Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/23—Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
  • H04N21/24—Monitoring of processes or resources, e.g. monitoring of server load, available bandwidth, upstream requests
  • H04N21/2402—Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L43/00—Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
  • H04L43/08—Monitoring or testing based on specific metrics, e.g. QoS, energy consumption or environmental parameters
  • H04L43/0876—Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
  • H04L43/0882—Utilisation of link capacity
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L47/00—Traffic control in data switching networks
  • H04L47/10—Flow control; Congestion control
  • H04L47/25—Flow control; Congestion control with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L47/00—Traffic control in data switching networks
  • H04L47/10—Flow control; Congestion control
  • H04L47/38—Flow control; Congestion control by adapting coding or compression rate
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L65/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication
  • H04L65/60—Network streaming of media packets
  • H04L65/61—Network streaming of media packets for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
  • H04L65/612—Network streaming of media packets for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio for unicast
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L65/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication
  • H04L65/60—Network streaming of media packets
  • H04L65/75—Media network packet handling
  • H04L65/752—Media network packet handling adapting media to network capabilities
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04L—TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION
  • H04L65/00—Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication
  • H04L65/60—Network streaming of media packets
  • H04L65/75—Media network packet handling
  • H04L65/765—Media network packet handling intermediate
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/20—Servers specifically adapted for the distribution of content, e.g. VOD servers; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/23—Processing of content or additional data; Elementary server operations; Server middleware
  • H04N21/234—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs
  • H04N21/2343—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements
  • H04N21/23439—Processing of video elementary streams, e.g. splicing of video streams or manipulating encoded video stream scene graphs involving reformatting operations of video signals for distribution or compliance with end-user requests or end-user device requirements for generating different versions
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/40—Client devices specifically adapted for the reception of or interaction with content, e.g. set-top-box [STB]; Operations thereof
  • H04N21/47—End-user applications
  • H04N21/472—End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content
  • H04N21/47202—End-user interface for requesting content, additional data or services; End-user interface for interacting with content, e.g. for content reservation or setting reminders, for requesting event notification, for manipulating displayed content for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/60—Network structure or processes for video distribution between server and client or between remote clients; Control signalling between clients, server and network components; Transmission of management data between server and client, e.g. sending from server to client commands for recording incoming content stream; Communication details between server and client 
  • H04N21/61—Network physical structure; Signal processing
  • H04N21/6106—Network physical structure; Signal processing specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network
  • H04N21/6131—Network physical structure; Signal processing specially adapted to the downstream path of the transmission network involving transmission via a mobile phone network
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04N—PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION
  • H04N21/00—Selective content distribution, e.g. interactive television or video on demand [VOD]
  • H04N21/80—Generation or processing of content or additional data by content creator independently of the distribution process; Content per se
  • H04N21/83—Generation or processing of protective or descriptive data associated with content; Content structuring
  • H04N21/845—Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments
  • H04N21/8456—Structuring of content, e.g. decomposing content into time segments by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments

Definitions

• the invention generally relates to wireless networks, and more specifically to mobile video delivery.
• progressive download refers to video delivered by a regular Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) web server rather than a streaming server.
• HTTP Hypertext Transfer Protocol
• video delivered using this technique is stored on a viewer's hard drive as it's received, and then it's played from the hard drive.
• streaming video is usually not stored (also called cached) locally, so if the viewer can't retrieve and play it in real time, he or she can't play it smoothly at all.
• HTTP Progressive download is the most common mode of delivering video from the Internet today. Unfortunately, this delivery method does not respond to changing network conditions, which can affect the end user experience.
• a HTTP PD video object is encoded at 720p. If the network conditions are bad, the video will take a long time to be downloaded and video player will stall waiting for additional frames. For such conditions, the object has to be encoded at a lower rate (perhaps 360p). Similarly, if the network conditions improve, the streamer has to start sending higher quality video segments.
