Systems and methods for rapid content switching to provide a linear TV experience using streaming content distribution
First Claim
1. A method for rapid content switching between pieces of content presented in a plurality of stations using streaming content distribution, comprising:
- processing, by a playback device, at least a portion of a station manifest, where the station manifest comprises;
identifiers for a plurality of content stations;
identifiers for a plurality of pieces of content, where each piece of content contains different perceivable video content and is associated with at least one content station;
a plurality of jump points for each piece of content of the plurality of pieces of content, where each jump point of the plurality of jump points for a piece of content is associated with a specific location within the piece of content; and
references to a plurality of content manifests for the plurality of pieces of content, where the content manifest for a particular piece of content comprises information concerning the location and properties of a plurality of alternative bitrate streams for the particular piece of content, where each alternative bitrate stream contains the same perceivable video content encoded at a different bitrate;
requesting and receiving, by the playback device, a portion of a current piece of content from the plurality of pieces of content via a multimedia streaming protocol over a network, where the current piece of content is associated with a current content station from the plurality of content stations;
playing, by the playback device, the received portion of the current piece of content associated with the current content station;
identifying, by the playback device, a plurality of alternative pieces of content that are different from the current piece of content, where each alternative piece of content is associated with one of a set of alternative content stations from the plurality of content stations that are different from the current content station;
downloading, by the playback device, a content manifest, of the plurality of content manifests, associated with each alternative piece of content of the plurality of alternative pieces of content using the corresponding reference from the station manifest;
preparing, by the playback device, additional content for playback for each of the plurality of alternative pieces of content during playback of the current piece of content by;
identifying a first bitrate and a first target jump point of the plurality of jump points associated with each alternative piece of content, where the first target jump point is based on a first time;
requesting, receiving and buffering by the playback device a first portion of each alternative piece of content while the current piece of content is being played back, where the requested portion is encoded at the identified first bitrate and begins at the identifies first target jump point; and
stopping the buffering after a discrete amount of content has been buffered;
updating the additional content for playback for at least a subset of the plurality of alternative pieces of content by;
identifying a second target jump point of the plurality of jump points associated with each alternative piece of content of the subset of alternative pieces of content, where the second target jump point for each alternative piece of content is based on a second time that is later than the first time;
requesting, receiving and buffering a second portion of each alternative piece of content of the subset of alternative pieces of content while the current piece of content is being played back, where the requested second portion begins at the second target jump point; and
stopping the buffering after a discrete amount of content has been buffered;
receiving, by the playback device, a user instruction to select a particular alternative content station of the set of alternative content stations during playback of the current piece of content; and
commencing, by the playback device, playback of the buffered second portion of the alternative piece of content associated with the particular alternative content station.
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Abstract
Systems and methods for rapid content switching between pieces of content presented in a plurality of stations using streaming content distribution in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. One embodiment includes processing a portion of a station manifest that includes identifiers for content stations and identifiers for pieces of content associated with content stations, selecting jump points that are associated with specific locations within pieces of content, determining a current content station, playing a portion of a current piece of content associated with the current content station, determining alternative pieces of content using the station manifest, preparing additional content for playback at each of the jump points by preparing alternative pieces of content during playback of the current content, receiving a user instruction during playback, selecting a target jump point based upon the user instruction, and commencing playback of additional content starting from the target jump point.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A method for rapid content switching between pieces of content presented in a plurality of stations using streaming content distribution, comprising:
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processing, by a playback device, at least a portion of a station manifest, where the station manifest comprises; identifiers for a plurality of content stations; identifiers for a plurality of pieces of content, where each piece of content contains different perceivable video content and is associated with at least one content station; a plurality of jump points for each piece of content of the plurality of pieces of content, where each jump point of the plurality of jump points for a piece of content is associated with a specific location within the piece of content; and references to a plurality of content manifests for the plurality of pieces of content, where the content manifest for a particular piece of content comprises information concerning the location and properties of a plurality of alternative bitrate streams for the particular piece of content, where each alternative bitrate stream contains the same perceivable video content encoded at a different bitrate; requesting and receiving, by the playback device, a portion of a current piece of content from the plurality of pieces of content via a multimedia streaming protocol over a network, where the current piece of content is associated with a current content station from the plurality of content stations; playing, by the playback device, the received portion of the current piece of content associated with the current content station; identifying, by the playback device, a plurality of alternative pieces of content that are different from the current piece of content, where each alternative piece of content is associated with one of a set of alternative content stations from the plurality of content stations that are different from the current content station; downloading, by the playback device, a content manifest, of the plurality of content manifests, associated with each alternative piece of content of the plurality of alternative pieces of content using the corresponding reference from the station manifest; preparing, by the playback device, additional content for playback for each of the plurality of alternative pieces of content during playback of the current piece of content by; identifying a first bitrate and a first target jump point of the plurality of jump points associated with each alternative piece of content, where the first target jump point is based on a first time; requesting, receiving and buffering by the playback device a first portion of each alternative piece of content while the current piece of content is being played back, where the requested portion is encoded at the identified first bitrate and begins at the identifies first target jump point; and stopping the buffering after a discrete amount of content has been buffered; updating the additional content for playback for at least a subset of the plurality of alternative pieces of content by; identifying a second target jump point of the plurality of jump points associated with each alternative piece of content of the subset of alternative pieces of content, where the second target jump point for each alternative piece of content is based on a second time that is later than the first time; requesting, receiving and buffering a second portion of each alternative piece of content of the subset of alternative pieces of content while the current piece of content is being played back, where the requested second portion begins at the second target jump point; and stopping the buffering after a discrete amount of content has been buffered; receiving, by the playback device, a user instruction to select a particular alternative content station of the set of alternative content stations during playback of the current piece of content; and commencing, by the playback device, playback of the buffered second portion of the alternative piece of content associated with the particular alternative content station. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A playback device for rapid content switching between pieces of content presented in a plurality of stations using streaming content distribution, comprising:
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a processor; a network interface; and memory comprising a playback application; wherein the processor is configured by the playback application to; process at least a portion of a station manifest, where the station manifest comprises; identifiers for a plurality of content stations; identifiers for a plurality of pieces of content, where each piece of content contains different perceivable video content and is associated with at least one content station; a plurality of jump points for each piece of content of the plurality of pieces of content, where each jump point of the plurality of jump points for a piece of content is associated with a specific location within the piece of content; and references to a plurality of content manifests for the plurality of pieces of content, where the content manifest for a particular piece of content comprises information concerning the location and properties of a plurality of alternative bitrate streams for the particular piece of content, where each alternative bitrate stream contains the same perceivable video content encoded at a different bitrate; request and receive a portion of a current piece of content from the plurality of pieces of content via a multimedia streaming protocol over a network, where the current piece of content is associated with a current content station from the plurality of content stations; play the received portion of the current piece of content associated with the current content station; identify a plurality of alternative pieces of content that are different from the current piece of content, where each alternative piece of content is associated with one of a set of alternative content stations from the plurality of content stations that are different from the current content station; download a content manifest, of the plurality of content manifests, associated with each alternative piece of content of the plurality of alternative pieces of content using the corresponding reference from the station manifest; prepare additional content for playback for each of the plurality of alternative pieces of content during playback of the current piece of content by; identifying a first bitrate and a first target jump point of the plurality of jump points associated with each alternative piece of content, where the first target jump point is based on a first time; requesting, receiving and buffering by the playback device a first portion of each alternative piece of content while the current piece of content is being played back, where the requested portion is encoded at the identified first bitrate and begins at the identifies first target jump point; and stopping the buffering after a discrete amount of content has been buffered; update the additional content for playback for at least a subset of the plurality of alternative pieces of content by; identifying a second target jump point of the plurality of jump points associated with each alternative piece of content of the subset of alternative pieces of content, where the second target jump point for each alternative piece of content is based on a second time that is later than the first time; requesting, receiving and buffering a second portion of each alternative piece of content of the subset of alternative pieces of content while the current piece of content is being played back, where the requested second portion begins at the second target jump point; and stopping the buffering after a discrete amount of content has been buffered; receive a user instruction to select a particular alternative content station of the set of alternative content stations during playback of the current piece of content; and commence playback of the buffered second portion of the alternative piece of content associated with the particular alternative content station.
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Specification