EFFICIENT REAL-TIME STITCHING OF MULTIMEDIA FILES

• US 20120197966A1
• Filed: 01/27/2011
• Published: 08/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RhythmOne LLC (Nexxen International Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: RhythmOne LLC (Nexxen International Ltd.)
• Inventors: Wolf, Amir, Roy, Sumit
• Granted Patent: US 8,533,259 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/203
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23424 involving splicing one content stream with another content stream, e.g. for inserting or substituting an advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format

Abstract

A system and methods are disclosed for serving combined media using resource metadata referencing original media data. Combined resource metadata is created from combining the metadata of two or more files for a virtual media file representing the requested combined media. The combined data can be adjusted to synch audio and video portions as needed for combining the files. The virtual media file references the original media files and serves the content on-the-fly, rather than creating a new file with the combined media, at a savings of server response time and memory consumption, while maintaining high performance.

Claims

1. A method for serving combined media using resource metadata referencing original media data, comprising:

receiving at a server from a client a request for combined media comprising a first media file and second media file;

determining from resource metadata associated with the first media file whether an audio length for a media portion of the first media file matches a video length for a media portion of the first media file;

in response to a match between the audio length for the first media file media portion and the video length for the first media file media portion, creating resource metadata for a virtual media file representing the requested combined media from the resource metadata associated with the first media file combined with the resource metadata associated with the second media file; and

transmitting a response from the server to the client comprising the created resource metadata for the virtual media file, the first media file data portion, and the second media file data portion.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual media file does not include the first and second media files.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the audio length for the first media file matches the video length for the first media file further comprises:

parsing the first media file for duration information.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein creating resource metadata for a virtual media file representing the requested combined media from the resource metadata associated with the first media file combined with the resource metadata associated with the second media file further comprises:

merging the resource metadata associated with the second media file at a terminal end of the resource metadata associated with the first media file.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual media file provides pointers to the first media file and the second media file.

6. A method for serving combined media using resource metadata referencing original media data, comprising:

receiving at a server from a client a request for combined media comprising a first media file and second media file;

determining from resource metadata associated with the first media file whether an audio length for a media portion of the first media file matches a video length for a media portion of the first media file;

in response to a mismatch between the audio length for the first media file media portion and the video length for the first media file media portion, determining a length difference between the audio length for the first media file and the video length for the first media file;

adjusting one of the audio length for the first media file or the video length for the first media file such that the length difference between the audio length and video length is less than a threshold difference;

creating resource metadata for a virtual media file representing the requested combined media from the resource metadata associated with the first media file combined with the resource metadata associated with the second media file, wherein the resource metadata associated with the first media file comprises the adjusted one of the audio length or the video length for the first media file;

transmitting a response from the server to the client comprising the created resource metadata for the virtual media file, the first media file, and the second media file.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein adjusting one of the audio length for the first media file or the video length for the first media file within the created resource metadata for the virtual media file further comprises:

removing audio or video samples from a last one or more chunks of the first media file.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the threshold difference is determined to be within the range of one media sample duration.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein creating resource metadata for a virtual media file representing the requested combined media from the resource metadata associated with the first media file combined with the resource metadata associated with the second media file further comprises:

merging the resource metadata associated with the second media file at a terminal end of the resource metadata associated with the first media file.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein adjusting one of the audio length for the first media file or the video length for the first media file within the created resource metadata for the virtual media file further comprises:

increasing one of the audio length or the video length of the first media file by changing one or more sample duration.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the virtual media file provides pointers to the first media file and the second media file.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

in response to the received request for combined media further comprising a third media file, determining from resource metadata associated with the combined first and second media file whether an audio length for the combined first and second media file matches a video length for the combined first and second media file;

in response to a mismatch between the audio length for the combined first and second media file and the video length for the combined first and second media file, determining a length difference between the audio length for the combined first and second media file and the video length for the combined first and second media file;

adjusting one of the audio length for the combined first and second media file or the video length for the combined first and second media file such that the length difference between the audio length and video length is less than a threshold difference;

wherein creating the resource metadata for the virtual media file representing the requested combined media includes the resource metadata associated with the third media file, and wherein the resource metadata associated with the combined first and second media file comprises the adjusted one of the audio length or the video length for the combined first and second media file; and

wherein transmitting the response comprises the created resource metadata for the virtual media file, the first media file, the second media file, and the third media file.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store instructions, the instructions when executed cause at least one processor to:

