System and method for seamless switchover between unicast and multicast sources of over-the-top streams
AssigneeimVision Software Technologies Ltd.
InventorSharon Mantin
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method and system for switching between a unicast streaming source and a multicast streaming source of over-the-top (OTT) streams are provided. The method includes retrieving an OTT unicast stream from the unicast streaming source and an OTT multicast stream from the multicast streaming source, wherein there is a time delay between the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream; synchronizing the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream to compensate for the time delay; selecting one of the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream; and switching to a streaming source of the selected OTT stream.
Claims15
A method for switching between a unicast streaming source and a multicast streaming source of over-the-top (OTT) streams, comprising:
- retrieving an OTT unicast stream from the unicast streaming source and an OTT multicast stream from the multicast streaming source, wherein there is a time delay between the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream;
- synchronizing the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream to compensate for the time delay by comparing the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream, wherein comparing the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream includes comparing an index of a next requested TS segment designated in a playlist of the OTT unicast stream to an index of a current TS segment included in the OTT multicast stream;
- and
- determining a time delay based on a difference between the TS segment indexes;
- selecting one of the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream;
- and
- switching to a streaming source of the selected OTT stream.
A communication terminal, comprising:
- a processing unit;
- and
- a memory, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, configure the terminal to:
- retrieve an OTT unicast stream from the unicast streaming source and an OTT multicast stream from the multicast streaming source, wherein there is a time delay between the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream;
- compare the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream to synchronize the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream to compensate for the time delay;
- select one of the synchronized OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream;
- and
- switch to a streaming source of the selected OTT stream, wherein the terminal is configured to compare the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream to by comparing an index of a next requested TS segment designated in a playlist of the OTT unicast stream to an index of a current TS segment included the OTT multicast stream and determining a time delay based on a difference between TS segment indexes.
A communication terminal, comprising:
- a user interface;
- a processing unit;
- and
- a memory, the memory containing instructions that, when executed by the processing unit, configure the terminal to:
- retrieve an OTT unicast stream from the unicast streaming source and an OTT multicast stream from the multicast streaming source, wherein there is a time delay between the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream;
- compare the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream to synchronize the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream to compensate for the time delay;
- select one of the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream;
- switch to a streaming source of the selected OTT stream;
- and
- feed the selected OTT stream to the user interface, wherein the terminal is configured to compare the OTT unicast stream and the OTT multicast stream to by comparing an index of a next requested TS segment designated in a playlist of the OTT unicast stream to an index of a current TS segment included the OTT multicast stream and determining a time delay based on a difference between TS segment indexes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.