Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC

Microsoft Corporation

Wenbo Zhang

Gurpratap Virdi

Eldar Azerovich Musayev

Donald D Karlov

Sam J George

Sudhakar Visweswara Prabhu

Gilles Khouzam

Federico Schliemann

Yongjun Wu

Shyam Sadhwani

Serge Smirnov

Andres Vega-Garcia

Mike Harsh

Li Erran Li

Rebecca Claire Weiss

Michael John Hillberg

Stacey Spears

Dan B Kroymann

Haoyun Wu

Michael R Harsh

Akshay Johar

Lawrence Wayne Olson

John Gossman

Greg D Schechter

Eric Christoffersen

Kishore Arvind Kotteri

Florin Folta

Kim-Chyan Gan

Weibing Zhan

Greg D Schechler

Serge Smimov

Dan Kroymann

Rebecca C Weiss

Li Li

A system for video playback switching in response to changing network conditions. The system includes streaming, from a distribution device such as a server, respective index files for a low bit rate version and a high bit rate version of the video file, to remotely executing instantiations of a low bit rate media player and a high bit rate media. Playback of the video file is begun by the high bit rate media player receiving and playing the high bit rate version from the server. Upon an indication of impeded network conditions, a transition point is selected, wherein the transition point indicates where downloading of the high bit rate version stops and where downloading of the low bit rate version begins. The low bit rate media player is then positioned to begin playback at the transition point. The stream of the video file is then switched to the low bit rate player upon encountering the transition point.

System for adaptive video switching for variable network conditions

An adaptive video noise reduction (AVNR) engine reduces noise in streaming video. The engine reads embedded information in the streaming video describing attributes of the video, such as bit rate, frame rate, resolution, content type and quality of the streaming video. The information may be included in a manifest of the streaming video. Based on the video attributes, the engine outputs one or more input values to applications that reduce noise of the streaming video. The one or more applications may reduce mosquito, block, temporal, random and banding noise of the video in response to the input values from the engine.

Adaptive noise reduction engine for streaming video

Described is a technology by which code, such as an untrusted web application hosted in a browser, provides content through an interface for playback by an application environment, such as an application environment running in a browser plug-in. Content may be in the form of elementary video, audio and/or script streams. The content is in a container that is unpackaged by the application code, whereby the content may be packaged in any format that the application understands, and/or or come from any source from which the application can download the container. An application environment component such as a platform-level media element receives information from an application that informs the application environment that the application is to provide media stream data for playback. The application environment requests media stream data (e.g., samples) from the application, receives them as processed by the application, and provides the requested media stream data for playback.

Media streams from containers processed by hosted code

Disclosed herein are innovations in decoding compressed video media data. The disclosed innovations facilitate decoding operations with improved computational efficiency, faster speeds, reduced power, reduced memory usage, and/or reduced latency. In one embodiment, for example, an encoded bitstream of video media data is input from an external video content provider, the encoded bitstream being encoded according to a video codec standard. A decoder is then configured to decode the encoded bitstream based at least in part on supplemental information that identifies a property of the encoded bitstream but that is supplemental to the encoded bitstream (e.g., supplemental information that is not part of the encoded bitstream or its associated media container and that is specific (or related) to the application for which the bitstream is used and/or the standard by which the bitstream is encoded and/or encrypted).

Standard-guided video decoding performance enhancements

Application- or context-guided video decoding performance enhancements

Techniques are described for split processing of streaming segments in which processing operations are split between a source component and a decoder component. For example, the source component can perform operations for receiving a streaming segment, demultiplexing the streaming segment to separate a video content bit stream, scanning the video content bit stream to find a location at which decoding can begin (e.g., scanning up to a first decodable I-picture, for which header parameter sets are available for decoding), and send the video content bit stream to the decoder component beginning at the location (e.g., the first decodable I-picture). The decoder component can begin decoding at the identified location (e.g., the first decodable I-picture). The decoder component can also discard subsequent pictures that reference a reference picture not present in the video content bit stream (e.g., when decoding starts with a new streaming segment).

Split processing of encoded video in streaming segments

A method for video playback switching in response to changing network conditions. The method includes accessing a server to retrieve respective index files for a low bit rate version and a high bit rate version of the video file, and instantiating a low bit rate media player and a high bit rate media. Playback of the video file is begun by the high bit rate media player streaming the high bit rate version from the server. Upon an indication of impeded network conditions, a transition point is selected, wherein the transition point indicates where downloading of the high bit rate version stops and where downloading of the low bit rate version begins. The low bit rate media player is then positioned to begin playback at the transition point. Playback of the video file is then switched to the low bit rate player upon encountering the transition point.

Adaptive video switching for variable network conditions

Techniques enable locating a position within a file that corresponds to a desired seek time without having access to an index specifying the desired seek time's position. An iterative process may be used to estimate the position that corresponds to the desired seek time. The process may iterate through multiple estimations until a difference between a time corresponding to an estimated position and the desired seek time is within an acceptable amount or until the process reaches an iteration threshold. The file may then be played beginning at or near the desired seek time. The techniques may therefore allow a user to seek within a file while the user progressively downloads or streams the file.

Iteratively locating a position corresponding to a desired seek time

The present disclosure relates to playback of video/audio streaming media data. The media stream is available from the network at multiple bit rates. When a seek operation is performed, a playback device requests a lower bit rate media stream in order to quickly fill a playback buffer so that playback can commence more readily. After a seek start-up period is complete, the playback device can return to downloading the media stream associated with higher bit rates in order to increase the quality of the playback.

Media streaming with enhanced seek operation

Media streaming with smooth fast-forward and rewind is disclosed. One embodiment receives a media stream encoded at a first bit rate over a network connection, and in response to an input to fast-forward or rewind the media stream, the media stream may be retrieved at a second bit rate, and rendered at the second bit rate for fast-forward or rewind playback. By receiving the media stream at multiple bit rates, a media stream may be rendered at increased forward or reverse speeds without dropping frames in the media stream.

Media streaming with smooth fast-forward and rewind

Systems and methods for smooth rewind playback of streamed media are provided. The media includes relatively-encoded frames and independently-encoded frames. The method includes receiving a rewind request indicating a rewind speed for rewind playback of the media, selectively dropping relatively-encoded frame(s) based on a receipt constraint and a decoding constraint to form a subset of the media, and receiving frames of the subset. The method further includes selecting, in a reverse order, a selected group of pictures (GOP) included within the subset, and decoding relatively-encoded frame(s) of the GOP in a forward sequential frame order. The method further includes caching relatively-encoded frame(s) of the GOP in the forward sequential frame order, and when caching, dropping and overwriting relatively-encoded frame(s) of the GOP selectively according to a memory constraint and/or a display constraint. The method further includes displaying relatively-encoded frame(s) of the GOP in a reverse sequential frame order.

Smooth rewind media playback

Growing community of inventors

Redmond, WA, United States of America

Wenbo Zhang