Apple Inc.

Roger N Pantos

William B May, Jr

David L Biderman

James David Batson

Alan Tseng

John Y Su

John Samuel Bushell

Zhenheng Li

Christopher L Oklota

Simon Goldrei

Jordan B Schneider

Christopher L Flick

Eric Olaf Carlson

Hassan A Shojania

David Alan Pound

Jeremy Spencer Jones

Simon Ezriel Chaim Goldrei

Patrick L Coffman

Jeffrey L Robbin

Christopher John Sanders

Gregory R Chapman

Steven E Saunders

William George Stewart

Mohammed Zubair Visharam

David P Saracino

Ronald Dennis Lue-Sang

Douglas S Wyatt

James A Young

Courtney Ann Kennedy

Patrick Earl McClaughry

Jad Osseiran

Marshall W Huss

Michel A Rynderman

Thai Wey Then

Eryk Vershen

Craig H Schamp

John Matienzo

Peng Zhou

Prashant Nandakumar

Nimrod Gat

John Kevin Calhoun

William May

A method and apparatus of a device that receives streaming content is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the device receives a media playlist for the content, wherein the media playlist references a plurality of media stream and each of the plurality of media stream are encoded at a different bit rate. The device further determines an initial media stream selected from the plurality of media stream. In addition, the device examines a window of media segments of the initial media stream and determines a local bit rate curve from the window of media segments. The device further selects another one of the plurality of media streams using at least the local bit rate curve.

Systems and methods of using a media bit rate curve for streaming bit rate adaption

Content streaming systems, such as systems that use HTTP compliant requests to obtain media segments for presentation of the content on a device. These content streaming systems can be optimized to reduce latency to a low level so that live events can be streamed to receiving devices in such a manner so that the time between an action in the live event and the presentation of the action on a receiving device that receives the streamed content is less than about 10 seconds. A client device can use rendition reports to tune-in to a new rendition (at a first bit rate) after presenting a prior rendition (of a second bit rate) when switching between the different bit rates; also, for example, a client device can use playlist annotations that indicate independent frames to avoid downloading depending frame media segments when switching between different renditions.

Low latency streaming media

In a streaming media method, a set of one or more server devices can provide media playlists that skip media segments. For example, a client device can receive a full media playlist from a server device, and the full media playlist can indicate that the server device supports providing updated playlists that are condensed by skipping media segments. The client device can then request an updated playlist that skips media segments and use that updated playlist to request and receive steaming content.

Skipping segments in playlists

Techniques are disclosed for measuring propagation delay of a media distribution system based on content output by rendering devices. An output from an output device of the media distribution system may be captured and a token may be detected from the captured content. A timecode may be derived from the detected token. The system's propagation delay may be determined from the derived timecode and may provide a basis to analyze system delays and other processing artifacts. In this manner, propagation artifacts may be estimated between multiple rendering devices that lack controls to synchronize their operation.

Use of rendered media to assess delays in media distribution systems

Methods and systems for discovering or tuning-in to near live or current playlists used to stream media content, particularly for live events during which the media content is streamed. The methods and systems can reduce the time required to tune-in to such live events. In one embodiment, a client device can receive an age data in a header of a message that returns a first playlist that was requested by an unattributed playlist request from the client device. The age data can be used to determine how many partial media segments to skip to tune-in to the live event.

In one embodiment, systems, methods and non-transitory machine readable media detect differences between the rate of production, by a server, of media segments identified in an HTTP compliant playlist and the rate of consumption, by a client device, of the media segments in streaming media content. These differences, once detected, can be used to adjust a playback rate at the client to reduce the difference between the server rate and the client rate. This detection can be used in low latency streaming media contexts in which the client device is playing back content that is live, such as a live sports event happening during the playback by the client device. The adjustment of the client's playback rate can avoid running out of buffered media segments (when the client's rate is much faster than the server's rate) and can avoid increasing latency at the client device and overloading a buffer with too many media segments (when the client's rate is much slower than the server's rate).

