DYNAMIC SCALABLE MULTI-MEDIA CONTENT STREAMING

• US 20020065925A1
• Filed: 09/18/1999
• Published: 05/30/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gamigo Inc.
• Original Assignee: WildTangent Incorporated (Samarion SE)
• Inventors: KENYON, JEREMY A., ST.JOHN, ALEX K.
• Granted Patent: US 6,973,475 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234318 by decomposing into objects, e.g. MPEG-4 objects
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25833 involving client hardware characteristics, e.g. manufacturer, processing or storage capabilities allocation of resources considering hardware capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5044; allocation of resources considering software capabilities in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/5055
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440227 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4424 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the client device, e.g. CPU or memory load, processing speed, timer, counter or percentage of the hard disk space used error monitoring in general G06F11/30; arrangements for monitoring conditions of receiving stations in broadcast systems H04H60/32; diagnosis, testing or measuring for television receivers H04N17/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38

Abstract

A novel method for streaming multi-media content is disclosed. Multiple versions of model data tailored for different operating environments differentiated in accordance with value(s) of at least one operating characteristic of remote requesting client computer systems are stored in a multi-media content providing server. A multi-media content player of a client computer system determines the operating characteristic value(s) for the at least one operating characteristic of the client computer system. The multi-media content player adaptively requests appropriate versions of selected ones of the model data, based at least in part on the determined operating characteristic value(s) of the at least one operating characteristic of the client computer system. In response, the providing server streams the requested versions of the requested model data to the multi-media content player for rendering. As a result, user experience at the client computer system is enhanced.

Claims

1. In a client computer system, a method of operation comprising:

determining operating characteristic value(s) for at least one operating characteristic of the client computer system;

adaptively requesting streaming of model data from a remote content providing server, based at least in part on the determined operating characteristic value(s) of the at least one operating characteristic of the client computer system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one operating characteristic comprises one or more operating characteristics selected from a group consisting of communication bandwidth, processor power, availability of memory, availability of swap space, memory and bus speed, availability of video memory, availability of digital signal processing for audio decompression, and availability of graphics acceleration.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining is performed as an integral part of an installation of a multi-media content player, and said adaptively requesting streaming of model data is performed by said multi-media content player.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said model data comprise of data selected from a group consisting of geometry data, lighting data, coloring data, texturing data, animation data, and audio data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said adaptively requesting of streaming of model data comprises adaptively requesting the remote content providing server for different versions of the model data based at least in part on the determined operating characteristic value(s) of the at least one operating characteristic of the client computer system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises monitoring at least one performance indicator for the client computer system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said at least one performance indicator comprises one or more selected from a group consisting of bandwidth utilization, CPU utilization, memory utilization, memory swapping, cache hit rate, and audio frames drop rate.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said adaptively requesting of streaming of model data comprises switching to requesting the remote content providing server for higher precision versions of the model data, responsive to indicator value(s) of the monitored at least one performance indicator.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said adaptively requesting of streaming of model data comprises switching to requesting the remote content providing server for lower precision versions of the model data, responsive to indicator value(s) of the monitored at least one performance indicator.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises automatically synchronizing rendering of the received model data in accordance with the timeliness of the receipt of the model data.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said automatic synchronization of rendering of the received model data comprises dropping audio data in proportional to the amount of the time the audio data arrived late.

13. The client computer system of claim 12, wherein the at least one operating characteristic comprises one or more operating characteristics selected from a group consisting of communication bandwidth, processor power, availability of memory, availability of swap space, memory and bus speed, availability of video memory, availability of digital signal processing for audio decompression, and availability of graphics acceleration.

14. The client computer system of claim 12, wherein the first and second plurality of programming instructions implement a multi-media content player, and said first plurality of programming instructions are executed when the first and second plurality of programming instructions are installed on said client computer system, and when the second plurality of programming instructions are executed to download a multi-media title.

15. The client computer system of claim 12, wherein said model data comprise of data selected from a group consisting of geometry data, lighting data, coloring data, texturing data, animation data, and audio data.

16. The client computer system of claim 12, wherein when executed, said second plurality of programming instructions adaptively request the remote content providing server for different versions of the model data based at least in part on the determined operating characteristic value(s) of the at least one operating characteristic of the client computer system.

17. The client computer system of claim 12, wherein the second plurality of programming instructions further monitor at least one performance indicator for the client computer system.

