System and method for transitioning between receiving different compressed media streams

• US 9,979,768 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2017
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Spotify AB (Spotify Technology SA)
• Original Assignee: Spotify AB (Spotify Technology SA)
• Inventors: Hoffert, Eric, Strigeus, Ludvig, Oman, Andreas, Arvidsson, Oskar
• Primary Examiner(s): Bruckart, Benjamin R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tien M
• Application Number:
  US15/595,705
• Publication Number:
  US 20170251039A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/765 intermediate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/04 Protocols for data compression, e.g. ROHC
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/262 Content or additional data distribution scheduling, e.g. sending additional data at off-peak times, updating software modules, calculating the carousel transmission frequency, delaying a video stream transmission, generating play-lists scheduling strategies for dispatcher in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/4881; arrangements for scheduling broadcast services or broadcast-related services H04H60/06; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a time schedule or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/42623 involving specific decryption arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4347 Demultiplexing of several video streams
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4383 Accessing a communication channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4384 involving operations to reduce the access time, e.g. fast-tuning for reducing channel switching latency
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4405 involving video stream decryption
• 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 21/6125 : involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8458 : involving uncompressed content

Abstract

A computer system receives a content-transition indication to provide a second decompressed media stream to a presentation device instead of providing a first decompressed media stream. In response to receiving the content-transition indication, the computer system ceases to receive a first compressed media stream corresponding to the first decompressed media stream and continues to provide the first decompressed media stream to the presentation device using first buffered data. The computer system selects a transition point for a second compressed media stream, corresponding to the second decompressed media stream, based on a quantity of data of the second compressed media stream to be buffered. While continuing to provide the first decompressed media stream to the presentation device using the first buffered data, the computer system receives and buffers the second compressed media stream starting at the transition point. The computer system provides the second decompressed media stream to the presentation device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at a computer system comprising one or more processors and memory;

while providing a first decompressed media stream to a presentation device, receiving a content-transition indication indicating that a second decompressed media stream is to be provided to the presentation device instead of the first decompressed media stream;

in response to receiving the content-transition indication, ceasing to receive a first compressed media stream corresponding to the first decompressed media stream;

after ceasing to receive the first compressed media stream, continuing to provide the first decompressed media stream to the presentation device using first buffered data;

selecting a transition point for a second compressed media stream, corresponding to the second decompressed media stream, based on a quantity of data of the second compressed media stream to be buffered;

while continuing to provide the first decompressed media stream to the presentation device using the first buffered data;

receiving the second compressed media stream starting at the transition point,

buffering the second compressed media stream, and

generating the second decompressed media stream from the buffered second compressed media stream; and

providing the second decompressed media stream to the presentation device instead of providing the first decompressed media stream to the presentation device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the computer system, determining the quantity of data of the second compressed media stream to be buffered based on a target play time and a bit rate of the second compressed media stream.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the transition point is further based on bandwidth available for receiving the second compressed media stream.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the computer system, determining a predicted buffering time to buffer the second compressed media stream based on:

the quantity of data to be buffered; and

bandwidth available for receiving the second compressed media stream;

wherein selecting the transition point is based on the predicted buffering time.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the computer system:

receiving the first compressed media stream;

decrypting the first compressed media stream;

demultiplexing the first compressed media stream;

buffering data for the decrypted and demultiplexed first compressed media stream; and

decompressing the buffered data for the decrypted and demultiplexed first compressed media stream using a first codec to generate the first decompressed media stream.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the computer system:

before receiving the content-transition indication, buffering a first amount of data for the first decompressed media stream; and

after receiving the content-transition indication, buffering a second amount of data for the first decompressed media stream that is larger than the first amount.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first decompressed media stream is generated using a first codec;

the second decompressed media stream is generated using a second codec; and

the method further comprises, at the computer system, initializing the second codec after the first codec has stopped generating the first decompressed media stream so that no more than one codec is decompressing compressed media at a time.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the content-transition indication comprises detecting user input selecting an affordance for requesting presentation of the second decompressed media stream.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the content-transition indication comprises detecting a decrease in bandwidth available for receiving media streams at the computer system;

