FILE FORMAT FOR MEDIA DISTRIBUTION AND PRESENTATION

• US 20090319563A1
• Filed: 06/21/2008
• Published: 12/24/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Schnell, Patrik
• Granted Patent: US 8,775,566 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/40 of multimedia data, e.g. slideshows comprising image and additional audio data retrieval of still image data G06F16/50; retrieval of audio data G06F16/60; retrieval of video data G06F16/70
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/41 Indexing; Data structures therefor; Storage structures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 19/61 in combination with predictive coding
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44016 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for substituting a video clip

Abstract

A file format supports distribution, presentation, and storage of media presentations (“MPs”). A sequence of a MP is composed of segments of media data referred to by segmentIDs. Segments are defined as movie fragments, pursuant to the “ISO base media file format”. Multiple instances of a segment, each having a unique instanceID, are created by encoding the media data based on different encoding characteristics, referred to as encodingIDs. A sequence map box (“SMB”) stores the arrangement of a sequence'"'"'s segmentIDs-to-instanceIDs, including encodingIDs. The SMB is distributed to a client-side media processing unit (“MPU”). Information regarding an instance selected for distribution to the MPU is encapsulated in an instance identifier box (“IIB”), along with the arrangement of instanceIDs for the segment, and distributed to the MPU. At the time of distribution and/or playback of the MP, the MPU interchange instances based on the contents of the SMB and/or the IIB.

Claims

1. A method for presenting a digital media presentation, comprising:

identifying a sequence of media data associated with the digital media presentation, the sequence of media data arranged in accordance with a predetermined file format;

identifying a plurality of segments of the sequence, each segment representing a predetermined amount of media data;

identifying a particular segment of the plurality of segments;

identifying a first instance of the particular segment, the first instance created by encoding the media data represented by the particular segment based on a first set of encoding characteristics;

identifying a second instance of the particular segment, the second instance created by encoding the media data represented by the particular segment based on a second set of encoding characteristics;

identifying instance selection criteria;

based on the instance selection criteria, dynamically selecting for presentation either the first instance or the second instance of the particular segment to form a selected segment instance; and

arranging for presentation of the selected segment instance via a media processing unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the media processing unit comprises a client-side media processing unit, and wherein the step of arranging for presentation comprises

during presentation of the sequence via the client-side media processing unit, dynamically requesting distribution, via a communication network, of the selected segment instance to the client-side media processing unit.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the distribution is accomplished via a distribution technique selected from the group comprising:

synchronous;

asynchronous;

live;

on-demand;

streaming; and

downloading.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the instance selection criteria are based on one or more characteristics of the client-side media processing unit or the communication network or both, the instance selection criteria selected from the group comprising:

availability of the communication network;

speed of the communication network;

available bandwidth of the communication network;

cost of the communication network; and

available computing resources of the client-side media processing unit.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

prior to identifying the first instance or the second instance of the particular segment, receiving a data structure associated with the file format, the data structure storing metadata used for identifying the first instance and the second instance.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the data structure comprises a map of instance identifiers and locations thereof.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the data structure is stored within a movie extends box specified by the base media file format established by the International Organization for Standardization (“

ISO”

).

8. The method according to claim 5, further comprising:

the client-side media processing unit requesting distribution of the selected segment instance based on the data structure;

the client-side media processing unit receiving the selected segment instance pursuant to the request; and

the client-side media processing unit either storing or presenting or both, the received selected segment instance.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the data structure stores a first instance identifier data structure associated with the predetermined file format and a second instance identifier data structure associated with the predetermined file format, the first and second instance identifier data structures associated with a movie fragment box defined for the particular segment, the movie fragment box specified by the base media file format established by the International Organization for Standardization (“

ISO”

), and wherein

the step of the client-side media processing unit storing the received selected segment instance comprises the client-side media processing unit storing the instance identifier data structure associated with the received selected segment instance,

prior to or during playback of the sequence by the client-side media processing unit, the stored instance identifier data structure usable, in conjunction with the data structure, to request distribution of the non-selected segment instance to the client-side media processing unit, the non-selected segment instance replacing the selected segment instance during playback of the sequence by the client-side media processing unit.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of the client-side media processing unit storing the instance identifier data structure comprises storing the instance identifier data structure in a client-side data structure that forms a record of individual instance identifier data structures stored for each of the plurality of segments of the sequence.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the instance identifier data structure associated with the received selected segment is stored in a track fragments header box associated with the movie fragment box for the particular segment.

