CA2303522A1

CA2303522A1 - A system and method for enhanced streaming media viewing

Info

Publication number: CA2303522A1
Application number: CA002303522A
Authority: CA
Inventors: Abraham Reichmann
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2000-03-30
Filing date: 2000-03-30
Publication date: 2001-09-30

Description

A System and Method for Enhanced Streaming Media Viewing The present invention relates to a system and method for providing streaming media.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Streaming media in video and audio form has been on the Internet since the early 1990's. The early streaming media was limited by bandwidth issues and poor video/audio compression technology.
Since the introduction and adoption of broadband delivery systems such as Asymmetric Digital Subscriber Lines (ADSL) and cable modems, streaming media has begun to become a useable delivery format. Streaming media is rapidly becoming a popular method for providing information and some radio stations have begun to provide simulcasts of their radio broadcasts over the Internet. Furthermore, it is envisioned that television and movies will be transmitted over the Internet.
However, the main problem of video streaming is the limitations in bandwidth.
Furthermore, there is fluctuation in bandwidth on the network, depending upon loading and routing. This causes choking and picture freezing (despite buffering used as a standard measure) making the streaming media very annoying to the end user.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an advantage of the present invention that streaming media provided to a user appears to flow seamlessly.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the following drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a block diagram of a buffer according an embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a block diagram of the buffer shown in figure 1, when the buffer is nearly empty and includes markers; and Figure 3 is a block diagram of the buffer shown in figure 1, when the buffer is nearly full and includes markers DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Television broadcasting has its roots in advertising. Typically programs will run from S to 10 minutes followed by commercials for 2 to 3 minutes. Commercials are inserted to the programming by local distributors. Commercial strips are known in advance of the broadcast.
Refernng to figure 4, a streaming media system is shown generally by the numeral 10. The 1o system 10 includes a server 12 coupled to a user's personal computer (or client) 14 via a network connection 16. The network connection 16 is typically an Internet connection.
The client is coupled to a memory device 18, such as a hard drive, for storing information.
Television commercials are transferred to the user's hard drive at one or more of a plurality of predetermined time periods. These commercials will be used in lieu of streaming on-demand commercials from a server, and will be inserted automatically by the application when triggered by a marker.
Commercial clips can be downloaded using several methods. They can be downloaded when the 2o user switches the computers on. They can also be scheduled to download on a different connection to the streaming video connection in which case priority should be given to the video streaming. Commercials can also be downloaded during the normal commercial breaks that are provided by the broadcasters. While local prerecorded commercials are playing, one could download new clips through a dedicated URL. Furthermore, new commercials can be transmitted to a user's computer during off peak hours, while the computer is still connected to the Internet.
Markers are transmitted by the broadcasting station to instruct distributors that commercials should be inserted. In addition to that, additional markers will be inserted at places where 3o streaming could be interrupted without annoyance. This can be done manually on pre-recorded material, or using a rule based image analysis algorithm. The maxkers are used by the

2 application for determining certain events such as commercial insertion, hyper text mark-up language (HTML) page re-direction, and switching video/audio streams (channels).
At start up, instead of waiting for the streaming video to be buffered sufficiently, a sequence of commercials is displayed from local files. When the buffer reaches sufficient capacity for streaming, on-line video display commences.
Buffer status depends upon the fluctuating bandwidth of the network. If the average bandwidth is lower than the bandwidth needed for real continuous display, the buffered data decreases.
1o When the buffer size reaches a critical point where choking is predicted, the video display is faded out and local commercials are shown, while the buffer may rebuild itself into safe capacity.
In order to avoid interruptions in video sequences which might be annoying to the user, the 15 scheduling of the local commercial is of special interest.
If the buffer is depleted below the critical level as illustrated in figure 1, the scheduling algorithm is initiated. Refernng to figure 2, case 1, the buffer already contains a "broadcast marker", which is a marker notifying the user that a commercial is to be embedded. The buffer is allowed 20 to deplete further, and the local commercial is switched in at the broadcast marker.
Referring to figure 2, case 2, the buffer does not contain a "broadcast marker" but does contain "supplementary markers", which is provided by the distributor server. The local commercial will be shown at the supplementary marker that is the last one in the buffer.
This is a dynamic algorithm. For example, if there are two supplementary markers in the buffer at detection time, and while the buffer depletes, a third marker arnves, the local commercial will wait for this latest arnval.
3o When, during local commercial display, the buffer fills up to sustainable level at the end of the current commercial, normal video streaming resumes.