• the present invention provides methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for mobile video delivery.
• the invention features a method including, in a mobile network comprising at least a core element and one or more evolved Node Bs (eNBs), receiving a request to initiate a progressive download of a video object, splitting the requested video object into self-contained independent video segments, transrating each of the self-contained independent video segments for different rates, and delivering a segment from a rate bucket that matches a current network condition determined by bandwidth estimation.
• eNBs evolved Node Bs
• the invention features a server in a mobile network including one or more central processing units (CPUs), and a memory, the memory including an operating system (OS) and a mobile video delivery process, the mobile video delivery process including receiving a request to initiate a progressive download of a video object, splitting the requested video object into self-contained independent video segments, transrating each of the self-contained independent video segments for different rates, and delivering a segment from a rate bucket that matches a current network condition determined by bandwidth estimation.
• CPUs central processing units
• OS operating system
• FIG. 1 is a block diagram.
• FIG. 2 is a block diagram.
• FIG. 3 is a flow diagram.
• FIG. 4 is a block diagram.
• a component can be, but is not limited to being, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and/or a computer.
• a component may be, but is not limited to being, a process running on a processor, a processor, an object, an executable, a thread of execution, a program, and/or a computer.
• an application running on a server and the server can be a component.
• One or more components may reside within a process and/or thread of execution and a component may be localized on one computer and/or distributed between two or more computers.
• these components can execute from various computer readable media having various data structures stored thereon.
• the components may communicate via local and/or remote processes such as in accordance with a signal having one or more data packets (e.g., data from one component interacting with another component in a local system, distributed system, and/or across a network such as the Internet with other systems via the signal).
• terms like "user equipment,” “mobile station,” “mobile,” “subscriber station,” “communication device,” “access terminal,” “terminal,” “handset,” and similar terminology refer to a wireless device (e.g., cellular phone, smart phone, computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), set-top box, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), electronic gaming device, printer, etc.) utilized by a subscriber or user of a wireless communication service to receive or convey data, control, voice, video, sound, gaming, or substantially any data-stream or signaling-stream.
• PDA personal digital assistant
• IPTV Internet Protocol Television
• access point refers to a wireless network component or appliance that serves and receives data, control, voice, video, sound, gaming, or substantially any data-stream or signaling-stream from a set of subscriber stations.
• Data and signaling streams can be packetized or frame-based flows.
• This invention described herein applies to all wireless networks regardless of access technology, including Global System for Mobile (GSM), Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Long Term Evolution (LTE), WiMAX and so forth.
• GSM Global System for Mobile
• CDMA Code Division Multiple Access
• LTE Long Term Evolution
• WiMAX WiMAX
• an exemplary mobile network 10 includes user equipment (UE) 12, such as a smart phone.
• UE user equipment
• Other examples of US 12 include, but are not limited to, cellular phone, computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), set-top box, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), electronic gaming device, printer, tablet, Wi-Fi Hotspot and so forth.
• the UE 12 is wirelessly linked to an Evolved Node B (eNB) 14.
• eNB 14 is a radio part of a cell site. A single eNB may contain several radio transmitters, receivers, control sections and power supplies.
• the eNB 14 is backhauled to a metro ethernet ring 16, which includes a Mobility Management Entity (MME) 18 and a Serving Gateway (SGW) 20.
• MME Mobility Management Entity
• SGW Serving Gateway
• Backhaul is a process of transferring packets or communication signals over relatively long distances to a separate location for processing.
• the SGW 20 routes and forwards user data packets, while also acting as the mobility anchor for a user plane during inter-eNodeB handovers.
• the SGW 20 is linked to an Internet Protocol (IP) backbone 22.
• the IP backbone 22 includes links to a Online Charging System (OCS) 24, an Offline Charging Subsystem (OFCS) 26 and a Policy Control and Charging Function (PCRF) 28.
