Adaptive Bitrate Casting Across Low-Bandwidth Multi-Network Links
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing content casting technologies fail when devices are in different networks and bandwidth drops below a threshold, limiting their functionality in environments with low network bandwidth, such as vehicles or airplanes, and cannot utilize unidirectional links effectively.
Innovation Solution
A casting system that dynamically adjusts data transfer rates based on real-time bandwidth of a dedicated network, allowing content casting across multiple display devices by using a rendering system to allocate bandwidth efficiently and support both bidirectional and unidirectional networks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If content casting is performed using existing casting technologies, then content can be displayed on multiple devices, but the system fails when bandwidth drops below a threshold or when devices are in different networks
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the transfer rate of content data based on real-time bandwidth measurements of the dedicated network. The encoder continuously monitors available bandwidth and modifies encoding parameters accordingly, allowing the casting system to adapt to varying network conditions and maintain operation across different networks without failing when bandwidth drops below a fixed threshold
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a dedicated network as an intermediary between the cast device and the rendering system. This dedicated network acts as a mediator that connects devices across different network domains, enabling casting operations to function reliably even when the source device, cast device, and rendering system are located in different networks with varying bandwidth conditions
2Productivity
If fixed transfer rate is used for content casting, then encoding is simple, but data cannot be transferred when bandwidth decreases below threshold
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces fixed transfer rate with dynamic transfer rate adjustment. The encoder continuously monitors the actual bandwidth of the dedicated network and adjusts the transfer rate in real-time to match available capacity. This dynamic adaptation ensures continuous data transfer capability across varying network conditions while maintaining manageable system complexity through automated bandwidth monitoring and adjustment mechanisms
3Adaptability or versatility
If high bandwidth is required for casting, then content quality is maintained, but casting cannot function in low bandwidth environments like vehicles or airplanes
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the encoding parameters (transfer rate, bit rate) based on the actual network bandwidth conditions. When operating in low bandwidth environments such as vehicles or airplanes, the encoder automatically reduces the transfer rate to match the limited available bandwidth. This parameter adaptation enables content casting to function in previously inaccessible low bandwidth environments while maintaining acceptable content quality through optimized encoding parameters
4Adaptability or versatility
If rendering system allocates bandwidth to multiple display devices, then multiple devices can receive content, but available bandwidth for each device decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the dedicated network bandwidth into separate allocations for multiple display devices. The rendering system divides the total available bandwidth among connected display devices based on their individual requirements and priorities. This segmentation enables multiple devices to receive content simultaneously while managing the limited total bandwidth through controlled distribution, allowing each device to receive sufficient data for functional operation
Data Source
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AI summary
The method comprises: - receiving, at a rendering system (101), from a plurality user devices (102-1,102-2,102-3), a plurality of cast requests over a home network (110) for casting data from a cast device (106) communicatively coupled to a first network (108) and a third network (120), onto a plurality display devices (130-1, 130-2, 130-3) communicatively coupled to the home network (110); - transmitting the cast request over a second network (114) to a casting system (104), wherein the casting system (104) is coupled with the cast device (106) through the third network (120); - receiving, in response to transmitting, from the casting system (104) and over a dedicated network (115), the requested data, wherein the data is provided to the casting system (104) by the cast device (106) and the data is obtained by the cast device (106) over the first network (108) and wherein the data over the dedicated network (115) are transmitting at a dynamically changing transfer rate and wherein the dynamically changing transfer is based on a real time available bandwidth of the dedicated network (115).