Methods and apparatuses for facilitating error correction
View Patent ↗Methods and apparatuses are provided for facilitating error correction. A method may include receiving a content item and first repair data over a content delivery network via a first network connection. The method may further include receiving second repair data via a second network connection from a remote device having received the content item over the content delivery network. The first and second repair data may be configured to enable error correction of the content item. Corresponding apparatuses are also provided.
1. A method comprising:
receiving a content item and first repair data from a content distribution apparatus over a content delivery network via a first network connection; and
receiving, by error correction circuitry, second repair data via a second network connection from a remote device other than the content distribution apparatus, the remote device having received the content item over the content delivery network,
wherein the first and second repair data are configured to enable error correction of the content item.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
using the first and second repair data to correct an error in the received content item.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving second repair data comprises receiving second repair data via a peer-to-peer network connection with the remote device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the content item and first repair data comprises receiving the content item and first repair data via a broadcast connection from a first distribution apparatus, and wherein the remote device received the content item and second repair data from a second distribution apparatus.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the content item and first repair data comprises receiving the content item and first repair data via a first multicast connection and wherein the remote device received the content item and the second repair data via a second multicast connection.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the content item and first repair data comprises receiving the content item and first repair data via a first unicast connection and wherein the remote device received the content item and the second repair data via a second unicast connection.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the first repair data is not sufficient to correct an error in the content item; and
wherein receiving the second repair data comprises receiving the second repair data in response to the determination that the first repair data is not sufficient to correct an error in the content item.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein determining that the first repair data is not sufficient to correct an error in the content item comprises estimating that the first repair data is not sufficient to correct an error in the content item based at least in part on one or more of current context information or estimated context information.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein:
the current context information comprises one or more of a current position, a current geographical location, a current direction of motion, a current rate of motion, a current time, or current reception quality statistics; and
the estimated context information comprises one or more of an estimated future position, an estimated future geographical location, an estimated rate of motion, or estimated future reception quality statistics.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the content item comprises multimedia content and the first and second repair data protect a first source block of the multimedia content, the method further comprising:
causing the multimedia content to be rendered while it is being received;
receiving the first repair data and second repair data before the first source block is rendered; and
using the first repair data and the second repair data to correct an error in the first source block before the first source block is rendered.
11. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one memory storing computer program code, wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to at least:
receive a content item and first repair data from a content distribution apparatus over a content delivery network via a first network connection; and
receive second repair data via a second network connection from a remote device other than the content distribution apparatus, the remote device having received the content item over the content delivery network,
wherein the first and second repair data are configured to enable error correction of the content item.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to further cause the apparatus to use the first and second repair data to correct an error in the received content item.
13. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to receive second repair data by receiving second repair data via a peer-to-peer network connection with the remote device.
14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to receive the content item and first repair data via a broadcast connection, a multicast connection, or a unicast connection.
15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to further cause the apparatus to:
determine that the first repair data is not sufficient to correct an error in the content item; and
wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to receive the second repair data in response to the determination that the first repair data is not sufficient to correct an error in the content item.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to cause the apparatus to determine that the first repair data is not sufficient to correct an error in the content item by estimating that the first repair data is not sufficient to correct an error in the content item based at least in part on one or more of current context information or estimated context information.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein:
the current context information comprises one or more of a current position, a current geographical location, a current direction of motion, a current rate of motion, a current time, or current reception quality statistics; and
the estimated context information comprises one or more of an estimated future position, an estimated future geographical location, an estimated rate of motion, or estimated future reception quality statistics.
18. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the content item comprises multimedia content and the first and second repair data protect a first source block of the multimedia content, and wherein the at least one memory and stored computer program code are configured, with the at least one processor, to further cause the apparatus to:
causing the multimedia content to be rendered while it is being received;
receive the first repair data and second repair data before the first source block is rendered; and
use the first repair data and the second repair data to correct an error in the first source block before the first source block is rendered.
19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus comprises or is embodied on a mobile phone, the mobile phone comprising user interface circuitry and user interface software stored on one or more of the at least one memory; wherein the user interface circuitry and user interface software are configured to:
facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone through use of a display; and
cause at least a portion of a user interface of the mobile phone to be displayed on the display to facilitate user control of at least some functions of the mobile phone.
20. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program instructions stored therein, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:
program instructions configured to cause receipt of a content item and first repair data from a content distribution apparatus over a content delivery network via a first network connection; and
program instructions configured to cause receipt of second repair data via a second network connection from a remote device other than the content distribution apparatus, the remote device having received the content item over the content delivery network,
wherein the first and second repair data are configured to enable error correction of the content item.
21. The computer program product of claim 20 , wherein the program instructions configured to cause receipt of second repair data comprise program instructions configured to cause receipt of second repair data via a peer-to-peer network connection with the remote device.