US 8,914,529 B2 · Dynamically adapting media content streaming and playback parameters for existing streaming and playback conditions

Abstract

Adjusting media streaming parameters of a media streaming device and media playback parameters of a media playback device is disclosed. In one embodiment, the system probes a network infrastructure to determine a network type, a playback device type, a streaming device type, a media content type, a preroll duration, and a playback device buffer size. Based upon these streaming and playback conditions, values of streaming parameters of a streaming device and values of playback parameters of a playback device are determined. Streaming parameters include the aggressiveness of the network transmitter, the slope of the transmit rate ramp-up, and the maximum transmit rate. Playback parameters include the amount of data prerolled by the playback device. The aforementioned values are sent to streaming and playback device control systems to control the streaming and the playback of the media, during and/or before playback.

Claims11

Dependent claims

A method for adjusting media streaming and playback parameters, comprising:

determining one or more characteristics about a streaming device and a playback device in a playback and streaming environment during media content streaming and media playback, the one or more characteristics comprising a buffer size of the playback device;
determining the media content is live;
determining one or more values of parameters for controlling said media streaming and media playback, said values based on the one or more determined characteristics and that the media content is live, the one or more values comprising a maximum transmit rate;
sending said values to media streaming and media playback device control systems of said streaming device and said playback device to control said streaming and said playback of said media;
determining a proximity of a seek position to a live position;
and
determining an amount of prerolling that said playback device needs to perform based on said proximity, the amount of prerolling to comprise an amount of data to buffer before playback.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Dynamically adapting media content streaming and playback parameters for existing streaming and playback conditions

Life of this patent

Dynamically adapting media content streaming and playback parameters for existing streaming and playback conditions

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims11