Bandwidth sharing in advanced streaming format

• US 20030236902A1
• Filed: 06/19/2002
• Published: 12/25/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Weiss, Rebecca C., Ferriere, Philippe, Crites, Brian, Dunbar, Geoff
• Granted Patent: US 7,457,312 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/722 at the destination endpoint, e.g. reservation of terminal resources or buffer space
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data

Abstract

A modulated data signal having data fields encoded thereon in a data structure which define a bandwidth sharing object of the modulated data signal for transmission over a communications channel. A first data field contains a first stream of first information having a first bandwidth. A second data field contains a second stream of second information having a second bandwidth. The first bandwidth is greater than or equal to the second bandwidth. The first stream is transmitted simultaneously with the second stream. One or more additional data fields each contain an additional stream of information having an additional bandwidth. The additional streams are transmitted simultaneously with the first and second stream. A bandwidth data field includes an object indicating the bandwidth of the modulated data signal. The bandwidth number indicated in the object is a function of the bandwidth of the first stream, of the bandwidth of the second stream and of the bandwidth of the one or more additional streams. The bandwidth value indicated in the object is less than the total of the first bandwidth, the second bandwidth and the total bandwidths of the one or more additional streams. A method of transmitting an ASF composite video stream is also disclosed. A computer readable media with such a data structure is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A modulated data signal having data fields encoded thereon which define a bandwidth of the modulated data signal, said signal for transmission over a communications channel, said signal comprising:

a first data field containing descriptive information of a first stream having a first bandwidth;

a second data field containing descriptive information of a second stream having a second bandwidth, wherein the first bandwidth is greater than or equal to the second bandwidth and wherein at least at certain times the first stream is transmitted simultaneously with the second stream; and

a third data field including an object having a bandwidth value indicating a designated bandwidth for simultaneously streaming the first and second streams

2. The signal of claim 1 wherein the bandwidth is less than the total of the first bandwidth and the second bandwidth.

3. The signal of claim 2 further comprising:

at least one additional data field containing descriptive information of an additional stream of information having an additional bandwidth, wherein the additional stream is transmitted simultaneously with the first and second streams, wherein the bandwidth value in the object is less than the total of the first bandwidth, the second bandwidth and the additional bandwidth.

4. The signal of claim 1 wherein, during certain periods of time of transmission, the modulated data signal consists primarily of the first stream only or the second stream only and wherein the bandwidth value is less than or equal to the first bandwidth.

5. The signal of claim 1 wherein, during certain periods of time of transmission, the modulated data signal consists primarily (1) of a portion of the first stream having a first partial bandwidth which is less than the first bandwidth and (2) of a portion of the second stream having a second partial bandwidth which is less than the second bandwidth and wherein the bandwidth value is less than or equal to the total of the first partial bandwidth and the second partial bandwidth.

6. The signal of claim 1 wherein the object is in a header of the modulated data signal.

7. A modulated data signal having data fields encoded thereon transmitted over a communications channel having an assigned bandwidth, said modulated data signal comprising a combined stream including a first stream having a first bandwidth and including a second stream having a second bandwidth, wherein the first bandwidth is greater than the second bandwidth, wherein the first stream is transmitted simultaneously with the second stream, wherein, during certain periods of time, the combined stream consists primarily of either the first stream or the second stream but not both so that during the certain periods the combined stream has a bandwidth which is less than or equal to the first bandwidth, and wherein the assigned bandwidth of the communications channel allocated to the combined stream is less than or equal to the first bandwidth.

8. The modulated data signal of claim 7, wherein the combined stream includes the first stream, the second stream, and at least one additional stream having an additional bandwidth, wherein the additional stream is transmitted simultaneously with the first and second streams, wherein, during certain periods of time, the combined stream consists primarily of either the first stream and the additional stream or the second stream and additional stream but not the first and second stream so that during the certain periods the bandwidth of the combined stream is less than or equal to the first bandwidth plus the additional bandwidth, and wherein the assigned bandwidth of the communications channel allocated to the combined stream is less than or equal to the first bandwidth plus the additional bandwidth.

9. The modulated data signal of claim 7, wherein the combined stream includes the first stream, the second stream, and a plurality of additional streams having a total additional bandwidth, wherein the plurality of additional streams is transmitted simultaneously with the first and second streams, wherein, during certain periods of time, the combined stream consists primarily of either the first stream and the plurality of additional streams or the second stream and the plurality of additional streams but not the first and second stream so that during the certain periods the bandwidth of the combined stream is less than or equal to the first bandwidth plus the total additional bandwidth, and wherein the assigned bandwidth of the communications channel allocated to the combined stream is less than or equal to the first bandwidth plus the additional bandwidth.

