APPARATUS, SYSTEM, AND METHOD FOR MULTI-BITRATE CONTENT STREAMING

• US 20090043906A1
• Filed: 08/06/2007
• Published: 02/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dish Technologies LLC (Dish Network Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Echostar Technologies LLC (Echostar Corporation)
• Inventors: Brueck, David F., Hurst, Mark B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,683,066 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• 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 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64769 for rate control flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

An apparatus, system, and method for maintaining a programming lineup of adaptive-bitrate content streaming is provided. The apparatus includes a timeline module configured to maintain a programming lineup of media content available over a network. The media content may comprise a plurality of streamlets. The apparatus also includes at least one data module configured to maintain multi-bitrate streamlet information. The system includes the apparatus and a client module configured to acquire content based upon the programming lineup provided by the timeline module. The method includes maintaining a programming lineup of media content available over a network, and maintaining multi-bitrate streamlet information.

Claims

1. An apparatus for multi-bitrate content streaming, the apparatus comprising:

a timeline module configured to maintain a programming lineup of media content available over a network;

wherein the media content comprises a plurality of streamlets; and

at least one data module configured to maintain multi-bitrate streamlet information.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein each streamlet comprises a portion of the media content encapsulated as an independent media object, and wherein each streamlet comprises a predetermined duration of time.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein multi-bitrate streamlet information is selected from the group consisting of start time, end time, live video, publisher data, encryption, duration, bitrate values, frame size, channels, codecs, sample rate, and frames parser.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a client module configured to skip content in response to a rating system.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the client module is configured to skip streamlets that do not conform to a selected rating level.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the client module is configured to mute the audio of streamlets that do not conform to a selected rating level.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a content management system configured to dynamically replace portions of the media content.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an anchor module configured to associate the start of the timeline module with a point in time such that playback of the media content begins at a point corresponding to a live horizon.

9. A system for multi-bitrate content streaming, the system comprising:

a timeline module configured to maintain a programming lineup of media content available over a network;

wherein the media content comprises a plurality of streamlets;

at least one data module configured to maintain multi-bitrate streamlet information; and

a client module configured to acquire content based upon the programming lineup provided by the timeline module.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein each streamlet comprises a portion of the media content encapsulated as an independent media object, and wherein each streamlet comprises a predetermined duration of time.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein multi-bitrate streamlet information is selected from the group consisting of start time, end time, live video, publisher data, encryption, duration, bitrate values, frame size, channels, codecs, sample rate, and frames parser.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the client module is configured to skip streamlets that do not conform to a selected rating level.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the client module is configured to mute the audio of streamlets that do not conform to a selected rating level.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising a content management system configured to dynamically replace portions of the media content.

15. A method for multi-bitrate content streaming, the method comprising:

maintaining a programming lineup of media content available over a network;

wherein the media content comprises a plurality of streamlets; and

maintaining multi-bitrate streamlet information.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the multi-bitrate streamlet information is selected from the group consisting of start time, end time, live video, publisher data, encryption, duration, bitrate values, frame size, channels, codecs, sample rate, and frames parser.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising skipping content in response to a rating system.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising skipping streamlets that do not conform to a selected rating level.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising muting the audio of streamlets that do not conform to a selected rating level.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising dynamically replacing portions of the media content.

21. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to carry out operations for multi-bitrate content streaming, the operations comprising:

maintaining a programming lineup of media content available over a network;

wherein the media content comprises a plurality of streamlets; and

maintaining multi-bitrate streamlet information.

22. The computer readable program of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise skipping content in response to a rating system.

23. The computer readable program of claim 22, wherein the operations further comprise skipping streamlets that do not conform to a selected rating level.

24. The computer readable program of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise muting the audio of streamlets that do not conform to a selected rating level.

25. The computer readable program of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise dynamically replacing portions of the media content.

26. An apparatus for multi-bitrate content streaming, the apparatus comprising:

means for maintaining a programming lineup of media content available over a network;

wherein the media content comprises a plurality of streamlets; and

means for maintaining multi-bitrate streamlet information.