Streaming encoded video data

• US 8,938,767 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2011
• Issued: 01/20/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Chen, Ying, Karczewicz, Marta
• Primary Examiner(s): Goodarzi, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): PIERORAZIO, MICHAEL
• Application Number:
  US13/083,443
• Publication Number:
  US 20110196982A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,383 Days
• Field of Search: 725/105
• US Class Current: 725/105
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23439 for generating different versions
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44209 Monitoring of downstream path of the transmission network originating from a server, e.g. bandwidth variations of a wireless network arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4516 involving client characteristics, e.g. Set-Top-Box type, software version or amount of memory available
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/454 Content or additional data filtering, e.g. blocking advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4621 Controlling the complexity of the content stream or additional data, e.g. lowering the resolution or bit-rate of the video stream for a mobile client with a small screen arrangements for using the results of monitoring on user's side in broadcast systems H04H60/65; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8455 involving pointers to the content, e.g. pointers to the I-frames of the video stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/85406 involving a specific file format, e.g. MP4 format

Abstract

A source device may signal characteristics of a media presentation description (MPD) file such that a destination device may select one of a number of presentations corresponding to the MPD file and retrieve one or more video files of the selected presentation. In one example, an apparatus for transporting encoded video data includes a management unit configured to receive encoded video data comprising a number of video segments and forms a presentation comprising a number of video files, each of the video files corresponding to a respective one of the video segments, and a network interface configured to, in response to a request specifying a temporal section of the video data, output at least one of the video files corresponding to the number of video segments of the requested temporal section. A client may request temporally sequential fragments from different ones of the presentations.

Claims

1. A method of providing information for encoded video data, the method comprising:

receiving encoded video data units, wherein each of the units corresponds to a video segment;

determining a first sequence of the units, each of the units in the first sequence having a first common temporal duration;

providing the first common temporal duration for the first sequence of units and the number of the video data units in the first sequence to a client device, wherein providing comprises providing a first value for the common temporal duration and a second value for the number of the video data units in the first sequence, wherein the first value corresponds to the entire first sequence of units, and wherein the second value corresponds to the entire first sequence of units;

determining a second sequence of the units, each of the units in the second sequence having a second common temporal duration, wherein the second common temporal duration is different than the first common temporal duration;

providing the second common temporal duration for the second sequence of units and the number of the video data units in the second sequence to the client device, wherein providing comprises providing a third value for the second common temporal duration and a fourth value for the number of video data units in the second sequence, wherein the third value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units, and wherein the fourth value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units;

assigning each of the segments of the first sequence and the second sequence a unique uniform resource locator;

receiving a streaming hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request specifying the uniform resource locator of one of the video segments in either the first sequence or the second sequence from the client device; and

in response to the request, sending the requested video segment to the client device in accordance with streaming HTTP.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a starting time of the first sequence of units; and

providing the starting time of the first sequence of units to the client device.

3. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining the first sequence of the units and the second sequence of the units comprises determining a plurality of sequences of the units, each of the plurality of sequences comprising one or more of the units having a respective common temporal duration, and wherein the plurality of sequences are arranged continuously within a presentation of a video file, and

wherein providing comprises sending the first value, the second value, the third value, and the fourth value as characteristics of the video file to the client device before sending any of the video data units to the client device, and wherein for each of the plurality of sequences, provided information indicates the respective common temporal duration for the corresponding sequence and the number of the video data units in the corresponding sequence.

4. An apparatus for providing information for encoded video data, the apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to receive encoded video data comprising units of video data, wherein each of the units corresponds to a video segment, determine a first sequence of the units, each of the units in the first sequence having a first common temporal duration, generate the first common temporal duration for the first sequence of video units and the number of the video data units in the first sequence, wherein the processor is configured to generate a first value for the common temporal duration and a second value for the number of the video data units in the first sequence, wherein the first value corresponds to the entire sequence of units, and wherein the second value corresponds to the entire first sequence of units, and wherein the processor is further configured to determine a second sequence of the units, each of the units in the second sequence having a second common temporal duration, wherein the second common temporal duration is different than the first common temporal duration, generate the second common temporal duration for the second sequence of units and the number of the video data units in the second sequence, wherein providing comprises providing a third value for the second common temporal duration and a fourth value for the number of video data units in the second sequence, wherein the third value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units, and wherein the fourth value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units, assign each of the segments of the first sequence and the second sequence a unique uniform resource locator, and receive a streaming hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request specifying the uniform resource locator of one of the video segments in either the first sequence or the second sequence from a client device; and

a network interface configured to provide the first common temporal duration for the first sequence of video units, the number of the video data units in the first sequence, the second common temporal duration for the second sequence of units, the number of the video data units in the second sequence to the client device, and the requested video segment in accordance with streaming HTTP to the client device.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to determine a starting time of the first sequence of video units and to generate the starting time of the first sequence of video units, and wherein the network interface is configured to provide the starting time of the first sequence of video units to the client device.

