Patent Application
20080282295
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communications, and, in particular, to content (e.g., video) streaming on wireless devices, such as cellular telephones and other portable consumer electronic devices.
2. Description of the Related Art
Video streaming services for cell phones and the like are coming on line. However, the streaming of video content via wireless communication networks to portable, multi-functional devices such as cell phones that support both video streaming applications and traditional telephone communications, involves situations that are not likely to occur during conventional video streaming applications in which video content is transmitted via a wired (optical and/or electrical) communication network to a stationary, dedicated video processor, such as a digital video recorder/player. For example, a dedicated video processor does not have to handle incoming telephone calls during a video streaming application. Furthermore, a stationary video processor that receives video content via a wired cable network does not have to handle the loss of service associated with a mobile device, such as a cell phone, physically moving outside of the wireless service area.
In one embodiment, the present invention involves (a) receiving a current transmission of content; (b) playing the received content during the current transmission; (c) interrupting the playing of the received content prior to the end of the content; (d) generating information related to timing of the interruption of the playing; and (e) resuming playing of the content during a subsequent transmission of the content, wherein the resumption of the playing of the content is based on the interruption-related information.
In another embodiment, the present invention involves (a) transmitting a schedule of content transmissions to a wireless device; and (b) transmitting content to the wireless device in a looped manner, where the wireless device (1) receives a current transmission of content; (2) plays the received content during the current transmission; (3) interrupts the playing of the received content prior to the end of the content; (4) generates information related to timing of the interruption of the playing; and (5) resumes playing of the content during a subsequent transmission of the content, wherein the resumption of the playing of the content is based on the interruption-related information and the schedule of content transmissions.
Other aspects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description, the appended claims, and the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals identify similar or identical elements.
In addition to supporting traditional mobile phone communications via cellular telephone network 108, cell phone 112 also supports a video streaming application in which video content is transmitted from content server 102 to cell phone 112 for play at cell phone 112. As used in this specification, the term “streaming” refers to the transmission and play of content in which the content is played substantially as the content is received at the playing device (i.e., in real-time), with minimal buffering of content data to handle jitter and other typical variations in the timing of the play of the content and to support buffering requirements inherent to video coding standards such as MPEG. Depending on the particular implementation, cell phone 112 may support a wide variety of functions and capabilities associated with such a video streaming application, some of which functions and capabilities will depend on the functions and capabilities of content server 102 and cellular telephone network 108.
In one possible implementation of communications system 100, a single stream of video content is transmitted from content server 102 to cellular telephone network 108, which converts that single video stream into a plurality of unicast streams, where each unicast stream is transmitted to a different cell phone, such as cell phone 112. In other implementations, the video content may be transmitted to the cell phones in a multicast or broadcast manner (where a single video stream is transmitted to multiple cell phones). In unicast and multicast transmissions, the recipients of the transmissions are known, while the recipients are not necessarily known in broadcast transmissions. For example, multi-mode cell phones that can interface with the infrastructure typically employed for cellular voice calls as well as the infrastructure typically employed for terrestrial digital television broadcasting are or soon will be available. For such devices, broadcast reception of digital video is possible. In addition, future “cellular telephony” infrastructures may also support broadcast transmissions.
The processing of
In another implementation, cellular telephone network 108 automatically transmits the video content, or notifications of available video content, to all of its associated cell phones (including cell phone 112), and the user of cell phone 112 determines whether to play the video content based on the locally stored transmission schedule, without cell phone 112 having to transmit any messages to request such transmission. In this case, cell phone 112 may generate a reminder to its user about upcoming transmission of video content pre-selected by the user.
In any case, at some point during the transmission of the streaming video content, the play of that video content at cell phone 112 may be interrupted (step 204). Such an interruption may result from many different situations. The user may actively pause the play, for example, to make an outgoing telephone call or accept an incoming telephone call or simply to take a break from watching the video content. Alternatively, the user may passively pause the play, for example, by previously specifying the phone number of a caller from whom an incoming call will automatically interrupt the play. Play may also be interrupted independent of the user's intention, for example, when cell phone 112 experiences a loss of signal after leaving the coverage area of cellular telephone network 108.
In any case, cell phone 112 reacts to the interruption of the play of the streaming video content by identifying appropriate information related to the timing of the interruption (step 206). Depending on the particular implementation, such information may be in the form of, for example, the frame number of the video content at which the interruption occurred (e.g., corresponding to the key (I) frame preceding the interruption), the date and time code at which the interruption occurred, or timing offset from the start of the transmission at which the interruption occurred. Furthermore, depending on the particular implementation, the information may be stored locally on cell phone 112 and/or transmitted for storage at cellular telephone network 108 and/or content server 102, for use during subsequent processing (such as during step 208 as described next).
If the interruption-related information is stored only locally, then the current transmission of video content to cell phone 112 may continue, even though cell phone 112 will not play that portion of the video content. In certain implementations, if the interruption-related information is transmitted, e.g., to cellular telephone network 108, then pausing of the play of the video content by cell phone 112 may trigger termination of the current transmission of the video content to cell phone 112.
Note that, for implementations that involve cell phone 112 transmitting a message to notify cellular telephone network 108 about the interruption of play, if the interruption resulted from a loss of signal (e.g., due to cell phone 112 leaving the coverage area of the network), then cell phone 112 would have to wait until communications with cellular telephone network 108 were reacquired before being able to transmit such a message.
According to the processing scenario of
For implementations in which the transmission of looped video content to cell phone 112 depends on whether cell phone 112 is actually playing the video content, cell phone 112 will transmit a request, e.g., to cellular telephone network 108, to resume transmission after the interruption of step 204. On the other hand, for implementations in which the transmission of looped video content to cell phone 112 proceeds independent of whether cell phone 112 is actually playing the video content, cell phone 112 can independently resume playing the video content based on its stored transmission schedule, without having to transmit a request for resumption of transmission.
Although the processing of
The need for and details regarding messages transmitted to and from cell phone 112 of
For implementations involving such messaging, the messages may include one or more of the following types of information (as appropriate):
Although communication system 100 of
Although communication system 100 has been described in the context of cell phones, alternative communication systems can be implemented in the context of other types of receivers, including mobile or stationary, wired or wireless receivers that might or might not support traditional telephone communications.
It should be understood that the steps of the exemplary methods set forth herein are not necessarily required to be performed in the order described, and the order of the steps of such methods should be understood to be merely exemplary. Likewise, additional steps may be included in such methods, and certain steps may be omitted or combined, in methods consistent with various embodiments of the present invention.
Although the elements in the following method claims, if any, are recited in a particular sequence with corresponding labeling, unless the claim recitations otherwise imply a particular sequence for implementing some or all of those elements, those elements are not necessarily intended to be limited to being implemented in that particular sequence.
It will be further understood that various changes in the details, materials, and arrangements of the parts which have been described and illustrated in order to explain the nature of this invention may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention as expressed in the following claims.
Reference herein to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments necessarily mutually exclusive of other embodiments. The same applies to the term “implementation.”
This application claims the benefit of the filing date of PCT application no. PCT/US2006/014459, filed on Apr. 17, 2006 as attorney docket no. 1073.005PCT, which claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. provisional application No. 60/672,341, filed on Apr. 18, 2005 as attorney docket no. 1073.005PROV, the teachings of both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2006/014459 | 4/17/2006 | WO | 00 | 12/19/2006 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60672341 | Apr 2005 | US |
