초록 ▼

A proxy apparatus and method for streaming media information via at least one network and for building-up a good quality version of the media information. When a user device communicates with the proxy apparatus using a particular bandwidth and requests that media information be provided from a medi

A proxy apparatus and method for streaming media information via at least one network and for building-up a good quality version of the media information. When a user device communicates with the proxy apparatus using a particular bandwidth and requests that media information be provided from a media server, the proxy apparatus first determines if a version of the media information encoded for the user device's connection bandwidth has been stored in the proxy apparatus. If a version of the media information encoded for the user device's bandwidth is not available from the proxy apparatus, the proxy apparatus sends a request to a media server for the media information. Once the media server receives the request, the media server begins to stream a copy of the media information encoded for the user device's bandwidth to the user device via the network and proxy device. If a version of the media information for the bandwidth is not available from the media server, the version for the largest bandwidth that does not exceed the bandwidth of the user device connection, is streamed to the user device. If the version of the media information has missing packets, the proxy device sends retransmission requests to the media server to obtain the missing packets, thereby building-up a good quality version of the media information.

대표청구항 ▼

A proxy apparatus and method for streaming media information via at least one network and for building-up a good quality version of the media information. When a user device communicates with the proxy apparatus using a particular bandwidth and requests that media information be provided from a medi

A proxy apparatus and method for streaming media information via at least one network and for building-up a good quality version of the media information. When a user device communicates with the proxy apparatus using a particular bandwidth and requests that media information be provided from a media server, the proxy apparatus first determines if a version of the media information encoded for the user device's connection bandwidth has been stored in the proxy apparatus. If a version of the media information encoded for the user device's bandwidth is not available from the proxy apparatus, the proxy apparatus sends a request to a media server for the media information. Once the media server receives the request, the media server begins to stream a copy of the media information encoded for the user device's bandwidth to the user device via the network and proxy device. If a version of the media information for the bandwidth is not available from the media server, the version for the largest bandwidth that does not exceed the bandwidth of the user device connection, is streamed to the user device. If the version of the media information has missing packets, the proxy device sends retransmission requests to the media server to obtain the missing packets, thereby building-up a good quality version of the media information. 997, pp. 1-27. Bernet, Y. et al., "A Framework for Use of RSVP with Diff-serv Networks", IETF Internet Draft, Nov. 1998, pp. 1-21. Bernet, Y. et al., "Requirements of Diff-Serv Boundeary Routers", IETF Internet Draft, Nov. 1998, pp. 1-30. Yadav, S. et al., "Identity Representation for RSVP", IETF Internet Draft, Jan. 1999. Heinanen, J. et al., "Assured Forwarding PHB Group", IETF Internet Draft, Sep. 1998., pp. 1-6. Jacobson, V. et al., "An Expedited Forwarding PHB", IETF Differentiated Services Working Group, Aug. 1998, pp. 1-7. Nichols, K. et al., "Definition of the Differentiated Services Field (DS Field) in the IPv4 and Ipv6 Headers", IETF Differentiated Services Working Group, Internet DRaft, Aug. 1998, pp. 1-18. Blake, S. et al., "An Architecture for Differentiated Services", IETF Differentiated Services Working Group, Internet Draft, Aug. 1998, pp. 1-30. Bernet, Y et al., "A Framework for End-to-End Qos Combining RSVP/Interserv and Differentiated Services", IETF, Internet Draft, Mar. 1998, pp. 1-13. Yavatkar, R. et al., "A Framework for Policy-based Admission Control", IETF, Internet Draft, Nov. 1997, pp. 1-21. Boyle, J. et al., "The COPS (Common Open Policy Service) Protocol", IETF, Internet Draft, Aug. 6, 1998, pp. 1-23. Reichmeyer, F. et al., "COPS Usage for Differentiated Services" IETF, Network Working Group, Internet Draft, Aug. 6, 1998, pp. 1-16. "Cisco IOS Software Quality of Service Solutions", Cisco Systems, Inc., Jul. 1998, pp. 1-29. "Queueing, Traffic Shaping, and Filtering", Cisco Systems, Inc., (c) 1992-1999, pp. 1-2. "Network Node Registry Overview", http://www.net.gov.bc.ca/NNR/nnrintro.htm., Jan. 29, 1998, pp. 1-3. "Network Node Registry User's Guide", http://www.net.gov.bc.ca/NNR/NNR_UserGuide.html#1, Apr. 1997, pp. 1-17. "Network Node Registry-Access Control Lists", http://www.net.gov.bc.ca/NN/NNR_AL_doc.html, Apr. 1997, pp. 1-5. "Quality of Service Policy Propogation via Border Gateway Protocol", Cisco Systems, Inc., Feb. 1998, pp. 1-16. "Distributed Weighted Random Early Detection", Cisco Systems, Inc., Feb. 1998, pp. 1-6. "Distributed Weighted Fair Queuing", Cisco Systems, Inc., Mar. 1998, pp. 1-18. Action Request Systems, Remedy Corporation, (c) 1998, pp. 1-6. "3Com's Framework for Delivering Policy-Powered Networks", 3Com Corporation, Jun. 23, 1998. Policy-Based Routing, Cisco Systems, Inc., Sep. 12, 1996, pp. 1-6. Braden, Ed R., et al., "Resource ReSerVation Protocol (RSVP)--Version 1 Functional Specification", RFC 2205, Sep. 1997, pp. 1-47. Internet Firewall Technologies, Firewall-1 Overview, Chapter 1, Jul. 1997, pp. 1-17. FloodGate-1 Data TM Data Sheet, Enterprise Traffic Management, (co) 1997, pp. 1-7 and p. 1 of 1. Isomaki, M., Differentiated Services for the Internet, May 9, 1998, pp. 1-17.