6. The apparatus of claim 4,

wherein the processor is configured to determine a plurality of sequences of the units including the first sequence and the second sequence, each of the sequences comprising one or more of the units having a respective common temporal duration, and wherein the plurality of sequences are arranged continuously within a presentation of a video file, and

wherein the processor is configured to send the first value, the second value, the third value, and the fourth value as characteristics of the video file to the client device before sending any of the video data units of the video file to the client device, and wherein for each of the plurality of sequences, provided information indicates the respective common temporal duration for the corresponding sequence and the number of the video data units in the corresponding sequence.

7. An apparatus for providing information for encoded video data, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving encoded video data comprising units of video data, wherein each of the units corresponds to a video segment;

means for determining a sequence of the units, each of the units in the first sequence having a first common temporal duration;

means for providing the first common temporal duration for the first sequence of units and the number of the video data units in the first sequence to a client device, wherein the means for providing comprises means for providing a first value for the first common temporal duration and a second value for the number of the video data units in the first sequence, wherein the first value corresponds to the entire first sequence of units, and wherein the second value corresponds to the entire first sequence of units;

means for determining a second sequence of the units, each of the units in the second sequence having a second common temporal duration, wherein the second common temporal duration is different than the first common temporal duration;

means for providing the second common temporal duration for the second sequence of units and the number of the video data units in the second sequence to the client device, wherein providing comprises providing a third value for the second common temporal duration and a fourth value for the number of video data units in the second sequence, wherein the third value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units, and wherein the fourth value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units;

means for assigning each of the segments of the first sequence and the second sequence a unique uniform resource locator;

means for receiving a streaming hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request specifying the uniform resource locator of one of the video segments in either the first sequence or the second sequence from the client device; and

means for sending, in response to the request, the requested video segment to the client device in accordance with streaming HTTP.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising:

means for determining a starting time of the first sequence of units; and

means for providing the starting time of the first sequence of units to the client device.

9. The apparatus of claim 7,

wherein the means for determining the first sequence of the units and the second sequence of units comprises determining a plurality of sequences of the units, each of the plurality of sequences comprising one or more of the units having a respective common temporal duration, and wherein the plurality of sequences are arranged continuously within a presentation of a video file, and

wherein the means for providing comprises means for sending the first value, the second value, the third value, and the fourth value as characteristics of the video file to the client device before sending any of the video data units to the client device, and wherein for each of the plurality of sequences, provided information indicates the respective common temporal duration for the corresponding sequence and the number of the video data units in the corresponding sequence.

10. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored therein instructions that, when executed, cause a processor of a device for providing information for encoded video data to:

receive encoded video data comprising units of video data, wherein each of the units corresponds to a video segment;

determine a first sequence of the units, each of the units in the first sequence having a first common temporal duration;

provide the first common temporal duration for the sequence of units and the number of the video data units in the sequence to a client device, wherein the instructions that cause the processor to provide comprise instructions that cause the processor to provide a first value for the first common temporal duration and a second value for the number of the video data units in the first sequence, wherein the first value corresponds to the entire first sequence of units, and wherein the second value corresponds to the entire first sequence of units;

determine a second sequence of the units, each of the units in the second sequence having a second common temporal duration, wherein the second common temporal duration is different than the first common temporal duration;

provide the second common temporal duration for the second sequence of units and the number of the video data units in the second sequence to the client device, wherein providing comprises providing a third value for the second common temporal duration and a fourth value for the number of video data units in the second sequence, wherein the third value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units, and wherein the fourth value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units;

assign each of the segments of the first sequence and the second sequence a unique uniform resource locator;

receive a streaming hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request specifying the uniform resource locator of one of the video segments in either the first sequence or the second sequence from the client device; and

in response to the request, send the requested video segment to the client device in accordance with streaming HTTP.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, further comprising instructions that cause the processor to:

determine a starting time of the first sequence of units; and

provide the starting time of the first sequence of units to the client device.

12. The computer program product of claim 10,

wherein the instructions that cause the processor to determine the first sequence of the units and the second sequence of the units comprise instructions that cause the processor to determine a plurality of sequences of the units, each of the plurality of sequences comprising one or more of the units having a respective common temporal duration, and wherein the plurality of sequences are arranged continuously within a presentation of a video file, and

wherein the instructions that cause the processor to provide comprise instructions that cause the processor to send the first value, the second value, the third value, and the fourth value as characteristics of the video file to the client device before sending any of the video data units to the client device, and wherein for each of the plurality of sequences, provided information indicates the respective common temporal duration for the corresponding sequence and the number of the video data units in the corresponding sequence.

