Abstract: A media streaming method is disclosed in which a network environment of a sink device engaged in media streaming is estimated and at least two network throughput estimates are developed. A first network throughput estimate may be estimated from a measurement of network performance and a second network throughput estimate may be developed from a correlation of the estimated network environment to a machine learning model representing network throughput predictions. A final throughput estimate may be developed from the first and second network throughput estimates; and a representation of media content may be selected for retrieval based on the final throughput estimate.

Abstract: A media streaming method is disclosed in which a network environment of a sink device engaged in media streaming is estimated and at least two network throughput estimates are developed. A first network throughput estimate may be estimated from a measurement of network performance and a second network throughput estimate may be developed from a correlation of the estimated network environment to a machine learning model representing network throughput predictions. A final throughput estimate may be developed from the first and second network throughput estimates; and a representation of media content may be selected for retrieval based on the final throughput estimate.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to techniques for a wireless device to detect network bandwidth throttling and dynamically select a buffer threshold. The wireless device may establish a wireless link. Data for a downlink stream may be requested when an amount of buffered data for the stream is below a lower buffer threshold, received via the wireless link, and buffered. Data requests for the stream may be stopped when the amount of buffered data for the stream is above an upper buffer threshold. The upper buffer threshold may be selected based on characteristics of the wireless link and the stream. Throughput of the wireless link may also be monitored during multiple time windows, and the wireless device may determine whether the wireless link caps bandwidth below a bandwidth threshold based on the throughput monitoring.

Abstract: An accessory device may establish a short range link to a companion device, and the accessory device may use the companion device as a proxy to conduct a data session over a cellular network. Based on a latency requirement associated with the data session and/or a signal strength of the short range link, the accessory device may dynamically determine to transition its cellular radio from a powered-off mode to a low power mode.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, devices and computer-readable media for image fetching for timeline scrubbing of digital media. In some implementations, a method comprises: receiving at a first time prior to receiving a scrub command, a first set of scrub images associated with digital media, the first set of scrub images having a first set of positions on a timeline of the digital media; receiving a first scrub command; receiving at a second time after the first time, a second set of scrub images associated with the digital media, the second set of scrub images having a second set of positions on the timeline that fill time gaps in the first set of positions on the timeline; animating, a timeline overlay including the timeline, a playhead and a scrub image window; and selecting a scrub image from the first or second sets of scrub images for presentation in the scrub image window.

Abstract: An accessory device may establish a short range link to a companion device, and the accessory device may use the companion device as a proxy to conduct a data session over a cellular network. Based on a latency requirement associated with the data session and/or a signal strength of the short range link, the accessory device may dynamically determine to transition its cellular radio from a powered-off mode to a low power mode.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, devices and computer-readable mediums for image fetching for timeline scrubbing of digital media. In some implementations, a method comprises: receiving at a first time prior to receiving a scrub command, a first set of scrub images associated with digital media, the first set of scrub images having a first set of positions on a timeline of the digital media; receiving a first scrub command; receiving at a second time after the first time, a second set of scrub images associated with the digital media, the second set of scrub images having a second set of positions on the timeline that fill time gaps in the first set of positions on the timeline; animating, a timeline overlay including the timeline, a playhead and a scrub image window; and selecting a scrub image from the first or second sets of scrub images for presentation in the scrub image window.

Abstract: The present disclose describes techniques for delivery and playback of media using identifiers for offline playback, According to these techniques, a segment of media to be played may be identified from a manifest file. It may be determined whether the identical segment is available in local storage. When the identified segment is available in local storage, an identifier of the identified segment contained in the manifest file may be compared to an identifier of the segment in local storage. If the identifiers match, the segment may be played from local storage. Otherwise, the identified segment may be retrieved from a network location.

Abstract: Methods and systems for switching between media streams can use a comparison of an average bandwidth for a new stream to an observed bit rate for an existing stream in order to determine whether to switch to the new stream. A check on the amount of data buffered for the existing stream can also be performed in order to determine whether a system should switch to the new stream.

Abstract: System and methods for storing streamed media data to memory for future playback are provided. A device may stream media data associated with a movie over a network connection. The data streamed to the device will be saved to device memory and will then be playable offline. A manifest associated with the media data will be downloaded to the device and modified to reflect the location of the locally stored media data. During subsequent playback of the media data, the manifest will indicate that at least a portion of the media data exists in local memory. Some portions of the media data not stored locally may be subsequently retrieved from a remote source. The stored data may be updated or added to as necessary.

