Video streaming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017171271-A1
Application number	US-201514963558-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 9, 2015
Priority date	Dec 9, 2015
Publication date	Jun 15, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A computer implemented method comprising storing a plurality of client profiles, each client profile defining one or more areas of importance for a frame of a video stream, transmitting a video stream to a plurality of clients, determining that a connection to a specific client comprises insufficient bandwidth to transmit the video stream at full resolution, accessing a client profile for the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth, reducing the data rate of one or more areas of the frames of the video stream that are not defined as areas of importance for a frame of the video stream in the accessed client profile for the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth, and transmitting the reduced data rate frames to the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth.

First claim

1 . A computer implemented method comprising:
storing a plurality of client profiles, each client profile defining one or more areas of importance for a frame of a video stream, transmitting a video stream to a plurality of clients, determining that a connection to a specific client comprises insufficient bandwidth to transmit the video stream at full resolution, accessing a client profile for the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth, reducing a data rate of one or more areas of the frames of the video stream that are not defined as areas of importance for a frame of the video stream in the accessed client profile for the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth, and transmitting the reduced data rate frames to the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth.

2 . A method according to claim 1 , wherein the reducing of the data rate of one or more areas of the frames of the video stream that are not defined as areas of importance for a frame of the video stream in the accessed client profile for the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth comprises reducing the data rate to zero in the one or more areas of the frames of the video stream that are not defined as areas of importance for a frame of the video stream in the accessed client profile.

3 . A method according to claim 1 , and further comprising receiving information defining an area of importance for a frame of the video stream as defined by a client and selecting a client profile for the client according to a best match of the client profile defining one or more areas of importance for a frame of a video stream to the received information defining an area of importance for a frame of the video stream.

4 . A method according to claim 1 , and further comprising outputting a set of choices, each choice connected to a stored profile, receiving a user input from a specific client selecting a choice from the outputted set of choices and storing an identification of the stored profile connected to the selected choice for the specific client.

5 . A method according to claim 1 , and further comprising reducing the data rate of one or more areas of the frames of the video stream that are defined as areas of importance for a frame of the video stream in the accessed client profile for the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth.

6 . A system comprising:
a storage device arranged to store a plurality of client profiles, each client profile defining one or more areas of importance for a frame of a video stream, and a processor arranged to:
transmit a video stream to a plurality of clients;
determine that a connection to a specific client comprises insufficient bandwidth to transmit the video stream at full resolution;
access a client profile for the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth;
reduce a data rate of one or more areas of the frames of the video stream that are not defined as areas of importance for a frame of the video stream in the accessed client profile for the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth, and
transmit the reduced data rate frames to the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth.

7 . A system according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is arranged, when reducing the data rate of one or more areas of the frames of the video stream that are not defined as areas of importance for a frame of the video stream in the accessed client profile for the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth, to reduce the data rate to zero in the one or more areas of the frames of the video stream that are not defined as areas of importance for a frame of the video stream in the accessed client profile.

8 . A system according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is further arranged to receive information defining an area of importance for a frame of the video stream as defined by a client and selecting a client profile for the client according to a best match of the client profile defining one or more areas of importance for a frame of a video stream to the received information defining an area of importance for a frame of the video stream.

9 . A system according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is further arranged to output a set of choices, each choice connected to a stored profile, receive a user input from a specific client selecting a choice from the outputted set of choices and store an identification of the stored profile connected to the selected choice for the specific client.

10 . A system according to claim 6 , wherein the processor is further arranged to reduce the data rate of one or more areas of the frames of the video stream that are defined as areas of importance for a frame of the video stream in the accessed client profile for the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth.

11 . A computer program product for controlling a system, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a processor to cause the processor to:
access a plurality of stored client profiles, each client profile defining one or more areas of importance for a frame of a video stream, transmit a video stream to a plurality of clients, determine that a connection to a specific client comprises insufficient bandwidth to transmit the video stream at full resolution, access a client profile for the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth, reduce a data rate of one or more areas of the frames of the video stream that are not defined as areas of importance for a frame of the video stream in the accessed client profile for the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth, and transmit the reduced data rate frames to the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth.

12 . A computer program product according to claim 11 , wherein the instructions for reducing of the data rate of one or more areas of the frames of the video stream that are not defined as areas of importance for a frame of the video stream in the accessed client profile for the specific client with a connection of insufficient bandwidth comprise instructions for reducing the data rate to zero in the one or more areas of the frames of the video stream that are not defined as areas of importance for a frame of the video stream in the accessed client profile.

13 . A computer program product according to claim 11 , and further comprising instructions for receiving information defining an area of importance for a frame of the video stream as defined by a client and selecting a client profile for the client according to a best match of the client profile defining one or more areas of importance for a frame of a video stream to the received information defining an area of importance for a frame of the video stream.

14 . A computer program product according to claim 11 , and further comprising instructions for outputting a set of choices, each choice connected to a stored profile, receiving a user input from a specific client selecting a choice from the outputted set of choices and storing an identification of the stored profile connected to the selected choice for the specific client.

15 . A computer program product according to claim 11 , and further comprising instructions for reducing the data rate of one or more areas of the frames of the video stream that are defined as areas of importance for a frame of the video stream in the accessed client profile for the

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Kelly Alexander J
• Mirski-Fitton Alexander D S
• Moffatt Edwin P J
• Pavitt Ross B

Classifications

• H04L65/60 Primary

  Network streaming of media packets · CPC title

• H04L67/303 Primary

  Terminal profiles · CPC title

• H04L65/752

  adapting media to network capabilities · CPC title

• H04L67/61

  taking into account QoS or priority requirements · CPC title

• H04L65/611

  for multicast or broadcast (systems for broadcast or conference H04L12/18; arrangements for broadcast or distribution combined with broadcast H04H20/00; arrangements for broadcast applications with a direct linkage to broadcast information or to broadcast space-time H04H60/00; selective distribution of broadcast services, e.g. multimedia broadcast multicast service [MBMS], H04W4/06) · CPC title