Manifest re-assembler for a streaming video channel

• US 9,432,431 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2014
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Original Assignee: Accenture Global Services Limited (Accenture PLC)
• Inventors: O'Malley, Meghan, Burgoon, Jeffrey D., Lev, Ron, McDonald, Ryan K., Intriligator, Joshua
• Primary Examiner(s): BOUTAH, ALINA A
• Application Number:
  US14/217,760
• Publication Number:
  US 20150271234A1
• Time in Patent Office: 896 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/217, 709/203, 709/231
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26258 for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/472 End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content end-user interfaces for retrieving video data from a database G06F16/739; network services for supporting unicast streaming H04L65/612
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A device is configured to receive a playlist identifying content assets to be played on a streaming video channel. Each of the content assets may include segments. The device may add segment addresses associated with a content asset into a queue. The segment addresses may identify memory locations at which the segments included in the content asset are stored. However, the segments themselves may not be stored by the device or added to the queue. The device may generate a batch of segment addresses from the segment addresses in the queue. The device may publish a channel manifest for the streaming video channel including the batch of segment addresses. The content assets may be accessible via the streaming video channel through a single network address. The device may periodically update the channel manifest based on the segment addresses in the queue.

Claims

1. A device, comprising:

one or more processors to;

receive a playlist identifying a plurality of content assets to be played on a streaming video channel,

each of the plurality of content assets including a plurality of segments;

determine a content asset is ready for processing,

the content asset being included in the plurality of content assets,

the content asset being associated with a live program;

retrieve available segment addresses associated with the content asset based on the content asset being associated with the live program,

a plurality of segment addresses, associated with the content asset, including the available segment addresses;

add the plurality of segment addresses, including the available segment addresses, to a queue,

the plurality of segment addresses identifying memory locations at which the plurality of segments, included in the content asset, are stored;

generate a batch of segment addresses from the plurality of segment addresses in the queue;

publish a channel manifest for the streaming video channel including the batch of segment addresses,

the plurality of content assets being accessible via the streaming video channel through a single network address; and

periodically update the channel manifest based on the plurality of segment addresses in the queue.

2. The device of claim 1, where the playlist indicates a start time for the content asset, and

where the one or more processors, when determining the content asset is ready to be processed, are to:

determine the content asset is ready to be processed based on the start time and a time the determination is made.

3. The device of claim 1, where the playlist includes a publishing address indicating a memory location to send the channel manifest, and

where the one or more processors, when publishing the channel manifest, are to:

send the channel manifest to the memory location indicated by the publishing address.

4. The device of claim 1, where the playlist includes a content asset manifest address indicating a memory location of a content asset manifest,

the content asset manifest identifying the plurality of segment addresses, and

where the one or more processors are further to:

receive the plurality of segment addresses identified by the content asset manifest based on the content asset manifest address.

5. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further to:

periodically retrieve newly available segment addresses associated with the content asset based on the content asset being associated with the live program,

the plurality of segment addresses including the newly available segment addresses; and

where the one or more processors, when adding the plurality of segment addresses to the queue, are to;

add the newly available segment addresses to the queue in an order retrieved.

6. The device of claim 1, where the one or more processors are further to:

determine that another content asset, of the plurality of content assets, is associated with a prerecorded program;

retrieve different segment addresses associated with the other content asset at a same time based on the other content asset being associated with the prerecorded program,

the plurality of segment addresses including the different segment addresses associated with the other content asset; and

where the one or more processors, when adding the plurality of segment addresses to the queue, are to;

add the different segment addresses associated with the other content asset to the queue.

7. The device of claim 1, where the batch of segment addresses includes a quantity of segment addresses in an order that corresponding segments are to be played on the streaming video channel.

8. A computer-readable medium for storing instructions, the instructions comprising:

one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, of a device, cause the one or more processors to;

receive a playlist identifying a plurality of content assets to be played on a streaming video channel,

each of the plurality of content assets including a plurality of segments;

determine that a content asset is ready to be played on the streaming video channel,

the content asset being included in the plurality of content assets,

the content asset being associated with a live program;

retrieve available segment addresses associated with the content asset based on the content asset being associated with the live program,

a plurality of segment addresses, associated with the content asset, including the available segment addresses;

add the plurality of segment addresses, including the available segment addresses, to a queue,

the plurality of segment addresses identifying memory locations at which the plurality of segments, included in the content asset, are stored;

generate a batch of segment addresses from the plurality of segment addresses in the queue;

send a channel manifest for the streaming video channel to a server;

the channel manifest including the batch of segment addresses,

the plurality of content assets being accessible via the streaming video channel through a single network address; and

continually update the channel manifest based on the plurality of segment addresses in the queue.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

receive an update to the playlist;

determine that the update requires modifying the queue; and

modify the queue based on determining that the update requires modifying the queue.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 9, where the update includes an updated content asset that is ready to be played on the streaming video channel, and

where the one or more instructions that cause the one or more processors to modify the queue, cause the one or more processors to:

add a plurality of updated segment addresses associated with the updated content asset to a start of the queue.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions that continually update the channel manifest, cause the one or more processors to:

remove the segment address included in the batch of segment addresses from the queue;

generate a new batch of segment addresses from the plurality of segment addresses remaining in the queue; and

send an updated channel manifest for the streaming video channel to the server,

the updated channel manifest including the new batch of segment addresses.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the content asset is a first content asset and the plurality of segment addresses are a first plurality of segment addresses, and

where the one or more instructions that continually update the channel manifest, cause the one or more processors to:

determine that a second content asset included in the playlist is ready to be played,

the second content asset being different than the first content asset; and

add a second plurality of segment addresses associated with the second content asset into the queue based on determining that the second content asset is ready to be played.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the batch of segment addresses includes a quantity of segment addresses in an order that corresponding segments, included in the content asset, are to be played on the streaming video channel.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

store status information associated with each of the plurality of content assets,

the status information indicating a respective content asset is at least one of ready for processing, not ready for processing, or already processed, and

where the one or more instructions that determine that the content asset is ready to be played, cause the one or more processors to;

determine that the content asset is ready to be played based on the status information.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, where the one or more instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

update the status information based on sending the channel manifest to the server.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, a playlist identifying a plurality of content assets to be played on a streaming video channel,

each of the plurality of content assets including a plurality of segments;

determining, by the device, a content asset is ready to be played on the streaming video channel based on a start time associated with the content asset,

the content asset being included in the plurality of content assets,

the content asset being associated with a live program;

retrieving, by the device, available segment addresses associated with the content asset based on the content asset being associated with the live program,

a plurality of segment addresses, associated with the content asset, including the available segment addresses;

adding, by the device, the plurality of segment addresses, including the available segment addresses to a queue,

the plurality of segment addresses identifying memory locations at which a plurality of segment files included in the content asset are stored;

generating, by the device, a batch of segment addresses from the plurality of segment addresses in the queue; and

publishing, by the device, a channel manifest file for the streaming video channel, including the batch of segment addresses, by sending the channel manifest file to a server,

the plurality of content assets being accessible via the streaming video channel through a network address.

17. The method of claim 16, where receiving the playlist includes generating the playlist based on a user selection of the plurality of content assets.

18. The method of claim 16, where the plurality of segment addresses include a first subset of segment addresses identifying first memory locations at which a subset of segment files encoded at a first resolution are stored, and a second subset of segment addresses identifying second memory locations at which the subset of segment files encoded at a second resolution are stored, and

where the channel manifest file includes the first subset of segment addresses and the second subset of segment addresses.

19. The method of claim 16, where the channel manifest file is used for Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) Live Streaming.

20. The method of claim 16, where the plurality of content assets include a live content and a prerecorded content.

21. A device, comprising:

one or more processors to;

receive a playlist identifying a plurality of content assets to be played on a streaming video channel,

each of the plurality of content assets including a plurality of segments;

determine a content asset is ready for processing,

the content asset being included in the plurality of content assets;

add a plurality of segment addresses associated with the content asset into a queue,

the plurality of segment addresses identifying memory locations at which the plurality of segments, included in the content asset, are stored;

generate a batch of segment addresses from the plurality of segment addresses in the queue;

publish a channel manifest for the streaming video channel including the batch of segment addresses,

the plurality of content assets being accessible via the streaming video channel through a single network address;

periodically update the channel manifest based on the plurality of segment addresses in the queue;

determine the content asset is associated with a prerecorded program;

retrieve all segment addresses associated with the content asset at a same time based on the content asset being associated with the prerecorded program,

the plurality of segment addresses including all the segment addresses associated with the content asset; and

add all the segment addresses associated with the content asset to the queue.

22. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, a playlist identifying a plurality of content assets to be played on a streaming video channel,

each of the plurality of content assets including a plurality of segments;

determining, by the device, a content asset is ready to be played on the streaming video channel based on a start time associated with the content asset,

the content asset being included in the plurality of content assets;

adding, by the device, a plurality of segment addresses, associated with the content asset, into a queue,

the plurality of segment addresses identifying memory locations at which a plurality of segment files included in the content asset are stored,

the plurality of segment addresses including a first subset of segment addresses identifying first memory locations at which a subset of segment files encoded at a first resolution are stored, and a second subset of segment addresses identifying second memory locations at which the subset of segment files encoded at a second resolution are stored;

generating, by the device, a batch of segment addresses from the plurality of segment addresses in the queue; and

publishing, by the device, a channel manifest file for the streaming video channel, including the batch of segment addresses, by sending the channel manifest file to a server,

the channel manifest file including the first subset of segment addresses and the second subset of segment addresses,

the plurality of content assets being accessible via the streaming video channel through a network address.