Real-time media delivery with automatic catch-up

• US 8,402,155 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2010
• Issued: 03/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xcira Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Xcira Incorporated
• Inventors: Glow, Andy
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US12/752,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20110246657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709217-228, 709/234, 725/102, 725/109, 725/88
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1063 Application servers providing network services systems providing special services to telephonic subscribers H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/611 for multicast or broadcast systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2187 Live feed
• 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 21/6547 comprising parameters, e.g. for client setup
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6581 Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application

Abstract

Live media content is delivered in substantially real-time to a player device from a streamer and through a content delivery network. The streamer receives live media content and encodes and streams the content over the content delivery network. The content delivery network is configured to provide minimal buffering. A player device accessing the streaming channel receives media frames and buffers the frames while rending the received frames in order of receipt. If the buffer is loaded to the point that the currently rendered data lags the actual live feed by more than a threshold amount of time, the player skips over one or more video frames to bring the rendered content more current. For instance, the buffer can be flushed and more recent content can be received from the content delivery network.

Claims

1. A method for presenting live media content in substantially real-time, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving, at a rendering device, media content from a live feed over a content delivery network, wherein the media content includes video content delivered in blocks of video data and the media content is rendered on the rendering device at least in part by an ADOBE FLASH PLAYER video player operating on the rendering device;

buffering the media content as it is received, thereby generating a quantity of buffered media content;

rendering the buffered media content on the rendering device in the order of its receipt from the live feed; and

skipping over a portion of the buffered media content when a quantity of the buffered media content exceeds a threshold quantity by;

monitoring the number of video blocks that are stored in the buffer;

detecting when the number of video blocks in the buffer substantially equals the threshold quantity; and

jumping ahead to the most recent video blocks before continuing the step of rendering the media content from the most recent video block by issuing a seek command to the content delivery network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of detecting when the number of video blocks in the buffer substantially equals the threshold quantity further comprises detecting when the buffer includes approximately 0.6 or more seconds of video blocks.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of issuing the seek command includes issuing a seek command with parameters that will cause the buffer to contain approximately 0.2 seconds or less of video blocks.