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US 7,548,995 B2Granted
Strategies for disseminating media information using redundant network streams
AssigneeMicrosoft Corporation
InventorVivek Thukral
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system is described for disseminating media information. An operations center transmits at least a primary stream on a first network connection and a backup stream on a second network connection to a media device (such as a set-top box). The media device identifies whether the primary stream includes any missing information, and, if so, supplies the missing information from the backup stream. The primary stream and the backup stream can have the same or different bit rates. The operations center can send the backup stream as a component of a multiplexed stream, including at least one other stream. Through these provisions, the system provides a streaming mechanism that is both reliable and scalable.
Claims19
A method for disseminating information to a target entity, the method comprising:
- transmitting, from a source entity to the target entity a plurality of received redundant streams, wherein the plurality of received redundant streams includes at least a primary stream of information on a first network connection and a backup stream of information on a second network connection;
- selecting the primary stream of information from the plurality of received redundant streams, wherein selecting includes selecting from the plurality of received redundant streams the stream that arrives first and designating it as the primary stream of information and selecting a later arriving stream and designating it as the backup stream of information;
- monitoring the quality of the primary stream of information and the backup stream of information, wherein monitoring includes calculating an error rate for the primary stream of information and the backup stream of information over a predetermined period of time, wherein monitoring includes determining if the quality of the primary stream of information warrants reassigning the designation of primary stream of information to one of the received redundant streams;
- redefining the primary stream of information as a stream of information having the best quality, wherein redefining includes changing the designation of primary stream of information from a faltering primary stream of information to one of the received redundant streams and designating the faltering primary stream of information as the backup stream of information;
- receiving, at the target entity, the primary stream of information and the backup stream of information;
- identifying whether the primary stream of information includes missing information, wherein identifying includes flagging a discontinuity in the primary stream of information if the missing information does not arrive within a predetermined period of time;
- determining if the missing information is obtainable from the backup stream of information to repair the discontinuity in the primary stream of information;
- and
- supplying the missing information to repair the discontinuity in the primary stream of information from the backup stream of information.
6 more elements
A system for disseminating information, the system comprising:
- a coupling mechanism;
- a source entity configured to perform acts comprising:
- transmit at least a primary stream of information on a first network connection of the coupling mechanism and a backup stream of information on a second network connection of the coupling mechanism;
- select the primary stream of information from the plurality of received redundant streams, wherein selecting includes selecting from the plurality of received redundant streams the stream that arrives first and designating it as the primary stream of information and selecting a later arriving stream and designating it as the backup stream of information;
- monitor the quality of the primary stream of information and the backup stream of information, wherein monitoring includes calculating an error rate for the primary stream of information and the backup stream of information over a predetermined period of time, wherein monitoring includes determining if the quality of the primary stream of information warrants reassigning the designation of primary stream of information to one of the received redundant streams;
- redefine the primary stream of information as a stream of information having the best quality, wherein redefining includes changing the designation of primary stream of information from a faltering primary stream of information to one of the received redundant streams and designating the faltering primary stream of information as the backup stream of information;
- and
- a target entity configured to perform acts comprising:
- receive the primary stream of information and the backup stream of information;
- identify whether the primary stream of information includes any missing information;
- flag a discontinuity if the missing information does not arrive within a predetermined period of time;
- determine if the missing information is obtainable from the backup stream of information in order to repair the discontinuity in the primary stream of information;
- and
- supply the missing information to the primary stream of information from the backup stream of information.
11 more elements
A target entity for receiving information, the target entity comprising:
- logic configured to receive at least a primary stream of information on a first network connection and a backup stream of information on a second network connection;
- logic configured to monitor the quality of the primary stream of information and the backup stream of information, wherein the logic configured to monitor includes logic configured to calculate an error rate for the primary stream of information and the backup stream of information over a predetermined period of time;
- logic configured to determine if the quality of the primary stream of information warrants reassignment of the designation of primary stream of information as the backup stream;
- logic configured to redefine the primary stream of information as a stream of information having the best quality, and configured to change the designation of primary stream of information from a faltering primary stream of information to the backup steam and designate the faltering primary stream of information as the backup stream of information;
- logic configured to identify whether the primary stream of information includes any missing information;
- logic configured to flag a discontinuity in the primary stream if the missing information does not arrive within a predetermined period of time;
- logic configured to determine if the missing information is obtainable from the backup stream of information in order to repair the discontinuity in the primary stream of information;
- and
- logic configured to supply the missing information to repair the discontinuity in the primary stream of information from the backup stream of information.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.