US6029200A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Automatic protocol rollover in streaming multimedia data delivery system
Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC
•
Filing: 1998-03-09
•
Granted: 2000-02-22
•
Expires: 2018-03-09
Abstract
Abstract The invention includes a streaming multimedia rendering system having a network client and a network server that form part of a hyperlink web such as the Internet. In accordance with the invention, a hyperlink to multimedia content is actually an indirect link to a referencc file. The reference file contains a plurality of different resource specifiers and a preferred order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers. Each resource specifier designates a transport protocol. A streaming data client open the resource file in response to activation of a hyperlink to the resource file. In response to the resource specifiers contained in the resource file, the network data client repeatedly attempts to establish a streaming data connection using the different resource specifiers, in the preferred order specified in the reference file, or in the preferred order specified by a file referenced by the reference file, until a streaming data connection is successfully established. Each attempt with a different resource specifier uses the transport protocol designated by that different resource specifier. Different types of protocol specifiers are available. Some of the protocol specifiers override configuration settings made at the network data client relating to which transport protocols are permitted.
Inventors
- 👤 Mike Beckerman
- 👤 Chadd B. Knowlton
- 👤 Steven P. Levi
- 👤 Mark VanAntwerp
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 06:20
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L65/00; H04L65/80; H04L65/60; H04L65/61; H04L65/612; H04L9/00; H04L9/40; H04L65/1066; H04L65/1101; H04L67/00; H04L67/01; H04L69/00; H04L69/30; H04L69/32; H04L69/322; H04L69/326
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 40
Claim 1
Independent Claim
112 words
A streaming multimedia rendering system comprising: a network client; a network server; a reference file available from the network server, the reference file containing a plurality of different resource specifiers and a preferred order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers, each resource specifier designating a transport protocol; the network client being configured to retrieve the reference file from the network server and to repeatedly attempt to establish a streaming data connection using the different resource specifiers in the preferred order specified by the reference file until a streaming data connection is successfully established, wherein each attempt using a different resource specifier uses the transport protocol designated by that different resource specifier.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
112 words
A streaming multimedia rendering system comprising: a network client; a network server; a reference file available from the network server, the reference file containing a plurality of different resource specifiers and a preferred order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers, each resource specifier designating a transport protocol; the network client being configured to retrieve the reference file from the network server and to repeatedly attempt to establish a streaming data connection using the different resource specifiers in the preferred order specified by the reference file until a streaming data connection is successfully established, wherein each attempt using a different resource specifier uses the transport protocol designated by that different resource specifier.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
18 words
A streaming multimedia rendering system as recited in claim 1, wherein each resource specifier includes a network URL.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
59 words
A streaming multimedia rendering system as recited in claim 1, wherein the network client is configurable by a user to allow a selected subset of available transport protocols, the network client being configured to override the selected subset of available transport protocols to attempting communications using the transport protocols designated by the different resource specifiers of the reference file.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
18 words
A streaming multimedia rendering system as recited in claim 1, the transport protocols including multicast and unicast protocols..
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
19 words
A streaming multimedia rendering system as recited in claim 1, the transport protocols including UDP, TCP, and HTTP protocols..
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
113 words
A network client connected to receive streaming multimedia data from network sources, comprising: a data processor; the data processor being programmed to retrieve a reference file from a network source, the reference file containing a plurality of different resource specifiers and a preferred order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers, each resource specifier designating a transport protocol; the data processor being further programmed to repeatedly attempt to establish a streaming data connection using the different resource specifiers in the preferred order specified by the reference file until a streaming data connection is successfully established, wherein each attempt using a different resource specifier uses the transport protocol designated by that different resource specifier.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
113 words
A network client connected to receive streaming multimedia data from network sources, comprising: a data processor; the data processor being programmed to retrieve a reference file from a network source, the reference file containing a plurality of different resource specifiers and a preferred order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers, each resource specifier designating a transport protocol; the data processor being further programmed to repeatedly attempt to establish a streaming data connection using the different resource specifiers in the preferred order specified by the reference file until a streaming data connection is successfully established, wherein each attempt using a different resource specifier uses the transport protocol designated by that different resource specifier.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
16 words
A network client as recited in claim 6, wherein each resource specifier includes a network URL.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
58 words
A network client as recited in claim 6, wherein the network client is configurable by a user to allow a selected subset of available transport protocols, the data processor being further programmed to override the selected subset of available transport protocols to attempting communications using the transport protocols designated by the different resource specifiers of the reference file.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
A network client as recited in claim 6, the transport protocols including multicast and unicast protocols.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
A network client as recited in claim 6, the transport protocols including UDP, TCP, and HTTP protocols.
