Patent ID: 9047236
Filing Date: 2015-06-02
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: filling a first buffer of a client to an initial capacity at a first bit rate with a first stream of media from a host; playing the first stream of media when the first buffer fill reaches the initial capacity; filling the first buffer to a larger capacity simultaneous to playing the first stream of media; monitoring, at different times, a fill level of the first buffer; filling a second buffer of the client that is different from the first buffer with a second stream of media from the host simultaneous to playing the first stream of media from the first buffer, the second stream of media having a same content and lower bit rate than the first stream of media; determining based at least in part on the monitoring that the first buffer will be exhausted and result in an interruption in rendering of the first stream of media; synchronizing a transition to the second stream of media from the second buffer, wherein the transition is synchronized by at least one of a cross fade from the first stream of media to the second stream of media or dimming a video renderer of the first stream of media and intensifying a video renderer of the second stream of media; determining that a bandwidth between the client and the host is large enough to support streaming of media having a bit rate of a third stream of media; filling a third buffer of the client that is different from the first and second buffers with a third stream of media from the host simultaneous to playing the first stream of media, the third stream of media having a same content and a higher bit rate than the first stream of media; and synchronizing a transition to the third stream of media from the third buffer, wherein the transition is synchronized by at least one of a cross fade from the first stream of media to the third stream of media or dimming the video renderer of the first stream of media and intensifying a video renderer of the third stream of media.