Method for operating a mobile device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016309241-A1
Application number	US-201414402404-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 10, 2014
Priority date	Jan 10, 2014
Publication date	Oct 20, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method ( 20 ) for operating a mobile device ( 10 ). The mobile device ( 10 ) is configured to download a media stream comprising a plurality of data segments (S 1 -Sn) and to playback the media stream during download. The media stream is downloaded as a plurality of blocks of data segments and each block of data segments comprises a set of the plurality of data segments (S 1 -Sn) representing a corresponding media stream portion of the media stream. According to the method, a required playback time (T) for a next block of data segments to be downloaded is determined depending on a predetermined required minimum playback time (C) which defines a required minimum time duration for playing back the media stream portion provided by the next block of data segments.

First claim

1 . A method for operating a mobile device, wherein the mobile device is configured to download a media stream comprising a plurality of data segments and to playback the media stream during download, wherein the media stream is downloaded as a plurality of blocks of data segments, each block of data segments comprising a set of the plurality of data segments representing a corresponding media stream portion of the media stream, wherein the method comprises:
determining a required playback time for a next block of data segments to be downloaded depending on a predetermined required minimum playback time defining a required minimum time duration for playing back the media stream portion provided by the next block of data segments.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the required minimum playback time based on an inactivity timer value configured for a receiver unit of the mobile device performing the download of the media stream, wherein the inactivity timer value controls a transition of the receiver unit between a first mode and a second mode, wherein a power consumption of the receiver unit in the first mode is higher than in the second mode.

3 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein the inactivity timer value controls a radio resource control inactivity timer of the receiver unit and is configured by a network control layer of a communication network in which the mobile device is operated.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
requesting a download of a block of data segments having the determined required playback time.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a recent playback time of a block of data segments which has been downloaded recently, and determining the required playback time for the next block of data segments to be downloaded depending on the recent playback time.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
determining a recent download time required for downloading a block of data segments which has been downloaded recently, and determining the required playback time for the next block of data segments to be downloaded depending on the recent download time.

7 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein determining the required playback time for the next block of data segments to be downloaded comprises:
determining a ratio of the recent playback time to the recent download time, and setting selectively, based on the determined ratio, the required playback time fes) for the next block of data segments to be downloaded to either the predetermined required minimum playback time or to a maximum of the predetermined required minimum playback time and a time derived from a reduction of the recent playback

8 . The method according to claim 7 , wherein at least some of the data segments of the media stream are each available in a plurality of different coding formats, wherein the different coding formats cause different amounts of data to be transferred for downloading the data segment, wherein the method further comprises
selecting, for the next block of data segments to be downloaded, a coding format of the available plurality of different coding formats depending on the recent playback time and the recent download time.

9 . A mobile device, comprising:
a receiver unit for downloading a plurality of data segments of a media stream, an output device for playing back the media of the downloaded media stream to a user, and a processing device configured to download the media stream and to playback the media stream during download, wherein the media stream is downloaded as a plurality of blocks of data segments, each block of data segments comprising a set of the plurality of data segments representing a corresponding media stream portion of the media stream, and to determine a required playback time for a next block of data segments to be downloaded depending on a predetermined required minimum playback time defining a required minimum time duration for playing back the media stream portion provided by the next block of data segments.

10 . The mobile device according to claim 9 , wherein the mobile device is configured to determine a required playback time for a next block of data segments to be downloaded depending on a predetermined required minimum playback time defining a required minimum time duration for playing back the media stream portion provided by the next block of data segments.

11 . The mobile device according to claim 9 , wherein the mobile device comprises at least one device of a group consisting of a mobile telephone, a mobile media player, a mobile computer, and a tablet computer.

Assignees

• Sony Corp

Inventors

• Ljung Rickard

Classifications

• H04W52/0209

  in terminal devices · CPC title

• H04N21/8456 Primary

  by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments · CPC title

• H04N21/44004

  involving video buffer management, e.g. video decoder buffer or video display buffer · CPC title

• H04L65/80

  Responding to QoS · CPC title

• H04N21/4436

  Power management, e.g. shutting down unused components of the receiver (power management in computer systems G06F1/3203; hibernate or awake process in computer systems G06F9/4418) · CPC title