US 10412141

US Patent 10,412,141: Systems and Methods for Seeking Within Multimedia Content During Streaming Playback

Summary:

• Title: Systems and methods for seeking within multimedia content during streaming playback
• Assignee: Divx LLC
• Inventor: Roland Osborne
• Filing Date: September 19, 2018
• Issue Date: September 10, 2019
• Abstract: The patent describes a receiver-driven approach for playback of remote content. It involves obtaining content information from a remote server, identifying a starting playback location within a media sequence, determining and requesting corresponding byte ranges, buffering the received bytes, and playing back the buffered data. Upon receiving a user instruction (e.g., a seek instruction), the system identifies new byte ranges, flushes previous requests, and requests the necessary byte ranges to continue playback according to the new instruction.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

Independent Claim 1: This claim describes a playback device. It comprises a processor and non-volatile storage with an application that enables the processor to:

1. Establish connections with a remote server.
2. Obtain information from the server about video, multiple audio, and multiple subtitle tracks.
3. Select a video track and request its header.
4. Select an audio track.
5. Obtain index information detailing the locations of audio and video data within the selected tracks.
6. Determine specific byte ranges to request from these selected tracks using the index.
7. Request these byte ranges from the server.
8. Buffer the received audio and video data.
9. Check for sufficient buffered data, then commence playback.
10. If a seek instruction is received, pause playback, determine new byte ranges based on the new playback location using the index, request these new byte ranges, buffer them, and then check for sufficient data to resume playback.

Independent Claim 12: This claim also describes a playback device, similar to Claim 1, but with an explicit focus on Digital Rights Management (DRM). It comprises a processor and non-volatile storage with an application that enables the processor to:

1. Establish connections with a remote server.
2. Obtain information from the server about video and audio tracks.
3. Select a video track and request its header, specifically a DRM header.
4. Decrypt the DRM header.
5. Select an audio track.
6. Obtain index information indicating the locations of audio and video data within the selected tracks.
7. Determine byte ranges to request from these selected tracks using the index.
8. Create a buffer.
9. Request byte ranges from the video and audio tracks from the server.
10. Buffer the received audio and video data.
11. Check for sufficient buffered data to commence playback.
12. Decrypt encrypted frames of video using information from the decrypted DRM header.
13. Play back the buffered audio and decrypted video data.
14. If a seek instruction is received, pause playback, discard existing buffered data, determine new byte ranges based on the new playback location using the index, request these new byte ranges, buffer them, check for sufficient data, decrypt encrypted frames using the decrypted DRM header, and then play back the buffered audio and decrypted video data.

Independent Claim 20: This claim describes a method of playing back content on a playback device. It involves the following steps performed by a playback device:

1. Establishing connections with a remote server.
2. Obtaining information from the server describing video, multiple audio, and multiple subtitle tracks.
3. Selecting a video track.
4. Requesting a header describing the selected video track.
5. Selecting an audio track.
6. Obtaining index information indicating the locations of audio and video data within the selected tracks.
7. Determining byte ranges to request from these selected tracks using the index.
8. Requesting these byte ranges from the server.
9. Buffering received audio and video data.
10. Checking for sufficient buffered data, then playing back the buffered data.
11. Responding to a seek instruction by pausing playback, determining new byte ranges based on a new playback location using the index, requesting these new byte ranges, buffering them, and then checking for sufficient data to resume playback.

Uncertainty Note:
Information regarding CAFC 2026 dockets for US10412141B2 is not available at this time.US Patent 10,412,141: Systems and Methods for Seeking Within Multimedia Content During Streaming Playback

Summary:

• Title: Systems and methods for seeking within multimedia content during streaming playback
• Assignee: Divx LLC
• Inventor: Roland Osborne
• Filing Date: September 19, 2018
• Issue Date: September 10, 2019
• Abstract: The patent describes a receiver-driven approach for playback of remote content. One embodiment involves obtaining information about a media file's content from a remote server, identifying a starting location, determining and requesting corresponding byte ranges, buffering the received data, and initiating playback. Upon receiving a user instruction, such as a seek command, the system identifies new required byte ranges, flushes previous requests, and requests the new byte ranges to continue playback in accordance with the user's instruction.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1 (Playback Device): This claim describes a playback device featuring a processor and non-volatile storage. The device is configured to establish connections with a remote server, obtain descriptive information about video, multiple audio, and multiple subtitle tracks, and then select a video track and an audio track. It obtains index information for these selected tracks to determine and request specific byte ranges of audio and video data from the server. The device buffers this data, verifies sufficient buffering for playback, and begins playing. If a seek instruction is received, the device pauses playback, determines new byte ranges based on the desired new playback location using the index, requests these new byte ranges, buffers them, and then resumes playback.
• Independent Claim 12 (Playback Device with DRM): This claim also describes a playback device with a processor and non-volatile storage. It specifies the ability to establish connections with a remote server and obtain information about video and audio tracks. A key feature is the requesting and decrypting of a Digital Rights Management (DRM) header for the selected video track. The device then selects an audio track, obtains index information for both, and determines byte ranges to request. It creates a buffer, requests the byte ranges, buffers the data, and checks for sufficient data before decrypting encrypted video frames using information from the decrypted DRM header and commencing playback. In response to a seek instruction, it pauses, discards buffered data, determines and requests new byte ranges based on the new playback location, buffers them, and then decrypts and plays the newly buffered and decrypted video and audio data.
• Independent Claim 20 (Method of Playback): This claim outlines a method performed by a playback device. The method involves establishing connections with a remote server and obtaining information describing video, multiple audio, and multiple subtitle tracks. It includes selecting a video track and requesting its header, selecting an audio track, and then obtaining index information to determine and request specific byte ranges of audio and video data. The playback device buffers the received data, checks for sufficient buffering to start playback, and then plays the content. When a seek instruction is received, the method details pausing playback, determining new byte ranges for the new playback location using the index, requesting those new byte ranges, buffering them, and then checking for sufficient data to resume playback.

Uncertainty Note:
A search for CAFC 2026 dockets specifically for US10412141B2 did not yield direct results indicating active litigation in 2026. Information regarding cases filed on or after March 1, 2012, is available through PACER, but no specific docket entries for this patent in 2026 were found through the provided search.