Device Method and System for Providing a Media Stream

Abstract

There is provided a method device and system for providing packetized streaming media content (e.g. audio, video and multimedia) to an IP based media presentation appliance (e.g. set-top box). According to some embodiments of the present invention, there may be provided a media stream generator adapted to generate or otherwise derive from a source media a second media stream including more key frames (e.g. MPEG I-Frames) than present in the source media stream.

1 . A device for deriving a second media stream from a first media stream comprising:
 a key frame generator.   
   
   
       2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said media streams are packetized media streams and wherein said device further comprises a packet processor. 
   
   
       3 . The device according to  claim 2 , wherein said packet processor is adapted to extract frame data from said first media stream and to provide the frame data to said key frame generator. 
   
   
       4 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein said packet processor is adapted to derive the second media stream by inserting a key frame generated by said key frame generator into a packet of the first media stream. 
   
   
       5 . The device according to  claim 2 , further comprising a de-packetizing module adapted to extract frame data from the first media stream and to provide the extracted frame data to said key frame generator. 
   
   
       6 . The device according to  claim 5 , wherein packet processor is adapted to derive the second media stream by inserting a key frame generated by said key frame generator into a packet of the first media stream. 
   
   
       7 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said key frame generator continuously generates key frames based on the first media stream. 
   
   
       8 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein said key frame generator is adapted to generate a key frame based on the first media stream in response to a signal from a node controller. 
   
   
       9 . The device according to  claim 8 , wherein said key frame generator is adapted to encode a key frame using a compression factor indicated by said node controller. 
   
   
       10 . The device according to  claim 8 , wherein said media streams are packetized media streams and wherein said device further comprises a packet processor adapted to insert a client appliance identifier of a client requesting a channel associated with the media streams into an addressing field of the second media stream. 
   
   
       11 . The device according to  claim 10 , wherein said packet processor is adapted to derive the second media stream from the first media stream by inserting a key frame generated by said key frame generator into a packet of the first media stream substantially concurrently with receiving a request from the client for the channel associated with the media streams. 
   
   
       12 . A method for deriving a second media stream from a first media stream comprising:
 generating a key frame based on the first media stream.   
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the media streams are packetized media streams and further including de-packetizing the first media stream. 
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein de-packetized media frame data from the first media stream used to generate the key frame. 
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising inserting the key frame into a packet of the first media stream.