Real-time or near real-time streaming

• US 9,531,779 B2
• Filed: 10/17/2014
• Issued: 12/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Pantos, Roger, Tseng, Alan, May, William Jr., Batson, James David
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): RUBIN, BLAKE J
• Application Number:
  US14/517,608
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses provide real-time or near real-time streaming of content, specified in one or more playlists, using transfer protocols such as an HTTP compliant protocol. In one embodiment, a method can execute a user application on a client device to present media files and to control presentation of the media files. The method can further run a media serving process on the client device to retrieve a playlist specifying the media files and a media source at which the media files are available, to retrieve the media files from the media source, and to decode the media files retrieved. The media serving process can call the user application to process a custom URL in order to obtain an object referred to by the custom URL.

Claims

1. A device of the user for providing an output to a presentation device, the device of the user comprising:

a remote playback component configured in a remote playback mode in response to receiving a command from another device to activate remote playback mode, wherein the device of the user is configured to playback a content item on the device of the user in response to one or more playback commands received from the another device of the user, including initiating playback of the content item using the device of the user by selecting the content item using an application on the another device of the user;

a media server component, the media server component being configured to process a playlist specifying media files of the content item and to retrieve and decode the media files specified in the playlist, wherein access to the content of the media files is controlled by a decryption key, and the media server component being configured to produce a message that elicits a response from the another device of the user, and the remote playback component being configured to pass the message to the another device of the user;

an output to provide video data or audio data or both video data and audio data to the presentation device, the output being coupled to the media server component which provides the video data or audio data or both;

an input/output (I/O) interface coupled to the remote playback component, the I/O interface being configured to pass the message, from the media server component to the another device of the user, and the I/O interface being configured to pass a response to the message, from the another device of the user, to the media server component to allow the output to provide the video data or audio data or both to the presentation device and wherein the application on the another device provides the response to the message through the I/O interface, and the message includes data for obtaining the decryption key to decrypt the media files.

2. The device as in claim 1 wherein the device of the user communicates with the another device through a wireless network and wherein the another device presents a user interface on a display of the another device that presents playback controls that generate playback commands in response to user input by a user of the another device for transmission to the device of the user to control playback of the content item by the device.

3. The device as in claim 2 wherein playback commands include one or more of:

start playback;

pause playback;

stop playback;

selection of media content;

or fast forward of playback.

4. The device as in claim 3 wherein the another device of the user comprises one of a laptop computer, a tablet computer, or a smart phone.

5. The device as in claim 1 wherein the device of the user retrieves and processes one or more playlists for the content item specified by the another device of the user, when the device of the user is configured in remote playback mode.

6. The device as in claim 1 further comprising:

requesting, by the device of the user, from the another device of the user, resolution of a custom URL which represents data for obtaining a decryption key and wherein the custom URL is contained within the playlist;

receiving, by the device of the user, from the another device of the user, a resolved URL to the decryption key to the one or more media files referenced in the playlist for the content item;

retrieving, by the device of the user, the decryption key using the resolved URL; and

decrypting, by the device of the user, the one or more media files references in the playlist using the decryption key.

19. The device as in claim 1 wherein the device communicates with the another device through a wireless network and wherein the another device presents a user interface on a display of the another device that allows the content item to be viewed on the another device while the content item is being output by the device of the user to the presentation device.

20. The device as in claim 1 wherein the device of the user receives a playlist specifying media files of the content item from the another device of the user.

21. The device as in claim 20 wherein the device of the user retrieves media files of the content, specified in the playlist from a media server.

7. A method in a device of a user for providing an output to a presentation device, the method comprising:

configuring the device in a remote playback mode in response to receiving a command from another device to activate remote playback mode, wherein the device is configured to playback a content item on the device and provide the output of the playback to the presentation device in response to one or more playback commands received from another device of the user, wherein playback of the content item using the device of the user is initiated by selecting the content item using an application on the another device of the user and receiving the selection of the content item from the another device of the user in response to the selecting;

executing a media server process on the device, the media server process configured to retrieve and decode media files of the content item specified in a playlist file and to produce a message that requests a response from the another device of the user, wherein access to the content of the media files is controlled by a decryption key;

transmitting the message to the another device of the user;

receiving the response to the message from the another device of the user to allow the device to present content on the presentation device, the message being transmitted in response to processing the playlist, wherein the message includes data for obtaining the decryption key to decrypt the media files.

8. The method as in claim 7 wherein an application executing on the another device provides the response to the message.

9. The method as in claim 8 wherein the device of the user communicates with the another device through a wireless network and wherein the another device presents a user interface on a display of the another device that presents playback controls that generate playback commends by the another device for transmission to the device of the user that the device of the user will use to control playback of the content item by the device.

10. The method as in claim 9 wherein the application causes the user interface to be presented and wherein playback commands include one or more of:

start playback;

pause playback;

stop playback;

select media content;

or fast forward of playback.

11. The method as in claim 7 wherein the device of the user retrieves and processes one or more playlists for the content item specified by the another device of the user, when the device of the user is configured in remote playback mode.

12. The method as in claim 7 wherein the message comprises a custom URL which represents data for obtaining a decryption key and which is contained within the playlist.

13. A non-transitory machine readable medium containing program instructions which when executed by the device causes the device to perform the method of claim 7.

14. A non-transitory machine readable medium containing program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the system to perform a method comprising:

configuring a first device of a user to control a second device of the user that is wirelessly connected, through a wireless network, to the first device to allow the second device to output content, under control of the first device, for presentation on a display device that is coupled to the second device, wherein control of the second device by the first device of the user includes displaying, on the first device, an application having a user interface to configured to receive one or more user input that generate one or more commands to set the second device into a remote playback mode, generate one or more commands initiating playback of a content item on the second device using the first device by selecting the content item using the application on the first device, and generate one or more commands

to control the output of content from the second device to the display device that is coupled to the second device;

receiving, by the first device, a message from the second device, the message requesting a response to allow the second device to present content on the display device, the content comprising one or more media files wherein access to the content of the media files is controlled by a decryption key, the message being transmitted from the second device in response to processing a playlist on the second device, the playlist specifying one or more files of segments of content for playback;

transmitting the response to the message to the second device, the response to the message including data for obtaining a decryption key to decrypt the media files.

15. The medium as in claim 14 wherein the application provides the response to the second device through the wireless network.

16. The medium as in claim 15 wherein the playback commands include one or more of:

start playback;

pause playback;

stop playback;

select media content;

or fast forward playback.

17. The medium as in claim 14 wherein the second device of the user retrieves and processes one or more playlists for the content item specified by the first device of the user, when the second device of the user is configured in remote playback mode.

18. The medium as in claim 14 wherein the message includes a custom URL which represents data for obtaining a decryption key and the custom URL is contained in the playlist.