Adaptive Media Codec Routing for Encrypted Conferencing Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Participants in audiovisual conferencing with diverse data processing systems face suboptimal experiences due to differing media capabilities, necessitating the use of the lowest common configuration, which compromises quality, and transcoding is not feasible with end-to-end encryption.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a common codec and encryption method across participant systems, allowing for higher quality conferencing without server transcoding, and enabling on-demand creation of a common codec stream for new participants, with fallback options based on bandwidth and system conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If server media transcoding is used to support diverse participant systems, then adaptability to different media capabilities is improved, but end-to-end security is compromised because the server cannot decrypt encrypted content
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the parameter of codec selection by allowing each participant to specify their preferred codec from a list of supported codecs. The system then routes streams appropriately so that participants receive content in their preferred format without requiring server-side transcoding of encrypted content, thus maintaining security while adapting to diverse capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system segments the media stream handling by creating separate streams for different codecs. Instead of requiring the server to transcode all content, the originating participant sends multiple encoded streams (e.g., both H.264 and H.265) and the server simply forwards the appropriate stream to each participant based on their capabilities, avoiding decryption and re-encoding.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the lowest common configuration is used to ensure compatibility across all participants, then adaptability is improved, but media quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies local quality by allowing different participants to receive media streams of different qualities and formats based on their individual capabilities. High-capability participants receive high-quality H.265 streams while lower-capability participants receive compatible H.264 streams, with each participant experiencing optimal quality for their device without being constrained by the lowest common denominator.
3Adaptability or versatility
If participant systems transmit multiple codec streams to support diverse participants, then adaptability is improved, but bandwidth consumption and processing load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The server acts as an intermediary that receives multiple codec streams from participants and intelligently distributes the appropriate stream to each participant based on their capabilities. This eliminates the need for participants to send multiple streams to all other participants directly, reducing overall bandwidth consumption while maintaining support for diverse codec requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Participant systems in an audiovisual (AV) conferencing can, in one embodiment, use methods to ensure that all participants have a common platform to support AV conferencing, such as a common codec, and also attempt to provide higher quality AV conferencing (e.g., better than the common codec) based on available bandwidth and other criteria. The participant systems can use the common codec as a fallback platform when bandwidth or other criteria dictate a reduction in the quality of the AV conferencing. Other embodiments are also disclosed.