Bandwidth allocation with modified seek function
AssigneeHulu, LLC
InventorDong Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A computer-implemented method, apparatus, system, article of manufacture, and computer readable storage medium provide the ability to stream media content to multiple users. A first stream of/for the media content is streamed from a first location in the media content to a first user. A request is received from the first user to seek to a seek location (e.g., forward or backward) in the media content. A second location in the media content compatible with the seek location is determined. The second location is based on a second stream being streamed to one or more second users. The second stream is then streamed to the first user and the second user.
Claims30
A computer-implemented method for streaming media content to multiple users comprising:
- streaming a first stream for the media content, from a first location in the media content, to a first user;
- receiving a request from the first user to seek to a seek location in the media content;
- determining a second location in the media content compatible with the seek location, wherein the second location is based on a second stream being streamed to one or more second users;
- and
- streaming the second stream to the first user and the one or more second users.
An apparatus for streaming media content to multiple users in a computer system comprising:
- (a) a computer having a memory;
- (b) an application executing on the computer, wherein the application is configured to:
- (i) stream a first stream for the media content, from a first location in the media content, to a first user;
- (ii) receive a request from the first user to seek to a seek location in the media content;
- (iii) determine a second location in the media content compatible with the seek location, wherein the second location is based on a second stream being streamed to one or more second users;
- and
- (iv) stream the second stream to the first user and the one or more second users.
A computer readable storage medium encoded with computer program instructions which when accessed by a computer cause the computer to load the program instructions to a memory therein creating a special purpose data structure causing the computer to operate as a specially programmed computer, executing a method of streaming media content to multiple users, comprising:
- streaming, in the specially programmed computer, a first stream for the media content, from a first location in the media content, to a first user;
- receiving, in the specially programmed computer, a request from the first user to seek to a seek location in the media content;
- determining, in the specially programmed computer, a second location in the media content compatible with the seek location, wherein the second location is based on a second stream being streamed to one or more second users;
- and
- streaming, in the specially programmed computer, the second stream to the first user and the one or more second users.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.