the method further comprises, at the computer system, transmitting, to a media source, a request for a lower bandwidth version of content corresponding to the first compressed media stream; and

the second compressed media stream is received in response to the request.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein:

receiving the content-transition indication comprises detecting an increase in bandwidth available for receiving media streams at the computer system;

the method further comprises, at the computer system, transmitting, to a media source, a request for a higher bandwidth version of content corresponding to the first compressed media stream; and

the second compressed media stream is received in response to the request.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising, at the computer system, after generating at least a portion of the second decompressed media stream, cross-fading first content from the first decompressed media stream with second content from the second decompressed media stream.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first compressed media stream corresponds to source content and the second compressed media stream corresponds to the same source content.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the first compressed media stream and the second compressed media stream correspond to different source content.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the transition point is a second transition point;

the method further comprises, at the computer system, in response to receiving the content-transition indication, selecting a first transition point for the first compressed media stream; and

providing the second decompressed media stream to the presentation device instead of providing the first decompressed media stream to the presentation device comprises ceasing to provide the first decompressed media stream at the first transition point.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the first transition point is selected based on the second transition point.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising, at the computer system:

identifying a plurality of candidate transition points in the second compressed media stream;

wherein selecting the second transition point comprises selecting the second transition point from the plurality of candidate transition points.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising, at the computer system, after selecting the second transition point, requesting the second compressed media stream starting at the second transition point.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising, at the computer system, after selecting the first transition point, terminating receipt of the first compressed media stream after receiving data corresponding to the first transition point.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the first compressed media stream comprises video content that is divided into a first plurality of groups of frames;

the second compressed media stream comprises video content that is divided into a second plurality of groups of frames;

the first transition point is selected so as to occur at a boundary of a first group of frames in the first plurality of groups of frames; and

the second transition point is selected so as to occur at a boundary of a second group of frames in the second plurality of groups of frames.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein:

the first transition point corresponds to an end of a scene in the first decompressed media stream; and

the second transition point corresponds to a beginning of a scene in the second decompressed media stream.

21. A computer system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for;

while providing a first decompressed media stream to a presentation device, receiving a content-transition indication indicating that a second decompressed media stream is to be provided to the presentation device instead of the first decompressed media stream;

in response to receiving the content-transition indication, ceasing to receive a first compressed media stream corresponding to the first decompressed media stream;

after ceasing to receive the first compressed media stream, continuing to provide the first decompressed media stream to the presentation device using first buffered data;

selecting a transition point for a second compressed media stream, corresponding to the second decompressed media stream, based on a quantity of data of the second compressed media stream to be buffered;

while continuing to provide the first decompressed media stream to the presentation device using the first buffered data;

receiving the second compressed media stream starting at the transition point,

buffering the second compressed media stream, and

generating the second decompressed media stream from the buffered second compressed media stream; and

providing the second decompressed media stream to the presentation device instead of providing the first decompressed media stream to the presentation device.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing one or more programs executable by a computer system with one or more processors, the one or more programs comprising instructions for:

while providing a first decompressed media stream to a presentation device, receiving a content-transition indication indicating that a second decompressed media stream is to be provided to the presentation device instead of the first decompressed media stream;

in response to receiving the content-transition indication, ceasing to receive a first compressed media stream corresponding to the first decompressed media stream;

after ceasing to receive the first compressed media stream, continuing to provide the first decompressed media stream to the presentation device using first buffered data;

selecting a transition point for a second compressed media stream, corresponding to the second decompressed media stream, based on a quantity of data of the second compressed media stream to be buffered;

while continuing to provide the first decompressed media stream to the presentation device using the buffered first data;

receiving the second compressed media stream starting at the transition point,

buffering the second compressed media stream, and

generating the second decompressed media stream from the buffered second compressed media stream; and

providing the second decompressed media stream to the presentation device instead of providing the first decompressed media stream to the presentation device.