13. A method of receiving encoded video data, the method comprising:

receiving a first common temporal duration for units in a first sequence of units of encoded video data and the number of the units in the first sequence, comprising receiving a first value for the first common temporal duration and a second value for the number of the video data units in the first sequence, wherein the first value corresponds to the entire first sequence of units, wherein the second value corresponds to the entire first sequence of units, and wherein the units of the first sequence comprise respective video segments;

receiving a second common temporal duration for units in a second sequence of units of encoded video data and the number of the units in the second sequence, comprising receiving a third value for the second common temporal duration and a fourth value for the number of the video data units in the second sequence, wherein the third value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units, wherein the fourth value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units, and wherein the units of the second sequence comprise respective video segments;

receiving one or more indications of a temporal location of the encoded video data at which to begin playback, wherein the temporal location is within the first sequence of units and the second sequence of units, and wherein the one or more indications comprise an indication of either the first sequence of units or the second sequence of units from which to retrieve segments;

determining uniform resource locators of segments of either the first sequence or the second sequence based on the received one or more indications, wherein the uniform resource locators of the segments of the first sequence and of the second sequence are unique;

automatically generating a streaming hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request, in accordance with streaming HTTP, to begin a network stream at one of the units in either the first sequence or the second sequence, such that the network stream includes the temporal location, wherein generating the streaming HTTP request comprises specifying one of the determined uniform resource locators in the streaming HTTP request; and

sending the streaming HTTP request to a server device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein receiving comprises receiving from the server device.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein automatically generating the request comprises automatically generating the specified uniform resource locator, comprising:

determining a start time for the one of the units based on the first common temporal duration or the second common temporal duration and the number of the units in the first sequence or the second sequence;

determining an end time for the one of the units based on the first common temporal duration or the second common temporal duration and the number of the units in the first sequence or the second sequence; and

specifying the start time and the end time in the uniform resource locator.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising calculating the start time for the one of the units based on a starting time of a first representation including the first sequence of units or a second representation including the second sequence of units, the first common temporal duration or the second common temporal duration, and the number of units in the first sequence or the number of units in the second sequence.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein automatically generating the streaming HTTP request further comprises specifying a byte range of the one of the video segments in the video file.

18. An apparatus for receiving encoded video data, the apparatus comprising:

a network interface; and

a processor configured to receive, via the network interface, a first common temporal duration for a first sequence of units of encoded video data and the number of the units in the sequence, wherein the processor is configured to receive a first value for the first common temporal duration and a second value for the number of the video data units in the first sequence, wherein the first value corresponds to the entire first sequence of units, wherein the second value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units, and wherein the units of the first sequence comprise respective video segments, receive a second common temporal duration for units in a second sequence of units of encoded video data and the number of the units in the second sequence, wherein the processor is configured to receive a third value for the second common temporal duration and a fourth value for the number of the video data units in the second sequence, wherein the third value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units, and wherein the fourth value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units, and wherein the units of the second sequence comprise respective video segments, receive one or more indications of a temporal location of the encoded video data at which to begin playback, wherein the temporal location is within the first sequence of units and the second sequence of units, wherein the one or more indications comprise an indication of either the first sequence of units or the second sequence of units from which to retrieve segments, and uniform resource locators of segments of either the first sequence or the second sequence based on the received one or more indications, wherein the uniform resource locators of the segments of the first sequence and of the second sequence are unique, automatically generate a streaming hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request, in accordance with streaming HTTP, to begin a network stream at one of the units in either the first sequence or the second sequence, such that the network stream includes the temporal location, specify one of the determined uniform resource locators in the streaming HTTP request, and send the streaming HTTP request to a server device via the network interface.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the network interface is configured to receive from the server device.

20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein to automatically generate the request, the processor is configured to determine a start time for the one of the units based on the first common temporal duration or the second common temporal duration and the number of the units in the first sequence or the second sequence, determine an end time for the one of the units based on the first common temporal duration or the second common temporal duration and the number of the units in the first sequence or the second sequence, and specify the start time and the end time in the uniform resource locator.

21. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the processor is configured to calculate the start time for the one of the units based on a starting time of a first representation including the first sequence of units or a second representation including the second sequence of units, the first common temporal duration or the second common temporal duration, and the number of the units in the first sequence or the number of units in the second sequence.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein to automatically generate the streaming HTTP request, the processor is configured to specify a byte range of the one of the video segments in the video file.

