ATSC 3.0 MPD Dynamic Indicators for Latency-Free Display

Solution Overview

Problem

In ATSC 3.0 digital television systems, attribute information such as language, aspect ratio, and bitrate is not initially included in media presentation description (MPD) files, leading to delays in playback as these packets arrive asynchronously, causing a short pause before content can be displayed.

Innovation Solution

A processor is configured to identify MPEG media transport protocol (MMTP) packets containing attribute information and generate an MPD file with a dynamic type indicator, allowing for immediate presentation of these attributes on a user interface when a display command is received.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If attribute information is received in MMTP packets asynchronously, then the information can be received separately from the MPD creation process, but this causes a delay in playback as the system waits for packets to arrive

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplayback delayVSAvoidasynchronous packet reception

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining placeholder elements in the MPD file for attribute information that will arrive asynchronously. The MPD is created with reserved slots for language, aspect ratio, and bitrate descriptors, allowing the player to immediately display available information while waiting for the actual attribute packets to arrive, thus eliminating playback delay.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Speed

If attribute information is included in the MPD file, then playback can start immediately without waiting for MMTP packets, but this requires synchronous processing which complicates the system architecture

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveplayback start speedVSAvoidsynchronous processing requirement

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the attribute information delivery by separating the MPD file structure into two parts: immediately available placeholder elements and dynamically filled attribute descriptors. This segmentation allows the player to start playback using placeholder values while simultaneously receiving and processing MMTP packets in the background to populate the actual attribute information, maintaining asynchronous operation without compromising playback speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

3Loss of information

If the system waits for MMTP packets to arrive before displaying attribute information, then all attribute data can be accurately presented, but this causes a pause that degrades user experience

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveattribute information completenessVSAvoiddisplay pause

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-defining placeholder elements in the MPD file for attribute information that will arrive asynchronously. The MPD is created with reserved slots for language, aspect ratio, and bitrate descriptors, allowing the player to immediately display available information while waiting for the actual attribute packets to arrive, thus eliminating playback delay.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS11606528B2Advanced television systems committee (ATSC) 3.0 latency-free display of content attribute

Publication Date: 2023.03.14 SATURN LICENSING LLC

AI summary

Techniques are described for expanding and/or improving the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) 3.0 television protocol in robustly delivering the next generation broadcast television services. A dynamic MPD can be supplemented by offline descriptor information transmitted OTA at display time so that the descriptor information, e.g., language information, captioning information, and the like, can be immediately presented on a UI.