Enhancing streaming media reception for a mobile device during cell reselection

A mobile client device, comprising:

• a receiver configured for receiving streaming media from a streaming server over an air interface,
• a temporary store configured for temporarily storing the received streaming media before playing,
• a protocol stack configured for detecting a cell reselection event in the mobile client device, and
• a processing unit configured for requesting in response to the detected cell reselection event, from said mobile client device, the streaming server to send streaming media which the mobile client device was not able to receive due to a cell reselection, at a rate higher than the playing rate of the media so as to increase a degree of fullness of the temporary store,
• wherein the requesting comprises:
• requesting to switch to sending a lower bit rate streaming media encoded with a bit rate lower than an original bit rate;
• and
• requesting to speed up transmission of the lower bit rate streaming media, so as to reach an original transmission bit rate.

A streaming server, comprising:

• a transmitter configured for sending streaming media to a mobile client device,
• a receiver configured for receiving a request requesting the streaming server to send streaming media which the mobile client device was not able to receive due to a cell reselection, at a rate higher than the playing rate of the media so as to increase a degree of fullness of a temporary store at the client device, in which temporary store streaming media received at the mobile client device is temporarily stored before playing, said request having been sent by said mobile client device upon detecting a cell reselection event in the mobile client device, said request comprising:
• requesting to switch to sending a lower bit rate streaming media encoded with a bit rate lower than an original bit rate;
• and
• requesting to speed up transmission of the lower bit rate streaming media, so as to reach an original transmission bit rate, and wherein the streaming server comprises:
• a processing unit configured for acting upon the received request.

A system comprising a streaming server and a mobile client device, for streaming of media from the streaming server to the mobile client device over an air-interface, the system comprising, at the mobile client device:

• a receiver configured for receiving streaming media from the streaming server over the air interface,
• a temporary store configured for temporarily storing the received streaming media before playing,
• a protocol stack configured for detecting a cell reselection event in the mobile client device, and
• a processing unit configured for sending, in response to the detected cell reselection event, a request to the streaming server to send streaming media which the mobile client device was not able to receive due to a cell reselection, at a rate higher than the playing rate of the media so as to increase a degree of fullness of the temporary store, wherein the request comprises:
• requesting to switch to sending a lower bit rate streaming media encoded with a bit rate lower than an original bit rate;
• and
• requesting to speed up transmission of the lower bit rate streaming media, so as to reach an original transmission bit rate, the system further comprising, at the streaming server:
• a transmitter configured for sending streaming media to a mobile client device,
• a receiver configured for receiving said request sent by said mobile client device upon detecting a cell reselection event in the mobile client device;
• and
• a processing unit configured for acting upon the received request.

A computer readable medium having a computer program stored thereon and executable in a mobile client device, the computer program comprising:

• program code causing the mobile client device to receive streaming media sent from a streaming server;
• program code causing the mobile client device store the received streaming media temporarily in a temporary store at the client device before playing;
• program code causing the mobile client device to detect a cell reselection event in the mobile client device;
• and
• program code for causing the mobile client device to request in response to the detected cell reselection event, the streaming server to send streaming media which the mobile client device was not able to receive due to a cell reselection, at a rate higher than the playing rate of the media so as to increase a degree of fullness of the temporary store,
• wherein the requesting comprises:
• requesting to switch to sending a lower bit rate streaming media encoded with a bit rate lower than an original bit rate;
• and
• requesting to speed up transmission of the lower bit rate streaming media, so as to reach an original transmission bit rate.

A computer readable medium having a computer program stored thereon and executable in a streaming server, the computer program comprising:

• program code causing the streaming server to send streaming media to the mobile client device,
• program code for causing the streaming server to receive a request requesting the streaming server to send streaming media which the mobile client device was not able to receive due to a cell reselection, at a rate higher than the playing rate of the media so as to increase a degree of fullness of a temporary store at the client device, in which temporary store streaming media received at the mobile client device is temporarily stored before playing, the request having been sent in response to detecting a cell reselection event in the mobile client device, said request comprising:
• requesting to switch to sending a lower bit rate streaming media encoded with a bit rate lower than an original bit rate;
• and
• requesting to speed up transmission of the lower bit rate streaming media, so as to reach an original transmission bit rate, and
• program code for causing the streaming server to act upon the received request.