23. An apparatus for receiving encoded video data, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a first common temporal duration for units in a first sequence of units of encoded video data and the number of the units in the first sequence, comprising receiving a first value for the first common temporal duration and a second value for the number of the video data units in the first sequence, wherein the first value corresponds to the entire first sequence of units, wherein the second value corresponds to the entire first sequence of units, and wherein the units of the first sequence comprise respective video segments;

means for receiving a second common temporal duration for units in a second sequence of units of encoded video data and the number of the units in the second sequence, comprising means for receiving a third value for the second common temporal duration and a fourth value for the number of the video data units in the second sequence, wherein the third value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units, wherein the fourth value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units, and wherein the units of the second sequence comprise respective video segments;

means for receiving one or more indications of a temporal location of the encoded video data at which to begin playback, wherein the temporal location is within the first sequence of units and the second sequence of units, and wherein the one or more indications comprise an indication of either the first sequence of units or the second sequence of units from which to retrieve segments;

means for determining uniform resource locators of segments of either the first sequence or the second sequence based on the received one or more indications, wherein the uniform resource locators of the segments of the first sequence and of the second sequence are unique;

means for automatically generating a streaming hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request, in accordance with streaming HTTP, to begin a network stream at one of the units in either the first sequence or the second sequence, such that the network stream includes the temporal location, wherein generating the streaming HTTP request comprises specifying one of the determined uniform resource locators in the streaming HTTP request; and

means for sending the streaming HTTP request to a server device.

24. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for receiving comprises means for receiving from the server device.

25. The apparatus of claim 23, wherein the means for automatically generating the request comprises means for automatically generating the determined uniform resource locator, the apparatus further comprising:

means for determining a start time for the one of the units based on the first common temporal duration or the second common temporal duration and the number of the units in the first sequence or the second sequence;

means for determining an end time for the one of the units based on the first common temporal duration or the second common temporal duration and the number of the units in the first sequence or the second sequence; and

means for specifying the start time and the end time in the uniform resource locator.

26. The apparatus of claim 25, further comprising means for calculating the start time for the one of the units based on a starting time of a first representation including the first sequence of units or a second representation including the second sequence of units, the first common temporal duration or the second common temporal duration, and the number of units in the first sequence or the number of units in the second sequence.

27. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein the means for automatically generating the streaming HTTP request further comprises means for specifying a byte range of the one of the video segments in the video file.

28. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed, cause a processor of a device for receiving encoded video data to:

receive a first common temporal duration for units in a first sequence of units of encoded video data and the number of the units in the first sequence, comprising receiving a first value for the first common temporal duration and a second value for the number of the video data units in the first sequence, wherein the first value corresponds to the entire first sequence of units, wherein the second value corresponds to the entire first sequence of units, and wherein the units of the first sequence comprise respective video segments;

receive a second common temporal duration for units in a second sequence of units of encoded video data and the number of the units in the second sequence, wherein the instructions cause the processor to receive a third value for the second common temporal duration and a fourth value for the number of the video data units in the second sequence, wherein the third value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units, wherein the fourth value corresponds to the entire second sequence of units, and wherein the units of the second sequence comprise respective video segments;

receive one or more indications of a temporal location of the encoded video data at which to begin playback, wherein the temporal location is within the first sequence of units and the second sequence of units, and wherein the one or more indications comprise an indication of either the first sequence of units or the second sequence of units from which to retrieve segments;

determine uniform resource locators of segments of either the first sequence or the second sequence based on the received one or more indications, wherein the uniform resource locators of the segments of the first sequence and of the second sequence are unique;

automatically generate a streaming hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request, in accordance with streaming HTTP, to begin a network stream at one of the units in either the first sequence or the second sequence, such that the network stream includes the temporal location, wherein the instructions cause the processor to generate the streaming HTTP request comprises specifying one of the determined uniform resource locators in the streaming HTTP request; and

send the streaming HTTP request to a server device.

29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the instructions that cause the processor to receive comprise instructions that cause the processor to receive from the server device.

30. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the instructions that cause the processor to automatically generate the request comprise instructions that cause the processor to automatically generate the specified uniform resource locator, comprising instructions that cause the processor to:

determine a start time for the one of the units based on the first common temporal duration or the second common temporal duration and the number of the units in the first sequence or the second sequence;

determine an end time for the one of the units based on the first common temporal duration or the second common temporal duration and the number of the units in the first sequence or the second sequence; and

specify the start time and the end time in the uniform resource locator.

31. The computer program product of claim 30, further comprising instructions that cause the processor to calculate the start time for the one of the units based on a starting time of a first representation including the first sequence of units or a second representation including the second sequence of units, the first common temporal duration or the second common temporal duration, and the number of units in the first sequence or the number of units in the second sequence.

32. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the instructions that cause the processor to automatically generate the streaming HTTP request further comprise instructions that cause the processor to specify a byte range of the one of the video segments in the video file.