Patent ID: 8117323
Filing Date: 2012-02-14
Classification: H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method for switching between channels carrying live media streams transmitted from a streaming server computer to a client device, comprising a media player, under a Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP), the method comprising: (a) launching a RTSP session by sending a RTSP message from the client device to the streaming server computer for enabling channel switching within the RTSP session, the RTSP message including information regarding a playlist file stored in a memory of the streaming server computer, the playlist file comprising a list of channels available for playing by the media player; (b) at the client device: (i) processing a request for channel switching from an original channel being played by the media player to a new channel from the playlist file; (ii) sending another RTSP message including information regarding the new channel to the streaming server computer in-band within the RTSP session; and (iii) overloading an existing functionality available in the media player for triggering the request for channel switching and generating said another RTSP message.