receive at a server from a client a request for combined media comprising a first media file and second media file;

determine from resource metadata associated with the first media file whether an audio length for a media portion of the first media file matches a video length for a media portion of the first media file;

in response to a match between the audio length for the first media file media portion and the video length for the first media file media portion, create resource metadata for a virtual media file representing the requested combined media from the resource metadata associated with the first media file combined with the resource metadata associated with the second media file; and

transmit a response from the server to the client comprising the created resource metadata for the virtual media file, the first media file, and the second media file.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the instructions to determine whether the audio length for the first media file matches the video length for the first media file further comprises:

instructions to parse the first media file for duration information.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein the virtual media file provides pointers to the first media file and the second media file.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium configured to store instructions, the instructions when executed cause at least one processor to:

receive at a server from a client a request for combined media comprising a first media file and second media file;

determine from resource metadata associated with the first media file whether an audio length for a media portion of the first media file matches a video length for a media portion of the first media file;

in response to a mismatch between the audio length for the first media file media portion and the video length for the first media file media portion, determine a length difference between the audio length for the first media file and the video length for the first media file;

adjust one of the audio length for the first media file or the video length for the first media file such that the length difference between the audio length and video length is less than a threshold difference;

create resource metadata for a virtual media file representing the requested combined media from the resource metadata associated with the first media file combined with the resource metadata associated with the second media file, wherein the resource metadata associated with the first media file comprises the adjusted one of the audio length or the video length for the first media file;

transmit a response from the server to the client comprising the created resource metadata for the virtual media file, the first media file, and the second media file.

17. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the instructions to adjust one of the audio length for the first media file or the video length for the first media file within the created resource metadata for the virtual media file further comprises:

instructions to remove audio or video samples from a last one or more chunks of the first media file.

18. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the threshold difference is determined to be within the range of one media sample duration.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising instructions that when executed cause the at least one processor to:

in response to the received request for combined media further comprising a third media file, determine from resource metadata associated with the combined first and second media file whether an audio length for the combined first and second media file matches a video length for the combined first and second media file;

in response to a mismatch between the audio length for the combined first and second media file and the video length for the combined first and second media file, determine a length difference between the audio length for the combined first and second media file and the video length for the combined first and second media file;

adjust one of the audio length for the combined first and second media file or the video length for the combined first and second media file such that the length difference between the audio length and video length is less than a threshold difference;

wherein creating the resource metadata for the virtual media file representing the requested combined media includes the resource metadata associated with the third media file, and wherein the resource metadata associated with the combined first and second media file comprises the adjusted one of the audio length or the video length for the combined first and second media file; and

wherein transmitting the response comprises the created resource metadata for the virtual media file, the first media file, the second media file, and the third media file.

20. A computer system for serving combined media using resource metadata referencing original media data, comprising:

a web server for receiving at a server from a client a request for combined media comprising a first media file and second media file;

a file parsing engine for determining from resource metadata associated with the first media file whether an audio length for the first media file matches a video length for the first media file;

a virtual file engine for creating resource metadata for a virtual media file representing the requested combined media from the resource metadata associated with the first media file combined with the resource metadata associated with the second media file in response to a match between the audio length for the first media file and the video length for the first media file; and

wherein the web server is further configured for transmitting a response from the server to the client comprising the created resource metadata for the virtual media file, the first media file, and the second media file.

21. A computer system for serving combined media using resource metadata referencing original media data, comprising:

a web server for receiving at a server from a client a request for combined media comprising a first media file and second media file;

a file parsing engine for determining from resource metadata associated with the first media file whether an audio length for the first media file matches a video length for the first media file, and in response to a mismatch between the audio length for the first media file and the video length for the first media file, determining a length difference between the audio length for the first media file and the video length for the first media file;

a length adjustment engine for adjusting one of the audio length for the first media file or the video length for the first media file such that the length difference between the audio length and video length is less than a threshold difference;

a virtual file engine for creating resource metadata for a virtual media file representing the requested combined media from the resource metadata associated with the first media file combined with the resource metadata associated with the second media file, wherein the resource metadata associated with the first media file comprises the adjusted one of the audio length or the video length for the first media file;

wherein the web server is further configured for transmitting a response from the server to the client comprising the created resource metadata for the virtual media file, the first media file, and the second media file.