What is this picking style called?

[Robin, Wales]

I've been learning "If I needed you" for the last few days from this video of Townes van Zandt. He is using a Travis style picking pattern. And for the intro he plays alt thumb against the melody picked with his index and middle fingers.

I had pretty much got this sorted but tonight I realised that this version is too low for me to comfortably sing. I'm better off in D but capo at the 7th doesn't sound great and is a bit tight space wise.

So I shifted to capo 2 and started to work the intro out again but from a C chord root rather than a G chord root - still in Travis style. That wasn't really working out so I switched to playing the intro melody with the thumb pick (Carter style?) but maintained the fingers picking the first and second strings Travis style. Plus I play standard Travis style while singing.

So what would this be called? Is it a Carter style opening because the melody is played with the thumb or still Travis style because I drop into alt thumb between the melody notes and maintain the first and second finger picking pattern.

I have to say it is easier to do than describe!