Method and apparatus to enable acquisition of media in streaming applications

1. A method of decoding a sequence of frames, comprising:

receiving data representing a set of acquisition frames, enabling random access to the sequence of frames, including a viewable frame, each acquisition frame comprising one or more intra-coded portions and one or more inter-coded portions,

wherein the intra-coded portions are positioned such that when the intra-coded portions of the set of acquisition frames are combined, a complete intra-coded composite frame is formed,

further wherein the inter-coded portions are predicted such that the viewable frame is comprised of intra-coded portions and inter-coded portions that are directly or indirectly predicted from the intra-coded portions of the set of acquisition frames, wherein the set of acquisition frames provides a random access point for decoding the sequence of frames, wherein predicting the inter-coded portions of the set of acquisition frames comprises backward prediction to provide the random access point to the sequence of frames;

decoding the intra-coded portions of the set of acquisition frames; and

decoding the inter-coded portions of the viewable frame.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

combining the decoded intra-coded portions of the viewable frame and the decoded inter-coded portions of the viewable frame.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

displaying the combined viewable frame.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

storing the combined viewable frame.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving the data representing the set of acquisition frames over a wireless network.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving data representing one or more non-acquisition frames interspersed among the set of received acquisition frames, the non-acquisition frames containing no intra-coded or inter-coded portions necessary for decoding the viewable frame.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

locating the set of acquisition frames at a predetermined time interval.

8. An apparatus for decoding a sequence of frames, comprising:

means for receiving data representing a set of acquisition frames, enabling random access to the sequence of frames, including a viewable frame, each acquisition frame comprising one or more intra-coded portions and one or more inter-coded portions, wherein the intra-coded portions are positioned such that when the intra-coded portions of the set of acquisition frames are combined, a complete intra-coded composite frame is formed, further wherein the inter-coded portions are predicted such that the viewable frame is comprised of intra-coded portions and inter-coded portions that are directly or indirectly predicted from the intra-coded portions of the set of acquisition frames, wherein the set of acquisition frames provides a random access point for decoding the sequence of frames, wherein predicting the inter-coded portions of the set of acquisition frames comprises backward prediction to provide the random access point to the sequence of frames;

means for decoding the intra-coded portions of the set of acquisition frames; and

means for decoding the inter-coded portions of the viewable frame.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:

means for combining the decoded intra-coded portions of the viewable frame and the decoded inter-coded portions of the viewable frame.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:

means for displaying the combined viewable frame.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:

means for storing the combined viewable frame.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:

means for receiving the data representing the set of acquisition frames over a wireless network.

13. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:

means for receiving data representing one or more non-acquisition frames interspersed among the set of received acquisition frames, the non-acquisition frames containing no intra-coded or inter-coded portions necessary for decoding the viewable frame.

14. The apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising:

means for locating the set of acquisition frames at a predetermined time interval.

15. An electronic device for decoding a sequence of frames, the electronic device configured to receive data representing a set of acquisition frames, enabling random access to the sequence of frames, including a viewable frame, each acquisition frame comprising one or more intra-coded portions and one or more inter-coded portions, wherein the intra-coded portions are positioned such that when the intra-coded portions of the set of acquisition frames are combined, a complete intra-coded composite frame is formed, further wherein the inter-coded portions are predicted such that the viewable frame is comprised of intra-coded portions and inter-coded portions that are directly or indirectly predicted from the intra-coded portions of the set of acquisition frames, further configured to decode the intra-coded portions of the set of acquisition frames and to decode the inter-coded portions of the viewable frame, wherein the set of acquisition frames provides a random access point for decoding the sequence of frames, and wherein predicting the inter-coded portions of the set of acquisition frames comprises backward prediction to provide the random access point to the sequence of frames.

16. The electronic device of claim 15 , further configured to combine the decoded intra-coded portions of the viewable frame and the decoded inter-coded portions of the viewable frame.

17. The electronic device of claim 16 , further configured to display the combined viewable frame.

18. The electronic device of claim 16 , further configured to store the combined viewable frame.

19. The electronic device of claim 15 , further configured to receive the data representing the set of acquisition frames over a wireless network.

20. The electronic device of claim 15 , further configured to receive data representing one or more non-acquisition frames interspersed among the set of received acquisition frames, the non-acquisition frames containing no intra-coded or inter-coded portions necessary for decoding the viewable frame.

21. The electronic device of claim 15 , further configured to locate the set of acquisition frames at a predetermined time interval.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with computer executable instructions for causing a computer to execute a method of decoding a sequence of frames, comprising:

receiving data representing a set of acquisition frames, enabling random access to the sequence of frames, including a viewable frame, each acquisition frame comprising one or more intra-coded portions and one or more inter-coded portions, wherein the intra-coded portions are positioned such that when the intra-coded portions of the set of acquisition frames are combined, a complete intra-coded composite frame is formed, further wherein the inter-coded portions are predicted such that the viewable frame is comprised of intra-coded portions and inter-coded portions that are directly or indirectly predicted from the intra-coded portions of the set of acquisition frames, wherein the set of acquisition frames provides a random access point for decoding the sequence of frames, wherein predicting the inter-coded portions of the set of acquisition frames comprises backward prediction to provide the random access point to the sequence of frames;

decoding the intra-coded portions of the set of acquisition frames; and

decoding the inter-coded portions of the viewable frame.