Abstract: A method of streaming media may include opening a single connection between a client device and a media source; requesting a first media segment of a media stream corresponding to selected tier of a media title over the single connection; determining a download bitrate of the single connection; comparing the download bitrate to a predetermined bitrate of the media title; and in response to determining that the download bitrate is less than the predetermined bitrate, opening a plurality of connections between the client device and media source. The predetermined bitrate may be a predetermined bitrate of a next higher bitrate tier in a group of tiers containing the selected tier when the selected tier is not a highest bitrate tier in the group, and a predetermined bitrate of the selected tier otherwise.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, devices and computer-readable mediums for image fetching for timeline scrubbing of digital media. In some implementations, a method comprises: receiving at a first time prior to receiving a scrub command, a first set of scrub images associated with digital media, the first set of scrub images having a first set of positions on a timeline of the digital media; receiving a first scrub command; receiving at a second time after the first time, a second set of scrub images associated with the digital media, the second set of scrub images having a second set of positions on the timeline that fill time gaps in the first set of positions on the timeline; animating, a timeline overlay including the timeline, a playhead and a scrub image window; and selecting a scrub image from the first or second sets of scrub images for presentation in the scrub image window.

Abstract: A media delivery service may include a media source, a proxy cache and one or more client devices. The media source may generate coded segments from an input media stream and develop a playlist identifying network locations of the segments. The media source may broadcast the coded segments and their storage locations to a proxy cache in a broadcast channel. The proxy cache may store successfully received coded segments and develop a mapping table identifying the segments' network locations. The client may request segments from the proxy cache based on the received playlist form the media source. If the proxy cache does not store a requested segment, it may so notify the client and the client may request the segment from the media source.

Abstract: Disclosed are systems, methods, devices and computer-readable mediums for image fetching for timeline scrubbing of digital media. In some implementations, a method comprises: receiving at a first time prior to receiving a scrub command, a first set of scrub images associated with digital media, the first set of scrub images having a first set of positions on a timeline of the digital media; receiving a first scrub command; receiving at a second time after the first time, a second set of scrub images associated with the digital media, the second set of scrub images having a second set of positions on the timeline that fill time gaps in the first set of positions on the timeline; animating, a timeline overlay including the timeline, a playhead and a scrub image window; and selecting a scrub image from the first or second sets of scrub images for presentation in the scrub image window.

Abstract: An embodiment of a method of requesting a plurality of media streams can include, as performed by a computing device, receiving a control input to control a playback function of at least one of the plurality of media streams, determining a download bandwidth between the computing device and a media source on a network, classifying the at least one of the plurality of media streams based on the control input and total download bandwidth, and sending a plurality of requests for the plurality media streams over a single connection to the media source, wherein at least one of an order or a content of the requests is based on the classification. The sending of the media stream requests can utilize at least one of a server-side protocol for multiplexing media streams over a single connection or one or more of HTTP pipelining or HTTP range requests over a single connection.

Abstract: Methods and systems provide techniques for managing media streaming and content distribution and management using time-based metadata. A video segment may include a gate with associated content that is accessible conditioned on consumption of the gate. The manner in which the gate manages access to the associated content may be defined according to rules and syntactical elements. For example, a gate may be unlocked or collapsed. An unlocked gate allows a user to skip the gate and access the gated content. A collapsed gate is automatically skipped. A gate may become locked or un-collapsed. Various commands, including fast forward, rewind, jump forward, and jump backward may respond to a gate based on its locked or collapsed status. Embodiments also provide pooling of gates and selection of a subset of gates for playing.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes systems and techniques relating to generating three dimensional (3D) models from range sensor data. According to an aspect, frames of range scan data captured using one or more three dimensional (3D) sensors are obtained, where the frames correspond to different views of an object or scene; point clouds for the frames are registered with each other by maximizing coherence of projected occluding boundaries of the object or scene within the frames using an optimization algorithm with a cost function that computes pairwise or global contour correspondences; and the registered point clouds are provided for use in 3D modeling of the object or scene. Further, the cost function, which maximizing contour coherence, can be used with more than two point clouds for more than two frames at a time in a global optimization framework.

Abstract: System and methods for storing streamed media data to memory for future playback are provided. A device may stream media data associated with a movie over a network connection. The data streamed to the device will be saved to device memory and will then be playable offline. A manifest associated with the media data will be downloaded to the device and modified to reflect the location of the locally stored media data. During subsequent playback of the media data, the manifest will indicate that at least a portion of the media data exists in local memory. Some portions of the media data not stored locally may be subsequently retrieved from a remote source. The stored data may be updated or added to as necessary.

Abstract: A method of streaming media may include opening a single connection between a client device and a media source; requesting a first media segment of a media stream corresponding to selected tier of a media title over the single connection; determining a download bitrate of the single connection; comparing the download bitrate to a predetermined bitrate of the media title; and in response to determining that the download bitrate is less than the predetermined bitrate, opening a plurality of connections between the client device and media source. The predetermined bitrate may be a predetermined bitrate of a next higher bitrate tier in a group of tiers containing the selected tier when the selected tier is not a highest bitrate tier in the group, and a predetermined bitrate of the selected tier otherwise.

Abstract: Methods and systems for switching between media streams can use a comparison of an average bandwidth for a new stream to an observed bit rate for an existing stream in order to determine whether to switch to the new stream. A check on the amount of data buffered for the existing stream can also be performed in order to determine whether a system should switch to the new stream.