US 12,587,706 B2 · Rebuffering reduction in adaptive bit-rate video streaming

Abstract

A method includes setting, by a controller, a first bit-rate level for a next video segment, and comparing a fill level of a playback buffer to a first threshold. If the fill level of the playback buffer satisfies the first threshold, the first bit-rate level for the next video segment is replaced by setting a second bit-rate level for the next video. A first request is issued to a server for the next video segment encoded at the first bit-rate level or, if the fill level of the playback buffer satisfies the first threshold, encoded at the second bit-rate level and downloading of the requested next video segment and storing the requested video segment in the playback buffer. A decoder decodes the next video segment from the playback buffer for playback on a display device after the next video segment has been downloaded and stored in the playback buffer.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An electronic device, comprising:

memory comprising a playback buffer;
and
a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
issue a first request to a server for a first video segment encoded at a first bit-rate level;
stop downloading the first video segment encoded at the first bit-rate level from the server before the first video segment has finished being downloaded based on one or more conditions related to the downloading of the first video segment;
set a second bit-rate level for the first video segment different from the first bit-rate level;
issue a second request to the server for the first video segment encoded at the second bit-rate level;
and
decode the first video segment for playback on a display device in response to the first video segment encoded at the second bit-rate level being downloaded and stored in the playback buffer.

6 more elements

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

setting a first bit-rate level based on a predicted network bandwidth and a current fill level of a playback buffer
issuing a first request to a server for a first video segment encoded at the first bit-rate level;
stopping downloading the first video segment encoded at the first bit-rate level from the server before the first video segment has finished being downloaded and stored in the playback buffer based on one or more conditions related to the downloading of the first video segment;
setting a second bit-rate level for the first video segment different from the first bit-rate level, wherein the second bit-rate level is lower than the first bit-rate level;
issuing a second request to the server for the first video segment encoded at the second bit-rate level;
and
decoding the first video segment for playback on a display device after the first video segment encoded at the second bit-rate level has been downloaded and stored in the playback buffer.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Rebuffering reduction in adaptive bit-rate video streaming

Life of this patent

Rebuffering reduction in adaptive bit-rate video streaming

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20