Adaptive HTTP Live Streaming Media Segmentation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing media streaming technologies face challenges in delivering high-quality, uninterrupted playback of media programs with integrated advertisements, particularly on mobile devices with varying bandwidth and throughput, leading to choppy or interrupted experiences due to the lack of adaptive bit rate management and targeted advertising.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that generate multiple versions of media programs and advertisements, segmented for different presentation throughputs, allowing for dynamic adaptation based on user device capabilities and network conditions, with a master playlist and segment playlist mechanism to ensure seamless playback and targeted ad insertion.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple versions of media programs are generated for different presentation throughputs, then adaptability to varying network conditions is improved, but device complexity and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to network conditionsVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The media program is divided into multiple versions with different bit rates and quality levels. Each version is segmented into manageable chunks that can be independently selected and streamed based on real-time network conditions, allowing the system to adapt without reprocessing the entire media file.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically selects and switches between different media program versions during playback based on real-time network throughput monitoring. This dynamic adaptation allows seamless transitions between quality levels without interrupting the user experience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If advertisements are integrated into the media program stream, then advertising effectiveness is improved, but playback continuity may be disrupted

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadvertising delivery reliabilityVSAvoidplayback continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

Advertisement segments are pre-processed and encoded in multiple versions matching the different media program versions. The playlist is pre-configured with synchronized timestamps and segment identifiers, enabling seamless ad insertion without disrupting the main program playback flow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Different advertisement versions are created with different bit rates and quality levels to match corresponding media program segments. This allows the ad delivery quality to be optimized locally for each segment based on available bandwidth, ensuring smooth integration without playback disruptions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Stability of the object's composition

If media programs are segmented for adaptive streaming, then playback smoothness is improved, but implementation complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplayback smoothnessVSAvoidstreaming system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Stability of the object's compositionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The media program is segmented into uniformly sized chunks with consistent timestamp intervals. Each segment is independently encoded and can be requested individually, enabling smooth playback by allowing the player to buffer and pre-load segments without requiring complex real-time transcoding.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

A playlist file serves as an intermediary between the segmented media files and the player. The playlist contains pre-computed segment URLs, timestamps, and synchronization information, simplifying the player's task to merely follow the playlist instructions rather than managing complex segmentation logic.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Loss of information

If targeted advertisements are delivered based on user identification, then advertising relevance is improved, but data processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadvertising targeting accuracyVSAvoiddata processing energy

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

User identification and advertisement selection are performed in advance before media playback begins. The system retrieves user profile data, selects appropriate advertisement versions, and configures the playlist with targeted ad segments beforehand, minimizing real-time processing requirements during playback.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The advertisement selection and user matching logic is extracted from the media playback system and placed in a separate advertising server. This allows the media player to focus solely on playback while the advertising system handles the computationally intensive tasks of user identification and ad selection independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentEP2586197B1Method and apparatus for providing streaming media programs and targeted advertisements compatibly with HTTP live streaming

Publication Date: 2018.02.07 HULU LLC

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AI summary

A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for providing advertisements with a media program transmitted to a user device are described. Different versions of a media program and advertisements are generated and segmented, and transmitted to a media player individually, allowing different advertisements to be selected for presentation to users according to user demographics and other factors.