Apparatus and method for providing streaming content

• US 8,645,562 B2
• Filed: 09/06/2011
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Helios Streaming, LLC (Ideahub, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, University-Industry Cooperation Foundation of Korea Aerospace University
• Inventors: Thang, Truong Cong, Lee, Jin Young, Bae, Seong Jun, Kang, Jung Won, Jung, Soon Heung, Park, Sang Taick, Ryu, Won, Kim, Jae Gon
• Primary Examiner(s): Maung, Zarni
• Application Number:
  US13/820,955
• Publication Number:
  US 20130166771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 882 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709217-218, 709223-229, 709/231, 709/236
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2353 specifically adapted to content descriptors, e.g. coding, compressing or processing of metadata
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23805 Controlling the feeding rate to the network, e.g. by controlling the video pump
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2401 Monitoring of the client buffer
• 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 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/845 Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A method and apparatus for an adaptive Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) streaming service using metadata of content are provided. The metadata may include one or more BaseURL elements. Uniform Resource Locators (URLs) of segments forming media may be generated based on the BaseURL elements. Additionally, a URL of a segment may be generated by mapping a BaseURL element among the BaseURL elements to a sourceURL attribute of the segment. Segments indicated by generated URLs may be identical to each other.

Claims

1. A method for providing media, the method comprising:

receiving metadata of media, the metadata comprising one or more BaseURL elements;

sending a request for a segment of the media using a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the segment, the URL being resolved with respect to a BaseURL element;

receiving the segment; and

decoding and rendering data of the media that is included in the segment,

wherein the request is sent using an HTTP GET method, the BaseURL element specifies one or more common locations for segments, and the segment is one of the segments.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the metadata is a Media Presentation Description (MPD) of the media.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the media comprises a sequence of one or more periods,

wherein a BaseURL element comprises one or more MPD level BaseURL elements of the MPD, and one or more period level BaseURL elements of the periods, and

wherein a URL of a segment included in each of the periods is resolved with respect to a period level BaseURL element.

4. A method for providing media, the method comprising:

receiving metadata of media, the metadata comprising one or more BaseURL elements;

sending a request for a segment of the media using a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the segment, the URL being resolved with respect to a BaseURL element;

receiving the segment; and

decoding and rendering data of the media that is included in the segment,

wherein the metadata comprises a range attribute, and

wherein the request comprises a request for bytes of a resource indicated by the URL that are designated by the range attribute, the BaseURL element specifies one or more common locations for segments, and the segment is one of the segments.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the metadata is a Media Presentation Description (MPD) of the media.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the media comprises a sequence of one or more periods,

wherein a BaseURL element comprises one or more MPD level BaseURL elements of the MPD, and one or more period level BaseURL elements of the periods, and

wherein a URL of a segment included in each of the periods is resolved with respect to a period level BaseURL element.

7. A method for providing media, the method comprising:

receiving metadata of media, the metadata comprising one or more BaseURL elements;

sending a request for a segment of the media using a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the segment, the URL being resolved with respect to a BaseURL element;

receiving the segment; and

decoding and rendering data of the media that is included in the segment,

wherein the URL is an absolute URL or a relative URL, the BaseURL element specifies one or more common locations for segments, and the segment is one of the segments.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the metadata is a Media Presentation Description (MPD) of the media.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the media comprises a sequence of one or more periods,

wherein a BaseURL element comprises one or more MPD level BaseURL elements of the MPD, and one or more period level BaseURL elements of the periods, and

wherein a URL of a segment included in each of the periods is resolved with respect to a period level BaseURL element.

10. A terminal, comprising:

an access engine to receive metadata of media, to send a request for a segment of the media using a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the segment, to receive the segment, and to decode data of the media that is included in the segment, the metadata comprising one or more BaseURL elements, and the URL being resolved with respect to a BaseURL element; and

a media engine to receive the data of the media from the access engine, and to output the media,

wherein the request is sent using an HTTP GET method, the BaseURL element specifies one or more common locations for segments, and the segment is one of the segments.

11. A terminal, comprising:

an access engine to receive metadata of media, to send a request for a segment of the media using a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the segment, to receive the segment, and to decode data of the media that is included in the segment, the metadata comprising one or more BaseURL elements, and the URL being resolved with respect to a BaseURL element; and

a media engine to receive the data of the media from the access engine, and to output the media,

wherein the metadata comprises a range attribute, and

wherein the request comprises a request for bytes of a resource indicated by the URL that are designated by the range attribute, the BaseURL element specifies one or more common locations for segments, and the segment is one of the segments.

12. A terminal, comprising:

an access engine to receive metadata of media, to send a request for a segment of the media using a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the segment, to receive the segment, and to decode data of the media that is included in the segment, the metadata comprising one or more BaseURL elements, and the URL being resolved with respect to a BaseURL element; and

a media engine to receive the data of the media from the access engine, and to output the media,

wherein the URL is an absolute URL or a relative URL, the BaseURL element specifies one or more common locations for segments, and the segment is one of the segments.