Client-Side Content Stream Monitoring via Playlist Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Simultaneously streaming content to a large population of users worldwide causes server overload, making it difficult to maintain the health of streamed content due to the inability to monitor all content streams effectively.

Innovation Solution

A method where a client device monitors content streams by analyzing a master playlist file, comparing current and previous versions, and performing remedial actions when accessibility issues are detected, such as requesting alternative playlist files or repairing the content stream, to ensure continuous availability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If servers monitor all content streams simultaneously, then monitoring completeness is improved, but server overload increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemonitoring completenessVSAvoidserver overload

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSStress or pressure

Solution Approach 1:

Client devices perform self-monitoring of content streams by analyzing master playlist files and detecting accessibility issues locally. This shifts the monitoring burden from servers to clients, allowing complete monitoring without server overload.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

Client devices send monitoring reports about content stream health back to servers. This feedback mechanism enables servers to be informed of stream status without requiring servers to actively monitor all streams, resolving the contradiction between monitoring completeness and server load.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If servers actively monitor all content streams, then stream health detection is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestream health detectionVSAvoidsystem complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The monitoring function is extracted from the server-side system and transferred to client devices. Clients independently analyze master playlist files and detect stream health issues, simplifying the overall system architecture by removing the complex server-side monitoring infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

3Productivity

If client devices monitor content streams, then monitoring distribution is improved, but client device requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemonitoring distributionVSAvoidclient device requirements

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Client devices perform preliminary monitoring actions by continuously analyzing master playlist files for changes that indicate stream health issues. This proactive approach enables distributed monitoring without requiring complex real-time analysis capabilities, as clients only need to compare playlist versions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20240146788A1Methods, Systems, And Apparatuses For Content Stream Monitoring

Publication Date: 2024.05.02 COMCAST CABLE COMM LLC

AI summary

Methods and systems for monitoring a content stream are described. Streaming health of a playlist file, associated with a master playlist file, received by a client device may be monitored by the client device. The client device may determine health of the content stream by monitoring updates made to the playlist file. The client device may cause a remedial action to be made to the playlist file by indicating that there is an issue with the playlist file to a computing device.