Adaptive profile switching system and method for media streaming over IP networks

Abstract

A system for adaptively streaming video content over an IP network, comprising devices and non-transitory computer-readable storage media having executable computer modules, comprising a sender device interacting with the network, the device configured to send a video stream to the network and to receive a recovery packet stream from the network; at least one receiving device configured to receive the at least one video stream from the network and to transmit a respective recovery packet stream back to the sender device through the network; a bandwidth probe configured to be periodically sent with the video stream to the at least one receiving device to determine respective instantaneous network bandwidths; at least one profile configured to be chosen by the sender device to generate the video stream, based upon respective instantaneous network bandwidths, wherein the video stream is adaptively changed, based upon instantaneous network bandwidths and the respective recovery packet stream.

Description

RELATED APPLICATION[0001]The present application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 030,630, filed 30 Jul. 2014, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference.FIELD AND BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Embodiments of the current invention are related to media streaming and particularly to a system and method to optimize media streaming over one or more IP networks.[0003]In the specification and claims which follow, the expression “media streaming” or “streaming” is intended to mean the transfer of video information (and any associated audio information, if applicable), as known in the art, typically from one or more of servers to a plurality of devices (typically called “clients”) located at a distance from the respective servers. As such, terms such as “video content”, “content”, and “media stream” (or abbreviated “stream”) are used interchangeably in the specification and claims which follow hereinbelow to mean video content which is streamed. T...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The present invention provides a system and method for adaptively streaming video content over an IP network. The system includes a sender device, a receiving device, and a bandwidth probe. The sender device sends a video stream to the network and receives a recovery packet stream back from the network. The bandwidth probe periodically sends with the video stream to determine the network bandwidth. The receiving device chooses a profile based on the network bandwidth to generate the video stream. The video stream is then adapted based on the network bandwidth and the recovery packet stream. The invention allows for seamless playback of video content and efficient utilization of network bandwidth.

Problems solved by technology

As a download is performed over HTTP, the download is susceptible to packet loss and to network jitter, which may contribute to increase segment download time.

This is because the TCP protocol—which is the heart of the HTTP—contributes a time delay until all the data has been downloaded.

During a download, the client can sense download speed and / or a network artifact adversely impacting the download.

However, most solutions tend to have more buffering capacity than 3 segments to allow switching the last downloaded profile with a lower resolution in case of streaming problems.

Most multi-profile solutions known in the art do not maintain the same resolution across different profiles nor is it mandatory to keep the same GOP structure.

Because an adaptive streaming viewing experience may be different from one vendor and another, or from one location to another, adaptive streaming does not provide the same viewing experience characteristic of linear / conventional TV, which gives all viewers the same delay and viewing experience.

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