# US 9,521,180 B2 · Adaptive variable fidelity media distribution system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,521,180 B2 - Document ID: US9521180B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/829,058 - Filed: 2015-08-18 - Published: 2016-03-10 - Granted: 2016-12-13 - Earliest claimed: 2007-07-26 - Assignees: Intel Corporation - Applicants: Intel Corporation - Inventors: Amol Shukla; Aaron J. Colwell - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9521180B2 ## CPC - H04L 65/70: Media network packetisation - H04L 65/4015: {where at least one of the additional parallel sessions is real time or time sensitive, e.g. white board sharing, collaboration or spawning of a subconference} - H04L 65/60: Network streaming of media packets - H04L 65/764: {at the destination (reformatting of additional data in video clients H04N21/4355)} - H04L 65/80: Responding to QoS - H04L 67/104: Peer-to-peer [P2P] networks - H04L 67/1091: {Interfacing with client-server systems or between P2P systems} - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract An adaptive variable fidelity media provision system and method are provided herein. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus, comprising: a client device configured to adaptively stream media content comprising multiple media information layers, wherein to adaptively stream the media content, the client device is configured: to obtain, in a first time window, portions of a first set of the multiple media information layers, to obtain, in a second time window after the first time window, portions of a second set of the multiple media information layers, the second set differing from the first set depending, at least in part, on whether the first set was timely received or at least one terminal condition at the client device changed, and to render, by a processing unit, a media content stream, wherein the first and second time windows are each the time to render a portion of a set of the multiple media information layers, wherein to render the media content stream, the client device is configured to combine the portions of the first set of multiple media information layers and to combine the portions of the second set of the multiple media information layers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first set of the multiple media information layers comprises a base video layer and the second set comprises an enhancement video layer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the enhancement video layer comprises one of a temporal enhancement layer or a fidelity enhancement layer. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the client device comprises one of a mobile phone, a set-top box, a game console, a portable media player, or a personal computer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a network interface configured to convey requests from the client device to a second device over a network. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the client device is further configured to request the second set of the multiple media information layers based on a change in one or more client terminal conditions. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the client device is further configured to request the second set of the multiple media information layers based on the first set of the multiple media information layers being timely received. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the client device is configured to combine the portions of the first set of multiple media information layers in accordance with a first rendering characteristic and to combine the portions of the second set of the multiple media information layers in accordance with a second rendering characteristic, the second rendering characteristic differing from the first rendering characteristic. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A system, comprising the apparatus of claim 1 and a display configured to display the enhanced media content. ### Claim 10 A computer-implemented method for adaptively streaming media content, the method comprising: obtaining, in a first time window, portions of a first set of the multiple media information layers; obtaining, in a second time window after the first time window, portions of a second set of the multiple media information layers, the second set differing from the first set depending, at least in part, on whether the first set was timely received or at least one terminal condition at the client device changed, and rendering, by a processing unit, a media content stream, wherein the first and second time windows are each the time to render a portion of a set of the multi media information layers, by combining the portions of the first set of multiple media information layers and combining the portions of the second set of the multiple media information layers. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the first set of the multiple media information layers comprises a base video layer and the second set comprises an enhancement video layer. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the enhancement video layer comprises one of a temporal enhancement layer or a fidelity enhancement layer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein the method is performed by one of a mobile phone, a set-top box, a game console, a portable media player, or a personal computer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: conveying requests for portions of the multiple media information layers over a network. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: requesting the second set of the multiple media information layers based on a change in one or more client terminal conditions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising: requesting the second set of the multiple media information layers based on the first set of the multiple media information layers being timely received. ### Claim 17 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein combining the portions of the first set of multiple media information layers is in accordance with a first rendering characteristic and combining the portions of the second set of the multiple media information layers is in accordance with a second rendering characteristic, the second rendering characteristic differing from the first rendering characteristic. ### Claim 18 An article comprising one or more non-transitory computer readable media having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to: obtain, in a first time window, portions of a first set of the multiple media information layers; obtain, in a second time window after the first time window, portions of a second set of the multiple media information layers, the second set differing from the first set depending, at least in part, on whether the first set was timely received or at least one terminal condition at the client device changed; and render, by a processing unit, a media content stream, wherein the first and second time windows are each the time to render a portion of a set of the multi media information layers, by combining the portions of the first set of multiple media information layers and combining the portions of the second set of the multiple media information layers. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The article of claim 18, wherein the first set of the multiple media information layers comprises a base video layer and the second set comprises an enhancement video layer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The article of claim 19, wherein the enhancement video layer comprises one of a temporal enhancement layer or a fidelity enhancement layer. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The article of claim 18, further having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to convey requests for portions of the multiple media information layers over a network. ### Claim 22 (depends on 18) The article of claim 18, further having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to request the second set of the multiple media information layers based on a change in one or more client terminal conditions. ### Claim 23 (depends on 18) The article of claim 18, further having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to request the second set of the multiple media information layers based on the first set of the multiple media information layers being timely received. ### Claim 24 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein combining the portions of the first set of multiple media information layers is in accordance with a first rendering characteristic and combining the portions of the second set of the multiple media information layers is in accordance with a second rendering characteristic, the second rendering characteristic differing from the first rendering characteristic.