Claim 13
Independent Claim
60 words
A method of establishing a streaming data connection to a network client, comprising the following steps: receiving a resource reference from a network source, the resource reference including an ordered designation of different transport protocols; repeatedly attempting to establish a streaming data connection using the different transport protocols in the designated order until a streaming data connection is successfully established.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
60 words
A method of establishing a streaming data connection to a network client, comprising the following steps: receiving a resource reference from a network source, the resource reference including an ordered designation of different transport protocols; repeatedly attempting to establish a streaming data connection using the different transport protocols in the designated order until a streaming data connection is successfully established.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
33 words
A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the resource reference designates a plurality network sources from which streaming multimedia data is available, the network sources corresponding respectively to the different transport protocols.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method as recited in claim 11, wherein the network client is configurable by a user to allow a selected subset of available transport protocols, the method comprising the additional step of overriding the selected subset of available transport protocols to perform thc attempting step using the transport protocols included in the resource reference.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as recited in claim 11, the transport protocols including multicast and unicast protocols.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as recited in claim 11, the transport protocols including UDP, TCP, and HTTP protocols.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
19 words
A computer-readable medium containing instructions that are executable by a computer to perform steps as recited in claim 11.
Claim 20
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of establishing a streaming data connection to a network client, comprising the following steps: retrieving a reference file from a network source, the reference file containing a plurality of different resource specifiers and a designated order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers, each resource specifier designating a streaming data resource and an associated transport protocol; repeatedly attempting to establish a streaming data connection using the different resource specifiers in the designated order until a streaming data connection is successfully established, wherein each attempt using a different resource specifier uses the streaming data resource and the associated transport protocol designated by that different resource specifier.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
107 words
A method of establishing a streaming data connection to a network client, comprising the following steps: retrieving a reference file from a network source, the reference file containing a plurality of different resource specifiers and a designated order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers, each resource specifier designating a streaming data resource and an associated transport protocol; repeatedly attempting to establish a streaming data connection using the different resource specifiers in the designated order until a streaming data connection is successfully established, wherein each attempt using a different resource specifier uses the streaming data resource and the associated transport protocol designated by that different resource specifier.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as recited in claim 17, wherein each resource specifier includes a network URL.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
54 words
A method as recited in claim 17, wherein the network client is configurable by a user to allow a selected subset of available transport protocols, the method comprising the additional step of overriding the selected subset of available transport protocols to perform the attempting step using the transport protocols designated by the resource specifiers.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method as recited in claim 17, the transport protocols including multicast and unicast protocols.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method as recited in claim 17, the transport protocols including UDP, TCP, and HTTP protocols.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
23 words
A computer-readable medium containing instructions that embody a hyperlink-based network browser, the instructions being executable to perform steps as recited in claim 17.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
78 words
A computer-readable medium containing instructions for retrieving and viewing streaming multimedia content, the instructions being executable to perform steps comprising: retrieving a reference file from a network source, the reference file containing a plurality of different resource specifiers and a designated order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers, each resource specifier designating a streaming data resource and an associated transport protocol; receiving the streaming multimedia content over the streaming data connection and rendering the streaming multimedia content.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
78 words
A computer-readable medium containing instructions for retrieving and viewing streaming multimedia content, the instructions being executable to perform steps comprising: retrieving a reference file from a network source, the reference file containing a plurality of different resource specifiers and a designated order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers, each resource specifier designating a streaming data resource and an associated transport protocol; receiving the streaming multimedia content over the streaming data connection and rendering the streaming multimedia content.
Claim 29
Independent Claim
162 words
A method of establishing a streaming data connection to a network client, comprising the following steps: retrieving a reference file from a network source, the reference file containing one or more resource specifiers and a designated order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers, each resource specifier indicating a streaming data source and a protocol specifier; repeatedly attempting to establish a streaming data connection using the different resource specifiers in the designated order until a streaming data connection is successfully established, wherein each attempt using a different resource specifier uses the streaming data source and a transport protocol that corresponds to the protocol specifier indicated by that different resource identifier; if a particular resource specifier has a protocol specifier having a predefined value, repeatedly attempting to establish a streaming data connection with the streaming data source specified by said particular resource specifier until a streaming data connection is successfully established, wherein each attempt uses a different transport protocol in a predetermined order.