• OCS Online Charging System
• OFCS Offline Charging Subsystem
• PCRF Policy Control and Charging Function
• the OCS 24 is a set of interconnected network elements that enable the identification, rating and posting of charges in real time (or near real time).
• the OFCS 26 receives charging data in the form of Call Detail Records (CDRs) and Diameter accounting messages from network elements after the subscriber incurs network resource usage.
• CDRs Call Detail Records
• Diameter accounting messages from network elements after the subscriber incurs network resource usage.
• the IP backbone 22 includes a network server 30 that implements virtualized open wireless services software architecture for 3G and 4G mobile networks.
• the network server 30 is linked to a web server 32 through an Internet Service Provider (ISP) 34.
• the network server 30 includes at least a central processing unit (CPU) 50 and a memory 52.
• Memory 52 includes at least an operating system (OS) 54, such as Linux, and mobile video delivery process 100, described below.
• OS operating system
• the mobile video delivery process 100 includes receiving (102) a request to initiate a progressive download of a video object.
• the mobile video delivery process 100 splits (104) the requested video object into self-contained independent video segments.
• the mobile video delivery process 100 transrates (106) each of the self-contained independent video segments for different rates.
• the mobile video delivery process 100 delivers (108) a segment from a rate bucket that matches a current network condition determined by bandwidth estimation.
• mobile video delivery process 100 splits (104) multi-media content, such as flash video (FLV video), into small chunks, where each segment is a playable unit (i.e., start from a key frame such as I- frame).
• FLV video flash video
• Different bit-rate versions for each segment are created and registered to the media server, so that the media server can select an appropriate version for a segment transmission as the available bandwidth changes.
• HTTP Transmission Control Protocol
• a FLV video header has a video file size based on the highest bit rate content. This size is also used for a Content-Size header field of a HTTP response header in case the chunked encoding is not supported by the HTTP server or client.
• the HTTP server estimates the available bandwidth of the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) link using a bandwidth estimation technique and chooses a version of the segment of which the bit rate best fits the estimatedTCP link bandwidth.
• TCP Transmission Control Protocol
• the HTTP media server acts as a HTTP media proxy server deployed within a 3G, 4G access network (AN), behind the PGW or PDSN as part of the AN infrastructure and can obtain more information about a client device or service plan, and can determine an upper limit of content for the device accordingly. For example, there is no need to stream HD quality video for a smart phone due to the limited screen size of the device. Thus, the media server will not even make an attempt to serve high definition (HD) quality media segments although available.
• HD high definition
• bandwidth estimation can include one of several methods.
• bandwidth estimation can be a TCP based bandwidth estimation method that is agnostic of the wireless access protocol.
• bandwidth estimation is performed by a media server without help of a media player on the other end by monitoring the media server's TCP socket queue length.
• a proxy server can use any of the following data and techniques in determining the bandwidth of the TCP connection of the client. First, getting the TCP socket queue length periodically and determine the drain rate. Second, run an Active Queue Management (AQM) process, such as RED or Pi-controller, on the socket queue length to detect impending congestion on the TCP link, and estimate bandwidth.
• AQM Active Queue Management
• This TCP link bandwidth estimation technique is guaranteed to work for an AN's HTTP media proxy server, since the TCP connection is terminated at the mobile device, which is not the case for general HTTP media servers outside the AN.
• FIG. 4 depicts the behavior of the server.
• Another bandwidth estimation process that can be employed is X2 interface based bandwidth estimation for LTE networks.
• This method may be used by core elements, such as the SGW/PGW/video optimizers, to determine cell-load on eNBs (base stations) in an LTE network.
• eNBs base stations
• This information reflects a relatively accurate view of the bandwidth available in an access network.
• the LTE architecture does not specify any methods by which this information is exchanged between the access and core networks, so the present invention takes advantage of the X2 application protocol (X2AP) interface on the eNBs over which cell loading information is exchanged and can use either of two methods.
