Method for adaptively streaming an audio/visual material
OwnerWei-Chung CHANGinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for adaptively streaming an audio/visual (AV) material includes: processing a plurality of current data packets stored in a data buffer to play media segments of the AV material at a current quality; during playback of a current one of the media segments, determining whether a new data packet for playing a candidate one of the media segments at an improved quality is able to be completely downloaded in time; when the determination is affirmative, downloading the new data packet and processing the new data packet to play the candidate one of the media segments of the AV material at the improved quality on the player interface when the new data packet is completely downloaded and stored in the data buffer.
Claims20
A method for adaptively streaming an audio/visual (AV) material, the method being implemented by an electronic device that includes a processor, a memory device having a data buffer, and a display, the data buffer storing a plurality of current data packets that constitute a plurality of successive media segments of the AV material, respectively, the method comprising:
- generating, by the processor, a player interface on the display;
- processing, by the processor, the current data packets stored in the data buffer to play the media segments of the AV material at a current quality on the player interface one by one;
- during playback of a current one of the media segments, determining, by the processor for a candidate one of the media segments after the current one, whether a new data packet for playing the candidate one of the media segments at an improved quality higher than the current quality is able to be completely downloaded before the candidate one of the media segments is expected to be played, based on a current network bandwidth of a network between the electronic device and a server that provides the new data packet, and an amount of the current data packets currently stored in the data buffer;
- when the determination is affirmative, downloading the new data packet;
- and
- processing, by the processor, the new data packet when the new data packet is completely downloaded and stored in the data buffer to play the candidate one of the media segments of the AV material at the improved quality on the player interface at the time when the candidate one of the media segments is expected to be played.
The method of Claim further comprising automatically performing, the processor, an evaluation process for determining whether the new data packet for playing the candidate one of the media segments at the improved quality greater is able to be completely downloaded during playback of a current one of the media segments, and to generate an icon on the player interface indicating whether quality improvement is available, based on a result of the evaluation process.
An electronic device comprising a processor, a memory device having a data buffer and a display, the data buffer storing a plurality of current data packets that constitute a plurality of successive media segments of an audio/visual (AV) material, respectively, wherein said processor is programmed to perform operations including:
- generating a player interface on the display;
- processing the current data packets stored in the data buffer to play the media segments of the AV material at a current quality on the player interface one by one;
- during playback of a current one of the media segments, determining, for a candidate one of the media segments after the current one, whether a new data packet for playing the candidate one of the media segments at an improved quality higher than the current quality is able to be completely downloaded before the candidate one of the media segments is expected to be played, based on a current network bandwidth of a network between the electronic device and a server that provides the new data packet, and an amount of the current data packets currently stored in the data buffer;
- when the determination is affirmative, downloading the new data packet;
- and
- processing the new data packet when the new data packet is completely downloaded and stored in the data buffer to play the candidate one of the media segments of the AV material at the improved quality on the player interface at the time when the candidate one of the media segments is expected to be played.
A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
- generating a player interface on a display of an electronic device;
- processing a plurality of current data packets that are stored in a data buffer of a memory device and that constitute a plurality of successive media segments of an audio/visual (AV) material, so as to play the media segments of the AV material at a current quality on the player interface one by one;
- during playback of a current one of the media segments, determining, for a candidate one of the media segments after the current one, whether a new data packet for playing the candidate one of the media segments at an improved quality higher than the current quality is able to be completely downloaded before the candidate one of the media segments is expected to be played, based on a current network bandwidth of a network between the electronic device and a server that provides the new data packet, and an amount of the current data packets currently stored in the data buffer;
- when the determination is affirmative, downloading the new data packet;
- and
- processing the new data packet when the new data packet is completely downloaded and stored in the data buffer to play the candidate one of the media segments of the AV material at the improved quality on the player interface at the time when the candidate one of the media segments is expected to be played.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.