Method, device and system for implementing seeking play of stream media

• US 8,875,201 B2
• Filed: 06/11/2009
• Issued: 10/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Li, Hua, Fan, Yunsong
• Primary Examiner(s): Chokshi, Pinkal R
• Application Number:
  US12/482,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20090249423A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,965 Days
• Field of Search: 725 88- 91, 725/94, 725/100, 725/116, 725/118, 725/131, 725/102, 386/343, 386/350, 709/231, 370/468, 345/545, 345/547
• US Class Current: 725/90
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234381 by altering the temporal resolution, e.g. decreasing the frame rate by frame skipping
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2387 Stream processing in response to a playback request from an end-user, e.g. for trick-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4331 Caching operations, e.g. of an advertisement for later insertion during playback
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6587 Control parameters, e.g. trick play commands, viewpoint selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17336 Handling of requests in head-ends

Abstract

A method, a device and a system for implementing seeking play of stream media are provided. The method for implementing seeking play of stream media includes: sending a seeking play request to a stream media server; receiving preview key frames for seeking play sent from the stream media server according to a predefined buffer capacity range and storing the preview key frames for seeking play; displaying the preview key frames for seeking play; and initiating a stream media play according to preview key frames selected by a seeking of a user. This invention can improve the seeking operation experience of the user, control the downloading time of the extracted program, and reduce requirements of storage capability of the stream media terminal.

Claims

1. A method for seeking play of stream media, comprising:

sending a seeking play request to a stream media server by a stream media terminal;

receiving preview key frames for seeking play sent from the stream media server by the stream media terminal according to a predefined buffer capacity range and storing the preview key frames for seeking play;

sending a response message to the stream media server to inform the stream media server that the stream media terminal is unable to receive data at a time point when the predefined buffer capacity range is not available, such that the predefined buffer capacity range can no longer store another incoming preview key frame;

displaying the preview key frames for seeking play according to the seeking play request of a user when the user seeks the stream media hop by hop through clicking; and

initiating a stream media play according to preview key frames selected by a seeking of a user,

wherein the stream media server continues sending the preview key frame corresponding to a time point following the time point when the predefined buffer capacity range is not available.

2. The method for seeking play of stream media according to claim 1, wherein the receiving the preview key frames for seeking play sent from the stream media server according to the predefined buffer capacity range and storing the preview key frames for seeking play comprises:

receiving preview key frame data for seeking play sent from the stream media server according to a predefined decoding buffer sliding window;

storing the preview key frame data; and

maintaining a current decoding point of the decoding buffer sliding window to point to preview key frames at an intermediate position of the decoding buffer sliding window.

3. The method for seeking play of stream media according to claim 2, wherein the user seeks the stream media hop by hop through clicking, the current decoding point of the decoding buffer sliding window points to key frames corresponding to a step with every click;

if the seeking operation request of the user indicates a positive direction operation, the decoding buffer sliding window moves in the positive direction;

if the seeking operation request of the user indicates a negative direction operation, the decoding buffer sliding window moves in the negative direction;

decoded key frames are discarded if the decoded key frames do not fall into the range of the decoding buffer sliding window;

otherwise, the decoded key frames are stored in a buffer zone of the decoding buffer sliding window.

4. The method for seeking play of stream media according to claim 3, further comprising:

if the user changes the direction in the seeking operation request, reporting, a beginning time of the decoding buffer sliding window of preview key frames to be resent by the stream media server, to the stream media server.

5. The method for seeking play of stream media according to claim 1, wherein the seeking play request comprises:

step information and seeking direction information for selecting the preview key frames, wherein the preview key frames for seeking play sent from the stream media server are selected according to a direction for selecting the preview key frames determined by the seeking direction information and the step information.

6. The method for seeking play of stream media according to claim 1, further comprising:

determining a first time when the user has ceased the seeking operation; and

entering a play state upon detecting that an elapsed time since the first time exceeds a predefined time.

7. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium having stored thereon a computer program comprising at least one code section for implementing a stream media terminal, the at least one code section being executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform acts of:

sending a seeking play request to a stream media server;

receiving preview key frame data for seeking play sent from the stream media server according to a predefined buffer capacity range and storing the preview key frame data;

sending a response message to the stream media server to inform the stream media server that the stream media terminal is unable to receive data at a time point when the predefined buffer capacity range is not available, such that the predefined buffer capacity range can no longer store another incoming preview key frame;

displaying the preview key frames in a preview manner according to a seeking operation request from a user when the user seeks the stream media hop by hop through clicking; and

initiating a stream media play according to preview key frames selected by a seeking of the user,

wherein the stream media server continues sending the preview key frame corresponding to a time point following the time point when the predefined buffer capacity range is not available.

8. The non-transitory machine-redable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the act of sending a seeking play request to a stream media server comprising:

encapsulating the seeking play request carrying step and/or seeking direction information; and

sending the seeking play request carrying the step and/or seeking direction information, to the stream media server.

9. The non-transitory machine-redable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the act of receiving preview key frame data for seeking play sent from the stream media server according to a predefined buffer capacity range and storing the preview key frame data comprises:

receiving the preview key frame data for seeking play from the stream media server;

judging whether the stored preview key frame data for seeking play reaches a limitation of the decoding buffer sliding window; and

storing the received preview key frame data received, if the stored preview key frame data for seeking play does not reach the limitation of the decoding buffer sliding window.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium according to claim 7, wherein the at least one code section causes the machine to perform act of:

instructing the seeking play processing unit to initiate a stream media play on detecting that the user ceases the seeking operation.

11. The non-transitory machine-redable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the act of instructing the seeking play processing unit to initiate a stream media play on detecting that the user ceases the seeking operation comprises:

determining whether a time since the user ceases the seeking operation exceeds a predefined time; and

initiating the stream media play, upon detecting that an elapsed time since a first time determined when the user has ceased the seeking operation exceeds a predefined time;

otherwise, determining that the user has not ceased the seeking operation and performed no processing.

12. A method for seeking play of stream media, comprising a stream media terminal and a stream media server, the stream media terminal being connected with a stream media server via a network, wherein the stream media terminal is adapted to:

sending a seeking play request to the stream media server;

receive preview key frame data for seeking play sent from the stream media server according to a predefined buffer capacity range and store the preview key frame data;

sending a response message to the stream media server to inform the stream media server that the stream media terminal is unable to receive data at a time point when the predefined buffer capacity range is not available, such that the predefined buffer capacity range can no longer store another incoming preview key frame;

displaying the preview key frame data in a preview manner according to a seeking operation request from the user when the user seeks the stream media hop by hop through clicking; and

initiating a stream media play according to preview key frames selected by a seeking of the user;

wherein the stream media server is adapted to;

receiving and processing the seeking play request sent from the stream media terminal;

selecting the preview key frame data for seeking play according to the seeking play request;

sending the preview key frame data for seeking play to the stream media terminal; and

continue sending by the stream media server, the preview key frame corresponding to a time point following the time point when the predefined buffer capacity range is not available.