Priority-based buffer management

Abstract

Media units are stored in a buffer, wherein an importance rating is assigned to each of the media units. At least some of the media units are selectively flushed from the buffer based on the importance rating.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving a media stream that includes a plurality of media units;   storing the media units in a buffer;   identifying an importance rating included in the media stream for each of the media units, the importance rating for a media unit being based on whether an object included in the media unit is a primary, secondary, or static object; and   selectively flushing at least some of the units from the buffer based on the importance rating.   
     
     
         2 - 4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media stream is received via a packet switched network. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media stream is formatted according to a standard of the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG). 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing units from the buffer to a coder/decoder that selectively provides output to a media player. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising assigning a size limit to the buffer. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising determining, prior to selectively flushing some of the units from the buffer, that the size limit has been met. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the media units are frames. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable medium as computer-executable instructions. 
     
     
         12 . A system, comprising:
 a media buffer that selectively receives and stores media units, each of the media units having at least one frame that includes one or more objects; wherein an importance rating is included in each of the media units based on whether an object included in the media unit is a primary, secondary, or static object; and   program instructions for selectively flushing at least some of the units from the buffer based on the importance rating.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the importance rating is assigned according to one of whether a unit includes motion of primary or secondary objects or one of whether a unit includes objects associated with automated changes in an application, or static objects. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising an application server that selectively provides a media stream that includes the media units. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the media stream is transported via a packet switched network. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the media stream is formatted according to a standard of the Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG). 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a coder/decoder that selectively retrieves units from the buffer and selectively provides output based on the retrieved units to a media player. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein a size limit is assigned to the buffer. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the program instructions include instructions for determining, prior to selectively flushing some of the media units from the buffer, that the size limit has been met. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the media units are frames. 
     
     
         21 . A method, comprising:
 receiving a media stream that includes a plurality of media units;   identifying an importance rating included in the media stream for each of the media units, the importance rating for a media unit being based on whether an object included in the media unit is a primary, secondary, or static object;   receiving the media frames in a media stream via a packet switched network;   storing the media frames in a buffer;   assigning a size limit to the buffer;   determining that the size limit has been met;   selectively flushing at least some of the media frames from the buffer based on the importance rating; and   providing at least some of the frames from the buffer to a coder/decoder.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising selectively providing output from the coder/decoder to a media player.