Adaptive Streaming Segment Ladder for Low-Latency Transitions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional adaptive streaming systems face latency issues due to the requirement that streaming must start at segment boundaries, leading to unnecessary delays and inefficiencies in content delivery, especially when transitions occur mid-segment.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a hierarchical approach with a 'main' adaptation set and one or more 'ladder' adaptation sets, where ladder sets have shorter segments, allowing for more granular access and smoother transitions by enabling mid-segment content transitions, reducing latency while maintaining compression efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If streaming starts at segment boundaries with complete segment generation, then compression efficiency is maintained, but latency and start-up time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the adaptation set into multiple hierarchical levels (main adaptation set and multiple ladder adaptation sets) with different segment durations. The ladder adaptation sets have progressively shorter segments (e.g., 1 second, 0.5 seconds, 0.25 seconds) compared to the main adaptation set (e.g., 2 seconds), enabling granular access to frames at any point in time while maintaining compression efficiency through the main set's longer segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically switches between different adaptation sets based on the detected transition operation. When a transition is detected at a midpoint, the media device transitions to a ladder adaptation set with shorter segments for low-latency operation, and gradually transitions back to the main adaptation set after the transition operation completes, optimizing performance for different operational states.
2Loss of time
If segments are made shorter for faster transitions, then latency is reduced, but compression efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a hierarchical structure where the main adaptation set uses longer segments (2 seconds) for optimal compression efficiency, while multiple ladder adaptation sets use progressively shorter segments (1s, 0.5s, 0.25s) for reduced latency. This segmentation allows the system to select the appropriate segment duration based on operational needs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the segment duration parameter dynamically by switching between different adaptation sets. When low latency is needed, the system transitions to ladder adaptation sets with shorter segment durations; when compression efficiency is prioritized, the system uses the main adaptation set with longer segments, thus optimizing the parameter based on current operational requirements.
3Device complexity
If a single adaptation set is used, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different transition operations is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the adaptation set into multiple hierarchical levels (main and ladder sets) with different segment durations. This segmentation enables the system to support various transition operations (trick modes, advertisements, channel changes) at different points in time while maintaining manageable complexity through a structured organizational framework.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically selects and switches between different adaptation sets based on the detected transition operation and current playback state. The media device monitors transition operations and automatically transitions between adaptation sets to maintain optimal performance, adding adaptability without requiring complex manual configuration.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are described for delivering and playing streaming content. A plurality of adaptations sets may be generated for a content asset. The plurality of adaptation sets may have segments encoded according to different segment durations. A media device may transition between adaptation sets to perform a content transition operation.