10. A modulated data signal having data fields encoded thereon transmitted over a communications channel having an assigned bandwidth, said modulated data signal comprising a combined stream including a first stream having a first bandwidth and including a second stream having a second bandwidth, wherein the first bandwidth is greater than the second bandwidth, wherein the first stream is transmitted simultaneously with the second stream, wherein during certain periods of time, the combined stream consists primarily (1) of a portion of the first stream having a first partial bandwidth which is less than the first bandwidth and the second stream, or (2) of a portion of the second stream having a second partial bandwidth which is less than the second bandwidth and the first stream, so that during the certain periods the combined stream has a bandwidth which is less than or equal to the first partial bandwidth plus the second bandwidth or the second partial bandwidth plus the first bandwidth, respectively, and wherein the assigned bandwidth of the communications channel allocated to the combined stream is less than or equal to the total of the first partial bandwidth and the second partial bandwidth.

11. The modulated data signal of claim 10 wherein the combined stream includes the first stream, the second stream and at one additional stream having an additional bandwidth, wherein the additional stream is transmitted simultaneously with the first and second streams, wherein, during certain periods of time, the combined stream consists primarily (1) of the portion of the first stream with the second and additional streams, or (2) the portion of the second stream with the first and additional streams, so that during the certain periods the bandwidth of the combined stream is less than or equal to the first partial bandwidth plus the second and additional bandwidths or the second partial bandwidth plus the first and additional bandwidths, respectively, and wherein the assigned bandwidth of the communications channel allocated to the combined stream is less than or equal to the total of the first bandwidth, the second bandwidth and the additional bandwidth.

12. The modulated data signal of claim 10 wherein the combined stream includes the first stream, the second stream and a plurality of additional streams having a total additional bandwidth, wherein the plurality of additional streams is transmitted simultaneously with the first and second streams, wherein, during certain periods of time, the combined stream consists primarily of (1) the portion of the first stream with the second and plurality of additional streams, or (2) the portion of the second stream with the first and plurality of additional streams, so that during the certain periods the bandwidth of the combined stream is less than or equal to the first partial bandwidth plus the second and total bandwidths or the second partial bandwidth plus the first and total bandwidths, respectively, and wherein the assigned bandwidth of the communications channel allocated to the combined stream is less than or equal to the total of the first bandwidth, the second bandwidth and the total additional bandwidth.

13. A modulated data signal having data fields encoded thereon transmitted over a communications channel having an assigned bandwidth, said modulated data signal comprising a combined stream including:

an audio stream having an audio bandwidth;

a video stream having a video bandwidth;

a file transfer stream having a file transfer bandwidth; and

a text stream having a text bandwidth, wherein the file transfer bandwidth is greater than the text bandwidth, wherein the streams are transmitted simultaneously with each other, wherein, during certain periods of time, the combined stream includes primarily either the file transfer stream or the text stream but not both so that during the certain periods the combined stream has a combined bandwidth which is less than or equal to the audio bandwidth plus the video bandwidth plus the file transfer bandwidth.

14. The signal of claim 13 wherein the assigned bandwidth of the communications channel allocated to the combined stream is less than or equal to the audio bandwidth plus the video bandwidth plus the file transfer bandwidth.

15. A modulated data signal having data fields encoded thereon transmitted over a communications channel having an assigned bandwidth, said modulated data signal comprising a combined stream including:

an audio stream having an audio bandwidth;

a video stream having a video bandwidth;

a file transfer stream having a file transfer bandwidth; and

a text stream having a text bandwidth, wherein the file transfer bandwidth is greater than the text bandwidth, wherein the streams are transmitted simultaneously with each other, and wherein during certain periods of time, the combined stream includes primarily (1) a portion of the file transfer stream having a file transfer partial bandwidth which is less than the file transfer bandwidth and (2) a portion of the text stream having a text partial bandwidth which is less than the text bandwidth so that during the certain periods the combined stream has a combined bandwidth which is less than or equal to the audio bandwidth plus the video bandwidth plus the partial file transfer bandwidth plus the partial text bandwidth.

16. The signal of claim 15 wherein the assigned bandwidth of the communications channel allocated to the combined stream is less than or equal to the audio bandwidth plus the video bandwidth plus the partial file transfer bandwidth plus the partial text bandwidth.

17. A computer readable medium having stored thereon a data structure comprising an advanced streaming format including a header including a bandwidth sharing object specifying the bandwidth for simultaneously streaming N streams as a combined stream (where N is an integer greater than 1) wherein the bandwidth sharing object is a function of the bandwidth of each of the streams and includes a bandwidth value specified in the objects which is less than the total of the bandwidth of the N streams.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein, during certain periods of time, the combined stream consists primarily of N-A streams (where A is an integer less than N) and wherein the bandwidth value specified in the objects is less than or equal to the total bandwidth of the N-A streams.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 17 wherein, during certain periods of time, the combined stream consists primarily of a portion of one or more of the streams and wherein the bandwidth value is less than or equal to the total bandwidth of the portion of the one or more streams plus the bandwidth of remaining streams.

