Method and apparatus for distributing digitized streaming video over a network

• US 7,698,450 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2005
• Issued: 04/13/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: e-Watch, Inc. (Cision Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: The Telesis Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Metzger, Raymond R., Monroe, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phillips; Hassan
• Assistant Examiner(s): COONEY, ADAM A
• Application Number:
  US11/071,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20050144296A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,867 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23608 Remultiplexing multiplex streams, e.g. involving modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4344 Remultiplexing of multiplex streams, e.g. by modifying time stamps or remapping the packet identifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6405 Multicasting data broadcast and multicast in packet switching networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/181 for receiving images from a plurality of remote sources

Abstract

Continuous streaming video is conditioned for display at a remote monitor adapted for receiving and playing a streaming video file of a discrete length. The continuous streaming video has no known beginning of data signal and no known end of data signal, and an arbitrary beginning of data signal is assigned to the streaming video in mid-stream and an arbitrary end of data signal is assigned to the streaming video for identifying the length of the video stream and for making it compatible with the display platform. The continuous streaming video may be time stamped, and the beginning of data signal may be arbitrarily assigned a zero value for identifying an artificial beginning of the file. Specifically, the each time stamp received may be calculated by resetting each time stamp received time stamp with a value of the current time stamp minus first time stamp received, whereby the first time stamp received is set to zero and additional time stamps are counted from the first time stamp received. The encoded video signal may be viewed by more than one user, wherein the streaming video signal is sent to a multicast group address for forwarding the stream identified recipients, with a multicast routing technique used for determining that multiple recipients are located on one specific network path or path segment, wherein only one copy of the video signal is sent along that path.

Claims

1. A method for transmitting video data from a camera over an internet protocol network to a recipient, the recipient including an executable media player application embodied in suitable media, the recipient including a processor suitable to execute the media player application, the recipient including a media player time counter, the media player time counter being incremented in relation to a media player time source, the media player application being executable upon receipt of video data including both of the following:

a Beginning of File marker, and

a file length identifier,

execution of the media player application with video data after receipt of both a Beginning of File marker and a file length identifier causing video data to be displayed, the method comprising;

in the camera compressing collected video data in an MPEG compressor to provide a compressed bit stream;

in the camera embedding with the compressed bit stream an embedded time stamp value, the embedded time stamp value including one of the following;

a Presentation Time Stamp (PTS), and

a Decoding Time Stamp (DTS),

the embedded time stamp value being incremented in relation to a camera time counter;

transmitting from the camera over the network to the recipient the compressed bit stream including a sequence of video data headers, each video data header including the embedded time stamp value;

at the recipient executing a front-end filter application with the compressed bit stream including the sequence of video data headers, the front-end filter application being embodied in suitable media, the recipient including a processor suitable to execute the front-end filter application, execution of the front-end filter application causing the sequence of video data headers to be replaced with a sequence of dummy video file headers, at least one of the dummy video file headers including a Beginning of File marker, the Beginning of File marker being provided at the recipient in the at least one dummy video file header by execution of the front-end filter application, the Beginning of File marker being a dummy marker, at least one of the dummy video file headers including a file length identifier, the file length identifier being provided at the recipient in the at least one dummy video file header by execution of the front-end filter application, the file length identifier having a dummy value not greater than a maximum file length of the media player application, the dummy value being at least sufficient to enable execution of the media player with the compressed bit stream to cause video data to be displayed while the media player time counter is incremented toward the dummy value, each of the dummy video file headers including a replacement time stamp value provided by the front-end filter application, the replacement time stamp value being calculated by subtracting from each embedded time stamp value an initial embedded time stamp value, the initial embedded time stamp value being a first embedded time stamp value in the compressed bit stream received by the front-end filter application; and

at the recipient providing to the media player application the compressed bit stream including the sequence of dummy video file headers, execution of the media player application with the compressed bit stream being enabled by the sequence of dummy video file headers, the media player time counter being initialized to an initial counter value upon receipt of the Beginning of File marker, the media player time counter incrementing from the initial counter toward the dummy value in relation to the media player time source, execution of the media player causing the video data to be displayed in sequence from the compressed bit stream, the sequence being established by the replacement time stamp value.

2. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

the replacement time stamp value being zero in correspondence only to the initial embedded time stamp value.

3. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

the media player time counter being initialized to an initial counter value of zero upon receipt of the Beginning of File marker, the replacement time stamp value being zero in correspondence only to the initial embedded time stamp value.

4. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

the media player application including a Microsoft media player platform, the media player time counter being initialized to an initial counter value of zero upon receipt of the Beginning of File marker, the replacement time stamp value being zero in correspondence only to the initial embedded time stamp value.

5. The method of claim 1 and further comprising:

the dummy value being equal to a maximum file length supported by the media player application.

6. The method of claim 5 and further comprising:

the media player application including a Microsoft media player platform having a 63-bit file length, when each variable is set to one, the maximum file length being approximately thirty thousand years.

7. A recipient computer in communication with an internet protocol network to receive from the internet protocol network video data transmitted from a camera over the internet protocol network, the recipient computer including a processor, the processor being suitable to execute a front-end filter application, the front-end filter application being embodied in memory, the recipient computer including an executable media player application embodied in memory, the recipient computer including a processor suitable to execute the media player application, the recipient computer including a media player time counter, the media player time counter being incremented in relation to a media player time source, the media player application being executable upon receipt of video data including both of the following:

a Beginning of File marker, and

a file length identifier,

execution of the media player application with video data after receipt of both a Beginning of File marker and a file length identifier causing video data to be displayed, the recipient computer comprising;

the front-end filter application being executable to cause a sequence of video data headers included in a compressed bit stream of video data to be replaced with a sequence of dummy video file headers, at least one of the dummy video file headers including a Beginning of File marker, the Beginning of File marker being provided at the recipient in the at least one dummy video file header by execution of the front-end filter application, the Beginning of File marker being a dummy marker, at least one of the dummy video file headers including a file length identifier, the file length identifier being provided at the recipient in the at least one dummy video file header by execution of the front-end filter application, the file length identifier having a dummy value not greater than a maximum file length of the media player application, the dummy value being at least sufficient to enable execution of the media player with the compressed bit stream to cause video data to be displayed while the media player time counter is incremented toward the dummy value, each of the dummy video file headers including a replacement time stamp value provided by the front-end filter application, the replacement time stamp value being calculated by subtracting from an embedded time stamp value in a respective one of the video data headers an initial embedded time stamp value, the initial embedded time stamp value being a first embedded time stamp value in the compressed bit stream received by the front-end filter application, the front-end filter application providing to the media player application the compressed bit stream including the sequence of dummy video file headers, execution of the media player application with the compressed bit stream being enabled by the sequence of dummy video file headers, the media player time counter being initialized to an initial counter value upon receipt of the Beginning of File marker, the media player time counter incrementing from the initial counter toward the dummy value in relation to the media player time source, execution of the media player causing the video data to be displayed in sequence from the compressed bit stream, the sequence being established by the replacement time stamp value.

8. A recipient computer according to claim 7 and further comprising:

the compressed bit stream being provided by compressing collected video data in an MPEG compressor in the camera;

the compressed bit stream including an embedded time stamp value, the embedded time stamp value including one of the following;

a Presentation Time Stamp (PTS), and

a Decoding Time Stamp (DTS),

the embedded time stamp value being incremented in relation to a camera time counter;

the recipient receiving a compressed bit stream including a sequence of video data headers, each video data header including the embedded time stamp value.

9. A recipient computer according to claim 7 and further comprising:

the replacement time stamp value being zero in correspondence only to the initial embedded time stamp value.

10. A recipient computer according to claim 7 and further comprising:

the media player time counter being initialized to an initial counter value of zero upon receipt of the Beginning of File marker, the replacement time stamp value being zero in correspondence only to the initial embedded time stamp value.

11. A recipient computer according to claim 7 and further comprising:

the media player application including a Microsoft media player platform, the media player time counter being initialized to an initial counter value of zero upon receipt of the Beginning of File marker, the replacement time stamp value being zero in correspondence only to the initial embedded time stamp value.

12. A recipient computer according to claim 7 and further comprising:

the dummy value being equal to a maximum file length supported by the media player application.

13. A recipient computer according to claim 7 and further comprising:

the media player application including a Microsoft media player platform having a 63-bit file length, when each variable is set to one, the maximum file length being approximately thirty thousand years.

