the time indexes; automatically requesting by the media player from the server subsequent portions of the video by requesting for each such portion one of the files from one of the copies dependent upon successive determinations by the media player to shift the playback quality to a higher or lower quality one of the different copies, the automatically requesting including repeatedly generating a factor indicative of the current ability to sustain the streaming of the video using the files from different ones of the copies, wherein the factor relates to the performance of the network; and making the successive determinations to shift the playback quality based on the factor to achieve continuous playback of the video using the files of the highest quality one of the copies determined sustainable at that time, wherein the making the successive determinations to shift comprises upshifting to a higher quality one of the different copies when the at least one factor is greater than a first threshold and downshifting to a lower quality one of the different copies when the at least one factor is less than a second threshold; and presenting the video by playing back the requested media files with the media player on the end user station in order of ascending playback time. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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Specification