20. The media processing unit according to claim 10, wherein the media processing unit comprises a client-side device or a server-side device.

12. A method for distributing a digital media presentation, the digital media presentation arranged in accordance with a predetermined file format, the method comprising:

identifying a sequence of media data associated with the digital media presentation;

identifying a plurality of segments of the sequence, each segment representing a predetermined amount of media data;

identifying a particular segment of the plurality of segments;

encoding the particular segment based on a first set of encoding characteristics to produce a first instance of the particular segment;

generating a first instance identifier that references the first instance;

encoding the particular segment based on a second set of encoding characteristics to produce a second instance of the particular segment;

generating a second instance identifier referencing the second instance;

encapsulating the first instance identifier and the second instance identifier within a first data structure associated with the predetermined file format;

arranging for distribution of the first data structure to a media processing unit, the first data structure usable by the media processing unit to request distribution of either the first instance or the second instance of the particular segment to form a requested segment instance having a requested instance identifier associated therewith;

encapsulating the requested instance identifier within a second data structure associated with the predetermined file format;

encapsulating the requested segment instance within a third data structure associated with the second data structure; and

arranging for distribution of the second data structure and the third data structure to the media processing unit,

during or prior to playback of the particular segment, the second data structure usable by the media processing unit in conjunction with the first data structure to request distribution of the non-requested segment instance, the non-requested segment instance replacing the requested segment instance during playback of the segment by the media processing unit.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the second data structure comprises a movie fragment box specified by the base media file format established by the International Organization for Standardization (“

ISO”

), and wherein

the third data structure comprises a movie data box specified by the base media file format established by the ISO.

14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the media processing unit is selected from the group comprising:

a server-side media processing unit; and

a client-side media processing unit.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first and second sets of encoding characteristics are selected from the group comprising:

media data sizes;

compression ratios;

encoding rates;

encoding formats;

encryption formats;

media data presentation rates;

media data source identities; and

media data source locations.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the first and second instance identifiers are selected from the group comprising:

vectors, pointers, and URLs.

17. The method according to claim 12, wherein the sub-box stores a reference to a map of instance identifiers and locations thereof.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the media data is selected from the group comprising:

audio data;

video data;

image data;

graphics data;

text data; and

combinations thereof, and wherein the predetermined amount of media data represented by each of the plurality of segments is selected based on criteria from the group comprising;

time-based criteria; and

quantity-based criteria; and

combinations thereof.

19. A media processing unit, comprising:

a computer-readable storage medium; and

a processor responsive to the computer-readable storage medium and to a computer program, the computer program, when loaded into the processor, operable to perform a method comprising

identifying a sequence of media data associated with a digital media presentation, the sequence of media data arranged in accordance with a predetermined file format;

identifying a plurality of segments of the sequence, each segment representing a predetermined amount of media data;

identifying a particular segment of the plurality of segments;

identifying a first instance of the particular segment, the first instance created by encoding the media data represented by the particular segment based on a first set of encoding characteristics;

identifying a second instance of the particular segment, the second instance created by encoding the media data represented by the particular segment based on a second set of encoding characteristics;

identifying instance selection criteria;

based on the instance selection criteria, dynamically selecting for presentation either the first instance or the second instance of the particular segment to form a selected segment instance;

during presentation of the sequence via, dynamically requesting distribution, via a communication network, of the selected segment instance; and

presenting, or storing, or both, the selected segment instance.