• X2AP X2 application protocol
• a core network element implements X2AP protocol with an eNB.
• a core network element acts as a router and all communication between any eNBs goes through the core network element.
• the core network element then sniffs X2 traffic between the eNBs to determine cell loading.
• the X2AP protocol runs between any two eNBs.
• X2AP handles global procedures and user equipment (UE) mobility procedures within E-UTRAN, and provides the following functions:
• the core network element establishes X2AP protocol with each eNB of interest.
• the protocol of interest is Load Management and the following messages are of interest:
• Load Indication an eNB initiates the procedure by sending a LOAD
• the IE of interest is "UL Interference Overload Indication IE,” which indicates the interference level experienced by the indicated cell on all resource blocks.
• Resource Status Reporting Initiation This is a procedure used by an eNB to request the reporting of load measurements to another eNB.
• the requesting side can request Radio Resource load, Hardware Load and SI Load Ies, which contains appropriate load information being experienced on the cell.
• the load state is either low-load, medium-load, high-load or overload.
• all XI AP messages are routed through the core network element, i.e., the core network element is used to provide connectivity across the eNBs.
• the messages of interest are sniffed and the rest are passed through. Cell loading information is obtained by sniffing these messages.
• implementations can include implementation in one or more computer programs that are executable and/or interpretable on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which may be special or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device.
• a programmable processor which may be special or general purpose, coupled to receive data and instructions from, and to transmit data and instructions to, a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device.
• the systems and techniques described here can be implemented on a computer having a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user and a keyboard and a pointing device (e.g., a mouse or a trackball) by which the user can provide input to the computer.
• a display device e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor
• a keyboard and a pointing device e.g., a mouse or a trackball
• Other kinds of devices can be used to provide for interaction with a user as well; for example, feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback), and input from the user can be received in any form, including acoustic, speech, or tactile input.
• the systems and techniques described here can be implemented in a computing system that includes a back-end component (e.g., a data server), or that includes a back-end component (e.g., a data server), or that includes a back-end component (e.g., a data server), or that includes a back-end component (e.g., a data server), or that includes a back-end component (e.g., a data server), or that includes a back-end component (e.g., a data server), or that includes a back-end component (e.g., a data server), or that includes a back-end component (e.g., a data server), or that includes a back-end component (e.g., a data server), or that includes a back-end component (e.g., a data server), or that includes a back-end component (e.g., a data server), or that includes a back-end component (e.g., a data server), or
• middleware component e.g., an application server
• front-end component e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the systems and techniques described here
• back-end component e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the systems and techniques described here
• back-end component e.g., middleware, or front-end components.
• front-end component e.g., a client computer having a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with an implementation of the systems and techniques described here
• back-end e.g., middleware, or front-end components.
• the components of the system can be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include a local area network (“LAN”), a wide area network (“WAN”), and the Internet.
• LAN local area network
• the computing system can include clients and servers.
• a client and server are generally remote from each other and typically interact through a communication network.
• the relationship of client and server arises by virtue of computer programs running on the respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other.

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• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Multimedia (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
• Environmental & Geological Engineering (AREA)
• Databases & Information Systems (AREA)
• Human Computer Interaction (AREA)
• Mobile Radio Communication Systems (AREA)
• Two-Way Televisions, Distribution Of Moving Picture Or The Like (AREA)

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• 2012
  • 2012-02-13 JP JP2014557605A patent/JP6045608B2/ja active Active
  • 2012-02-13 WO PCT/US2012/024921 patent/WO2013122569A1/en active Application Filing
  • 2012-02-13 CN CN201280072363.5A patent/CN104583996B/zh active Active
  • 2012-02-13 EP EP12868887.6A patent/EP2815326A4/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2012-02-13 KR KR1020147025579A patent/KR101884969B1/ko active IP Right Grant
• 2015
  • 2015-10-27 HK HK15110562.0A patent/HK1209876A1/xx unknown

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