Patent 8868772

Prior art

Earlier patents, publications, and products that may anticipate or render the claims unpatentable.

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Prior art

Earlier patents, publications, and products that may anticipate or render the claims unpatentable.

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Here is a technical analysis of the most relevant prior art cited in US Patent 8,868,772. This analysis focuses on references that describe client-side adaptive bitrate streaming and their potential to anticipate the patent's claims under 35 U.S.C. § 102.

Analysis of Prior Art for US Patent 8,868,772

The core invention of US Patent 8,868,772 ("the '772 patent"), as defined in its independent Claim 1, is a method for a media player to adapt a video stream's quality based on network conditions. The key steps are: simultaneously requesting multiple small video segments ("streamlets"), continuously monitoring the success and speed of these requests, and using this data to selectively request subsequent streamlets from either higher or lower quality pre-encoded streams.

The following cited references are highly relevant to this inventive concept.

1. US 6,985,949 B1 ("Kaplan")

  • Full Citation:
    • Patent Number: US 6,985,949 B1
    • Title: Method and system for client-side control of streaming media
    • Inventor: Shalom Kaplan
    • Assignee: Mar-go Planet, Inc.
    • Filing Date: July 26, 2000
    • Issue Date: January 10, 2006
  • Brief Description:
    The Kaplan patent discloses a client-driven streaming system where a media file is broken into "chunks." The client requests these chunks sequentially using standard HTTP. The key teaching is that the client software actively "monitors the rate at which chunks are received." Based on this measured reception rate, the client can decide to switch to a different quality stream (higher or lower bitrate) for subsequent chunk requests. A "locator file" provides the client with the URLs for chunks from the various quality streams available on the server.
  • Potential Anticipation of Claim(s):
    Kaplan presents a strong argument for anticipating Claim 1 of the '772 patent.
    • Requesting Streamlets: Kaplan's "chunks" are analogous to the '772 patent's "streamlets." It also teaches pipelining requests (requesting the next chunk while the current one is still downloading), which meets the "simultaneously requesting" limitation. (See Col. 4, lines 5-10).
    • Client-Side Monitoring: The patent explicitly states that the client "monitors the rate at which chunks are received" by measuring the time to download a chunk. This is a direct teaching of the "continuously monitoring" element performed by the media player. (See Col. 4, lines 15-18).
    • Adaptive Requesting: Kaplan clearly describes the client using the monitored rate to "request the next chunk from a different-quality version of the file." This directly anticipates the element of selectively requesting higher or lower quality streamlets based on determined network conditions. (See Col. 4, lines 20-30).
    • Staging for Playback: The client's use of a buffer to store received chunks before playback is an inherent part of streaming and is equivalent to the "staging" element. (See Col. 2, lines 40-45).

2. US 2003/0074447 A1 ("Holtzman")

  • Full Citation:
    • Publication Number: US 2003/0074447 A1
    • Title: Adaptive media streaming
    • Inventors: Michael I. Holtzman, et al.
    • Assignee: Envivio, Inc.
    • Filing Date: December 28, 2001
    • Publication Date: April 17, 2003
  • Brief Description:
    Holtzman discloses an adaptive streaming system where content is available in multiple streams at different bitrates. The client player incorporates a "QOS (Quality of Service) monitor" to gather network performance statistics like bandwidth and packet loss. A "stream switching manager," which can reside on the client, uses this QOS feedback to determine if a switch to a different quality stream is necessary to ensure a good user experience.
  • Potential Anticipation of Claim(s):
    Holtzman provides another strong basis for anticipating Claim 1.
    • Requesting Streamlets: The system streams media data, which is inherently segmented, from one of several variable-quality streams.
    • Client-Side Monitoring: The architecture explicitly places a "QOS monitor" on the client side to "gather statistics on network performance." This directly teaches the "continuously monitoring by the media player" element. (See Figure 2 and Para.).
    • Adaptive Requesting: The "stream switching manager," also located on the client in one embodiment, receives the QOS data and "determines whether to switch streams." This directly teaches the player making a selective request for a higher or lower quality stream based on the monitoring. (See Figure 2 and Para.).
    • Staging for Playback: Holtzman's client architecture includes a buffer for playback, which satisfies the "staging" requirement. (See Figure 2, element 215).

3. US 2004/0193703 A1 ("Akamai")

  • Full Citation:
    • Publication Number: US 2004/0193703 A1
    • Title: Method and apparatus for providing content on a network
    • Inventors: Michael D. Lewin, et al.
    • Assignee: Akamai Technologies, Inc.
    • Filing Date: March 28, 2003
    • Publication Date: September 30, 2004
  • Brief Description:
    This application from Akamai describes a content delivery system where media is encoded at multiple bitrates and segmented into a "plurality of objects." A client player, guided by a metafile, requests these objects. The application explicitly states that the client player "can make a determination of the available bandwidth" and then "make subsequent requests for objects" from a stream whose bitrate matches the determined bandwidth.
  • Potential Anticipation of Claim(s):
    The Akamai application also appears to teach the core invention of Claim 1.
    • Requesting Streamlets: The "plurality of objects" are equivalent to the '772 patent's "streamlets." (See Para.).
    • Client-Side Monitoring: The teaching that the "player determines that it only has a low amount of bandwidth" implies monitoring of download speeds to make that determination. This reads on the "continuously monitoring" element. (See Para.).
    • Adaptive Requesting: The application directly discloses that based on the bandwidth determination, the player "may request objects associated with a low bit rate stream." This is the same adaptive logic claimed in the '772 patent. (See Para.).
    • Staging for Playback: The client uses a buffer to store objects before playback, which constitutes "staging." (See Para.).

4. US 2002/0059425 A1 ("Logan")

  • Full Citation:
    • Publication Number: US 2002/0059425 A1
    • Title: Method and system for providing adaptive streaming of multimedia data
    • Inventor: James Logan
    • Assignee: iVast, Inc.
    • Filing Date: November 13, 2001
    • Publication Date: May 16, 2002
  • Brief Description:
    Logan describes an adaptive streaming system where content is encoded into multiple "tracks" of varying quality. While the client can request a switch, the primary control logic described resides on the server. The server monitors its own output buffer to the client; if the buffer begins to fill (indicating the client's network is too slow), the server autonomously switches to sending data from a lower-bitrate track.
  • Potential Anticipation of Claim(s):
    This reference is relevant but likely does not anticipate Claim 1. The central difference is the location of the monitoring and decision-making intelligence. Claim 1 of the '772 patent requires that the media player performs the continuous monitoring and, in response, selectively requests the different quality streamlets. In Logan's primary embodiment, the server monitors the connection and pushes a different quality stream. This server-side control is distinct from the client-side control explicitly claimed in the '772 patent.

Generated 5/8/2026, 3:27:07 PM