MEDIA DATA TRANSFER IN A NETWORK ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

In a wireless network environment, a method of transmitting data from a source device to a set of sink devices, the method comprising the steps of: (a) initially the source device broadcasting packet data collectively to each of the sink devices; (b) the sink devices collecting packet data and identifying missing packets that have been missed; (c) upon a sink device detecting a missed a packet, the sink device separately requesting the transmission of the missed packet by the source device; and (d) the source device separately sending missed data packets.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Preferred forms of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates schematically an example audio playback environment for playback of multi-channel audio;

FIG. 2 illustrates a data packet according to one embodiment;

FIG. 3 illustrates further details of the data packet of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 illustrates a data packet transmission protocol used in an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a form of data transmission using the UPnP Standard.

Claims

1. In a wireless network environment, a method of transmitting data from a source device to a set of sink devices, the method comprising the steps of: (a) said source device broadcasting packet data to said sink devices;(b) said sink devices collecting packet data and identifying missing packets that have been missed;(c) upon a sink device detecting a missing packet, said sink device separately requesting the transmission of said missing packet by said source device; and(d) said source device separately sending missed data packets.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step (a) further comprises initially broadcasting packets to the sink devices using a User Datagram Protocol transmission.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said step (c) further comprises said sink device setting up a Transaction Control Protocol (TCP) interconnection with the source device to request transmission of said missed packet.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said source device transmits packets multiple times to the sink devices and said sink devices only request a data packet if they miss receiving all of the source transmissions.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said data includes compressed audio data.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sink devices store said packets in a buffer and said sink devices separately notify said source device of the current state of said buffer, and said source device adjusts its transmission rate based on the state of said sink buffers.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said sink devices separately notify said source device of the packets received by said sink devices.

8. A method at a sink device of a set of sink devices of receiving data from a source device, the method comprising: (a) receiving a plurality of packets at the sink device as a result of the source device broadcasting an ordered sequence of packets including audio data;(b) collecting the received plurality and ascertaining whether packets in the sequence have not been received;(c) for a packet that has been ascertained to have not been received, requesting the source device to transmit the not received packet; and(d) receiving the not received packet as a result of the source device transmitting the not received packet.

9. In a wireless network environment, a method at a source device of transmitting packet data from the source device to a set of sink devices, the method comprising the steps of: (a) broadcasting packet data to said sink devices, such that any of the sink devices can collect packet data received from the sink device, identify any packets that have been missed, and upon detecting a missing packet, request the transmission of said missing packet by the source device;(b) receiving one or more requests from a particular sink device to send one or more missing data packets; and(c) sending the one or more missing data packets to the particular sink device.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said step (a) further comprises initially broadcasting packets to the sink devices using a User Datagram Protocol transmission.

11. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the requests received in (b) are as a result of the particular sink device setting up a Transaction Control Protocol (TCP) interconnection with the source device to request transmission of the one or more missing packets.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9, wherein said source device transmits packets multiple times to the sink devices and said sink devices only request a data packet if they miss receiving all of the source transmissions.

13. A method as claimed in claim 9 wherein said data packets include compressed audio data.

14. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution and when executed operable to cause a sink device of a set of sink devices to carry out a method of receiving data from a source device, the method comprising: (a) receiving a plurality of packets at the sink device as a result of the source device broadcasting an ordered sequence of packets including audio data;(b) collecting the received plurality and ascertaining whether packets in the sequence have not been received;(c) for a packet that has been ascertained to have not been received, requesting the source device to transmit the not received packet; and(d) receiving the not received packet as a result of the source device transmitting the not received packet.

15. Logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution and when executed operable to cause a source device in a wireless network environment to carry out a method of transmitting packet data from the source device to a set of sink devices, the method comprising the steps of: (a) broadcasting packet data to said sink devices, such that any of the sink devices can collect packet data received from the sink device, identify any packets that have been missed, and upon detecting a missing packet, request the transmission of said missing packet by the source device;(b) receiving one or more requests from a particular sink device to send one or more missing data packets; and(c) sending the one or more missing data packets to the particular sink device.