Christopher G Knowlton

US Patent:

7797720, Sep 14, 2010

Filed:

Oct 22, 2004

Appl. No.:

10/970938

Inventors:

Palamalai Gopalakrishnan - Seattle WA, US
Christopher G. Knowlton - Redmond WA, US
Bret P. O'Rourke - Kirkland WA, US
Ravi Raman - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

H04N 7/173

US Classification:

725 88, 725 94

Abstract:

An implementation of trick mode methodology receives a first request to stream media for presentation at a first normal playback rate; streams a first media stream configured to the first normal playback rate; receives a second request to stream the media for presentation at a second greater playback rate; and performs one of the following responsive to receiving the second request: switching from streaming the first media stream to streaming from an appropriate position in a second media stream that corresponds to the second greater playback rate; or in an event that a second media stream corresponding to the second greater playback rate is not available, then streaming the first media stream at a higher bit rate in an attempt to comply with the second request.

US Patent:

8239564, Aug 7, 2012

Filed:

Jun 20, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/143535

Inventors:

Jack E. Freelander - Monroe WA, US
Christopher G. Knowlton - Redmond WA, US
Geqiang Zhang - Redmond WA, US
Vishal Sood - Bothell WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 15/16
G06F 15/173
G06F 15/177

US Classification:

709233, 709217, 709219, 709220, 709221, 709223, 709224, 709226, 709227, 709228, 709230, 709231, 709232, 709234

Abstract:

The dynamic management of download rates when downloading digital resources to clients. A server concurrently maintains download sessions with any number of clients, each download session for downloading a corresponding digital resource to a corresponding client. The download rates for the various download sessions are adjusted as download sessions are completed, and as new download sessions are added. As new download sessions are initiated, a minimum and target download rate may be calculated. The target download rate is the rate at which the server will attempt to download the requested digital resource to the client, and will depend on the total available bandwidth for use to download the digital resources.

US Patent:

8438301, May 7, 2013

Filed:

Apr 7, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/098818

Inventors:

Christopher G. Knowlton - Redmond WA, US
William James Staples - Duvall WA, US
Michael D. Volodarsky - Philadelphia PA, US
Bryan Ethan Fleming - Alexandria VA, US
Geqiang Zhang - Redmond WA, US

Assignee:

Microsoft Corporation - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 15/16

US Classification:

709235, 709228, 709231, 709232, 709233

Abstract:

A computer system receives a request from a client computer system for data that is to be presented to a user, accesses a portion of the requested data and determines the encoded bit rate from the accessed portion of requested data. Based on the encoded bit rate for the requested data, the computer system determines an initial amount of data that is to be transferred to the client computer system to enable prompt access to that portion of data and determines the transfer rate for transferring the remaining data to the client computer system. The transfer rate for the remaining data is lower than the transfer rate for the initial amount. The computer system transfers the initial amount of data to the client computer system and transfers the remainder of the requested data to the client computer system at the determined lower transfer rate, subsequent to transferring the initial amount.

US Patent:

20090089401, Apr 2, 2009

Filed:

Mar 7, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/043953

Inventors:

Geqiang Zhang - Redmond WA, US
Vishal Sood - Bothell WA, US
Christopher G. Knowlton - Redmond WA, US
William J. Staples - Duvall WA, US

Assignee:

MICROSOFT CORPORATION - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 15/16
G06F 15/173

US Classification:

709218, 709223, 709228

Abstract:

Described is a technology in which media content is sent to clients in partial pieces, so that a server may control how clients view (and/or hear) the media content. A client requests partial content, and the server allows or disallows the request based upon one or more various conditions, as evaluated against a playlist provided (e.g., by a playlist provider) for that client. For example, the playlist may specify that the client cannot skip content, whereby the server disallows a request for a piece of content that skips over other content. Session related data may be kept to track the content sent to the client. Media content may be sent based on a dynamic condition, and/or the playlist may be dynamically adapted. A piece of media content may comprise an advertisement, which may be custom-selected for that client, such as based upon user profile data and/or client location information.

US Patent:

20100235528, Sep 16, 2010

Filed:

Mar 16, 2009

Appl. No.:

12/405220

Inventors:

John A. Bocharov - Seattle WA, US
Geqiang (Sam) Zhang - Redmond WA, US
Krishna Prakash Duggaraju - Renton WA, US
Sudheer Sirivara - Redmond WA, US
Lin Liu - Sammamish WA, US
Anirban Roy - Kirkland WA, US
Jimin Gao - Seattle WA, US
Jack E. Freelander - Monroe WA, US
Christopher G. Knowlton - Redmond WA, US
Vishal Sood - Bothell WA, US

Assignee:

MICROSOFT CORPORATION - Redmond WA

International Classification:

G06F 15/16
G06F 7/00

US Classification:

709231, 709248, 707E17009, 709203, 707E17032

Abstract:

A smooth streaming system provides a stateless protocol between a client and server in which the server embeds incremental control information in media fragments. The server provides uniform media fragment responses to media fragment requests that are cacheable by existing Internet cache infrastructure. The smooth streaming system receives media data in fragments from one or more encoders, creates an index of each fragment, and stores the fragments. The server provides fragments to clients that contain metadata information describing the encodings available on the server and the encoding of the fragment. The server may also provide information within each fragment that allows the client to determine whether the client is requesting data too fast or too slow, so that the client can adapt its request rate to a cadence in tune with the rate at which the server is receiving encoder data.