System and method for data stream fragmentation

Abstract

A method of data conditioning is disclosed that in one aspect includes receiving a data stream and encoding into the data stream information representing a boundary of a content fragment, wherein the boundary is independent of a group of pictures structure of the data stream.

1 . A method comprising:
 determining, based on a grouping characteristic associated with a data stream comprising a plurality of groups of pictures, an expected duration; and   encoding, into the data stream based on the expected duration, information indicative of a boundary of a content fragment, wherein the boundary of the content fragment is independent of each boundary of each group of pictures of the plurality of groups of pictures.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the grouping characteristic comprises one or more of a group identification, a group number, or a group pattern. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information is further indicative of a group flag associated with an existence of the grouping characteristic. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the group flag indicates one or more of a beginning of a program or an end of a program. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the group flag indicates a streaming technology to use for processing content fragments associated with the group flag. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the group flag indicates one or more of a start boundary of an associated group of content fragments or an end boundary of an associated group of content fragments. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the data stream comprises a transport stream, and wherein encoding the information comprises encoding the information in a transport header of the transport stream. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein encoding the information in the transport header of the transport stream comprises encoding the information in an adaptation field of the transport header of the transport stream. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein encoding the information comprises encoding the information in a private data field of the data stream. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, based on the expected duration, the boundary of the content fragment. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising encoding, in the data stream, a universal time stamp indicative of a time that the information is encoded in the data stream. 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 encoding, into a data stream based on transcoding information associated with the data stream, one or more grouping characteristics of the data stream, wherein the data stream comprises a plurality of groups of pictures; and   encoding, into the data stream, a boundary flag of a content fragment, wherein the boundary flag of the content fragment indicates a boundary that is independent of each boundary of each group of pictures of the plurality of groups of pictures.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the transcoding information identifies a particular streaming technology. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising determining the one or more grouping characteristics of the data stream based on the particular streaming technology identified in the transcoding information. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the boundary flag comprises a transport stream, and wherein encoding the boundary flag comprises encoding the boundary flag in a transport header of the transport stream. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein encoding the boundary flag comprises encoding the boundary flag in an adaptation field of the transport header of the transport stream. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more grouping characteristics of the data stream comprises one or more of a group identification, a group number, or a group pattern. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the one or more grouping characteristics allow a downstream device to retrieve the content fragment based upon the one or more grouping characteristics. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising receiving the data stream. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising determining, based on the transcoding information associated with the data stream, the one or more grouping characteristics of the data stream. 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 determining, based on transcoding information associated with a data stream, one or more grouping characteristics of the data stream, wherein the data stream comprises a plurality of groups of pictures;   determining, based on the one or more grouping characteristics of the data stream, an expected duration; and   encoding, into the data stream based on the expected duration, a boundary flag of a content fragment, wherein the boundary flag of the content fragment comprises information indicative of a boundary of the content fragment that is independent of each boundary of each group of pictures of the plurality of groups of pictures.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the transcoding information identifies a particular streaming technology. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein determining, based on the transcoding information associated with the data stream, the one or more grouping characteristics of the data stream comprises determining, based on the particular streaming technology identified in the transcoding information, the one or more grouping characteristics of the data stream. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more grouping characteristics comprise one or more of a group identification, a group number, or a group pattern. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the boundary flag comprises a transport stream, and wherein encoding the boundary flag comprises encoding the boundary flag in a transport header of the transport stream. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein encoding the boundary flag comprises encoding the boundary flag in an adaptation field of the transport header of the transport stream. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising determining, based on the expected duration, the boundary of the content fragment.