Circular Buffer for Media Replay and Space Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing media buffering technologies face challenges in efficiently managing buffer space and ensuring seamless playback of media content, particularly when the buffer reaches its end, leading to limitations in replay functionality and buffer flexibility.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a circular buffer with a non-write area that allows continuous buffering between the buffer beginning and the non-write region, enabling dynamic buffer resizing and freeing up space, while maintaining a seekback buffer for replay functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a traditional linear buffer is used for media content, then the buffer structure is simple, but the replay functionality is limited and buffer flexibility is reduced when the buffer reaches its end
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies the circular buffer principle where the buffer structure wraps around from the end to the beginning, creating a curved/circular data structure instead of a linear one. This allows the buffer to continuously reuse memory space by overwriting old data at the beginning once new data is written at the end, thereby enabling seamless replay functionality without increasing fundamental buffer complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The circular buffer is segmented into distinct regions including a write region, a read region, and a non-write region. This segmentation allows independent management of data writing, reading, and replay operations, enhancing buffer flexibility and replay capabilities while maintaining clear structural organization
2Adaptability or versatility
If the buffer size is fixed, then memory allocation is simple, but buffer flexibility and space utilization are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic buffer management where the buffer characteristics including size, write region boundaries, and non-write region boundaries can be adjusted during operation. This allows the buffer to adapt to varying media content requirements and playback conditions, significantly enhancing buffer flexibility through dynamic updates while maintaining manageable complexity through structured control mechanisms
3Adaptability or versatility
If continuous buffering is implemented without a non-write region, then buffer space utilization is maximized, but replay functionality is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by creating a specific non-write region within the circular buffer that has different access permissions compared to other regions. This localized restriction on writing to the non-write region preserves replay-capable data while minimizing the impact on overall buffer space utilization, allowing replay functionality to coexist with efficient space usage
Data Source
AI summary
Media content is downloaded on a media device. Portions of the media content are buffered successively during the download in a buffer on the device. During the buffering, the buffered portions are read for playback. In the buffer, a non-write buffer region trails behind a current playback read position. Upon the buffering reaching an end of the buffer, the buffering of media content is continued between a buffer beginning and the non-write buffer region.