Abstract:
Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) technology may be used over the Internet or other wide area communications networks. In one illustrative example, a first UPnP-enabled device is to provide a UPnP service such as streaming media to various users over the Internet. The first UPnP-enabled device provides an on-line identity provider with user IDs of those users who are authorized to access the first UPnP-enabled device from a remote location. When a user wishes to receive the UPnP service from the first UPnP-enabled device, the user logs in to the on-line identity provider using his user ID and receives from the on-line provider an IP address associated with the first UPnP-enabled device. A user's application constructs a URL from the IP address and contacts the UPnP-enabled device at that URL. The user's application can then invoke the desired UPnP service.
Abstract:
Various embodiments utilize methods of protecting content, such as Digital Rights Management (DRM), to enable secure playback of content on machines and devices within a local network, such as a home media network. In at least some embodiments, messages and content are delivered using, respectively, a control protocol for streaming and a transport protocol. In at least some embodiments, the control protocol for streaming is Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), and the transport protocol is Real Time Transport Protocol (RTP).
Abstract:
Protecting elementary stream media content is described. In one aspect, Media Access Units (MAUs) of elementary stream content are identified. Each MAU includes one or more data segments representing a single video or audio frame. Encryption boundaries are selected for each MAU. The encryption boundaries are based on one or more data segments associated with the respective MAU. Portions of each MAU are encrypted based on corresponding encryption boundaries. Each MAU is mapped to a MAU Payload Format. The MAU Payload Format allows a media consumer to process each elementary stream associated with the elementary stream content independent of any different elementary stream. The MAU Payload Format also allows a media consumer to process each MAU in an elementary stream independent of any other MAU.
Abstract:
Session description message extensions include information describing a multimedia presentation or a single media presentation. The session description message is typically sent from one device (104) to another device (102) to which the multimedia or single media presentation will be streamed (146). Several extensions are described that extend the information that can be included in the session description message.
Abstract:
Embedded within at least some Real-Time Control Protocol (RTCP) messages sent from a media content source to a recipient is a session description message (186) that describes a media presentation (186) being streamed to the recipient (102). The session description message (186) can be associated, for example, with one of a plurality of pieces of media content in a play list of media content (186) being streamed from the device (104) to the recipient (102). In accordance with certain aspects, an RTCP message that embeds a session description message (186) includes at least three fields: a first field containing data identifying the RTCP message as being a type that embeds a session description message (186); a second field containing data that is the session description message (186) for a media presentation; and a third field containing data identifying a length of the RTCP message, generated by summing the length of the first, second, and third fields.
Abstract:
A topology management process is implemented in peer-to-peer content distribution clouds using tracker nodes. Tracker nodes have information about available peers and assist peers in finding other peers to connect to. Various algorithms for use at the tracker nodes are described for selecting which peers to return as potentials for forming connections to. In addition, architectures and algorithms to allow efficient scaling of tracker nodes in peer-to-peer clouds are described.
Abstract:
Fast startup for streaming media includes one or both of a technique for predictive start and a technique for switching delivery channel(s) during streaming. Predictive start allows a media content source to predict which media stream(s) are desired by the requesting client device and begin streaming those predicted media stream(s) to the client device. The delivery channel switching technique allows the media content source to begin streaming the media stream(s) using one delivery channel (e.g., using the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP)), and then check whether another delivery channel (e.g., using the User Datagram Protocol (UDP) will work and switch to that other delivery channel if it will work.