14. A recipient computer according to claim 7 and further comprising:

the compressed bit stream transmitted from the camera over the internet protocol network in a sequence of multicast protocol data packets, each multicast protocol data packet including a multicast header identifying a multicast group address;

the recipient connecting to the multicast group address to receive the sequence of multicast protocol data packets.

15. A security system adapted to transmit video data captured by at least one camera over an internet protocol network to a plurality of recipients, the recipients being adapted to display rendered video data, the security system comprising:

the camera being operable to collect video data, the camera including an MPEG compressor operable to provide a compressed bit stream, the compressed bit stream including compressed video data;

the camera including a time stamp application suitable to embed with the compressed bit stream an embedded time stamp value, the embedded time stamp value including one of the following;

a Presentation Time Stamp (PTS), and

a Decoding Time Stamp (DTS),

the embedded time stamp value being incremented in relation to a camera time counter;

the camera being adapted to transmit over the network to a multicast group address the compressed bit stream including a sequence of video data headers, each video data header including the embedded time stamp value;

the recipient including an executable media player application embodied in suitable media, the recipient including a processor suitable to execute the media player application, the recipient including a media player time counter, the media player time counter being incremented in relation to a media player time source, the media player application being executable upon receipt of video data including both of the following;

a Beginning of File marker, and

a file length identifier,

execution of the media player application with video data after receipt of both a Beginning of File marker and a file length identifier causing video data to be displayed;

the recipient including a front-end filter application embodied in suitable media, the recipient including a processor suitable to execute the front-end filter application, execution of the front-end filter application with the compressed bit stream including the sequence of video data headers causing the sequence of video data headers to be replaced with a sequence of dummy video file headers, at least one of the dummy video file headers including a Beginning of File marker, the Beginning of File marker being provided at the recipient in the at least one dummy video file header by execution of the front-end filter application, the Beginning of File marker being a dummy marker, at least one of the dummy video file headers including a file length identifier, the file length identifier being provided at the recipient in the at least one dummy video file header by execution of the front-end filter application, the file length identifier having a dummy value not greater than a maximum file length of the media player application, the dummy value being at least sufficient to enable execution of the media player with the compressed bit stream to cause video data to be displayed while the media player time counter is incremented toward the dummy value, each of the dummy video file headers including a replacement time stamp value provided by the front-end filter application, the replacement time stamp value being calculated by subtracting from each embedded time stamp value an initial embedded time stamp value, the initial embedded time stamp value being a first embedded time stamp value in the compressed bit stream received by the front-end filter application; and

the recipient including the media player application, the compressed bit stream including the sequence of dummy video file headers being provided from the front-end filter application to the media player application, execution of the media player application with the compressed bit stream being enabled by the sequence of dummy video file headers, the media player time counter being initialized to an initial counter value upon receipt of the Beginning of File marker, the media player time counter incrementing from the initial counter toward the dummy value in relation to the media player time source, execution of the media player causing the video data to be displayed in sequence from the compressed bit stream, the sequence being established by the replacement time stamp value.

16. A security system according to claim 15 and further comprising:

the media player time counter being initialized to an initial counter value of zero upon receipt of the Beginning of File marker, the replacement time stamp value being zero in correspondence only to the initial embedded time stamp value.

17. A security system according to claim 15 and further comprising:

the media player application including a Microsoft media player platform, the media player time counter being initialized to an initial counter value of zero upon receipt of the Beginning of File marker, the replacement time stamp value being zero in correspondence only to the initial embedded time stamp value.

18. A security system according to claim 15 and further comprising:

the compressed bit stream being transmitted from the camera over the internet protocol network in a sequence of multicast protocol data packets, each multicast protocol data packet including a multicast header identifying a multicast group address;

the recipient being operable to connect to the multicast group address to receive the sequence of multicast protocol data packets.

19. A security system according to claim 15 and further comprising:

assigning dual level addresses to the streaming video stream, whereby the recipient selects the video to be received, by first identifies the IP address of the derived source of the streaming video signal and then obtaining an appropriate file transfer protocol from the source.

20. A security system according to claim 19 and further comprising:

at least one of a first address component and a second address component being obtained by determining an appropriate file transfer protocol from a source by a client obtaining a small file from an encoder, using FTP, TFTP or other appropriate file transfer protocol.