Methods and arrangements for HTTP media stream distribution

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9621610-B2
Application number	US-201113521387-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2011
Priority date	Jan 18, 2010
Publication date	Apr 11, 2017
Grant date	Apr 11, 2017

Abstract

A method performed by a server of a communication network for making an HTTP media stream accessible to a client is provided. A Media Presentation Description (MPD) is generalized, such that the MPD is provided with at least one period element sequentially arranged according to a media play timeline. Each period element is provided with at least one representation such that at least one of the period elements is provided with at least two alternative representations. Each representation is provided with an ordered sequence of at least one media segment URI. Each media segment URI references at least one media segment of the HTTP media stream. The generated MPD enables a client to select representations and to acquire referenced media segments based on the selected representations.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method performed by a network node of a communication network for making a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) media stream accessible to a client, the method comprising:
generating, by a network node, a Media Presentation Description that comprises at least two period elements sequentially arranged according to a media play timeline of a media content, at least a first period element of the period elements being provided with at least one representation and at least a second period element of the period elements is provided with at least two alternative representations,
wherein each of the representations is provided with an ordered sequence of at least one media segment Uniform Resource Identifier (URI),
wherein each of the at least one media segment URI references at least one media segment of said HTTP media stream;
wherein each of the at least one representation and the at least two alternative representations includes at least one setting for processing the first period element and the second period element, respectively, and
wherein one of the at least two alternative representations includes at least one setting that differs from the other alternative representation and the at least one representation of the first period element, such that the second period element is configured to provide a segment of the media stream with the at least one setting not supported by the first period element;
providing, by the network node, the Media Presentation Description to the client;
wherein the Media Presentation Description is configured to be updated by the network node.

2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said generating comprises:
arranging at least one of the ordered sequences of at least one media segment URI such that it is provided as at least one of the representations and described in a template format.

3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said generating comprises:
arranging at least one of the representations such that it is provided as an ordered sequence of at least two of the media segment URIs and described in a playlist format.

4. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said generating comprises:
providing each representation associated with a same period element with a first representation attribute having a setting which is representative of the media segments referenced in said representation.

5. A method according to claim 4 , wherein said generating comprises:
providing each of the period elements with a second representation attribute; and
selecting a setting of the second representation attribute which is common for all media segments associated with said associated period element for each of the second representations attributes, such that it is representative of all representations associated with said period element.

6. A method according to claim 5 , wherein each of said representation attributes defines a codec, a bitrate, a resolution and/or a language.

7. A method according to claim 5 , wherein generating comprises:
arranging media segments of different representations of the same period element, such that they are time aligned at a start of said period element.

8. A method according to claim 5 , wherein said generating comprises:
providing the respective second representation attribute in each representation of a respective period element, such that said second representation attribute is described on a representation level; or
providing a respective second representation attribute in the respective period element, such that said second representation attribute is described on a period element level.

9. A method according to claim 4 , wherein said generating comprises:
providing at least one of the period elements of the Media Presentation Description with at least two alternative period constructions, where each period construction is provided with at least two of the representations, and a second representation attribute; and
selecting a setting of the second representation attribute such that it is representative of the respective alternative period construction.

10. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
updating the Media Presentation Description, by adding at least one of the representations to, by removing at least one of the representations from, or by modifying at least one of the representations of the Media Presentation Description.

11. A method according to claim 10 , wherein generating comprises:
providing the Media Presentation Description with an indication of a poll interval.

12. A method according to claim 10 , further comprising:
pushing the updated Media Presentation Description to the client.

13. A method according to claim 1 , wherein generating comprises:
providing the Media Presentation Description with a description of a mapping of the media play timeline of said HTTP media stream with one of a server time line and a wall clock time.

14. A method performed by a client of a communication network for obtaining a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) media stream from at least one network node of the communication network, the method comprising:
acquiring, from one of said at least one network node, a Media Presentation Description comprising at least two period elements, sequentially arranged according to a media play timeline of a media content,
wherein at least a first period element of the period elements comprises at least one representation and wherein at least a second period element of the period elements comprises at least two alternative representations,
wherein each of the representations comprises an ordered sequence of at least one media segment Uniform Resource Identifier (URI),
wherein each of the at least one media segment URI references at least one media segment of said HTTP media stream,
wherein each of the at least one representation and the at least two alternative representations includes at least one setting for processing the first period element and the second period element, respectively, and
wherein one of the at least two alternative representations includes at least one setting that differs from the other alternative representation and the at least one representation of the first period element, such that the second period element is configured to provide a segment of the media stream with the at least one setting not supported by the first period element;
selecting for at least one of said period elements, on the basis of content of the Media Presentation Description, one of the representations; and
acquiring, for each of the selected representations, referenced media segments associated with the respective representation;
wherein the Media Presentation Description is configured to be updated by the network node.

15. A method according to claim 14 , wherein said selecting comprises:
selecting the respective representation on the basis of at least one representation attribute of the respective period element, each of the representation attributes having a respective setting representative of the respective representation.

16. A method according to claim 15 , further comprising:
estimating a bit rate available for transmitting the HTTP media stream from said at least one network node to the client; and
selecting the representation of at least one of the period elements on the basis of said estimation based on one of the at least one representation attribute being a bit rate dependent representation attribute.

17. A method according to claim 15 , wherein said selecting comprises:
selecting the respe

Assignees

• Gabin Frederic
• Lohmar Thorsten
• Priddle Clinton
• ERICSSON TELEFON AB L M (publ)

Inventors

• Gabin Frederic
• Lohmar Thorsten
• Priddle Clinton

Classifications

• H04L65/608

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L65/4084

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L65/602 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• H04L67/02 Primary

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

• H04L65/4092

  Electricity · mapped topic