REAL-TIME OR NEAR REAL-TIME STREAMING

• US 20150172343A1
• Filed: 10/17/2014
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Tseng, Alan, May, William Jr., Batson, James David, Pantos, Roger
• Granted Patent: US 9,531,779 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/182 Distributed file systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/4387 by the use of playlists
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0484 for the control of specific functions or operations, e.g. selecting or manipulating an object, an image or a displayed text element, setting a parameter value or selecting a range
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/61 for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
• 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 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities

Abstract

Methods and apparatuses provide real-time or near real-time streaming of content, specified in one or more playlists, using transfer protocols such as an HTTP compliant protocol. In one embodiment, a method can execute a user application on a client device to present media files and to control presentation of the media files. The method can further run a media serving process on the client device to retrieve a playlist specifying the media files and a media source at which the media files are available, to retrieve the media files from the media source, and to decode the media files retrieved. The media serving process can call the user application to process a custom URL in order to obtain an object referred to by the custom URL.

Claims

1-37. -37. (canceled)

38. A device for providing an output to a presentation device, the device comprising:

a remote playback component configured to allow the device to be set up for control by another device;

a media server component, the media server component being configured to process a playlist specifying media files and to retrieve and decode media files specified in the playlist, and the media server component being configured to produce a message that elicits a response from the another device, and the remote playback component being configured to pass the message to the another device;

an output to provide video data or audio data or both video data and audio data to the presentation device, the output being coupled to the media server component which provides the video data or audio data or both;

an input/output (I/O) interface coupled to the remote playback component, the I/O interface being configured to pass the message, from the media server component to the another device, and the I/O interface being configured to pass a response, from the another device, to the message to the media server component to allow the output to provide the video data or audio data or both and wherein an application on the another device provides the response to the message through the I/O interface.

39. The device as in claim 38 wherein the device communicates with the another device through a wireless network and wherein the another device presents a user interface on a display of the another device that allows control of playback by the device.

40. The device as in claim 39 wherein control of playback includes one or more of:

start playback;

pause playback;

stop playback;

selection of media content;

or fast forward of playback.

41. The device as in claim 40 wherein the application on the another device causes the user interface to be presented.

42. The device as in claim 41 wherein the message includes data for obtaining a decryption key.

43. The device as in claim 41 wherein the message comprises a custom URL which represents data for obtaining a decryption key and wherein the custom URL is contained within the playlist, and wherein the message is produced in response to processing the playlist on the device.

44. A method in a device for providing an output to a presentation device, the method comprising:

configuring the device to be set up for control by another device to allow the device to present content on the presentation device under control of the another device;

executing a media server process on the device, the media server process configured to retrieve and decode media files specified in a playlist file and to produce a message that requests a response from the another device;

transmitting the message to the another device;

receiving the response to the message from the another device to allow the device to present content on the presentation device, the message being transmitted in response to processing the playlist.

45. The method as in claim 44 wherein an application executing on the another device provides the response to the message.

46. The method as in claim 45 wherein the device communicates with the another device through a wireless network and wherein the another device presents a user interface on a display of the another device that allows control of playback by the device.

47. The method as in claim 46 wherein the application causes the user interface to be presented and wherein control of playback includes one or more of:

start playback;

pause playback;

stop playback;

select media content;

or fast forward of playback.

48. The method as in claim 47 wherein the message includes data for obtaining a decryption key.

49. The method as in claim 47 wherein the message comprises a custom URL which represents data for obtaining a decryption key and which is contained within the playlist.

50. A non-transitory machine readable medium containing program instructions which when executed by the device causes the device to perform the method of claim 44.

51. A non-transitory machine readable medium containing program instructions which when executed by a data processing system cause the system to perform a method comprising:

configuring a first device to be set up to control a second device that is wirelessly connected, through a wireless network, to the first device to allow the second device to output content, under control of the first device, for presentation on a display device that is coupled to the second device;

executing an application on the first device to present a user interface to control the output of content from the second device to the display device;

receiving a message from the second device, the message requesting a response to allow the second device to present content on the display device, the message being transmitted from the second device in response to processing a playlist on the second device, the playlist specifying one or more files of segments of content for playback;

transmitting the response to the message.

52. The medium as in claim 51 wherein the application provides the response to the second device through the wireless network.

53. The medium as in claim 52 wherein the control of the output of content from the second device includes one or more of:

start playback;

pause playback;

stop playback;

select media content;

or fast forward playback.

54. The medium as in claim 53 wherein the message includes data for obtaining a decryption key.

55. The medium as in claim 53 wherein the message includes a custom URL which represents data for obtaining a decryption key and the custom URL is contained in the playlist.