Apple has filed a patent for a content streaming system that supports both on-demand and live content. The technology described in the Apple content streaming patent would enable users to create a playlist which includes on-demand content mixed in with content that’s streamed live or in real-time.
Apple content streaming patent mixes content types
The Apple content streaming patent is titled “Real-Time or Near Real-Time Streaming,” and it describes a system that “can use a playlist file, in one embodiment, that includes an indicator of the type of content represented by the playlist file.” The system described in the Apple content streaming patent assigns certain parameters to each content type, whether it’s video-on-demand or live content.
Client devices in the system can then process playlist files based on these parameters, making “efficiency optimizations when processing the playlist file.” An example described in the Apple content streaming patent suggests that, after seeing that a particular file is a playlist for video-on-demand content, the client device “can save the previously used variant playlist when switching to a new variant playlist rather than discarding the previously used variant playlist.”
Of course, there’s no guarantee that the technology described in this Apple content streaming patent will make it into a real product, but it’s easy to see applications for it as the company pushes deeper into the streaming space.
A new pair of Apple wireless charging patents
The company has also apparently patented a wireless charging system that’s able to prioritize devices, enabling users to decide which device gets charged before others. These latest Apple wireless charging patents seem related to previous patents we’ve seen for wireless chargers, but they are slightly different.
The first of the two patents describes Apple’s wireless charging system as possibly having multiple ports on a single power adapter, with each port powering an array of different types of devices, including mobile phones, watches, laptops and tablets. The power adapter could charge these devices either wirelessly or via a wired link.
It’s the first of the two new Apple wireless charging patents that offers a flow chart showing how the system decides the order in which to charge devices. The charging system gathers input from the user, information about each device’s battery, and information about the type of device. The input entered by the user could include details such as an order to always charge their smartwatch before their tablet.
The system also gathers information about each device’s usage history, calendar details and test results. Then it distributes data to each of the devices, online storage, and/ or the adapter. Finally, the wireless charging system adjusts the settings for power delivery, charge rates for each battery, system settings and other details. It also adjusts the amount of power/ charge delivered to each port on the adapter.
