Apparatus and computer-readable recording medium having program recorded therein for providing low-latency real-time broadcast content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10148725-B2
Application number	US-201715622539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 14, 2017
Priority date	Feb 13, 2015
Publication date	Dec 4, 2018
Grant date	Dec 4, 2018

Abstract

The disclosure relates to an apparatus for providing low-latency real-time broadcast content in an MMT-based streaming service and a computer-readable recording medium having a related program recorded therein. According to the disclosure, when a streaming request event for an arbitrary channel occurs, the apparatus determines whether the streaming request event satisfies an event condition for switching to a low-latency real-time broadcast mode. Depending on a determination results, the apparatus transmits a streaming request to a first or second streaming server for providing a streaming service based on a first or second media transmission technique. Then the apparatus receives and decodes a first or second streaming data packet of real-time broadcast content from the first or second streaming server and plays the decoded first or second streaming data packet.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for providing low-latency real-time broadcast content, the apparatus comprising:
a first media receiving circuit, implemented by a microprocessor, configured to receive and decode a first streaming data packet of real-time broadcast content from a first streaming server for providing a streaming service based on a first media transmission technique;
a second media receiving circuit, implemented by a microprocessor, configured to receive and decode a second streaming data packet of the real-time broadcast content from a second streaming server for providing the streaming service based on a second media transmission technique which is different from the first media transmission technique; and
a playback circuit, implemented by a microprocessor, configured to provide a user interface for playback of the real-time broadcast content, to determine whether a streaming request event satisfies an event condition for switching to a low-latency real-time broadcast mode when the streaming request event for an arbitrary channel occurs through the user interface, to instruct a streaming request to the first or second media receiving circuit depending on a determination result, and to play the decoded first or second streaming data packet received from the first or second media receiving circuit,
wherein the second media receiving circuit is further configured to switch a transport layer protocol to a transmission control protocol (TCP) so as to receive the second streaming data packet if an interruption is detected or predicted while the second streaming data packet is received based on a user datagram protocol (UDP).

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the playback circuit is further configured to determine that event condition is satisfied when a mode switching button for instructing a switch to the low-latency real-time broadcast mode is selected through the user interface or when the arbitrary channel is a specific channel predetermined for the low-latency real-time broadcast mode.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second media receiving circuit is further configured to check a buffer status by detecting or predicting an interruption while receiving the second streaming data packet from the second streaming server, and to adjust a buffer size when the interruption is detected or predicted.

4. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded therein for providing low-latency real-time broadcast content, the program, executed by a microprocessor including electronic circuits, comprising steps of:
determining whether a streaming request event satisfies an event condition for switching to a low-latency real-time broadcast mode when the streaming request event for an arbitrary channel occurs;
if the event condition is not satisfied, transmitting a streaming request to a first streaming server for providing a streaming service based on a first media transmission technique and then receiving and decoding a first streaming data packet of real-time broadcast content from the first streaming server;
if the event condition is satisfied, transmitting the streaming request to a second streaming server for providing the streaming service based on a second media transmission technique different from the first media transmission technique and then receiving and decoding a second streaming data packet of the real-time broadcast content from the second streaming server; and
playing the decoded first or second streaming data packet,
wherein the program further comprises steps of:
if the interruption is detected or predicted, switching a transport layer protocol of the second streaming data packet from a user datagram protocol (UDP) to a transmission control protocol (TCP).

5. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 4 , wherein the determining step includes determining that event condition is satisfied when a mode switching button for instructing a switch to the low-latency real-time broadcast mode is selected or when the arbitrary channel is a specific channel predetermined for the low-latency real-time broadcast mode.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable recording medium of claim 4 , further comprising steps of:
checking a buffer status by detecting or predicting an interruption while receiving the second streaming data packet from the second streaming server; and
if the interruption is detected or predicted, adjusting a size of a buffer for storing the second streaming data packet received from the second streaming server.

Assignees

• Sk Telecom Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jongmin

Classifications

• H04N21/462

  Content or additional data management e.g. creating a master electronic programme guide from data received from the Internet and a Head-end or controlling the complexity of a video stream by scaling the resolution or bit-rate based on the client capabilities · CPC title

• H04N21/44209

  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 title

• H04N21/2365 Primary

  Multiplexing of several video streams · CPC title

• H04N21/44004

  involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer · CPC title

• H04N21/236

  Assembling of a multiplex stream, e.g. transport stream, by combining a video stream with other content or additional data, e.g. inserting a URL [Uniform Resource Locator] into a video stream, multiplexing software data into a video stream; Remultiplexing of multiplex streams; Insertion of stuffing bits into the multiplex stream, e.g. to obtain a constant bit-rate; Assembling of a packetised elementary stream {(multiplexing of data packets for data networks, e.g. RTP/UDP H04L65/00)} · CPC title