Patent ID: 9049481
Filing Date: 2015-06-02
Classification: H04L,H04N

Abstract:
1. A method, comprising: receiving at a client device a unicast content stream; receiving from a network an indication of a future time corresponding to when to send a join message to acquire a multicast content stream; accessing historical information about transitions between unicast and multicast content streams; and acquiring the multicast content stream at a time corresponding to the indicated future time subject to a time offset determined by the client device, the time offset based on the historical information, the historical information comprising information associated with prior join delays, leave times, peak and non-peak hour performance associated with join and/or leave times, and past stream transition performance, the time offset further based on current computational resources of the client device, congestion in the network, and the availability of information necessary to decode the multicast content stream, and wherein the time offset either subtracts from or adds to a join time signaled via the indication.