Video stream transmission method and system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method of transmitting a video stream, including: intercepting a video stream from a server to a video client; wherein the video client is on a user device; throttling onwards transmission of the video stream to the video client; analyzing content within the video of the video stream; and performing an action in relation to the onward transmission to the video client as a result of the analysis of the content; wherein the throttling continues during analysis of the content. A system and software for transmitting a video stream are also described.

1 - 28 . (canceled) 
     
     
         29 . A method of transmitting a video stream, including:
 a) intercepting a video stream from a server to a video client; wherein the video client is on a user device;   b) throttling onwards transmission of the video stream to the video client;   c) analyzing content within the video of the video stream; and   d) performing an action in relation to the onward transmission to the video client as a result of the analysis of the content;
 wherein the throttling continues during the analysis of the content. 
   
     
     
         30 . A method as claimed in  claim 29  wherein the step of interception occurs at a proxy device between the transmission from the server to the user device. 
     
     
         31 . A method as claimed in  claim 29  wherein the step of interception occurs at the user device. 
     
     
         32 . A method as claimed in  claim 29  wherein the throttling is caused by introducing a pause into onward transmission. 
     
     
         33 . A method as claimed in  claim 32  wherein a pause is introduced before transmission of every block of the video stream. 
     
     
         34 . A method as claimed in  claim 33  wherein the size of the block is determined by, at least, the video size and the video length. 
     
     
         35 . A method as claimed in  claim 34  wherein the size of the block (t) is calculated by the following formula:
     t=s*p /( l−d ) 
 
       where
 t=Block Size (Bytes) 
 s=Video Size (Kilobytes) 
 l=Video Length (Seconds) 
 d=Delay (Seconds) 
 p=Pause (Milliseconds) 
 
     
     
         36 . A method as claimed in  claim 35  wherein the length of the delay (d) is determined by the video length. 
     
     
         37 . A method as claimed in  claim 29  wherein the action includes one of increasing the throttling of onward transmission of the video stream, decreasing the throttling of onward transmission of the video stream, or blocking onward transmission of the video stream. 
     
     
         38 . A method as claimed in  claim 29  wherein during initial interception of the video stream an initial block of a specified size of the video stream is transmitted onto the video client. 
     
     
         39 . A method as claimed in  claim 38 , wherein the specified size of the initial block is at least the size of the header of the video. 
     
     
         40 . A method as claimed in  claim 29  wherein the step of analyzing content includes analyzing the content for pornographic content. 
     
     
         41 . A method as claimed in  claim 40  wherein the action includes blocking of the onward transmission of the video stream if the pornographic content as a result of the analysis is determined to exceed a specified threshold. 
     
     
         42 . A method as claimed in  claim 29  wherein the analysis utilizes a static image analysis of at least some frames within the video. 
     
     
         43 . A method as claimed in  claim 29  furthering including the step of requesting a second transmission of the video from the server; wherein the analysis is performed on the content of the video within the second transmission. 
     
     
         44 . A system for transmission of a video stream, including:
 a first processor configured to throttle onwards transmission of a video stream to a video client on a user device and to perform an action in relation to the onward transmission to the video client as a result of analysis of content within the video of the video stream;   a second processor configured to analyze the content within the video of the video stream; and   a communications apparatus configured to intercept the video stream from the server to the video client on the user device;   wherein the first processor is configured to continue throttling of the onward transmission of the video stream during analysis of the content of the video of the video stream by the second processor.   
     
     
         45 . A system as claimed in  claim 44 , further including a further communications apparatus configured for receiving a second transmission of the video from the server; wherein the second processor analyses the content within the video of the second transmission. 
     
     
         46 . A system as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the first processor exists within the user device. 
     
     
         47 . A system as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the second processor exists within the user device. 
     
     
         48 . A system as claimed in  claim 44 , wherein the first processor is configured to request analysis of the video from the second processor and wherein the second processor analyses the video in response to the request. 
     
     
         49 . A system as claimed in  claim 48 , wherein the requests are stored within a database and wherein the second processor is configured to extract the requests from the database. 
     
     
         50 . A processor configured for use with the system of  claim 44 , wherein the processor is configured to throttle onwards transmission of a video stream to a video client on a user device and to perform an action in relation to the onward transmission to the video client as a result of analysis of content of the video of the video stream. 
     
     
         51 . A processor configured for use with the system of  claim 44 , wherein the processor is configured to analyze the content within the video of the video stream. 
     
     
         52 . A user device configured for use with the system of any one of  claims 44 . 
     
     
         53 . An application program interface configured for providing access to the system of any one of  claims 44 . 
     
     
         54 . A user device configured for use with the system of  claim 49 . 
     
     
         55 . An application program interface configured for providing access to the system of  claim 49 . 
     
     
         56 . A computer program configured for performing the method of  claim 29 .