US 11,677,798 B2
Apparatus, system, and method for multi-bitrate content streaming
David F. Brueck, Saratoga Springs, UT (US); Mark B. Hurst, Cedar Hills, UT (US); and R. Drew Major, Orem, UT (US)
Assigned to DISH Technologies L.L.C., Englewood, CO (US)
Filed by DISH Technologies L.L.C., Englewood, CO (US)
Filed on Oct. 7, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/962,231.
Application 17/962,231 is a continuation of application No. 16/876,579, filed on May 18, 2020, granted, now 11,470,138, issued on Oct. 11, 2022.
Application 16/876,579 is a continuation of application No. 16/004,056, filed on Jun. 8, 2018, granted, now 10,659,513, issued on May 19, 2020.
Application 16/004,056 is a continuation of application No. 15/414,025, filed on Jan. 24, 2017, granted, now 9,998,516, issued on Jun. 12, 2018.
Application 15/414,025 is a continuation of application No. 14/719,122, filed on May 21, 2015, granted, now 9,571,551, issued on Feb. 14, 2017.
Application 14/719,122 is a continuation of application No. 14/106,051, filed on Dec. 13, 2013, granted, now 9,071,668, issued on Jun. 30, 2015.
Application 14/106,051 is a continuation of application No. 13/617,114, filed on Sep. 14, 2012, granted, now 8,612,624, issued on Dec. 17, 2013.
Application 13/617,114 is a continuation of application No. 12/906,940, filed on Oct. 18, 2010, granted, now 8,402,156, issued on Mar. 19, 2013.
Application 12/906,940 is a continuation of application No. 11/673,483, filed on Feb. 9, 2007, granted, now 7,818,444, issued on Oct. 19, 2010.
Application 11/673,483 is a continuation in part of application No. 11/116,783, filed on Apr. 28, 2005, granted, now 8,868,772, issued on Oct. 21, 2014.
Claims priority of provisional application 60/566,831, filed on Apr. 30, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2023/0041900 A1, Feb. 9, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. H04L 65/70 (2022.01); H04L 47/80 (2022.01); H04L 47/12 (2022.01); G06F 16/71 (2019.01); G06F 16/182 (2019.01); H04N 7/24 (2011.01); H04N 21/2343 (2011.01); H04N 21/433 (2011.01); H04N 21/84 (2011.01); H04N 21/845 (2011.01); H04L 65/80 (2022.01); H04L 65/61 (2022.01); H04L 65/65 (2022.01); H04L 65/1101 (2022.01); H04L 67/60 (2022.01); H04L 67/568 (2022.01); H04L 67/02 (2022.01); H04L 65/1069 (2022.01); H04N 21/2662 (2011.01)
CPC H04L 65/70 (2022.05) [G06F 16/183 (2019.01); G06F 16/71 (2019.01); H04L 47/12 (2013.01); H04L 47/801 (2013.01); H04L 65/1069 (2013.01); H04L 65/1101 (2022.05); H04L 65/61 (2022.05); H04L 65/65 (2022.05); H04L 65/80 (2013.01); H04L 67/02 (2013.01); H04L 67/568 (2022.05); H04L 67/60 (2022.05); H04N 7/24 (2013.01); H04N 21/23439 (2013.01); H04N 21/2662 (2013.01); H04N 21/4331 (2013.01); H04N 21/84 (2013.01); H04N 21/8456 (2013.01)] 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for adaptive-rate content streaming of digital content playable on one or more end user stations over the Internet, the system comprising:
at least one storage device storing digital content, the digital content encoded at a plurality of different bit rates creating a plurality of streams including a first bit rate stream, a second bit rate stream, and a third bit rate stream, wherein the first bit rate stream, the second bit rate stream, and the third bit rate stream each comprise a group of streamlets encoded at a respective one of the plurality of different bit rates, each group of streamlets comprising at least first and second streamlets, each of the streamlets corresponding to a portion of the digital content;
wherein at least one of the first bit rate stream, the second bit rate stream, and the third bit rate stream is encoded at a bit rate of no less than 600 kbps; and
wherein the first streamlet of each of the groups of streamlets has the same first duration and encodes the same first temporal portion of the digital content in each of the first bit rate stream, the second bit rate stream, and the third bit rate stream, and wherein the first streamlet of the first bit rate stream encodes the same first temporal portion of the digital content at a different bit rate than the first streamlet of the second bit rate stream and the first streamlet of the third bit rate stream.