Audio Rendering Management Entity Adapting Streams to Decoding Capabilities
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current audio content rendering systems transmit audio streams at standard quality, which is not optimal for devices capable of higher quality decoding, resulting in unsatisfactory user experience due to the lack of adaptation to specific rendering device capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A method that involves a management entity obtaining the audio decoding capabilities of connected rendering devices and selecting and transmitting audio streams matched to those capabilities, allowing for the selection of audio tracks based on available qualities and prioritizing audio or video quality according to user preferences and bandwidth constraints.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If standard quality audio streams are transmitted to all rendering devices, then compatibility across all devices is ensured, but audio quality is not optimized for devices capable of higher quality decoding
Solution Approach 1:
The system transmits different quality audio streams to different rendering devices based on their specific decoding capabilities. Each device receives audio content tailored to its local quality requirements, with high-quality devices receiving lossless or high-bitrate streams while basic devices receive standardized streams, thus optimizing audio quality for each device's capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the audio stream parameters (bitrate, encoding format, quality level) based on the rendering device's decoding capabilities. The management entity adjusts these parameters dynamically to match the device's ability to process and render audio, thereby optimizing quality without sacrificing compatibility.
2Manufacturing precision
If multiple audio tracks with different qualities are transmitted to all devices, then optimal quality can be achieved for each device, but network bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and transmits only the specific audio track that matches the rendering device's decoding capabilities, rather than transmitting all available audio tracks to every device. The management entity identifies the optimal track for each device and sends only that specific stream, reducing unnecessary bandwidth consumption while maintaining optimal quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary identification of the rendering device's decoding capabilities before selecting and transmitting the appropriate audio track. This preliminary action allows the management entity to choose the optimal audio stream in advance, avoiding the need to transmit multiple tracks simultaneously and thus conserving network bandwidth.
3Reliability
If the content server transmits audio content with standard quality, then all rendering devices can decode the content, but the user experience is not optimal for devices capable of higher quality rendering
Solution Approach 1:
The management entity acts as an intermediary between the content server and rendering devices. It receives the audio content from the server, identifies the appropriate audio track based on the rendering device's capabilities, and transmits the optimized stream to the device. This intermediary function ensures both reliable decoding and optimal user experience.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary analysis of the rendering device's decoding capabilities before transmitting the audio stream. This preliminary action enables the selection of the most appropriate audio track that matches the device's abilities, ensuring both reliable rendering and optimal user experience from the start.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, performed by a management entity, for managing audio rendering of an item of audio content on a rendering device connected to a receiver device able to receive items of content from a content server. The item of audio content has a corresponding plurality of selectable audio tracks. The management entity performs the following steps: obtaining the audio decoding capabilities of the rendering device; requesting access to an item of multimedia content, made to the content server; and receiving an audio stream adapted to the audio decoding capabilities and of transmitting the audio stream to the rendering device.