Combined broadcast and unicast delivery
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- receiving a media stream at a client device from a broadcast media server, the media stream comprising a plurality of media stream fragments;
transmitting a request to a unicast server to receive the media stream via unicast delivery;
receiving the media stream at the client device from a unicast media server, the transmission of the media stream fragments from the broadcast media server being delayed relative to the transmission of the media stream fragments from the unicast media server;
maintaining a media fragment buffer to store a designated number of the media stream fragments, wherein the designated number of the media stream fragments meets or exceeds the delay; and
presenting the media stream at the client device, wherein media fragments stored in the media fragment buffer are presented while switching between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Described herein are techniques for facilitating combined broadcast and unicast delivery of content. According to various embodiments, a media stream from a content provider may be received at a unicast server and at a broadcast server. The media stream may comprise a plurality of media stream fragments. A relative delay may be introduced into the media stream at the broadcast server such that media stream fragments transmitted from the broadcast server are delayed relative to media stream fragments transmitted from the unicast server. The media stream fragments may be transmitted to a user device. The user device may be operable to switch between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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receiving a media stream at a client device from a broadcast media server, the media stream comprising a plurality of media stream fragments; transmitting a request to a unicast server to receive the media stream via unicast delivery; receiving the media stream at the client device from a unicast media server, the transmission of the media stream fragments from the broadcast media server being delayed relative to the transmission of the media stream fragments from the unicast media server; maintaining a media fragment buffer to store a designated number of the media stream fragments, wherein the designated number of the media stream fragments meets or exceeds the delay; and presenting the media stream at the client device, wherein media fragments stored in the media fragment buffer are presented while switching between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A computing device comprising:
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memory storing a media stream received from a broadcast media server, the media stream comprising a plurality of media stream fragments; a processor sending an instruction to transmit a request to a unicast server to receive the media stream via unicast delivery; a communications interface receiving the media stream from a unicast media server, the transmission of the media stream fragments from the broadcast media server being delayed relative to the transmission of the media stream fragments from the unicast media server; a media fragment buffer storing a designated number of the media stream fragments, wherein the designated number of the media stream fragments meets or exceeds the delay; and a display screen presenting the media stream at the computing device, wherein media fragments stored in the media fragment buffer are presented while switching between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. One or more non-transitory computer readable media having instructions stored thereon for performing a method, the method comprising:
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receiving a media stream at a client device from a broadcast media server, the media stream comprising a plurality of media stream fragments; transmitting a request to a unicast server to receive the media stream via unicast delivery; receiving the media stream at the client device from a unicast media server, the transmission of the media stream fragments from the broadcast media server being delayed relative to the transmission of the media stream fragments from the unicast media server; maintaining a media fragment buffer to store a designated number of the media stream fragments, wherein the designated number of the media stream fragments meets or exceeds the delay; and presenting the media stream at the client device, wherein media fragments stored in the media fragment buffer are presented while switching between receiving the media stream fragments from the unicast server and the broadcast server.
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Specification