DYNAMIC QUALITY ADJUSTMENT BASED ON CHANGING STREAMING CONSTRAINTS

• US 20090193137A1
• Filed: 01/20/2009
• Published: 07/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ARRIS Enterprises LLC (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadband Royalty Corporation (CommScope Holding Company, Inc.)
• Inventors: Pawson, David J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,832,244 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• 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: H04N 21/2343 involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements video transcoding H04N19/40; media packet handling at the source H04L65/762
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4396 by muting the audio signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection

Abstract

A method and apparatus for dynamic quality adjustment of digital media based on changing streaming constraints is provided. A digital media server sends a digital media stream according to a set of streaming constraints to a requesting client. Audio and visual information may be sent to a requesting client together in a single stream, or separately in multiple streams. A client sends a request over a control network to the digital media server indicating information of a particular type is no longer desired. In response to receiving the signal, the video server ceases transmission of that particular type of information to the signaling client, thus relaxing streaming constraints. As a result of the techniques described herein, an improved quality digital presentation is available for the client and, consequently, when a viewer signals that a particular type of information is not desired, that particular type of information is not transmitted to the client, which thereby reduces the streaming constraints on a video streaming service, and improved quality digital media information may be sent to any client using the freed-up portion of the bandwidth previously allocated to the signaling client.

Claims

1. A method of operating a stream server, the stream server causing data streams to be provided from one or more stored audio/visual files, the method comprising:

receiving a signal from a client device, said signal including an indication of a client requested presentation action that, when put into effect by the stream server, involves reducing a data rate of audio data of a first audio/visual stream being sent from the stream server to the client device or eliminating the transmission of the audio data of the first audio/visual stream to the client device;

implementing the client requested presentation action, said act of implementing the client requested presentation action including reducing the data rate of the audio data of the first audio/visual stream or eliminating the transmission of the audio data of the first audio/visual stream to the client device; and

determining an amount that a data rate of a second audio/visual data stream may be increased as a result of an effect on transmission bandwidth corresponding to the reduction in the data rate of the audio data of the first audio/visual stream or the elimination of the audio data of the first audio/visual stream.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said indication comprises:

an indication that audio be muted.

3. A method of operating a stream server, the stream server causing data streams to be provided from one or more stored audio/visual files, the method comprising:

the stream server providing to one or more client devices a first audio/visual stream and a second audio/visual stream;

receiving a signal from one of the client devices, said signal including an indication of a client requested presentation action that, when put into effect by the stream server, involves reducing a data rate of audio or video data of the first audio/visual stream or eliminating the transmission of the audio or video data of the first audio/visual stream;

implementing the client requested presentation action, said act of implementing the client requested presentation action including reducing a data rate of audio or video data of the first audio/visual stream or eliminating the transmission of the audio or video data of the first audio/visual stream; and

determining whether a third audio/visual stream may be streamed as a result of an effect on transmission bandwidth corresponding to a reduction in the data rate of audio or video data of the first audio/visual stream or eliminating the transmission of the audio or video data of the first audio/visual stream.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said indication comprises:

an indication that audio be muted.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

including both said first and second audio/visual streams in different Single Program Transport Streams, each of said different Single Program Streams being part of a Multiple Program Transport Stream which includes both of said different Single Program Transport Streams.

6. A computer program product, comprising instructions that, when put into effect, enable a stream server device that causes data streams to be provided from one or more stored audio/visual files:

to interpret an indication of a client requested presentation action that will affect the bandwidth requirements of audio data of a first audio/visual stream that the stream server is streaming to the client device;

to identify the action from the indication and put the action into effect, with the result that the rate of the audio data of the first audio/visual stream to the client is changed; and

to determine an amount that a video streaming rate of a second audio/visual data stream should be changed as a result of bandwidth effects of the changed rate for the audio data of the first audio/visual stream, and to change video streaming rate of the second audio/visual data stream according to the amount.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the instructions to enable the stream server to interpret the indication as an action that involves changing the quality of, or eliminates, the audio stream being streamed to the client comprise:

instructions to enable the stream server to interpret the indication to mean that the audio stream should be changed from mono to stereo, or vice versa, or that the audio stream should be muted or unmuted.

8. The computer program product of claim 6, wherein the instructions to enable the stream server to determine an amount that a video streaming rate of a second audio/visual stream should be changed as a result of bandwidth effects further comprise:

instructions to enable the stream server to determine how much bandwidth is freed up or consumed by putting the action into effect.

9. A stream server system for providing data streams from one or more stored audio/visual files, comprising:

means for receiving a signal from a client device, said signal including an indication of a client requested presentation action that, when put into effect, reduces or eliminates the rate at which the client receives audio data of a first audio/visual stream;

means for identifying the action from the indication and putting the action into effect, with the result that the client device receives the audio data of the first audio/visual stream at a reduced or eliminated rate; and

means for making a determination of an amount that a rate of a second audio/visual data stream may be increased as a result of bandwidth effects of the reduced or eliminated rate for the audio data of the first audio/visual stream.

10. A stream server system for providing data streams from one or more stored audio/visual files, comprising:

means for streaming first and second audio/visual streams;

means for receiving a signal from a client device, said signal including an indication of a client requested presentation action that, when put into effect, reduces or eliminates the rate at which the client receives audio data of a first audio/visual stream;

means for identifying the action from the indication and putting the action into effect, with the result that the client device receives the audio data of the first audio/visual stream at a reduced or eliminated rate; and

means for making a determination of whether a third audio/visual stream may be streamed as a result of bandwidth effects of the reduced or eliminated rate for the audio data of the first audio/visual stream.

11. A stream server system for providing data streams from one or more stored audio/visual files, comprising:

means for receiving a signal from a client device, said signal including an indication of a client requested presentation action that, when put into effect, increases a rate at which the client receives audio data of a first audio/visual stream;

means for identifying, the action from the indication and putting the action into effect, with the result that the client device receives the audio data of the first audio/visual stream at an increased rate; and

means for making a determination of an amount that a rate of a second audio/visual data stream should be reduced as a result of bandwidth effects of the increased rate for the audio data of the first audio/visual stream.

12. A method comprising:

receiving a signal from a client device, said signal including an indication of a client requested presentation action that, when put into effect, involves reducing a data rate of audio data of a first audio/visual stream being sent to the client device or eliminating the transmission of the audio data of the first audio/visual stream to the client device;

the act of reducing the data rate of the audio data of the first audio/visual stream or eliminating the transmission of the audio data of the first audio/visual stream to the client device including providing a stream of packets as part of a packet flow to a multiplexing device, said stream of packets including data packets which can be sent to the client device in said audio data of the first audio/visual stream; and

operating the multiplexer to perform a filtering operation on said stream of packets to reduce or eliminate the data rate of the audio data of the first audio/visual stream.