Signaling and processing content with variable bitrates for adaptive streaming

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9294531-B2
Application number	US-201313939552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2013
Priority date	Jul 12, 2012
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

A method for adaptive streaming of a media content, wherein the method comprises receiving a media presentation description that provides presentation information for the media content, determining a plurality of representations from the media presentation description that comprise segments that are provided with bitrate and quality information, selecting a media segment that meets a desired quality level to download from one of the representations, updating a buffered media time for downloading the media segment, and determining when to switch to another representation by comparing the buffered media time to a switching threshold value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for adaptive streaming of a media content, the method comprising:
receiving a media presentation description that provides presentation information for the media content;
determining a plurality of representations from the media presentation description that comprise segments that are provided with bitrate and quality information;
selecting a media segment that meets a desired quality level to download from one of the representations;
obtaining an available bandwidth for downloading the media segment;
obtaining a bitrate of the media segment;
updating a buffered media time for downloading the media segment based on the available bandwidth for downloading the media segment, the bitrate of the media segment, and a duration of the media segment and a second buffered media time, wherein the second buffered media time corresponds to a second media segment downloaded prior to the media segment; and
determining when to switch to another representation by comparing the buffered media time to a switching threshold value.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the switching threshold value is a switch-down threshold, and the method further comprising switching to another representation with a lower quality when the buffered media time is less than the switch-down threshold.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the switching threshold value is a switch-up threshold, and the method further comprising switching to another representation with a higher quality when the buffered media time is greater than the switch-up threshold.

4. A computer program product comprising computer executable instructions for adaptive streaming of a media content and stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium such that when executed by a processor cause a node to:
receive a media presentation description that provides presentation information for the media content;
determine a plurality of representations from the media presentation description that comprise segments that are provided with bitrate and quality information;
select a media segment that meets a desired quality level to download from one of the representations;
obtain an available bandwidth for downloading the media segment;
obtain a bitrate of the media segment;
update a buffered media time for downloading the media segment based on the available bandwidth for downloading the media segment, the bitrate of the media segment, and a duration of the media segment and a second buffered media time, wherein the second buffered media time corresponds to a second media segment downloaded prior to the media segment; and
determine when to switch to another representation by comparing the buffered media time to a switching threshold value.

5. The computer program product of claim 4 , wherein the switching threshold value is a switch-down threshold, and the computer program product further comprises computer executable instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium such that when executed by the processor cause the node to switch to another representation with a lower quality when the buffered media time is less than the switch-down threshold.

6. The computer program product of claim 4 , wherein the switching threshold value is a switch-up threshold, and the computer program product further comprises computer executable instructions stored on the non-transitory computer readable medium such that when executed by the processor cause the node to switch to another representation with a higher quality when the buffered media time is greater than the switch-up threshold.

Assignees

• Futurewei Technologies Inc

Inventors

• Zhang Shaobo
• Wang Xin
• Giladi Alexander
• Liu Xin
• Xu Yangpo
• Ai Changquan
• Di Peiyun

Classifications

• H04L65/80

  Responding to QoS · CPC title

• H04L67/02

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

• H04L65/762 Primary

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

• H04L65/607

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L65/602

  Electricity · mapped topic