System and method for streaming music on mobile devices

Abstract

In accordance with an embodiment, described herein is a system and method for streaming music on mobile devices, including those which may have limited support for streaming. In response to receiving a request for portions of media content to be retrieved from a media server and played at a media device, selected parts of a media content file (e.g., an MP3 file) can be downloaded from a media server, and prepended, appended, or otherwise adjusted into a complete (albeit relatively shorter) media content, which is decoded and sent, for example to an audio speaker at the media device. The approach provides flexibility in providing access to a media streaming service from non-native mobile device applications, for example by enabling a media application to load and play encrypted MP3 file content in environments such as mobile browsers that require low memory consumption, or do not support Media Source Extensions.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for streaming music on mobile devices having limited support for streaming, comprising:
 a microprocessor, and a media application executing thereon that is adapted to receive a request for portions of media content to be retrieved from a media server, to be played at a media device;   a decoder module that, in response to the request for portions of media content to be retrieved from a media server, communicates a request to a framer module for chunks of media content to be decoded;   a framer module that, in response to receiving the request for chunks of media content, transforms requested chunk indexes into byte positions, and communicates a request to a downloader module for a byte range of media content; and   the downloader module, that, in response to receiving the request for a byte range of media content, communicates a request to the media server, for downloading the media content corresponding to the byte range requested by the framer module, for use in providing the portions of media content to be played at the media device.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein each piece of media content is stored or provided in the form of an MP3 file, and wherein each chunk is a group of one or more frames of the MP3 file. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the processing of the media content includes decoding one or more additional frames before and/or after a chunk to be decoded, and then dropping play of those additional frames by setting appropriate start and stop points. 
     
     
         4 . A method for streaming music on mobile devices having limited support for streaming, comprising the steps of:
 receiving a request for portions of media content to be retrieved from a media server, to be played at a media device;   in response to the request for portions of media content to be retrieved from a media server, communicating a request for chunks of media content to be decoded;   in response to receiving the request for chunks of media content, transforming requested chunk indexes into byte positions, and communicating a request for a byte range of media content; and   in response to receiving the request for a byte range of media content, communicating a request to the media server, for downloading the media content corresponding to the byte range requested, for use in providing the portions of media content to be played at the media device.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein each piece of media content is stored or provided in the form of an MP3 file, and wherein each chunk is a group of one or more frames of the MP3 file. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the processing of the media content includes decoding one or more additional frames before and/or after a chunk to be decoded, and then dropping play of those additional frames by setting appropriate start and stop points. 
     
     
         7 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium, including instructions stored thereon which when read and executed by one or more computer devices cause the one or more computer devices to perform the steps comprising:
 receiving a request for portions of media content to be retrieved from a media server, to be played at a media device;   in response to the request for portions of media content to be retrieved from a media server, communicating a request for chunks of media content to be decoded;   in response to receiving the request for chunks of media content, transforming requested chunk indexes into byte positions, and communicating a request for a byte range of media content; and   in response to receiving the request for a byte range of media content, communicating a request to the media server, for downloading the media content corresponding to the byte range requested, for use in providing the portions of media content to be played at the media device.   
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 7 , wherein each piece of media content is stored or provided in the form of an MP3 file, and wherein each chunk is a group of one or more frames of the MP3 file. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 7 , wherein the processing of the media content includes decoding one or more additional frames before and/or after a chunk to be decoded, and then dropping play of those additional frames by setting appropriate start and stop points.