Enhanced block-request streaming system using signaling or block creation

• US 9,432,433 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2010
• Issued: 08/30/2016
• 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
• Primary Examiner(s): LEE, BRYAN Y
• Application Number:
  US12/887,476
• Publication Number:
  US 20110238789A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,170 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 65/75 Media network packet handling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device 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: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• 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 21/2401 Monitoring of the client buffer
• 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 21/84 : 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 improvements in the user experience and bandwidth efficiency of such systems, typically using an ingestion system that generates data in a form to be served by a conventional file server (HTTP, FTP, or the like), wherein the ingestion system intakes content and prepares it as files or data elements to be served by the file server. The system might include controlling the sequence, timing and construction of block requests, time based indexing, variable block sizing, optimal block partitioning, control of random access point placement, including across multiple presentation versions, dynamically updating presentation data, and/or efficiently presenting live content and time shifting.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

obtaining data representing media of a presentation;

storing the data representing media of the presentation as a plurality of segments, wherein one or more of the plurality of segments includes a plurality of blocks, and wherein each block includes a plurality of frames;

storing correspondence data associated with at least one segment, wherein the stored correspondence data includes a correspondence between at least one time indicator and at least one position of at least one block within the at least one segment;

transmitting a segment and a segment index to a client, wherein the segment index includes correspondence data associated with the segment, and wherein the segment index allows the client to specify a position of one or more blocks within the segment to include in one or more requests;

receiving a request for a block from the client, wherein the request includes a specified position of the block within the segment; and

transmitting the block to the client in response to the request from the client for the block.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored correspondence data is stored as part of a file that also contains corresponding media data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored correspondence data is a map formatted as XML metadata, wherein the time indicator is a time range relative to a beginning of the presentation or relative to a beginning of a media block.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of blocks and the stored correspondence data are generated by a media ingestion system and stored on a general purpose server that responds at least to file requests.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the file requests are HTTP requests.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of blocks are of variable duration and the stored correspondence data allows client devices to determine time range and data location correspondences that can vary depending on the variable durations of media blocks.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein a group of pictures (GoP) is partitioned into more than one media block.

8. A method, in a client device that is capable of presenting a media presentation over a presentation time period, of determining requests to make of a media server, the method comprising:

obtaining, at the client device, a list of segments of the media presentation, wherein the client device is configured to transmit a request for a segment, wherein the segment includes a plurality of blocks, and wherein each block includes a plurality of frames;

determining, at the client device, a desired time period of the media presentation, wherein the desired time period is less than all of the presentation time period;

obtaining, at the client device, stored correspondence data that includes a correspondence between at least one time indicator and at least one data range of a block within a segment of the media presentation;

determining, at the client device, and from the stored correspondence data, a position of at least one block within the segment to include in a request for the at least one block from the media server;

transmitting the request for the at least one block; and

presenting the media presentation.