Adaptive bit rate media streaming based on network conditions received via a network monitor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11595458-B2
Application number	US-202117543965-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 7, 2021
Priority date	Sep 11, 2014
Publication date	Feb 28, 2023
Grant date	Feb 28, 2023

Abstract

A method includes receiving, at a device from a content source, a portion of a particular chunk of media content a particular quality level during adaptive bit rate media streaming of the media content. The method includes receiving, at the device, network data related to network conditions associated with the device in response to receipt of the portion. The method also includes, in response to a determination to download the particular chunk at a first quality level different than the particular quality level, the determination based on the particular quality level and the network data: sending a request from the device for the particular chunk at the first quality level to the content source, and replacing the portion with the particular chunk at the first quality level.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, by a first device comprising a processing system including a processor, from a second device distinct from a content source, network data related to network conditions associated with a network during streaming of media content from the content source via the network;
determining, by the first device, a first time required to download a first particular chunk of the media content from the content source according to the network data;
determining, by the first device, whether the first time required to download the first particular chunk of the media content exceeds a second time remaining before the first particular chunk of the media content is required;
sending, by the first device, a first request to the content source for the first particular chunk of the media content at a first quality level responsive to the determining the first time required exceeds the second time remaining; and
responsive to a second determination to download a second particular chunk of the media content at a second quality level according to the network data:
sending, by the first device, a second request to the content source for the second particular chunk of the media content at the second quality level; and
sending, by the first device, a priority request to the second device to increase a priority associated with the first device.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising sending, by the first device, a query, to the second device, for the network data related to the network conditions associated with the network.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the first device, the first time remaining before the first particular chunk of the media content is required.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising replacing, by the first device, a previously received portion of the media content with a corresponding portion of the first particular chunk of the media content received at the first quality level.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the first device, the first particular chunk of the media content at the first quality level.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the receiving of the network data is responsive to receiving a third particular chunk of the media content at a third quality level.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first quality level differs from the second quality level.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sending the first request for the first particular chunk at the first quality level is further based on information in a manifest associated with the media content.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second device commands a base station device to increase a network priority associated with the first device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the network data includes performance indicators for a network device in a communication path between the first device and the content source.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the performance indicators for the network device include a data rate available for clients in a next scheduling cycle, utilization of physical resource blocks, usage load, signal strength, or any combination thereof.

12. A content source device, comprising:
a processing system including a processor; and

a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
streaming media content to a first device via a network;
receiving a first request from the first device for a first particular chunk of the media content at a first quality level responsive to the first device determining, according to network data associated with network conditions, that a first time required to download the first particular chunk of the media content exceeds a second time remaining before the first particular chunk of the media content is required;
transmitting the first particular chunk of the media content at the first quality level to the first device via the network responsive to the receiving the first request;
receiving a second request from the first device for a second particular chunk of the media content at a second quality level according to the network data associated with the network conditions; and
transmitting the second particular chunk of the media content at the second quality level to the first device via the network responsive to receiving the second request.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the first device further receives the network data associated with the network conditions from a second device distinct from the content source device.

14. The device of claim 13 , wherein the first device further sends a priority request to the second device to increase a priority associated with the first device.

15. The device of claim 12 , wherein the first device further replaces a previously received portion of the media content with a corresponding portion of the first particular chunk of the media content received at the first quality level.

16. The device of claim 12 , wherein the network data includes performance indicators for a network device in a communication path between the first device and the content source.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
receiving from a second device distinct from a content source, network data related to network conditions associated with a network during streaming of media content from the content source via the network;
determining a first time required to download a first particular chunk of the media content from the content source according to the network data;
determining whether the first time required to download the first particular chunk of the media content exceeds a second time remaining before the first particular chunk of the media content is required;
sending a first request to the content source for the first particular chunk of the media content at a first quality level responsive to the determining the first time required exceeds the second time remaining; and
responsive to a second determination to download a second particular chunk of the media content at a second quality level according to the network data:
sending a second request to the content source for the second particular chunk of the media content at the second quality level; and
sending a priority request to the second device to increase a priority associated with a first device.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise determining the first time remaining before the first particular chunk of the media content is required.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise sending a query to the second device for the network data related to the network conditions associated with the network.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise replacing a previously received portion of the media content with a corresponding portion of the first particular chunk of the media content received at the first quality level.

Assignees

• At & T Ip I Lp

Inventors

• Halepovic Emir
• Erman Jeffrey

Classifications

• H04L65/752

  adapting media to network capabilities · CPC title

• H04L41/40

  using virtualisation of network functions or resources, e.g. SDN or NFV entities · CPC title

• H04L65/75 Primary

  Media network packet handling · CPC title

• H04L65/612 Primary

  for unicast · CPC title

• H04L65/1045

  Proxies, e.g. for session initiation protocol [SIP] · CPC title