Streaming media delivery system

• US 20100223362A1
• Filed: 05/10/2010
• Published: 09/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WAG Acquisition, L.L.C.
• Original Assignee: WAG Acquisition, L.L.C.
• Inventors: Price, Harold Edward
• Granted Patent: US 8,185,611 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/219
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/901 using storage descriptor, e.g. read or write pointers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/9084 Reactions to storage capacity overflow
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23805 Controlling the feeding rate to the network, e.g. by controlling the video pump
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2407 Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64776 for requesting retransmission, e.g. of data packets lost or corrupted during transmission from server ARQ protocols H04L1/18; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

Streaming media, such as audio or video files, is sent via the Internet. The media are immediately played on a user'"'"'s computer. Audio/video data is transmitted from the server more rapidly than it is played out by the user system. The audio/video data in the user buffer accumulates; and interruptions in playback as well as temporary modem delays are avoided.

Claims

1. A method for distributing streaming media via a data communications medium such as the Internet to at least one user system of at least one user, the streaming media comprising a plurality of sequential media data elements for a digitally encoded audio or video program, the user system being assumed to have a user buffer for receiving media data and facilities to play back the streaming media at a playback rate for viewing or listening by said at least one user, said method comprising:

sending initial streaming media elements to the user system at an initial sending rate more rapid than the playback rate, to fill the user buffer;

after the user buffer has been filled, sending further streaming media data elements to the user system at about the playback rate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the amount of said initial elements, and said initial sending rate, are sufficient for the user system to begin playing back the streaming media while the user buffer continues to fill.

6. The method of any of claims 1-5, wherein the media data elements are encoded at a variable bit rate.

7. The method of any of claims 1-4, wherein the media data elements are contained in a file local to the server.

3. A method for distributing streaming media via a data communications medium such as the Internet to at least one user system of at least one user, the streaming media comprising a plurality of sequential media data elements for a digitally encoded audio or video program, the user system being assumed to have a user buffer for receiving media data and facilities to play back the streaming media at a playback rate for viewing or listening by said at least one user, said method comprising:

delivering streaming media elements to the user system;

determining if delivery has been interrupted;

if delivery has been interrupted, sending streaming media elements to the user system at a sending rate more rapid than the playback rate, to fill the user buffer.

4. A method for distributing streaming media via a data communications medium such as the Internet to at least one user system of at least one user, the streaming media comprising a plurality of sequential media data elements for a digitally encoded audio or video program, said method comprising:

assigning identifiers to the sequential media data elements comprising the program;

receiving requests from the user system for media data elements corresponding to specified identifiers; and

sending media data elements to the user system responsive to said requests, at a rate more rapid than the rate at which said streaming media is played back by a user.

5. A method for operating a media player for receiving and playing streaming media comprising a plurality of sequential media data elements, said elements being available on request by said player via a data communications medium such as the Internet, from a server assumed to be capable of sending streaming media elements at a rate more rapid than the rate at which said streaming media is played back by a user, each said data element having an identifier, said method comprising:

maintaining a record of the identifier of the last sequential media data element that has been received by said player; and

requesting transmission of the next sequential media data elements following said last sequential media data element, as said media player requires in order to maintain a sufficient number of media data elements in the media player for uninterrupted playback.

8. A streaming media server for distributing streaming media via a data communications medium such as the Internet to at least one user system of at least one user, the streaming media comprising a plurality of sequential media data elements for a digitally encoded audio or video program, the user system being assumed to have a user buffer for receiving media data and facilities to play back the streaming media at a playback rate for viewing or listening by said at least one user, said server comprising:

at least one data storage device, memory for storing machine-readable executable routines and for providing a working memory area for routines executing on the server, a central processing unit for executing the machine-readable executable routines, an operating system, at least one connection to a communications medium, and a communications system providing a set of communications protocols for communicating through said at least one connection;

a machine-readable, executable routine containing instructions to cause the server to send initial streaming media elements to the user system at an initial sending rate more rapid than the playback rate, to fill the user buffer; and

machine-readable, executable routine containing instructions to cause the server, after the user buffer has been filled, to send further streaming media data elements to the user system at about the playback rate.

9. The streaming media server of claim 8, wherein said machine-readable executable routine for sending initial streaming media elements is configured so that the amount of said initial elements, and said initial sending rate, are sufficient for the user system to begin playing back the streaming media while the user buffer continues to fill.

10. A streaming media server for distributing streaming media via a data communications medium such as the Internet to at least one user system of at least one user, the streaming media comprising a plurality of sequential media data elements for a digitally encoded audio or video program, the user system being assumed to have a user buffer for receiving media data and facilities to play back the streaming media at a playback rate for viewing or listening by said at least one user, said server comprising:

at least one data storage device, memory for storing machine-readable executable routines and for providing a working memory area for routines executing on the server, a central processing unit for executing the machine-readable executable routines, an operating system, at least one connection to the communications medium, and a communications system providing a set of communications protocols for communicating through said at least one connection;

a machine-readable, executable routine containing instructions to cause the server to deliver streaming media elements to the user system;

a machine-readable, executable routine containing instructions to cause the server to determine if delivery has been interrupted; and

a machine-readable, executable routine containing instructions operable, if the server has determined that delivery has been interrupted, to send streaming media elements to the user system at a sending rate more rapid than the playback rate, to fill the user buffer.

11. The streaming media server of any of claims 8-10, wherein the media data elements are encoded at a variable bit rate.

12. The streaming media server of any of claims 8-10, wherein the media data elements are contained in a file local to the server.

13. A media player for receiving and playing streaming media comprising a plurality of sequential media data elements, said elements being available on request by said player via a data communications medium such as the Internet, from a server assumed to be capable of sending streaming media elements at a rate more rapid than the rate at which said streaming media is played back by a user each said data element having an identifier, said media player comprising:

memory for storing machine-readable executable routines and for providing a working memory area for routines executing on the player, a central processing unit for executing the machine-readable executable routines, an operating system, at least one connection to the communications medium, and a communications system providing a set of communications protocols for communicating through said at least one connection;

a machine-readable, executable routine for maintaining a record of the identifier of the last sequential media data element that has been received by said player; and

a machine-readable, executable routine for requesting transmission of the next sequential media data elements following said last sequential media data element, as said media player requires in order to maintain a sufficient number of media data elements in the media player for uninterrupted playback.

14. The media player of claim 13, wherein the media data elements are encoded at a variable bit rate.

15. A machine-readable medium on which there has been recorded a computer program for use in operating a streaming media server for distributing streaming media via a data communications medium such as the Internet to at least one user system of at least one user, the streaming media comprising a plurality of sequential media data elements for a digitally encoded audio or video program, the user system being assumed to have a user buffer for receiving media data and facilities to play back the streaming media at a playback rate for viewing or listening by said at least one user, said program recorded on said machine readable medium comprising:

a routine containing instructions to cause the server to send initial streaming media elements to the user system at an initial sending rate more rapid than the playback rate, to fill the user buffer; and

a routine containing instructions to cause the server, after the user buffer has been filled, to send further streaming media data elements to the user system at about the playback rate.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 15, wherein said routine for sending initial streaming media elements is configured so that the amount of said initial elements, and said initial sending rate, are sufficient for the user system to begin playing back the streaming media while the user buffer continues to fill.

19. The machine-readable medium of any of claims 16-18, wherein the media data elements are encoded at a variable bit rate.

20. The machine-readable medium of any of claims 16-18, wherein the media data elements are contained in a file local to the server.

17. A machine-readable medium on which there has been recorded a computer program for use in operating a streaming media server for distributing streaming media via a data communications medium such as the Internet to at least one user system of at least one user, the streaming media comprising a plurality of sequential media data elements for a digitally encoded audio or video program, the user system being assumed to have a user buffer for receiving media data and facilities to play back the streaming media at a playback rate for viewing or listening by said at least one user, said program recorded on said machine readable medium comprising:

a routine to cause the server to deliver streaming media elements to the user system;

a routine to cause the server to determine if delivery has been interrupted; and

a routine operable, if the server has determined that delivery has been interrupted, to send streaming media elements to the user system at a sending rate more rapid than the playback rate, to fill the user buffer.

18. A machine-readable medium on which there has been recorded a computer program for use in operating a streaming media server for distributing streaming media via a data communications medium such as the Internet to at least one user system of at least one user, the streaming media comprising a plurality of sequential media data elements for a digitally encoded audio or video program, the user system being assumed to have a media player for receiving and playing the streaming media on said user system, which is operable to obtain media data elements from said server by transmitting requests to said server to send one or more specified media data elements, said program recorded on said machine readable medium comprising:

a routine to cause the server to assign identifiers to the sequential media data elements comprising the streaming media;

a routine to cause the server to receive requests from the user system for media data elements corresponding to specified identifiers; and

a routine to cause the server to send media data elements to the user system responsive to said requests, at a rate more rapid than the rate at which said streaming media is played back by a user.