Clock compensation for streaming media systems

Streaming media systems, such as HTTP Live Streaming, can provide a low latency service by including, within a playlist, a URI that identifies a future media segment that will become available after the playlist is completed. Client devices can receive the playlist and can make two separate blocking requests for an updated playlist and for the future media segment. This approach allows the use of HTTP 1.1 to request and receive playlists and media segments and allows the use of two different servers to provide the playlist in the future media segment.

Preload hinting for low latency HTTP live streaming system

A near real time content streaming system can use a playlist file, in one embodiment, that includes an indicator of the type of content represented by the playlist file. The type can be indicated by a parameter, such as Video on Demand (VOD) or live, or event, that specifies the type of playlist file, and a client device can process the playlist file based upon the type of playlist file indicated by the parameter. For example, the client device, after determining the type of playlist from a playlist file can make efficiency optimizations when processing the playlist file. For example, the client, knowing the playlist file is a VOD playlist, can save the previously used variant playlist when switching to a new variant playlist rather than discarding the previously used variant playlist.

Real-time or near real-time streaming

Methods and apparatuses for real-time or near real-time streaming of content using transfer protocols such as an HTTP compliant protocol. In one embodiment, a method includes dividing a stream of data, representing the contiguous time based content of a program (e.g. a live video broadcast), into a plurality of distinct media files, and generating a playlist file having a plurality of tags and Universal Resource Indicators (URIs) indicating an order of presentation of the plurality of distinct media files. The plurality of media files and the playlist file can be made available for transmission to a client device which can retrieve the media files using the playlist file.

Playlists for real-time or near real-time streaming

A content streaming device includes display mode shift logic that selects a display mode among multiple display modes of the content streaming device. The content streaming device also includes region detection logic that determines a region of the content streaming device. The content streaming device further includes one or more processors that communicatively couples to an electronic display. The one or more processors instruct the display mode shift logic to select a first display mode having a first refresh rate based on the region of the content streaming device and supported display modes of the electronic display.

Dynamic display mode selection

Systems and methods for enabling playback control functions of a media player are disclosed. For example, a user of a client device receiving streaming playback of a video stream may perform rewind and fast forward control functions. The client device may implement these playback control functions by retrieving an enhanced playback segment. Using the enhanced playback segment, the media player may display selected frames at a predetermined interval while maintaining a visual cadence that is pleasing to a viewer. In the described embodiments, a client device may render a video stream, receive a command to control a fast forward or rewind playback mode for the video stream, and retrieve, from a distribution server or associated edge cache, one or more enhanced playback segments adapted to implement the user command.

Packed I-frames

This document describes a protocol for transferring unbounded streams of multimedia data. It specifies the data format of the files and the actions to be taken by the server (sender) and the clients (receivers) of the streams. It describes version 2 of this protocol.

Techniques are disclosed for synchronizing media rendering among a plurality of networked terminals. A first terminal may receive communication from another terminal that correlates a network time to a first portion of a media item to be rendered on the terminals. The terminals may identify, from the correlation of network time to the first portion of media and from a playback rate negotiated between the terminals, other portions of the media item to be rendered at other network times. The terminals each may render appropriate portions of the media item as network time progresses. The terminals also may exchange other data to alter playback modes during the course of a common rendering session.

Synchronization of media rendering in heterogeneous networking environments

Methods and apparatuses provide real-time or near real-time streaming of content, specified in one or more playlists, using transfer protocols such as an HTTP compliant protocol. In one embodiment, a method can execute a user application on a client device to present media files and to control presentation of the media files. The method can further run a media serving process on the client device to retrieve a playlist specifying the media files and a media source at which the media files are available, to retrieve the media files from the media source, and to decode the media files retrieved. The media serving process can call the user application to process a custom URL in order to obtain an object referred to by the custom URL.

Growing community of inventors

Cupertino, CA, United States of America

Roger N Pantos