Apparatus, System, And Method For Multi-Bitrate Content Streaming
Patent No. US10951680 (titled "Apparatus, System, And Method For Multi-Bitrate Content Streaming") was filed by Us Bank Na on May 18, 2020.
What is this patent about?
’680 is related to the field of video streaming over packet-switched networks, particularly addressing the challenge of adapting video bitrate to varying network conditions. Traditional streaming methods struggle with reliability, efficiency, and latency, often forcing users to sacrifice quality for immediate access or face interruptions due to network congestion. The invention aims to provide a smoother viewing experience by dynamically adjusting the video quality based on real-time network conditions.
The underlying idea behind ’680 is to segment video content into short, independently encoded chunks called streamlets , each representing a small time interval (e.g., two seconds) of the video. For each time interval, multiple streamlets are created, each encoded at a different bitrate. This allows a client device to seamlessly switch between different quality levels on the fly, selecting the streamlet with the appropriate bitrate based on the available bandwidth.
The claims of ’680 focus on a system where video is encoded at multiple bitrates, creating streams of varying quality (low, medium, high), with at least one stream encoded at no less than 600 kbps. Each stream comprises streamlets, and for a given time interval, streamlets from each stream encode the same video portion but at different bitrates. The claims also cover the end-user device's ability to request a virtual timeline based on the selected stream and the server's process of providing the requested timeline.
In practice, the system works by first capturing and segmenting the video content into these short streamlets. An encoding module then encodes each streamlet into multiple versions, each with a different bitrate. These streamlets are stored on a server, and when a client requests the video, it initially requests a streamlet at a certain quality level. The client then monitors the download speed and, based on a calculated performance ratio, decides whether to request a higher or lower quality streamlet for the next time interval. This allows for adaptive bitrate streaming that responds to changing network conditions.
The differentiation from prior approaches lies in the combination of streamlet-based segmentation and dynamic bitrate adaptation. Unlike traditional streaming, which often relies on a single bitrate or pre-defined quality levels, this system allows for fine-grained control over video quality. By using short streamlets, the system can quickly adapt to changes in network conditions, minimizing buffering and ensuring a smoother viewing experience. The use of a virtual timeline also allows the server to efficiently manage and deliver the appropriate streamlets to the client.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the mid-2000s when ’680 was filed, streaming media was gaining popularity, but users commonly experienced trade-offs between immediate access and media quality. At a time when network bandwidth varied significantly, adaptive streaming solutions were not yet widely deployed, and systems commonly relied on single-bitrate streams or progressive downloads. Hardware or software constraints made efficient and reliable delivery of high-quality video over networks with fluctuating bandwidth a non-trivial problem.
Novelty and Inventive Step
The examiner allowed the claims because a terminal disclaimer was filed to overcome obviousness-type double patenting rejections based on U.S. Patent No. 10,469,554. The examiner stated that the prior art failed to disclose or render obvious the feature of the first streamlet of each group of streamlets having the same duration and encoding the same first portion of the video in each of the low, medium, and high-quality streams, where the bitrates differ among the streams.
Claims
This patent contains 29 claims, with independent claims numbered 1, 14, 22, and 28. The independent claims are generally directed to a system, an end user station, and processes for adaptive-rate content streaming of video over the Internet using virtual timelines and streamlets encoded at different bitrates. The dependent claims generally elaborate on and add detail to the elements and steps recited in the independent claims.
Key Claim Terms New
Definitions of key terms used in the patent claims.
Patent Family
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Date
Description
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US10951680
- Application Number
- US16876604
- Filing Date
- May 18, 2020
- Status
- Expired
- Expiry Date
- Apr 28, 2025
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents