Camera Feedback for Streaming Content Quality Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Streaming services face challenges in determining the quality of the video experience delivered to users, as they often lack control over the stream once it leaves their servers and cannot accurately gauge user experience due to variations in receiving devices, leading to subjective and unhelpful user feedback.
Innovation Solution
A system utilizing camera-based feedback, where a camera captures images of the displayed content to analyze characteristics such as image quality, and sends feedback to adjust streaming parameters in real-time to improve the user experience, either by modifying the streaming source or the display device configuration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If streaming services hand off content streams to other networks for delivery, then the streaming service can leverage external network infrastructure, but the streaming service loses control over the stream quality and delivery conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the receiving device captures images of the displayed content using a camera, analyzes the captured content to determine quality characteristics, and sends this information back to the streaming source. This closed-loop feedback allows the streaming service to monitor and adjust stream quality even when using external network infrastructure, resolving the contradiction between leveraging external networks and maintaining quality control.
2Loss of information
If streaming services rely on user feedback to assess video experience quality, then they can obtain direct user perceptions, but the feedback becomes subjective and lacks expertise for systematic improvement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces subjective human feedback with an automated optical measurement system. A camera captures images of the displayed content, and image processing algorithms objectively analyze characteristics such as resolution, brightness, and quality metrics. This substitution of mechanical/optical measurement for human subjective assessment provides precise, consistent, and actionable quality data.
3Productivity
If systems analyze content on the video card internally, then they can access raw data, but the analysis does not reflect the actual user experience observed on the display
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of analyzing raw video card data that may not reflect actual display conditions, the patent uses a camera to create an optical copy of the displayed content as the user actually sees it. This physical copy captures the real-world effects of display rendering, including any losses or artifacts introduced by the display device itself, providing an accurate representation of user experience.
4Adaptability or versatility
If streaming providers require particular applications or configurations on receiving devices, then they can standardize the playback environment, but other factors still influence perceived video experience negatively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback that captures the actual displayed content and analyzes quality characteristics, allowing the system to identify and communicate issues caused by device variations. This feedback mechanism enables the streaming service to adapt content delivery or provide targeted guidance to users about their specific device conditions, improving experience consistency despite device diversity.
Data Source
AI summary
A streaming source sends streaming content to a display device. A camera captures images of the display device playing the streaming content and/or a user's interaction with the display device along with the displayed response to the user's interaction. The captured content is analyzed to determine, for example, image quality characteristics of the displayed content, a user experience associated with the displayed content or whether the displayed content matches an expected outcome associated with testing input. Information determined from the analysis of the captured content may be used to adjust characteristics of the streaming content, such as streaming parameters at the streaming source or configuration of the display device. A testing system may analyze the captured content to evaluate performance of the streaming system. Results of the testing may be sent to a data store and/or used to mitigate a poor user experience such as poor image quality.