Streaming and downloading of content

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11539777-B2
Application number	US-202117316309-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 10, 2021
Priority date	Mar 1, 2013
Publication date	Dec 27, 2022
Grant date	Dec 27, 2022

Abstract

Methods, apparatuses, systems, and software are described for providing content to a device comprising streaming content and sending content in a non-streaming manner (e.g., by downloading a file containing the content). In some aspects, switching between streaming and downloading may be performed in a dynamic manner during presentation of the content, and may be seamless to the user's viewing experience.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a first computing device, at a first time, and via streaming from a second computing device, a content item;
determining, at a second time, that a quality of the streaming falls below a threshold quality;
receiving, based on the determining and via downloading from the second computing device, at a same level of video quality as the streaming at the first time, the content item; and
stopping, based on determining that a threshold amount of the content item has been downloaded, the streaming.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
outputting, for display, the content item.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the streaming is via a communications link, wherein the downloading is via the communications link, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining a usage of the communications link; and
initiating, based on the determined usage, the downloading.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stopping comprises:
stopping, during the downloading, the streaming; and
continuing the downloading after stopping the streaming.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving via streaming comprises receiving a first portion of the content item; and
wherein the receiving via downloading comprises receiving a second portion of the content item.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
requesting, from the second computing device, the content item.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving via streaming comprises receiving via multicast transmission; and
wherein the receiving via downloading comprises receiving via unicast transmission.

8. A method comprising:
sending, by a second computing device, at a first time, and via streaming to a first computing device, a content item;
determining, at a second time, that a quality of the streaming falls below a threshold quality;
sending, based on the determining, via uploading to the first computing device, and at a same level of video quality as the streaming at the first time, the content item; and
stopping, based on determining that a threshold amount of the content item has been uploaded, the streaming.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the sending via streaming comprises sending via streaming to a plurality of computing devices comprising the first computing device.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the streaming is via a communications link, wherein the uploading is via the communications link, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining a usage of the communications link; and
initiating, based on the determined usage, the uploading.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the stopping comprises:
stopping, during the uploading, the streaming; and
continuing the uploading after stopping the streaming.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the sending via streaming comprises sending a first portion of the content item; and
wherein the sending via uploading comprises sending a second portion of the content item.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving, from the first computing device, a request for the content item.

14. The method of claim 8 , wherein the sending via streaming comprises sending via multicast transmission; and
wherein the sending via uploading comprises sending via unicast transmission.

15. A method comprising:
sending, by a second computing device, at a first time, and via streaming to a plurality of computing devices, a content item;
receiving, at a second time, and from a first computing device of the plurality of computing devices, an indication that a quality of the streaming falls below a threshold quality; and
sending, based on the indication, via uploading to the first computing device, and at a same level of video quality as the streaming at the first time, the content item.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising stopping, based on determining that a threshold amount of the content item has been uploaded, the streaming.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the stopping comprises:
stopping, during the uploading, the streaming; and
continuing the uploading after stopping the streaming.

18. The method of claim 15 , wherein the streaming is via a communications link, wherein the uploading is via the communications link, and wherein the method further comprises:
determining a usage of the communications link; and
initiating, based on the determined usage, the uploading.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sending via streaming comprises sending a first portion of the content item; and
wherein the sending via uploading comprises sending a second portion of the content item.

20. The method of claim 15 , wherein the sending via streaming comprises sending via multicast transmission; and
wherein the sending via uploading comprises sending via unicast transmission.

Assignees

• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Bradley Bruce
• Knee Robert

Classifications

• H04N21/2407

  Monitoring of transmitted content, e.g. distribution time, number of downloads (arrangements for monitoring programmes for broadcast or for distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/14) · CPC title

• H04L65/762 Primary

  at the source  (reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355) · CPC title

• H04N21/26216

  involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth (admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61) · CPC title

• H04L65/80 Primary

  Responding to QoS · CPC title

• H04N21/845

  Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments · CPC title