18. The client computer system of claim 17, wherein said at least one performance indicator comprises one or more selected from a group consisting of bandwidth utilization, CPU utilization, memory utilization, memory swapping, cache hit rate, and audio frames drop rate.

19. The client computer system of claim 17, wherein when executed, said second plurality of programming instructions switch to requesting the remote content providing server for higher precision versions of the model data, responsive to indicator value(s) of the monitored at least one performance indicator.

20. The client computer system of claim 17, wherein when executed, said second plurality of programming instructions switch to requesting the remote content providing server for lower precision versions of the model data, responsive to indicator value(s) of the monitored at least one performance indicator.

21. The client computer system of claim 12, wherein when executed, said second plurality of programming instructions further automatically synchronize rendering of the received model data based at least in part on the timeliness of the receipt of the model data.

22. The client computer system of claim 21, wherein when executed, said second plurality of programming instructions automatically drop audio data in proportional to the amount of the time the audio data arrived late.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the at least one operating characteristic comprises one or more operating characteristics selected from a group consisting of communication bandwidth, processor power, availability of memory, availability of swap space, memory and bus speed, availability of video memory, availability of digital signal processing for audio decompression, and availability of graphics acceleration on the remote requesting client computer system.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein said model data comprise of data selected from a group consisting of geometry data, lighting data, coloring data, texturing data, animation data, and audio data.

27. The computer server of claim 26, wherein the at least one operating characteristic comprises one or more operating characteristics selected from a group consisting of communication bandwidth, processor power, availability of memory, availability of swap space, memory and bus speed, availability of video memory, availability of digital signal processing for audio decompression, and availability of graphics acceleration on the remote requesting client computer system.

28. The computer server of claim 26, wherein said model data comprise of data selected from a group consisting of geometry data, lighting data, coloring data, texturing data, animation data, and audio data.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said determining is performed as an integral part of an installation of a multi-media content player, and re-performed by the multi-media content player at download time of a multi-media title.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the method further comprises monitoring by the multi-media content player, at least one performance indicator for the remote requesting client computer system.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein said adaptively requesting by the multi-media content player comprises switching to requesting the multi-media content providing server for higher precision versions of the model data, responsive to indicator value(s) of the monitored at least one performance indicator.

33. The method of claim 31, wherein by the multi-media content player comprises switching to requesting the multi-media content providing server for lower precision versions of the model data, responsive to indicator value(s) of the monitored at least one performance indicator.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the method further comprises automatically synchronizing by the multi-media player, rendering of the received model data based at least in part on the timeliness of the receipt of the model data.

12. A client computer system comprising:

a processor to execute programming instructions; and

a storage medium, coupled to the processor, having stored therein a first and a second plurality of programming instructions to be executed by the processor, the first plurality of programming instructions, when executed, determine operating characteristic value(s) for at least one operating characteristic of the client computer system, and the second plurality of programming instructions, when executed, adaptively request streaming of model data from a remote content providing server, based at least in part on the determined operating characteristic value(s) of the at least one operating characteristic of the client computer system.

23. In a computer server, a method of operation comprising:

storing multiple versions of model data tailored for different operating environments differentiated in accordance with value(s) of at least one operating characteristic of a remote requesting client computer system;

accepting requests for said model data that includes version selection designations from the remote requesting client computer system; and

streaming the requested versions of the model data to the remote requesting client computer system, responsive to the accepted requests.

26. A computer server comprising:

a processor to execute programming instructions; and

a storage medium, coupled to the processor, having stored therein multiple versions of model data tailored for different operating environments differentiated in accordance with value(s) of at least one operating characteristic of a remote requesting client computer system, and a plurality of programming instructions, when executed, accept requests for said model data that includes version selection designations from the remote requesting client computer system, and stream the requested versions of the model data to the remote requesting client computer system, responsive to the accepted requests.

29. A method for streaming multi-media content comprising:

storing by a multi-media content providing server, multiple versions of model data tailored for different operating environments differentiated in accordance with value(s) of at least one operating characteristic of a remote requesting client computer system;

determining by a multi-media content player of the remote requesting client computer system, operating characteristic value(s) for at least one operating characteristic of the remote requesting client computer system;

adaptively requesting by the multi-media content player, different versions of model data from the multi-media content providing server, based at least in part on the determined operating characteristic value(s) of the at least one operating characteristic of the remote requesting client computer system; and

streaming by the multi-media content providing server, the requested versions of the model data, responsive to the requests of the multi-media content player.