Method and apparatus for synchronizing paused playback across platforms

摘要

A method and apparatus for resuming playback of a media program, the playback initiated on a first device and resumed on a second device is disclosed. The method does not rely on additional messages transmitted from the playback devices, but rather on server side monitoring of the transmission of the media program.

主权项

1. A method of resuming playback of a media program, the playback initiated on a first device and resumed on a second device, the method comprising:
receiving, in a media program provider, a request for the media program from the first device, wherein the media program is segmented into a plurality of segments each including a portion of the media program; generating a segment playlist for the requested media program, wherein the segment playlist comprises:
instructions for retrieving a first subset of the plurality of segments from a media server;instructions for retrieving a second subset of the plurality of segments from the media server via the media program provider; transmitting the segment playlist to the first device; receiving, in the media program provider, one or more first requests to retrieve one or more of the second subset of the plurality of segments from the first device, the one or more first requests derived from the instructions for retrieving the second subset of the plurality of segments; redirecting, by the media the received one or more first requests to the media server, wherein:
the media server responds to the one or more first requests by sending one or more of the second subset of the plurality of segments to the first device,the media server receives one or more second requests from the first device to retrieve one or more of the first subset of media program segments, the one or more second requests derived from the instructions for retrieving the first subset of media program segments where the one or more second requests are not redirected by the media program provider, andthe media server responds to the one or more second requests by sending the one or more of the first subset of plurality of segments to the first device; receiving, in the media program provider, a third request to resume play of the media program from the second device; determining, by the media program provider, a temporal location within the media program to resume playback of the media program based on at least one of the second subset of media program segments in the plurality of segments that was requested in the one or more second requests; and transmitting information to resume play of the media program to the second device based on the temporal location.