Method and arrangement for representation switching in HTTP streaming

1. A method of enabling representation switching during HTTP streaming sessions of media content in a communication system, comprising:

arranging, in a server node, available representations of segments of said media content into multiple different groups of two or more representations, and wherein, within each group, different available representations of a given segment of said media content are different versions of that same segment of the media content;

providing information identifying said groups and their respective representations of segments of said media content from said server node to either a client node or an intermediate node in said system; and

switching, in said client node, from a current representation to a selected representation of segments of said media content based on said provided information.

2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising prioritizing, in said server node, said groups based on said provided information, and providing an indication of said prioritization together with said information identifying said groups from said server node to either said client node or said intermediate node.

3. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising prioritizing representations within each said group, and providing an indication about said prioritization together with said information identifying said groups from said server node to either said client node or said intermediate node.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the different versions include a first version and a second version that has a different language than the first version.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the different versions include a first version and a second version that differs from the first version in aspect ratio or bit rate.

6. The method of claim 1 ,

wherein said information identifying said groups comprises group identity information, said group identity information indicating whether switching between representations of a group during streaming is appropriate;

wherein said arranging is based on tagging each representation with said group identity information identifying particular characteristics of each segment; and

wherein said switching comprises selecting a next representation based on said provided group identity information.

7. A method for use in a server node during a HTTP streaming session of media content with at least one client node, comprising:

arranging available representations of segments of said media content into multiple different groups of two or more representations, wherein, within each group, different available representations of a given segment of said media content are different versions of that same segment of the media content; and

providing information identifying said groups and their respective representations of segments of said media content to said at least one HTTP client node, wherein the information identifying said groups indicates whether switching between representations of a group during streaming is appropriate.

8. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising prioritizing said groups based on said provided information, and providing an indication of said prioritization together with said information identifying said groups.

9. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising prioritizing representations of segments of said media content within each said group, and providing an indication about said prioritization together with said information identifying said groups.

10. The method according to claim 7 , further comprising providing said group information and prioritization information in a media presentation description or manifest file.

11. The method of claim 7 , wherein said available representations of segments of said media content include segments from an HTTP streaming session.

12. The method of claim 7 ,

wherein information identifying said groups comprises group identity information;

wherein said arranging is based on tagging each representation with said group identity information identifying particular characteristics of each segment; and

wherein said providing said group identity information enables said HTTP client node to select a next representation based on said group identity information and switch from a current representation to a selected representation.

13. A method of representation switching in a HTTP client node during a HTTP streaming session of media content with at least one HTTP streaming server node, comprising:

receiving information identifying multiple different groups of two or more representations of segments of said media content, wherein, within each group, different available representations of a given segment of said media content are different versions of that same segment of the media content; and

selecting and switching from a current representation to a selected representation of segments of said media content based on said received information.

14. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising prioritizing representations of segments of said media content, and switching from a current representation to a selected representation of segments of said media content based on said prioritization.

15. The method according to claim 14 , wherein said prioritizing comprises receiving prioritization information from the HTTP streaming server node.

16. The method according to claim 14 , wherein said prioritizing comprises said client performing said prioritization.

17. The method according to claim 13 , further comprising comparing a group ID for a current representation to a group ID for said selected representation of segments of said media content, and performing switching based on said comparison.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein said current representation and said selected representation of segments of said media content share a common group ID, and performing said switching immediately at a subsequent segment border.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein said current representation and said selected representation of segments of said media content belong to different group IDs, and wherein the method further comprises reinitializing a decoder in response to said switching.

20. The method of claim 13 ,

wherein information identifying said groups comprises group identity information, said group identity information indicating whether switching between representations of a group during streaming is appropriate;

wherein said groups are arranged based on tagging each representation with said group identity information identifying particular characteristics of each segment; and

wherein said selecting comprises selecting a next representation based on said received group identity information.

21. A server node configured for providing representations of segments of media content to at least one client node arranged in a communication network, said server node comprising:

a group arranging circuit configured to arrange available representations of segments of media content into multiple different groups of two or more representations, wherein, within each group, different available representations of a given segment of said media content are different versions of that same segment of the media content; and

an information provider circuit configured to provide information identifying said groups and their respective representations of segments of media content to said at least one client node, wherein the information identifying said groups indicates whether switching between representations of a group during an HTTP streaming session is appropriate.

22. The server node according to claim 21 , further comprising:

a group prioritizer circuit configured to prioritize said groups based on said provided information, and provide an indication of said prioritization together with said information identifying said groups.

23. The server node according to claim 21 , further comprising:

a representation prioritizer circuit configured to prioritize representations of segments of media content within each said group, and providing an indication about said prioritization together with said information identifying said groups.

24. A HTTP streaming client node configured for receiving representations of segments of media content from at least one server node arranged in a communication network, said client node comprising:

a group identity receiver circuit configured to receive information identifying multiple different groups of two of more representations of segments of media content, wherein, within each group, different available representations of a given segment of said media content are different versions of that same segment of the media content; and

a switch circuit configured to select and switch from a current representation to a selected representation of segments of media content, during an HTTP streaming session of that media content, based on said received information.

25. The client node according to claim 24 , further comprising a group prioritizer circuit configured to prioritize said groups based on said received information, and wherein said switch circuit is configured to switch representation of segments of media content additionally based on said prioritization.

26. The client node according to claim 24 , further comprising a representation prioritizer circuit configured to prioritize representations of segments of media content within each said group, and said wherein switch circuit is configured to switch representation of segments of media content additionally based on said prioritization.