Throttling content download in adaptive http live streaming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016173553-A1
Application number	US-201414569048-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Dec 12, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Streaming content protocols typically provide playlists, a file that lists the location of each segment of a content stream. The playlist may change as the content server adds content to the content stream or because the length of the content stream continues to grow. Client devices periodically fetch the playlist, and are unaware whether the playlist has changed, and thus may needlessly use bandwidth repeatedly fetching the same playlist. Throttling content download o provides systems and methods for controlling the download of streaming content-related data according to the current status of the playlist and possibly also current bandwidth availability. Content server, by monitoring client device related playlist position and client device content buffer can regulate content streaming, to improve network bandwidth distribution. A content server determines whether the playlist has changed since the last time the playlist was requested and denies a request for the playlist when the playlist has not changed. Similar mechanisms can be employed to improve bandwidth usage by a server that is not aware of changes to the playlist.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method for throttling content download, comprising:
receiving a request for a playlist for streaming content; determining whether to send the playlist; and responding to the request for the playlist, wherein determining whether to send the playlist comprises determining whether the playlist has changed since a last request for the playlist for the streaming content, wherein responding to the request for the playlist further comprises sending the playlist when it is determined that the playlist has changed, and wherein responding to the request for the playlist further comprises denying the request when it is determined that the playlist has not changed.

2 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein denying the request further comprises responding with retry-after-a-delay.

3 . The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the delay is based on available bandwidth.

4 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining whether to send the playlist comprises determining whether a different version of the playlist for the streaming content has been requested.

5 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein responding to the request for the playlist further comprises sending the playlist when it is determined that a different version of the playlist was requested.

6 . The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , comprising, when it is determined that the same version of the playlist was requested, determining whether the playlist has changed.

7 . The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , wherein responding to the request for the playlist further comprises sending the playlist when it is determined that the playlist has changed.

8 . The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein responding to the request for the playlist further comprises denying the request when it is determined that the playlist has not changed.

9 . The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the streaming content is transmitted by HTTP Live Streaming or MPEG-DASH.

10 . A computer-implemented method for throttling content download, comprising:
receiving a request for streaming content-related data from a client device determining how to respond to the request for the streaming content-related data; and responding to the request for the streaming content-related data, wherein the request for streaming content-related data is a request for a playlist, and wherein determining how to respond to the request comprises determining whether the client needs the playlist based on the segments of content fetched.

11 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein responding to the request comprises denying the request when the client does not need the playlist, and wherein responding to the request comprises allowing the request when the client needs the playlist.

12 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the request for streaming content-related data is a request for a segment of content.

13 . The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , comprising tracking the amount of segments of content buffered by the client device, and wherein determining how to respond to the request comprises determining whether the client needs the segment of content.

14 . The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein responding to the request comprises denying the request when the client does not need the segment of content.

15 . The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , wherein responding to the request comprises allowing the request when the client needs the segment of content.

16 . The computer-implemented method of claim 13 , comprising monitoring the bandwidth to and from one or more client devices, and wherein responding to the request comprises delaying the request when a bandwidth threshold is reached.

17 . The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the streaming content is transmitted by HTTP Live Streaming or MPEG-DASH.

18 . An apparatus for throttling content download, comprising:
a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores program instructions, which when executed from the memory cause the processor to:
receive a request for streaming content-related data from a client device;
determine how to respond to the request based on the monitored bandwidths; and
respond to the request for the streaming content-related data,
wherein the request for streaming content-related data is a request for a playlist, and
wherein the stored program instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to track segments of content fetched by the client device, and determine how to respond to the request by determining whether the client needs the playlist based on the segments of content fetched.

19 . The apparatus of claim 26 , wherein the stored program instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to respond to the request by denying the request when the client does not need the playlist, and wherein the stored program instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to respond to the request by allowing the request when the client needs the playlist.

20 . The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the streaming content is transmitted by HTTP Live Streaming or MPEG-DASH.

Assignees

• Arris Entpr Inc

Inventors

• Panje Krishna Prasad
• Girish Praveen
• Franks William P

Classifications

• H04N21/2393

  involving handling client requests (scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60) · CPC title

• H04N21/6581

  Reference data, e.g. a movie identifier for ordering a movie or a product identifier in a home shopping application · CPC title

• H04L67/02

  based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP] · CPC title

• H04N21/26258

  for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list (retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40) · CPC title

• H04L65/4069

  Electricity · mapped topic