Claim 30
Independent Claim
162 words
A method of establishing a streaming data connection to a network client, comprising the following steps: retrieving a reference file from a network source, the reference file containing one or more resource specifiers and a designated order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers, each resource specifier indicating a streaming data source and a protocol specifier; repeatedly attempting to establish a streaming data connection using the different resource specifiers in the designated order until a streaming data connection is successfully established, wherein each attempt using a different resource specifier uses the streaming data source and a transport protocol that corresponds to the protocol specifier indicated by that different resource identifier; if a particular resource specifier has a protocol specifier having a predefined value, repeatedly attempting to establish a streaming data connection with the streaming data source specified by said particular resource specifier until a streaming data connection is successfully established, wherein each attempt uses a different transport protocol in a predetermined order.
Claim 31
Dependent Claim
23 words
A computer-readable medium containing instructions that embody a hyperlink-based network browser, the instructions being executable to perform steps as recited in claim 24.
Claim 32
Dependent Claim
18 words
A network computer client comprising a data processor that is programmed to perform the steps of claim 24.
Claim 33
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of hyperlinking network clients to streaming multimedia data content, comprising the following steps: creating a reference file that gives an ordered designation of different transport protocols; putting a hyperlink to the reference file in a hypermedia document; wherein the reference file indicates that a network client is to attempt a streaming data connection by using the different transport protocols in the designated order until a streaming data connection is successfully established.
Claim 34
Independent Claim
73 words
A method of hyperlinking network clients to streaming multimedia data content, comprising the following steps: creating a reference file that gives an ordered designation of different transport protocols; putting a hyperlink to the reference file in a hypermedia document; wherein the reference file indicates that a network client is to attempt a streaming data connection by using the different transport protocols in the designated order until a streaming data connection is successfully established.
Claim 35
Dependent Claim
122 words
Computer-readable media comprising: one or more sources of streaming multimedia content for downloading to network clients using different transport protocols; a reference file with a plurality of different resource specifiers and a preferred order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers, each resource specifier designating one of the sources of the streaming multimedia content and an associated transport protocol for use in downloading the streaming multimedia content; the reference file allowing a network client to attempt a streaming data connection by using the different resource specifiers in the designated order until a streaming data connection is successfully established, wherein each attempt using a different resource specifier uses the streaming data resource and the associated transport protocol designated by that different resource specifier.
Claim 36
Dependent Claim
122 words
Computer-readable media comprising: one or more sources of streaming multimedia content for downloading to network clients using different transport protocols; a reference file with a plurality of different resource specifiers and a preferred order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers, each resource specifier designating one of the sources of the streaming multimedia content and an associated transport protocol for use in downloading the streaming multimedia content; the reference file allowing a network client to attempt a streaming data connection by using the different resource specifiers in the designated order until a streaming data connection is successfully established, wherein each attempt using a different resource specifier uses the streaming data resource and the associated transport protocol designated by that different resource specifier.
Claim 37
Dependent Claim
110 words
A network server system comprising: one or more sources of streaming multimedia content for downloading to network clients using different transport protocols; a storage medium containing a reference file with a plurality of different resource specifiers and a preferred order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers, each resource specifier designating one of the sources of the streaming multimedia content and an associated transport protocol for use in downloading the streaming multimedia content; the reference file allowing a network client to attempt to establish a streaming data connection by using the different transport protocols in the desigated order of the resource specifiers until a streaming data connection is successfully established.
Claim 38
Dependent Claim
110 words
A network server system comprising: one or more sources of streaming multimedia content for downloading to network clients using different transport protocols; a storage medium containing a reference file with a plurality of different resource specifiers and a preferred order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers, each resource specifier designating one of the sources of the streaming multimedia content and an associated transport protocol for use in downloading the streaming multimedia content; the reference file allowing a network client to attempt to establish a streaming data connection by using the different transport protocols in the desigated order of the resource specifiers until a streaming data connection is successfully established.
Claim 39
Dependent Claim
90 words
A computer-readablc medium containing a reference file for downloading to network clients, the reference file comprising a plurality of resource specifiers and a preferred order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers, each resource specifier designating a source of streaming multimedia content and an associated transport protocol for use in downloading the streaming multimedia content, the reference file allowing a network client to attempt a streaming data connection by using the different transport protocols in the designated order of the resource specifiers until a streaming data connection is successfully established.
Claim 40
Dependent Claim
90 words
A computer-readablc medium containing a reference file for downloading to network clients, the reference file comprising a plurality of resource specifiers and a preferred order for attempting communications using the resource specifiers, each resource specifier designating a source of streaming multimedia content and an associated transport protocol for use in downloading the streaming multimedia content, the reference file allowing a network client to attempt a streaming data connection by using the different transport protocols in the designated order of the resource specifiers until a streaming data connection is successfully established.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 2003-02-21 | 2003-08-23 | 2004-02-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2007-02-21 | 2007-08-23 | 2008-02-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2011-02-21 | 2011-08-23 | 2012-02-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |