Technique for managing streaming media traffic at a network entity

• US 9,420,534 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2011
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Lohmar, Thorsten, Gabin, Frederic
• Primary Examiner(s): Elliott, IV, Benjamin H
• Application Number:
  US14/130,273
• Publication Number:
  US 20140140253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,876 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/3278 Power saving in modem or I/O interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 52/0216 using a pre-established activity schedule, e.g. traffic indication frame
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 10/00 Energy efficient computing, e.g. low power processors, power management or thermal management
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/70 in wireless communication networks

Abstract

A method for managing streaming media traffic at a network entity capable of assuming a first and a second radio channel state, a transition from the first to second radio channel state requiring a first predetermined time period t₁, comprising combining, at the network entity, at least two media segments such that a resulting combined media segment comprises media data equivalent to a second predetermined time period t₂, the second time period being greater than the first time period, transmitting, from the network entity, the combined media segment in the first radio channel state during a third time period t₃, initiating transition, at the network entity, from the first to the second radio channel state, and waiting, at the network entity after the initiating step, at least for a time period t=t₂−t₃−t₁, wherein the second time period is greater than the sum of the first and third time periods.

Claims

1. A method for managing streaming media traffic at a network entity, the network entity being capable of assuming at least a first radio channel state and a second radio channel state, a transition from the first radio channel state to the second radio channel state requiring a first predetermined time period t₁, wherein the method is performed in the network entity and comprises the steps of:

combining, at the network entity, at least two media segments such that a resulting combined media segment comprises media data equivalent to a second predetermined time period t₂, the second time period being greater than the first time period;

transmitting, from the network entity, the combined media segment in the first radio channel state during a third time period t₃;

initiating transition, at the network entity, from the first to the second radio channel state; and

waiting, at the network entity after the initiating step, at least for a time period t=t₂−

t₃−

t₁, wherein the second time period is greater than the sum of the first and third time periods.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, in the combining step, the at least two media segments have a data amount less than transmittable during the second time period in the first radio channel state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein,

the initiating step is performed immediately upon elapse of a sum of the first and third time periods, and

the waiting step is performed immediately after the initiating step.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to the combining step:

receiving a request for a manifest file comprising an inquiry for the at least two media segments.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

creating a new manifest file comprising an identifier for the combined media segment.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the created new manifest file further comprises an indicator for indicating the first predetermined time period.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the identifier is a uniform resource locator, URL.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the manifest file is one of a .m3u8 playlist, a .ismc file and a .MPD file.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first radio channel state is a Cell Dedicated Channel, Cell-DCH, state, and

the second radio channel state is a Cell Forward Access Channel, Cell-FACH, state.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first time period is 2 seconds.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first radio channel state is a Cell Forward Access Channel, Cell-FACH, state, and

the second radio channel state is a UTRAN Registration Area Paging Channel, URA-PCH, state, wherein UTRAN means UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network, and UMTS means Universal Mobile Telecommunications System.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first time period is 10 seconds.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first radio channel state is a Cell Dedicated Channel, Cell-DCH, state, and

the second radio channel state is a UTRAN Registration Area Paging Channel, URA-PCH, state, wherein UTRAN refers to a UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access Network, and UMTS refers to a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the first time period is 12 seconds.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the second time period is between 40 seconds to 80 seconds.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the second time period is between 60 seconds to 80 seconds.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein the network entity comprises one of a transparent function and an add-on to a Hypertext Transfer Protocol, HTTP, server.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the network entity comprises a proxy server and one of a nodeB and an evolved nodeB.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein:

the combining step is performed by the proxy server, and

the transmitting, initiating and waiting steps are performed by the one of the node B and evolved nodeB.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein all steps between the first combining step and the last waiting step of the network entity are repeated periodically.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the second time period is 80 seconds or more.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the second time period is 80 seconds or more.

23. A computer program product comprising program code portions stored on a non-transitory computer readable recording medium for performing the method of claim 1, when the computer program product is executed on one or more computing devices.

24. A method for managing streaming media traffic between a network entity and a client, the network entity being capable of assuming at least a first radio channel state and a second radio channel state, a transition from the first radio channel state to the second radio channel state requiring a first predetermined time period t₁, wherein the method performed in the network entity comprises:

combining, at the network entity, at least two media segments such that a resulting combined media segment comprises media data equivalent to a second predetermined time period t₂, the second time period being greater than the first time period;

transmitting, from the network entity, the combined media segment in the first radio channel state during a third time period t₃;

initiating transition, at the network entity, from the first to the second radio channel state; and

waiting, at the network entity after the initiating step, at least for a time period t=t₂−

t₃−

t₁, wherein the second time period is greater than the sum of the first and third time periods,

and wherein the method performed in the client comprises;

transmitting, from the client to the network entity, a request for a manifest file comprising an inquiry for the at least two media segments;

receiving, at the client, both the newly created manifest file and the combined media segment; and

transitioning, at the client, from the first radio channel state into the second radio channel state after the reception step.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the transitioning step is performed substantially immediately after the reception step.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the transmitting step of the network entity further comprises:

providing, at the network entity, the combined media segment, and

transmitting, from the network entity to the client, the combined media segment responsive to the inquiry.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the waiting step of the network entity is ended by a subsequent inquiry for at least two further media segments.

28. A device for managing streaming media traffic, the device being capable of assuming at least a first radio channel state and a second radio channel state, a transition from the first radio channel state to the second radio channel state requiring a first predetermined time period t₁, wherein the device comprises a processor and a memory, said memory comprising program code portions which, when executed by said processor, cause the device to:

combine at least two media segments such that a resulting combined media segment comprises media data equivalent to a second predetermined time period t₂, the second time period being greater than the first time period;

transmit the combined media segment in the first radio channel state during a third time period t₃;

initiate transition from the first to the second radio channel state; and

after the initiating step, at least for a time period t=t₂−

t₃−

t₁, wherein the second time period is greater than the sum of the first and third time periods.

29. The device of claim 28, wherein the memory further comprises program code portions which, when executed by said processor, cause the device to:

receive, prior to the combining, a request for a manifest file comprising an inquiry for the at least two media segments.

30. The device of claim 29, wherein the memory further comprises program code portions which, when executed by said processor, cause the device to:

create a new manifest file comprising an identifier for the combined media segment.

31. The device of claim 28, further comprising one of a transparent function and an add-on to a Hypertext Transfer Protocol, HTTP, server.

32. The device of claim 28, further comprising a proxy server and one of a nodeB and an evolved nodeB.

33. A system for managing streaming media traffic between a network entity capable of assuming at least a first radio channel state and a second radio channel state, a transition from the first radio channel state to the second radio channel state requiring a first predetermined time period t₁, and a client, wherein the network entity comprises a processor and a memory, said memory comprising program code portions which, when executed by said processor, cause the network entity to:

combine at least two media segments such that a resulting combined media segment comprises media data equivalent to a second predetermined time period t₂, the second time period being greater than the first time period;

transmit the combined media segment in the first radio channel state during a third time period t₃;

initiate transition from the first to the second radio channel state; and

wait after the initiating step, at least for a time period t=t₂−

t₃−

t₁, wherein the second time period is greater than the sum of the first and third time periods; and

wherein the client comprises a processor and a memory, said memory comprising program code portions which, when executed by said processor, cause the client to;

transmit to the network entity, a request for a manifest file comprising an inquiry for the at least two media segments;

receive both the newly created manifest file and the combined media segment; and

transit from the first radio channel state into the second radio channel state after the reception step.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the memory further comprises program code portions which, when executed by said processor, cause the network entity to:

provide the combined media segment, and

transmit to the client, the combined media segment responsive to the inquiry.