Method and apparatus for adaptive bit rate switching
AssigneeHulu, LLC
InventorsAlexander V. Gutarin, Baptiste Coudurier
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for adaptively receiving media streams of different bit rates is disclosed. Data describing the variability of the bit rate of different versions of a media program is transmitted to the media player, and used by the media player to select the appropriate version for reception over the communication channel.
Claims38
A method of configuring a media player to adaptively select from a first bitstream having a first version of a media program and a second bitstream having a second version of the media program wherein the first bitstream has a different bit rate than the second bitstream, comprising the steps of:
- receiving data describing the temporal variability of the bit rate of the first bitstream;
- receiving the first bitstream on a communication channel;
- determining a throughput of the communication channel;
- generating a comparison of the throughput of the communication channel with the received data describing the temporal variability of the bit rate of the first bitstream;
- and
- selecting the second bitstream for further reception at least in part according to the generated comparison.
An apparatus for adaptively selecting from a first bitstream having a first version of a media program and a second bitstream having a second version of the media program wherein the first bitstream has a different bit rate than the second bitstream, comprising:
- means for receiving data describing the temporal variability of the bit rate of the first bitstream;
- means for receiving the first bitstream on a communication channel;
- means for determining a throughput of the communication channel;
- means for generating a comparison of the throughput of the communication channel with the received data describing the temporal variability of the bit rate of the first bitstream;
- and
- means for selecting the second bitstream for further reception at least in part according to the generated comparison.
A method of configuring a media player to adaptively select from a first bitstream having a first version of a media program and a second bitstream having a second version of the media program wherein the first bitstream has a different bit rate than the second bitstream, comprising the steps of:
- generating data describing the temporal variability of the bit rate of the first bitstream;
- receiving a request for the media program from a user device;
- transmitting the data describing the temporal variability of the bit rate of the first bitstream;
- transmitting the first bitstream on a communication channel;
- receiving a request for the second bitstream from the user device, the request based at least in part on a comparison of the received data describing the temporal variability of the bit rate and a throughput of the communications channel;
- and
- transmitting the second bitstream on the communications channel.
An apparatus for configuring a media player to adaptively select from a first bitstream having a first version of a media program and a second bitstream having a second version of the media program wherein the first bitstream has a different bit rate than the second bitstream, comprising:
- means for generating data describing the temporal variability of the bit rate of the first bitstream;
- means for receiving a request for the media program from a user device;
- means for transmitting the data describing the temporal variability of the bit rate of the first bitstream;
- means for transmitting the first bitstream on a communication channel;
- means for receiving a request for the second bitstream from the user device, the request based at least in part on a comparison of the received data describing the temporal variability of the bit rate data and a throughput of the communications channel;
- and
- means for transmitting the second bitstream on the communications channel.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.