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US 10,708,335 B2Granted
Situation-dependent dynamic bit rate encoding and distribution of content
AssigneeTime Warner Cable Enterprises LLC
InventorsJames S. Manchester, Wilfred Jaime Miles, Matthew Zelesko, Ethan Wolf
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Abstract
An encoder resource receives segments of content on one or more data feeds. The encoder resource receives and/or produces encoder control information specifying multiple different bit rate data streams on which to encode the segments of content. As specified by the encoder control information, in accordance with encoding rules, the encoder resource adaptively encodes the segments of content into a varying number of different bit rate data streams. Clients in a network environment initiate retrieval of the varying number of different bit rate data streams to playback content.
Claims33
A method comprising:
- via video-processing computer hardware, performing operations of:
- receiving segments of content from an inputted data stream, the segments of content including images from video;
- receiving encoder control information specifying multiple different bit rate data streams in which to encode the segments of content;
- as specified by the encoder control information, adaptively encoding the segments of content into a varying number of different bit rate data streams with respect to a bit rate threshold value, the varying number of different bit rate data streams being available to subscribers, the method further comprising:
- producing content access information to indicate availability of the segments of content encoded according to the varying number of bit rate data streams;
- and
- distributing the content access information to at least one of the subscribers, the at least one subscriber selectively retrieving encoded segments of content from the varying number of bit rate data streams.
4 more elements
A method comprising:
- via video-processing computer hardware, performing operations of:
- receiving segments of content from an inputted data stream, the segments of content including images from video;
- receiving encoder control information specifying multiple different bit rate data streams in which to encode the segments of content;
- and
- as specified by the encoder control information, adaptively encoding the segments of content into a varying number of different bit rate data streams with respect to a bit rate threshold value, the varying number of different bit rate data streams being available to subscribers, the method further comprising:
- producing the encoder control information to eliminate encoding the segments of content on a selected one of the multiple different bit rate data streams to free bandwidth in a network over which portions of the encoded data streams are transmitted.
3 more elements
A method comprising:
- via video-processing computer hardware, performing operations of:
- receiving segments of content from an inputted data stream, the segments of content including images from video;
- receiving encoder control information specifying multiple different bit rate data streams in which to encode the segments of content;
- as specified by the encoder control information, adaptively encoding the segments of content into a varying number of different bit rate data streams with respect to a bit rate threshold value, the varying number of different bit rate data streams being available to subscribers;
- wherein receiving the segments of content includes receiving a particular title of video content to which the segments of content belong;
- and
- wherein adaptively encoding the segments of content into the varying number of different bit rate data streams includes:
- encoding a first portion of the particular title of video content into a first number of different bit rate data streams;
- and
- encoding the second portion of the particular title of video content into a second number of different bit rate data streams, the first number greater than the second number;
- the method further comprising:
- producing the encoder control information to indicate to switch from encoding the particular title of video content into the first number of different bit rate data streams to encoding the particular title of content into the second number of different bit rate data streams in response to detecting network congestion.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.