Packaging content for delivery

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12160458-B2
Application number	US-202318467823-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 15, 2023
Priority date	Aug 25, 2016
Publication date	Dec 3, 2024
Grant date	Dec 3, 2024

Abstract

Systems and methods for delivering content to user equipment are described. The content may be delivered using Internet Protocol (IP) delivery, Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) delivery, or another delivery format. For example, the system may receive content including a plurality of segments. The system may use manifest data to identify each of the plurality of segments. The system may also use the manifest data to generate index data for the plurality of segments, and the index data may be delivered to user devices with the plurality of segments. In some aspects, the system may use location information (e.g., timestamps, such as program clock references) for one or more data packet of the one of the plurality of segments to generate location information for other data packets.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving, from a computing device, a first request for content in a first format,
wherein a first content segment from among a plurality of content segments of the content in the first format comprises first position information for the plurality of content segments;
sending, to the computing device based on the first request, the plurality of content segments of the content in the first format;
receiving, from the computing device, a second request for content in a second format that is different from the first format,
wherein each of a plurality of content segments of the content in the second format comprises corresponding position information that is based on the first position information; and
sending, to the computing device based on the second request, the plurality of content segments of the content in the second format.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content is stored in the first format prior to being sent, and
wherein, in the first format, position information is comprised in less than all of the plurality of content segments of the content.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
generating, based upon the content stored in the first format, the plurality of content segments of the content in the second format.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating the position information that is comprised in each of the plurality of content segments of the content in the second format by interpolation or extrapolation of the first position information.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first format is an Internet Protocol format and the second format is a Quadrature Amplitude Modulation format.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first position information for the plurality of content segments of the content in the first format and the position information that is comprised in each of the plurality of content segments of the content in the second format comprise at least one of offset information, timing information, a timestamp, or a program clock reference.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first position information for the plurality of content segments of the content in the first format comprises a timestamp, and
wherein the first position information and the position information that is comprised in each of the plurality of content segments of the content in the second format comprise a plurality of program clock references.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving the content from a content source,
wherein a first distance between a location at which the content is stored and the computing device is less than a second distance between the content source and the computing device.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating the plurality of content segments of the content in the first format by transforming a manifest file stored with the content such that the first format matches a format used by the computing device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein sending the plurality of content segments of the content in the second format comprises:
sending, based on a manifest file, audio in a first audio format of a plurality of audio formats associated with the content.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating, based on a manifest file, index data that indicates the position information for each of the plurality of content segments of the content in the second format,
wherein the index data comprises:
an index header section for a content delivery associated with the second format; and
an index record section for the content delivery associated with the second format, and

wherein sending the plurality of content segments of the content in the second format comprises sending the index data.

12. An apparatus comprising:
at least one processor; and
memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
receive, from a computing device, a first request for content in a first format,
wherein a first content segment from among a plurality of content segments of the content in the first format comprises first position information for the plurality of content segments;
send, to the computing device based on the first request, the plurality of content segments of the content in the first format;
receive, from the computing device, a second request for content in a second format that is different from the first format,
wherein each of a plurality of content segments of the content in the second format comprises corresponding position information that is based on the first position information; and
send, to the computing device based on the second request, the plurality of content segments of the content in the second format.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the content is stored in the first format prior to being sent, and
wherein, in the first format, position information is comprised in less than all of the plurality of content segments of the content.

14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:
generate, based upon the content stored in the first format, the plurality of content segments of the content in the second format.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:
generate the position information that is comprised in each of the plurality of content segments of the content in the second format by interpolation or extrapolation of the first position information.

16. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first format is an Internet Protocol format and the second format is a Quadrature Amplitude Modulation format.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first position information for the plurality of content segments of the content in the first format and the position information that is comprised in each of the plurality of content segments of the content in the second format comprise at least one of offset information, timing information, a timestamp, or a program clock reference.

18. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the first position information for the plurality of content segments of the content in the first format comprises a timestamp, and
wherein the first position information and the position information that is comprised in each of the plurality of content segments of the content in the second format comprise a plurality of program clock references.

19. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:
receive the content from a content source, and
wherein a first distance between a location at which the content is stored and the computing device is less than a second distance between the content source and the computing device.

20. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to:
generate the plurality of content segments of the content in the first format by transforming a manifest file stored with the content such that the first format matches a format used by the computing device.

21. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed, further cause the apparatus to send the plurality of content segments of the content in the second format by:
sending, based on a manifest file, audio in a first audio format of a plurality of audio formats associated with the content.

Assignees

• Comcast Cable Comm Llc

Inventors

• Barkley James
• Mao Weidong

Classifications

• H04L65/762

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

• H04L65/612

  for unicast · CPC title

• H04N21/2368

  Multiplexing of audio and video streams · CPC title

• H04L12/2887

  characterised by the offered subscriber services · CPC title

• H04L12/2878 Primary

  Access multiplexer, e.g. DSLAM (generic distributed time multiplexers, e.g. TDM/TDMA H04J3/1694) · CPC title