Byte Acquisition Scheduler for Adaptive Bitrate Streaming

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Solution Overview

Problem

Adaptive bitrate streaming systems face challenges in managing network utilization and prioritizing content delivery, particularly when dealing with high and low priority streams concurrently, as they struggle to maintain optimal network capacity and quality without causing underruns or overloading the network.

Innovation Solution

A byte acquisition scheduler is implemented to manage network bandwidth by breaking down low priority content into smaller HTTP byte ranges, allowing for independent variation of download periods and pulse widths, ensuring high priority streams receive sufficient bandwidth while optimizing overall network utilization.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If low priority content is downloaded concurrently with high priority streams using standard HTTP protocols, then network utilization increases, but high priority streams may experience bandwidth starvation and quality degradation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork utilizationVSAvoidhigh priority stream quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments low priority content into smaller HTTP byte ranges, allowing the scheduler to control and limit the bandwidth consumed by low priority downloads. This segmentation enables the system to download low priority content in controlled portions without starving high priority streams of necessary bandwidth, thus resolving the contradiction between maximizing network utilization and maintaining high priority stream quality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The byte acquisition scheduler dynamically adjusts the download behavior of low priority content based on network conditions and high priority stream requirements. It can vary download periods and pulse widths to ensure high priority streams receive sufficient bandwidth while still utilizing available network capacity for low priority content, thereby maintaining both high network utilization and reliable high priority stream delivery

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Productivity

If the download rate of low priority content is increased to maximize network utilization, then overall productivity improves, but the risk of underruns and buffering issues in high priority streams increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoverall download throughputVSAvoidstream continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The byte acquisition scheduler implements feedback mechanisms that monitor network conditions and high priority stream performance in real-time. Based on this feedback, it dynamically adjusts the download rate of low priority content, increasing throughput when network capacity is available and reducing it when high priority streams show signs of underrun or buffering issues, thus maintaining both productivity and stream continuity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The scheduler performs preliminary actions by pre-planning and controlling the download of low priority content in advance, ensuring that high priority streams always have priority access to network bandwidth. This preliminary control prevents underruns and buffering issues before they occur, while still maximizing overall network utilization through careful scheduling of low priority downloads

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Productivity

If multiple competing sessions share network bandwidth without prioritization, then network capacity is fully utilized, but individual session quality and reliability deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork capacity utilizationVSAvoidsession quality

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by treating different sessions with different download qualities and priorities. High priority sessions receive guaranteed bandwidth and preferential treatment, while low priority sessions receive remaining bandwidth. This local differentiation ensures that each session maintains appropriate quality levels while the network capacity is fully utilized across all sessions

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

By segmenting the network traffic into high priority and low priority sessions, and further segmenting low priority content into byte ranges, the system enables differentiated quality of service. This segmentation allows full network capacity utilization while maintaining reliable quality for high priority sessions through controlled bandwidth allocation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS10652166B2Non-real time adaptive bitrate recording scheduler

Publication Date: 2020.05.12 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

In one embodiment, a system is described, having a processor to receive a request for download of a high priority adaptive bitrate (ABR) content item which is available for download at a higher bit rate and a lower bit rate, and a request for a download of a low priority ABR content item, which is also available for download at a higher bit rate and a lower bit rate. A byte acquisition scheduler determines a required bandwidth to download the high priority ABR content item without adapting to the lower bit rate, and determines a remaining bandwidth to download the low priority ABR content item. A download interface interfaces with an ABR server, downloads the high priority ABR content item and the low priority ABR content item, and allocates at least the required bandwidth and up to the remaining bandwidth. Related systems, apparatuses and methods are also described.