Automated network source changes for real-time streaming media
View Patent ↗Media, methods and systems are provided for coordinating changes of network sources for media streams in a telecommunications network. The streams communicate instances of media content via packets to devices. A first network source streams packets of an instance of media content to a device. Each packet includes information regarding the temporal ordering of that packet within the instance and information regarding the sequencing of the packet within the stream. It is determined that a second network source should stream the instance of media content. A point in the temporal ordering within the instance is identified and communicated at which the second network source will provide the instance of media content. The second network source streams to the mobile device the instance of media content from the identified point, without requiring adjustment of the information regarding the sequencing of the packets within the stream.
1. A computer-implemented method for coordinating changing of network sources for media streams in a telecommunications network, wherein streams communicate instances of media content via packets to mobile devices, the method comprising:
streaming, from a first network source to a device, packets of an instance of media content, wherein each respective packet includes information regarding the temporal ordering of that packet within the instance and information regarding the sequencing of the packet within the stream;
determining that a second network source will stream the instance of media content to the device;
identifying and communicating a point in the temporal ordering within the instance at which the second network source will provide the instance of media content to the device; and
streaming, from the second network source to the device, the instance of media content from the identified point, without requiring adjustment of the information regarding the sequencing of the packets within the stream.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining one or more subsequent network sources should stream the instance to the device;
identifying and communicating one or more respective points in the temporal ordering within the instance at which the one or more subsequent network sources will provide the instance of media content to the device; and
streaming, from the one or more subsequent network sources to the device, the instance of media content from the identified one or more respective points, without requiring adjustment of the information regarding the sequencing of the packet within the stream.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein temporal ordering is denoted in information in a packet header field.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining that a second or subsequent network source will stream the instance occurs at the first network source.
5. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining that a second or subsequent network source will stream the instance occurs at a central network element.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining that a second or subsequent network source will stream the instance occurs prior to streaming the instance.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein determining that a second or subsequent network source will stream the instance occurs according to usage patterns.
8. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining that a second or subsequent network source will stream the instance occurs because of a changing device location.
9. The method of claim 3 , wherein streams are communicated compatible with a real-time transport protocol.
10. The method of claim 3 , wherein the instances are video content.
11. A computer-implemented method for coordinating changing of network sources for media streams in a telecommunications network, wherein streams communicate instances of media content via packets to mobile devices, the method comprising:
streaming, from a first network source to a device, packets of an instance of media content, wherein each respective packet includes information regarding the temporal ordering of that packet that is based on a timing mechanism that is internal to the instance of media content;
determining that a second network source will stream the instance of media content to the device;
identifying and communicating a point in the temporal ordering within the instance at which the second network source will provide the instance of media content to the device; and
streaming, from the second network source to the device, the instance of media content from the identified point, without regard to a packet sequence number assigned to each of the packets.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein streams are communicated compatible with a real-time transport protocol.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the instances are video content.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the timing mechanism is a timecode associated with frames of the video content.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the time code is a Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) timecode.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the timecode for any particular frame in the video content is the same in all instances of the video content.
17. A computer-implemented method for coordinating changing of network sources for media streams in a telecommunications network, wherein streams communicate instances of media content via packets to mobile devices, the method comprising:
streaming, from a first network source to a device, packets of an instance of video content, wherein each respective packet includes information regarding the temporal ordering of that packet that is based on a timecode that is associated with each frame of the video content;
determining that a second network source will stream the instance of media content to the device;
identifying and communicating the timecode within the video content at which the second network source will provide the video content to the device; and
streaming, from the second network source to the device, the video content from the identified timecode, without regard to a packet sequence number assigned to each of the packets.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the timecode is a Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) timecode.