Devices, systems, and methods for adaptive switching of multicast content delivery to optimize bandwidth usage

摘要

Systems, devices and methods for adaptive switching in multicast media streams are disclosed herein. In an embodiment, a method for adaptively transmitting content to one or more users based on currently available bandwidth via internet protocol (“IP”) multicast protocol, includes: receiving a first content stream having a plurality of data packets, the first content stream encoded at a first bit rate; receiving a second content stream having a plurality of data packets, the second content stream encoded at a second bit rate, wherein the first bit rate is different than the second bit rate and wherein the first and second content streams represent the same content; transmitting the first content stream to a user; determining that the user could receive the second content stream based on available bandwidth for transmitting data to the user; and transmitting the second content stream to the user.

主权项

1. A method for adaptively transmitting content to one or more users based on currently available bandwidth via internet protocol (“IP”) multicast protocol, the method comprising:
receiving a first content stream having a first plurality of data packets, the first content stream encoded at a first bit rate and including a first plurality of switching identifiers placed at predetermined time intervals in the first content stream; receiving a second content stream having a second plurality of data packets, the second content stream encoded at a second bit rate and including a second plurality of switching identifiers placed at predetermined time intervals in the second content stream, wherein the first bit rate is different than the second bit rate and wherein the first and second content streams represent the same content; transmitting the first content stream to a client device for providing the content to the client device; receiving an indication of available bandwidth for transmitting data to the client device; responsive to receiving the indication of available bandwidth, determining, during transmission of the first content stream, to switch from the first content stream to the second content stream for providing the content to the client device; responsive to determining to switch, searching the first plurality of data packets for a switch identifier from the first plurality of switching identifiers; responsive to identifying a first switching identifier based on the searching, transmitting the second content stream to the client device starting with a data packet from the second plurality of data packets that includes a second switching identifier from the second plurality of switching identifiers, the second switching identifier corresponding to the first switching identifier.