20. The signal of claim 17 wherein the object is in a header of the modulated data signal.

21. A modulated data signal having data fields encoded thereon which define a bandwidth of the modulated data signal, said signal for transmission over a communications channel, said signal comprising:

a first data field containing descriptive information of a first stream having a first bandwidth;

a second data field containing descriptive information of a second stream having a second bandwidth, wherein the first bandwidth is greater than or equal to the second bandwidth and wherein at least at certain times the first stream is transmitted simultaneously with the second stream;

one or more additional data fields, each containing descriptive information of an additional stream having an additional bandwidth, wherein at least at certain times the additional streams are transmitted simultaneously with the first and second stream; and

a bandwidth data field including a bandwidth value indicating a designated bandwidth for simultaneously streaming the modulated data signal.

22. The signal of claim 21 wherein the bandwidth value is less than the total of the first bandwidth, the second bandwidth and the total bandwidths of the one or more additional streams.

23. The signal of claim 21 wherein, during certain periods of time of transmission, the modulated data signal consists primarily of a partial combined stream consisting of less than all the streams and wherein the bandwidth value is less than or equal to the bandwidth of the partial combined stream.

24. The signal of claim 21 wherein, during certain periods of time of transmission, the modulated data signal consists primarily of a proportional combined streams consisting of a portion of one or more of the streams and the remaining streams and wherein the bandwidth value is less than or equal to the bandwidth of the proportional combined stream.

25. The signal of claim 21 wherein the bandwidth value is in a header of the modulated data signal.

26. The signal of claim 25 where the header includes:

27. A method of transmitting an advanced streaming format video stream comprising:

sending a composite stream having a plurality of component streams; and

sending an object indicating the bandwidth of the composite stream which object is less than the total bandwidth of the component streams.

28. The method of claim 27 further comprising receiving the composite stream by allocating a bandwidth as indicated by the object.

29. The method of claim 27 wherein sending a composite stream includes sending the composite stream consisting primarily at any instant of time of only one of the plurality of streams and wherein sending an object includes sending a bandwidth value corresponding to the greater of the bandwidth of the each of the plurality of composite streams.

30. The method of claim 27 wherein sending a composite stream includes sending the composite stream consisting primarily at any instant in time of a proportional amount of streams and wherein sending the object includes sending a bandwidth value corresponding to the total bandwidth of the proportional amount of streams.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 27.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 31.

32. In a computer system, a method comprising:

receiving a data structure that holds multiple streams of data, said streams of data comprising samples that are stored in packets in the data structure and wherein the data structure includes bandwidth-sharing data that was stored prior to a request being transmitted by the computer system that caused the data structure to be received, wherein the bandwidth-sharing data indicates a combined bandwidth of the streams of data, wherein the combined bandwidth is a function of a bandwidth of each of the streams of data, and wherein the combined bandwidth is less than a sum of the bandwidths of the streams of data; and

extracting the bandwidth-sharing data to adjust network resource requirements according to the combined bandwidth.

34. A data processing system having:

a source computer with a storage;

a data structure stored in the storage for encapsulating multiple data streams into an aggregated data stream defined by the data structure, data from the data streams being incorporated in packets prior to a request being received by the source computer to transmit the aggregated data stream to a destination computer; and

bandwidth-sharing data encapsulated in a header associated with the packets, wherein the bandwidth-sharing data indicates a combined bandwidth of the aggregated data stream, wherein the combined bandwidth is a function of a bandwidth of each of the data streams, and wherein the combined bandwidth is less than a sum of the bandwidths of the data streams.

35. The data processing system of claim 34, wherein, during certain periods of time of transmission, the aggregated data stream consists primarily of a partial combined data stream consisting of less than all the data streams and wherein the combined bandwidth is less than or equal to a bandwidth of the partial combined data stream.

36. The data processing system of claim 34, wherein, during certain periods of time of transmission, the aggregated data stream consists primarily of a proportional combined data stream consisting of a portion of one or more of the data streams and the remaining data streams and wherein the combined bandwidth is less than or equal to a bandwidth of the proportional combined data stream.

37. In a computer system operable for connecting to a communications channel, a method of encapsulating multiple streams of data into an aggregated data stream to be transmitted on the communications channel comprising:

determining a packet size for the communications channel;

storing, on a storage device, at least one packet containing information about the aggregated data stream to form a header section in a data structure that defines the aggregated data stream;

storing, on the storage device, packets containing samples of data from the multiple data streams to form a data section in the data structure;

designating a portion of at least one packet in the data section for holding bandwidth-sharing data; and

storing, on the storage device, bandwidth-sharing data in a header associated with the packets, wherein the bandwidth-sharing data indicates a combined bandwidth of the aggregated data stream, wherein the combined bandwidth is a function of a bandwidth of each of the streams of data, and wherein the combined bandwidth is less than a sum of the bandwidths of the streams of data, and further wherein the aggregated data stream is stored on the storage device prior to receiving a request for transmission of the aggregated data stream on the communications channel from a destination computer.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein one or more computer-readable media have computer-executable instructions for performing the method of claim 37.