Adaptive data streaming method with push messages control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016198012-A1
Application number	US-201414903989-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 11, 2014
Priority date	Jul 12, 2013
Publication date	Jul 7, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

There is provided methods for managing streaming over communication networks. Server and client devices share a push policy so that the client device may anticipate data pushes by the server. Anticipation makes it possible to cancel early the sending of some pushed data, therefore reducing bandwidth consumption. The shared push policy may be implicit to both server and client. In embodiments, it is explicitly specified by the server to the client, for example embedded in the Media Presentation Description file or included in a specific HTTP header. The client may also request an update of the shared push policy to meet its own requirements.

First claim

1 . A method of streaming media data by a server device to a client device, the method comprising the following steps:
receiving, from the client device, a request relating to first media data, identifying second media data to be sent to the client device without having been requested, and in response to said request, transmitting to said client device, data relating to said first media data, and preparing at least one announcement message respectively identifying said second media data with a view to transmit the announcement message or messages to the client device, and wherein the method further comprises the step of using a push policy shared with the client device for the server device to drive the identification or the transmission of the second non-requested media data to the client device.

2 . A method of accessing by a client device, media data streamed by a server device, the method comprising the following steps:
transmitting, to the server device, a request relating to first media data, receiving from said server device, in response to said request, data relating to said first media data, wherein the method further comprises the step of using a push policy shared with the server device for the client device to determine second media data to be sent by the server device without having been requested by the client device or to determine an order of transmission thereof by the server device.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the shared push policy defines how to determine second media data, for the devices to determine the second non-requested media data to be sent by the server device to the client device.

4 - 162 . (canceled)

163 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising receiving, from the server device, push policy information describing the shared push policy.

164 . The method of claim 163 , wherein the push policy information describing the shared push policy is embedded in a header of an HTTP frame transmitted from the server device to the client device.

165 . The method of claim 163 , wherein the push policy information describing the shared push policy is embedded in a header of an HTTP request sent from the client to the server.

166 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the shared push policy identifies the second media data from the first media data requested.

167 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the push policy shared with the client device defines an order of transmission of the second media data by the server device,
and the method further comprises the step of transmitting information related to the order of transmission with said announcement messages, said information enabling the client device to determine the order of transmission defined by the server.

168 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the push policy shared with the server device defines an order of transmission of the second media data by the server device;
and the method further comprises the following steps:
receiving from said server device, in response to said request, at least one announcement message respectively identifying the second media data to be sent to the client device without having been requested, and
receiving information related to an order of transmission of the second media data with said announcement messages, said information enabling the client device to determine an order of transmission of the second media data defined by the server.

169 . A method for providing media data representing a media item from a server storing data representing the media item, at least a temporal segment of which is represented by a plurality of versions, the method comprising the following steps implemented by the server:
receiving a request from a client device for a description file including a description of the versions representing the temporal segment and respective pointers to the versions representing the temporal segment; selecting data among sets of data pointed to in the description file; sending the description file to the client device; pushing the selected data to the client device.

170 . The method for providing media data according to claim 169 , wherein the selected data includes initialization data for a decoder of the client device.

171 . The method for providing media data according to claim 169 , comprising a step of sending a push promise related to and prior to the step of pushing the selected data.

172 . The method for providing media data according to claim 169 , comprising a step of determining a level of confidence associated with the selected data and wherein:
if the determined level of confidence is below a predetermined threshold, pushing the selected data includes pushing only initialization data for a decoder of the client device; if the determined level of confidence is above the predetermined threshold, pushing the selected data includes pushing initialization data for a decoder of the client device and at least part of one of said versions representing the temporal segment.

173 . A method for streaming media data representing a media item from a server storing data representing the media item to a client device, at least a temporal segment of the media item being represented by a plurality of versions, the method comprising the following steps:
the client device sending a request to the server for a description file including a description of the versions representing the temporal segment and respective pointers to the versions representing the temporal segment; the server receiving the request from the client device; the server selecting data among sets of data pointed to in the description file; the server sending the description file to the client device; the server pushing the selected data to the client device; the client device receiving the description file from the server; the client device receiving the selected data from the server.

174 . The streaming method according to claim 173 , wherein the selected data includes initialization data for a decoder of the client device.

175 . The streaming method according to claim 173 , comprising a step of determining a level of confidence associated with the selected data and wherein:
if the determined level of confidence is below a predetermined threshold, pushing the selected data includes pushing only initialization data for a decoder of the client device; if the determined level of confidence is above the predetermined threshold, pushing the selected data includes pushing initialization data for a decoder of the client device and at least part of one of said versions representing the temporal segment.

176 . A server device for streaming media data to a client device, the device comprising:
a receiver configured for receiving, from the client device, a request relating to first media data, a control unit configured for identifying second media data to be sent to the client device without having been requested, and a transmitter configured for, in response to said request, transmitting to said client device, data relating to said first media data, and preparing at least one announcement message respectively identifying said second media data with a view to transmit the announcement message or messages to the client device, and wherein the control unit is further configured for using a push policy shared with the client device in order to drive the identification or the transmission of the second non-requested media data to the client device.

177 . A device for providing media data representing a media ite

Assignees

• Canon Kk

Inventors

• Fablet Youenn
• Bellessort Romain
• Maze Frédéric
• Ouedraogo Naël
• Denoual Franck
• Ruellan Hervé

Classifications

• H04L67/02

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

• H04N21/26258 Primary

  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

• H04N21/47202 Primary

  for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand · CPC title

• H04L65/4069

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L67/26 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic