Enhanced block-request streaming using URL templates and construction rules

• US 9,386,064 B2
• Filed: 09/21/2010
• Issued: 07/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Luby, Michael G., Watson, Mark, Vicisano, Lorenzo, Pakzad, Payam, Wang, Bin, Stockhammer, Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Gillis, Brian J
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOREAU, AUSTIN J
• Application Number:
  US12/887,492
• Publication Number:
  US 20110231519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,114 Days
• Field of Search: 709/219, 709/231, 709/236
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/70 Media network packetisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/756 adapting media to device capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/762 at the source reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/764 at the destination reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23106 involving caching operations prefetching while addressing of a memory level in which the access to the desired data or data block requires associative addressing means within memory systems or architectures G06F12/0862; caching at an intermediate stage in a data network H04L67/568
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23406 involving management of server-side video buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/234327 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/235 Processing of additional data, e.g. scrambling of additional data or processing content descriptors
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2401 Monitoring of the client buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25808 Management of client data terminal profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/303
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/435 Processing of additional data, e.g. decrypting of additional data, reconstructing software from modules extracted from the transport stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44004 involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/440227 by decomposing into layers, e.g. base layer and one or more enhancement layers
• 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 21/84 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 21/8456 by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Abstract

A block-request streaming system provides for improvements in the user experience and bandwidth efficiency of such systems, typically using an ingestion system that generates data in a form to be served by a conventional file server (HTTP, FTP, or the like), wherein the ingestion system intakes content and prepares it as files or data elements to be served by the file server, which might include a cache. A client device can be adapted to take advantage of the ingestion process as well as improvements that make for a better presentation independent of the ingestion process. The client devices and ingestion system can be coordinated to have a predefined mapping and template for making block requests to HTTP file names that a conventional file server can accept through the use of URL construction rules. Segment size might be specified in an approximate manner for more efficient organization.

Claims

1. A method for requesting segments comprising media data of a media presentation from a media delivery system using a client device, the method comprising:

receiving, by the client device, a media presentation descriptor (“

MPD”

) file for a representation of the media presentation, the MPD including a representation identifier of the representation, file indexes, and file identifier construction rules, wherein a file index is assigned to a segment and includes a sequence number of the segment within the representation of the media presentation, and wherein the file identifier construction rules provide information that enables the client device to dynamically construct file identifiers with required media and associated metadata using the representation identifier and one or more of the file indexes;

constructing, by the client device, one or more file identifiers of the segments of the media presentation using one or more of the file identifier construction rules, the representation identifier, and the one or more file indexes;

sending a request for a segment of the media presentation to the media delivery system, wherein the request comprises a constructed file identifier of the one or more constructed file identifiers, and wherein the constructed file identifier specifies required media and associated metadata of the segment; and

receiving the requested segment of the media presentation.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the file identifier construction rules are provided to the client device in advance of a time where the segment is available.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the file identifier construction rules include rules about timing of future availability of the segment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the file identifier construction rules include rules about presentation time play back of a segment relative to other segments.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the file includes a media presentation descriptor (“

MPD”

) file that describes the file identifier construction rules for the segments.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the MPD includes construction rules for generating a list of durations of segments for segments within the representation of the media presentation in a period indicating when the segments should be played back in time relative to one another.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the durations are signaled using a text sequence defining one or more number of segment sets and durations for each segment in a segment set.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining segment availability, wherein segment availability is determined based on a client device clock time and a defined time shift buffer depth.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the file includes metadata representing, for each of a plurality of representations of the media presentation, a file identifier construction rule.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the metadata representing the file identifier construction rule includes input parameters comprising an index of a segment to be identified, wherein the index of the segment is determined from a desired play time.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising computing, using the file identifier construction rules and a desired play time, a file identifier for a segment for the desired play time in a desired representation of the media presentation and a byte range of a segment indicated by that play time.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the file identifier for a segment and byte range for that segment are determined based on calculated start and end presentation times wherein media segments have approximate durations determined by media access points.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more file identifiers include a uniform resource identifier or a uniform resource locator.

14. A client device for obtaining segments comprising media data of a media presentation from a media delivery system, comprising:

a transmitter for sending file requests, wherein a file request comprises a file indicator and a byte range within an indicated file;

a receiver for receiving responses to the file requests and a media presentation descriptor (“

MPD”

) file for a representation of the media presentation, the MPD including a representation identifier of the representation, file indexes, and file identifier construction rules, wherein a file index is assigned to a segment and includes a sequence number of the segment within the representation of the media presentation, and wherein the file identifier construction rules provide information that enables the client device to dynamically construct file identifiers with required media and associated metadata using the representation identifier and one or more of the file indexes; and

logic for constructing one or more file identifiers of the segments of the media presentation using one or more of the file identifier construction rules, the representation identifier, and the one or more file indexes,

wherein the transmitter sends a request for a segment of the media presentation to the media delivery system, wherein the request comprises a constructed file identifier of the one or more constructed file identifiers, and wherein the constructed file identifier specifies required media and associated metadata of the segment, and

wherein the receiver receives the requested segment of the media presentation.

15. The client device of claim 14, wherein the file identifier construction rules are provided to the client device in advance of a time where the segments are available.

16. The client device of claim 15, wherein the file identifier construction rules include rules about timing of future availability of the media presentation.

17. The client device of claim 14, wherein the file identifier construction rules include rules about presentation time play back of a media file relative to other media files.

18. The client device of claim 14, wherein the file includes a media presentation descriptor (“

MPD”

) file that describes the file identifier construction rules for the segments.

19. The client device of claim 18, wherein the MPD includes a list of durations of segments for segments within the representation of the media presentation in a period indicating when the segments should be played back in time relative to one another.

20. The client device of claim 19, wherein the durations are signaled using a text sequence defining one or more number of segment sets and durations for each segment in a segment set.

21. The client device of claim 14, further comprising logic for determining segment availability, wherein segment availability is determined based on a client device clock time and a defined time shift buffer depth.

22. The client device of claim 14, wherein the file includes metadata representing, for each of a plurality of representations of the media presentation, a file identifier construction rule.

23. The client device of claim 22, wherein the metadata representing the file identifier construction rule includes input parameters comprising an index of a segment to be identified, wherein the index of the segment is determined from a desired play time.

24. The client device of claim 14, further comprising logic for computing, using the file identifier construction rules and a desired play time, a file identifier for a segment for the desired play time in a desired representation of the media presentation and a byte range of the segment indicated by that play time.

25. The client device of claim 24, wherein the file identifier for a segment and byte range for that segment are determined based on calculated start and end presentation times wherein segments have approximate durations determined by media access points.