Systems and methods for saving encoded media streamed using adaptive bitrate streaming

• US 10,687,095 B2
• Filed: 05/04/2017
• Issued: 06/16/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonic IP Incorporated (Endeavor Group Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: DivX, LLC (f/k/a DivX CF Holdings LLC) (SoftBank Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Ziskind, Ben, Cen, Song, Lin, Tung, Braness, Jason, Soroushian, Kourosh
• Primary Examiner(s): Bantamoi, Anthony
• Application Number:
  US15/587,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20170238030A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• 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 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/00 Methods or arrangements for coding, decoding, compressing or decompressing digital video signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/44 Decoders specially adapted therefor, e.g. video decoders which are asymmetric with respect to the encoder
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234309 by transcoding between formats or standards, e.g. from MPEG-2 to MPEG-4 or from Quicktime to Realvideo conversion of standards in analog television systems H04N7/01
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4344 Remultiplexing of multiplex streams, e.g. by modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• 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 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6373 for rate control , e.g. request to the server to modify its transmission rate flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Systems and methods for saving encoded media streamed using adaptive bitrate streaming in accordance with embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment of the invention, a playback device configured to perform adaptive bitrate streaming of media includes a video decoder application and a processor, where the video decoder application configures the processor to select a download stream from a set of alternative streams of video data, measure streaming conditions and request a stream of video data from the alternative streams of video data, receive portions of video data from the requested stream of video data, decode the received video data, save the received video data to memory, when the received video data is from the download stream and separately download and save the corresponding portion of video data from the download stream to memory, when the received video data is not from the download stream.

Claims

1. A playback device configured to download media for offline playback, comprising:

a processor; and

a nonvolatile storage medium containing a video decoder application for causing the processor to perform the steps of;

obtaining a top level index file from a server, where the top level index file contains data describing a plurality of streams, and where the plurality of streams comprises;

at least one video stream;

at least one audio stream;

at least one subtitle stream; and

at least one trick play stream;

selecting for download at least one video stream, at least one audio stream, at least one subtitle stream, and at least one trick play stream;

downloading the selected streams to a set of one or more files;

creating a local top level index file, where the local top level index file contains data identifying the set of files for the downloaded streams;

receiving a request for offline playback;

retrieving a downloaded video stream and a downloaded audio stream from the identified set of files using the local top level index file;

decoding the retrieved video and audio streams; and

playing back the decoded video and audio streams.

2. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the video decoder application further causes the processor to perform the step of requesting digital rights management (DRM) information from a DRM server.

3. The playback device of claim 2, wherein the DRM information binds the content to the playback device.

4. The playback device of claim 2, wherein the DRM information binds the content to a user account.

5. The playback device of claim 2, wherein the DRM information comprises a DRM header.

6. The playback device of claim 2, wherein the video decoder application further causes the processor to perform the steps of receiving the requested DRM information, wherein decoding the retrieved video and audio streams comprises using the received DRM information during the offline playback.

7. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the video decoder application further causes the processor to perform the steps of:

retrieving a downloaded subtitle stream using the local top level index file; and

playing back at least a portion of the downloaded subtitle stream.

8. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the video decoder application further causes the processor to perform the steps of:

retrieving a downloaded trick play stream using the local top level index file; and

decoding and displaying at least a portion of the downloaded trick play stream.

9. The playback device of claim 8, wherein the playing back of the at least a portion of the downloaded trick play stream is in response to receiving a request to search or seek within the decoded video stream.

10. The playback device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the data from the top level index file is cached to create the local top level index file, wherein the cached portion is selected based upon the capabilities of the playback device.

11. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the local top level index file is created based upon a set of permissions associated with the playback device and the saving of media content.

12. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the local top level index file describes only the downloaded streams.

13. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the selected streams are the highest quality streams playable by the device.

14. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the at least one video stream is stored in a container file.

15. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the at least one audio stream is stored in a container file.

16. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the at least one subtitle stream is stored in a container file.

17. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the at least one trick play stream is stored in a container file.

18. The playback device of claim 1, wherein the video decoder application further causes the processor to perform the steps of downloading header information for at least one of the selected streams.

19. The playback device of claim 18, wherein the header information comprises a DRM header.

20. A method for downloading media for offline playback, comprising:

obtaining a top level index file from a server, where the top level index file contains data describing a plurality of streams, and where the plurality of streams comprises;

at least one video stream;

at least one audio stream;

at least one subtitle stream; and

at least one trick play stream;

selecting for download at least one video stream, at least one audio stream, at least one subtitle stream, and at least one trick play stream;

downloading the selected streams to a set of one or more files;

creating a local top level index file, where the local top level index file contains data identifying the set of files for the downloaded streams;

receiving a request for offline playback;

retrieving a downloaded video stream and a downloaded audio stream from the identified set of files using the local top level index file;

decoding the retrieved video and audio streams; and

playing back the decoded video and audio streams.

21. The method for downloading media for offline playback of claim 20 further comprising, requesting digital rights management (DRM) information from a DRM server.