Methods and devices for efficient adaptive bitrate streaming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10440083-B2
Application number	US-201815987667-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2018
Priority date	Sep 24, 2012
Publication date	Oct 8, 2019
Grant date	Oct 8, 2019

Abstract

Methods and systems for a content server to select sets of video streams having different encoding parameters for transmitting the sets of video streams to a media device are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, a method for transmitting video streams for a media program from a server to a media device includes: selecting, by the server, first encoding parameters including a first bitrate for a first set of video streams for the media program based on a first estimated bandwidth capacity for a network linking the server and the media device, transmitting the first set of video streams from the server to the media device, determining, by the server, second encoding parameters including a second bitrate for a second set of video streams for the media program, and transmitting the second set of video streams from the server to the media device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for transmitting video streams for media programs, the method comprising:
calculating, at a server, a first estimated bandwidth capacity for a first network connecting the server and a first media device;
calculating, at the server, a second estimated bandwidth capacity for a second network connecting the server and a second media device;
selecting, by the server, first encoding parameters including a first temporal length for a first set of video streams for a media program to be presented on the first media device based on the first estimated bandwidth capacity and the second estimated bandwidth capacity; and
transmitting the first set of video streams as a plurality of video streams, each having a duration corresponding to the first temporal length selected by the server, from the server to the first media device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, from the first media device, an indication of an amount of data corresponding to the first set of video streams remaining in a buffer of the first media device in connection with acknowledgement of receipt of the first set of video streams.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
determining updated encoding parameters based on the amount of data remaining in the buffer of the first media device; and
transmitting, to the first media device, a second set of video streams using the updated encoding parameters.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein transmitting the second set of video streams using the updated encoding parameters comprises selecting a playlist file corresponding to the second set of video streams, wherein the playlist file encodes the second set of video streams using a resolution corresponding to the updated encoding parameters and a bitrate corresponding to the updated encoding parameters.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein each video stream in the second set of video streams has a second temporal length different than the first temporal length.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first encoding parameters are selected to be suitable for a bandwidth capacity lower than the first estimated bandwidth capacity.

7. A system for transmitting video streams for media programs, the system comprising:
a memory; and
a hardware processor that, when executing computer executable instructions stored in the memory, is configured to:
calculate a first estimated bandwidth capacity for a first network connecting a server and a first media device;
calculate a second estimated bandwidth capacity for a second network connecting the server and a second media device;
select first encoding parameters including a first temporal length for a first set of video streams for a media program to be presented on the first media device based on the first estimated bandwidth capacity and the second estimated bandwidth capacity; and
transmit the first set of video streams as a plurality of video streams, each having a duration corresponding to the first temporal length selected by the server, from the server to the first media device.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to receive, from the first media device, an indication of an amount of data corresponding to the first set of video streams remaining in a buffer of the first media device in connection with acknowledgement of receipt of the first set of video streams.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to:
determine updated encoding parameters based on the amount of data remaining in the buffer of the first media device; and
transmit, to the first media device, a second set of video streams using the updated encoding parameters.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein transmitting the second set of video streams using the updated encoding parameters comprises selecting a playlist file corresponding to the second set of video streams, wherein the playlist file encodes the second set of video streams using a resolution corresponding to the updated encoding parameters and a bitrate corresponding to the updated encoding parameters.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein each video stream in the second set of video streams has a second temporal length different than the first temporal length.

12. The system of claim 7 , wherein the first encoding parameters are selected to be suitable for a bandwidth capacity lower than the first estimated bandwidth capacity.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing computer executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method for transmitting video streams for media programs, the method comprising:
calculating a first estimated bandwidth capacity for a first network connecting a server and a first media device;
calculating a second estimated bandwidth capacity for a second network connecting the server and a second media device;
selecting first encoding parameters including a first temporal length for a first set of video streams for a media program to be presented on the first media device based on the first estimated bandwidth capacity and the second estimated bandwidth capacity; and
transmitting the first set of video streams as a plurality of video streams, each having a duration corresponding to the first temporal length selected by the server, from the server to the first media device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises receiving, from the first media device, an indication of an amount of data corresponding to the first set of video streams remaining in a buffer of the first media device in connection with acknowledgement of receipt of the first set of video streams.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining updated encoding parameters based on the amount of data remaining in the buffer of the first media device; and
transmitting, to the first media device, a second set of video streams using the updated encoding parameters.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein transmitting the second set of video streams using the updated encoding parameters comprises selecting a playlist file corresponding to the second set of video streams, wherein the playlist file encodes the second set of video streams using a resolution corresponding to the updated encoding parameters and a bitrate corresponding to the updated encoding parameters.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein each video stream in the second set of video streams has a second temporal length different than the first temporal length.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the first encoding parameters are selected to be suitable for a bandwidth capacity lower than the first estimated bandwidth capacity.

Assignees

• Google Technology Holdings LLC

Inventors

• Ramamurthy Arjun
• Luthra Ajay

Classifications

• H04N21/6379

  directed to encoder {, e.g. for requesting a lower encoding rate} · CPC title

• H04N21/23439

  for generating different versions · CPC title

• H04N21/64738

  Monitoring network characteristics, e.g. bandwidth, congestion level (data switched network analysis H04L41/14; monitoring functioning in data switched networks H04L43/0817; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10) · CPC title

• H04N21/6583

  Acknowledgement · CPC title

• H04N21/2402

  Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available (traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876) · CPC title