The total amount of commercial broadcast is maintained in an accumulator. If, due to excess choking, many commercials were shown, the scheduling algorithm adjusts the local commercial showing where possible and resumes normal video streaming as soon as possible, perhaps even skipping commercials. Referring to figure 3, case 1, a broadcast marker is encountered with a relatively full buffer. Referring to figure 3, case 2, other broadcast markers are present in the buffer and the commercial quota has been exceeded. Therefore the local commercial showing is skipped until the next marker. If, however, there is no broadcast marker, but there are supplementary markers, the local commercial showing is delayed as long as there are markers in 1 o the buffer. During this time of showing, the broadcasting station sends commercials while the delayed video stream is being shown, hence the commercial accumulator is decreased appropriately. When the accumulator reaches zero, normal commercial synchronization can start again at the next marker of any kind.
15 The buffer size is calculated with respect to the statistical measurement of average bandwidth on the channel, and the critical zone can be a percentage of a full buffer.
In addition to the above scheduling scheme, the case of sustained low bandwidth is addressed. If the average bandwidth drops below the required streaming need for a long period, and the local 2o commercial scheduling has been exhausted, an auxiliary connection with the server is used to instruct the server to decrease the frame rate of the transmission. In that case the server will drop, for example, to 25 or 24 frames per sec, or even to 15 frames per sec as required. When bandwidth quality resumes to an acceptable level, the server will increase again the frame rate to a higher level, such as 30 frames per second. The synchronization between client and server is 25 resolved for keeping the user display at valid frame rates.
Another feature for improving bandwidth is checking for the existence of another connection (routing) which results in a higher bandwidth. When this is detected, the client connection can seamlessly switch to the better connection (similar to telephone channel switching over satellite 3o for overseas routing).

Further, a streaming media portal site is provided as a human indexed directory of video and audio on the Internet. The portal is being provided as a preferred location on the Internet for showcasing and indexing rich media. Users are able to search for video and audio clips that are hosted on other companies' servers, and find scheduled live events from around the world.
The use of human indexing allows for a better quality Internet experience versus sites such as YahooTM, InfoseekTM, and AltavistaTM that feature computer indexed content.
Video and audio are best experienced and described by humans.
1o The streaming media portal site is positioned extremely well. Current sites indexing video and audio are fragmented and developed by companies with an interest in featuring their own media formats. By offering all video formats, the streaming media portal builds customer loyalty, and can become the one stop for all media on the Internet.
15 The site will be expanded with weekly programming guides delivered directly to users, chatrooms, sponsored live events, and other community building features.
Streaming media servers use a client/server arrangement to allow insertion of streaming media advertisements (commercials). The client end begins a new stream for each inserted commercial 2o in association with a downloaded script. In an alternate embodiment, the streaming media server uses a server push model to insert streaming media advertisements directly into a live broadcast media stream or pre-recorded stream. The server inserts the commercial at a pre-determined time and location, and does not require any feedback or communication from the client.
25 The inserted commercial can reside on the same server as the pre-recorded clip or broadcast, or reside on a commercial server, and be automatically inserted at the server end.
In yet an alternate embodiment, a client pull streaming media model allows for communication between the streaming media server and client for determining when commercials are to be 3o inserted. The server generates a script that the client reads, and then makes a request for content based on it. The script can also be modified by the client based on a set of rules or information that it has gathered from the end user.
Once the client has made the request for Ad Insertion, the server responds by modifying it's current stream of information, or launches another stream for the commercial.
After the commercial is finished the client issues a request to resume the original content stream.
In yet an alternate embodiment, a targeted streaming media ad insertion model allows the streaming media server to gather user information from client applications installed on a user's 1o computer.
The server collects information from the client application based on the following criteria: The user responses to forms & surveys; the user's viewing habits and timelines;
the length of viewing; the number of commercials served; the type of content viewed; the user's "hot click"
actions; the user clicking on a commercial to launch a separate HTML/DHTML/XML/JAVA
window; purchases based on commercial content; the user's geographic location;
and any other information gathered as statistics or usage logs The server then sorts and analyzes the information into a user profile, and allows for narrow target marketing. All of the data collection for this model is based upon a permissions system that requires user permission to use and analyze collected data.
Although the invention has been described with reference to certain specific embodiments, various modifications thereof will be apparent to those skilled in the art.