QUALITY ADJUSTMENT USING A FRAGMENTED MEDIA STREAM

• US 20110299586A1
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: MobiTV Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: MobiTV Incorporated (Adeia Inc.)
• Inventors: Odlund, Anders, Karlsson, Kent
• Application Number:
  US12/794,600
• Publication Number:
  US 20110299586A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 375/240.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1094 Inter-user-equipment sessions transfer or sharing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/41407 embedded in a portable device, e.g. video client on a mobile phone, PDA, laptop constructional details of equipment or arrangements specially adapted for portable computer application G06F1/1626; arrangements specially adapted for mobile receivers in broadcast systems H04H20/57
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64792 Controlling the complexity of the content stream, e.g. by dropping packets intermediate media network packet handling H04L65/765; proxy provisioning conversion or adaptation for reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data H04L67/5651; negotiation of resources in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8451 using Advanced Video Coding [AVC]

Abstract

Media files such as MPEG-4 files are fragmented to allow for media creation, delivery, quality adjustment, and place shifting. Playback on a device can begin upon receiving a first MPEG-4 file fragment. Playback stoppage is detected and media stream position information along with quality level information is maintained at a content server. Playback can continue using the same device and media stream quality, a different media stream quality, or with a different device and different media stream quality. Additional MPEG-4 file fragments requested may be fragments corresponding to a higher or lower bit-rate stream configured for a different device associated with the user to allow a user to resume playback on a different device.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving a first request from a user for playback of a media program on a first device supporting a first quality level;

transmitting a first fragment associated with the media program encoded at the first quality level to the first device, the first fragment including a first fragment number and a box structure supporting synchronization information and end of file information;

receiving a second request from the user for playback of the media program on a second device supporting a second quality level different from the first quality level;

identifying a media program position maintained at a server for resuming playback;

transmitting a second fragment associated with the live media program to the second device, the second fragment including a second fragment number derived using the media program position.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the box structure further supports chapter information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fragment number corresponds to a time index.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first request is an HTTP GET request.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein synchronization information is used to synchronize audio and video when playback entails starting in the middle of a stream.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first fragment and the second fragment include different portions of the near live media program.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the client device begins playback of the near live media program before receiving the second fragment.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein end of file information signals when the near live media program is over.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein end of file information includes information to continue streaming a next program or file.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein chapter information is used for video on demand content that is broken up into chapters.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is a content server.

12. An apparatus, comprising:

an input interface configured to receive a first request from a user for playback of a media program on a first device supporting a first quality level and a second request from the user for playback of the media program on a second device supporting a second quality level different from the first quality level;

a memory configured to maintain a media program position for resuming playback for the user;

an output interface configured to transmit a first fragment associated with the media program encoded at the first quality level to the first device, the first fragment including a first fragment number and a box structure supporting synchronization information and end of file information;

wherein a second fragment associated with the live media program is transmitted to the second device, the second fragment including a second fragment number derived using the media program position.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the box structure further supports chapter information.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the fragment number corresponds to a time index.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first request is an HTTP GET request.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein synchronization information is used to synchronize audio and video when playback entails starting in the middle of a stream.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the first fragment and the second fragment include different portions of the near live media program.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the client device begins playback of the near live media program before receiving the second fragment.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein end of file information signals when the near live media program is over.

20. A computer readable storage medium, comprising:

computer code for receiving a first request from a user for playback of a media program on a first device supporting a first quality level;

computer code for transmitting a first fragment associated with the media program encoded at the first quality level to the first device, the first fragment including a first fragment number and a box structure supporting synchronization information and end of file information;

computer code for receiving a second request from the user for playback of the media program on a second device supporting a second quality level different from the first quality level;

computer code for identifying a media program position maintained at a server for resuming playback;

computer code for transmitting a second fragment associated with the live media program to the second device, the second fragment including a second fragment number derived using the media program position.