Patent application number | Description | Published |
20110016225 | DIGITAL CONTENT DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM AND METHOD - One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for selecting a content distribution network (CDN) comprising at least one content server, from a plurality of CDNs, and a playing digital content file from the CDN on a content player. Selecting the CDN is based on a rank order of CDNs, an assigned weight value for each CDN, and a bandwidth measured between the content player and each CDN. Advantageously, a given content player may select a CDN based on prevailing network and CDN loading conditions, thereby increasing overall robustness and reliability when downloading digital content file from a CDN. | 01-20-2011 |
20110019976 | ADAPTIVE STREAMING FOR DIGITAL CONTENT DISTRIBUTION - One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for adapting playback bit rate to available delivery bandwidth in a content delivery system comprising a content server and a content player. A content player periodically estimates whether a given playback bit rate can feasibly provide complete playback for a given title assuming currently available bandwidth. If playback becomes unfeasible at a current bit rate assuming currently available bandwidth, then the content player adapts the bit rate downward until a feasible bit rate is achieved. If playback is feasible using a higher bit rate, then the content player may adapt the bit rate upward. | 01-27-2011 |
20110023076 | ADAPTIVE STREAMING FOR DIGITAL CONTENT DISTRIBUTION - One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for adapting playback bit rate to available delivery bandwidth in a content delivery system comprising a content server and a content player. A content player periodically estimates whether a given playback bit rate can feasibly provide complete playback for a given title assuming currently available bandwidth. If playback becomes unfeasible at a current bit rate assuming currently available bandwidth, then the content player adapts the bit rate downward until a feasible bit rate is achieved. If playback is feasible using a higher bit rate, then the content player may adapt the bit rate upward. | 01-27-2011 |
20110225302 | PARALLEL STREAMING - Embodiments of the present invention set forth techniques for a content player to stream a media file using multiple network connections. To stream the media file, the content player downloads metadata associated with a requested media file, establishes a network connection with multiple content servers (or multiple network connections with a single content server or both) and begins requesting portions of the media file. In response, the requested portions are transmitted to the content player. The content player may employ a predictive multi-connection scheduling approach to determine which network connection to use in downloading a given chunk. | 09-15-2011 |
20130159498 | MEASURING USER QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE FOR A STREAMING MEDIA SERVICE - Techniques are disclosed for representing a user quality of experience (QoE) experienced by users of a streaming media service using a single QoE metric. The single QoE metric may be determined based on a set of empirical characteristics relating to the streaming video service such as startup latency, video quality, and the likelihood of interruptions in streaming playback. The empirical characteristics may be weighted according to how much one factor influences user quality of experience, relative to the others. Representing the QoE as a single metric may allow a streaming media service provider to improve key business measures such as subscriber retention and engagement. | 06-20-2013 |
20130173758 | PARALLEL STREAMING - Embodiments of the present invention set forth techniques for a content player to stream a media file using multiple network connections. To stream the media file, the content player downloads metadata associated with a requested media file, establishes a network connection with multiple content servers (or multiple network connections with a single content server or both) and begins requesting portions of the media file. In response, the requested portions are transmitted to the content player. The content player may employ a predictive multi-connection scheduling approach to determine which network connection to use in downloading a given chunk. | 07-04-2013 |
20130262625 | PIPELINING FOR PARALLEL NETWORK CONNECTIONS TO TRANSMIT A DIGITAL CONTENT STREAM - One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for transmitting a digital content stream through a network between at least one content server and a content player. The method includes communicating with the at least one content server to set up a plurality of parallel network connections on the network to transmit the digital content stream. The method further includes sending a first data request and a second data request within a first time limit via at least one tested network connection in the plurality of parallel network connections to evaluate whether pipelining of the digital content stream is possible for the at least one tested network connection. The method also includes utilizing pipelining to transmit the digital content stream over the at least one tested network connection based on a first response to the first data request and a second response to the second data request. | 10-03-2013 |
20140052873 | SPECULATIVE PRE-AUTHORIZATION OF ENCRYPTED DATA STREAMS - Techniques are disclosed for improving user experience of multimedia streaming over computer networks. For example, a method for presenting multimedia content may generally include receiving a request to stream a media title. In response to the request, unencrypted content for the media title is streamed to a client. While streaming the unencrypted content, a digital rights management (DRM) license to access encrypted content for the media title is requested. After receiving the DRM license, the client switches from streaming the unencrypted content for the media title to streaming encrypted content for the media title. The switching from streaming the unencrypted content to streaming the encrypted content does not interrupt playback of the media title. | 02-20-2014 |
20140143301 | MULTI-CDN DIGITAL CONTENT STREAMING - Techniques for transmitting a digital content stream through a network between a plurality of content servers and a content player. Network performance information for the plurality of content servers is retrieved. Embodiments then determine a mapping of the plurality of content servers to a plurality of portions of a content buffer on the content player, based on the retrieved network performance information. A request is transmitted to each of the plurality of content servers to transmit digital content associated with the corresponding portion of the content buffer. | 05-22-2014 |
20140143431 | MULTI-CDN DIGITAL CONTENT STREAMING - Techniques for optimizing a plurality of parallel network connections for a digital content stream through a network between a plurality of content servers and a content player. Embodiments determine an indication of network performance for each of the plurality of parallel network connections. Additionally, upon determining that a first one the plurality of parallel network connections is underperforming, based on whether the indication of network performance associated with the first parallel network connection satisfies a threshold level of performance, the first parallel network connection is dropped. Upon determining that a total throughput for the digital content stream is less than a minimum threshold of network performance, embodiments select a content server with which to establish a new parallel network connection, based on historical network performance data associated with the selected content server, and also establishing the new parallel network connection to the selected content server. | 05-22-2014 |
20140189771 | ADAPTIVE STREAMING FOR DIGITAL CONTENT DISTRIBUTION - One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for adapting playback bit rate to available delivery bandwidth in a content delivery system comprising a content server and a content player. A content player periodically estimates whether a given playback bit rate can feasibly provide complete playback for a given title assuming currently available bandwidth. If playback becomes unfeasible at a current bit rate assuming currently available bandwidth, then the content player adapts the bit rate downward until a feasible bit rate is achieved. If playback is feasible using a higher bit rate, then the content player may adapt the bit rate upward. | 07-03-2014 |
20140195646 | SITE-BASED SERVER SELECTION - In an embodiment, a method comprises receiving a first data streamed from a first server computer at a first site; collecting a first throughput data for the first site based, at least in part, on a first throughput of the first data streamed from the first server computer; receiving a second data streamed from a second server computer at a second site; collecting a second throughput data for the second site based, at least in part, on a second throughput of the second data streamed from the second server computer; switching from the second server computer at the second site, to a third server computer at the first site, based, at least in part, on a comparison between the first throughput data and the second throughput data; wherein the method is performed by one or more special-purpose computing devices. | 07-10-2014 |