Security Camera Base-Station Transcoding for Low-Latency Streaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current transcoding techniques do not adapt to dynamic changes in network and device environments, leading to inefficient streaming and latency issues, particularly in security camera applications where user devices may have varying capabilities and network conditions.
Innovation Solution
A camera system with a base station that performs adaptive transcoding within the same network as the camera, dynamically adjusting video streams based on input parameters such as network speed, device capabilities, and streaming location factors, allowing for real-time adaptation and efficient transcoding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If transcoding is performed in a cloud server in a different network from the source, then video streaming can be provided to user devices, but latency increases and streaming efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a base station as an intermediary device positioned between the camera and user devices. The base station receives video streams from the camera and performs transcoding locally, acting as a mediator that eliminates the need for remote cloud server processing. This intermediary approach reduces network traversal distance and latency while maintaining streaming availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent shifts the transcoding operation from a remote cloud server dimension to a local base station dimension. By moving the transcoding function from external cloud infrastructure to an on-premises base station within the same network, the system changes the spatial dimension of processing, thereby reducing network latency and improving streaming efficiency.
2Device complexity
If transcoding is performed at fixed bit rate and resolution, then processing is simpler, but the system cannot adapt to dynamic network conditions and device capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic transcoding where the base station continuously monitors network conditions and device capabilities, adjusting bit rate and resolution in real-time. This dynamic approach allows the system to adapt to changing conditions while maintaining manageable processing complexity through automated parameter adjustment based on current state.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback mechanisms where the base station receives information about network bandwidth, device capabilities, and streaming performance, then uses this feedback to automatically adjust transcoding parameters. This closed-loop control enables adaptation to dynamic conditions without requiring complex manual configuration.
3Manufacturing precision
If video is streamed at high resolution and bit rate, then video quality is better, but devices with limited capabilities or slow networks cannot play back smoothly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality adaptation where the base station transcodes the video stream to match the specific capabilities of each user device and network conditions. Instead of using a single fixed quality level, the system adjusts video quality locally for each device, ensuring optimal playback smoothness while maintaining the highest possible quality that each device can handle.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure is related to adaptive transcoding of video streams from a camera. A camera system includes a camera and a base station connected to each other in a first communication network, which can be a wireless network. When a user requests to view a video from the camera, the base station obtains a video stream from the camera, transcodes the video stream, based on one or more input parameters, to generate a transcoded video stream, and transmits the transcoded video stream to a user device. The base station can transcode the video stream locally, e.g., within the base station, or in a cloud network based on transcoding location factors. Further, the camera system can also determine whether to stream the video to the user directly from the base station or from the cloud network based on streaming location factors.