Cloud Media Player Offloading ABR Logic for Thin Clients
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adaptive bitrate (ABR) players on client devices consume significant computational resources and storage space due to tasks like player logging, interpreting video formats, and downloading updates, which is particularly challenging for thin client devices with limited resources.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a cloud media player that performs computationally intensive tasks such as congestion control, buffer management, and manifest parsing in the cloud, reducing the load on client devices by routing requests and managing downloads through a communication channel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If ABR players run on client devices to interpret video formats and manage streaming, then video playback functionality is achieved, but computational resources and storage space on client devices are significantly consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the ABR player functionality from the client device and relocates it to a server. The server now performs manifest parsing, format interpretation, and adaptive bitrate selection, while the client device only handles basic video playback. This extraction resolves the contradiction by maintaining reliable video playback functionality while eliminating the heavy computational resource consumption on client devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a server as an intermediary between the content source and the client device. This server acts as a mediator that processes video manifests, determines optimal bitrate selections based on network conditions, and delivers processed streaming data to the client. This intermediary approach maintains playback reliability while protecting client devices from computational overhead.
2Adaptability or versatility
If ABR players run on client devices to handle multiple video formats, then format compatibility is achieved, but storage space on client devices is significantly consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the format interpretation and manifest parsing functionality from the client device storage and relocates it to server memory. The server maintains and processes video manifest files containing format information, while the client device only stores minimal playback data. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining broad video format compatibility through server-side processing while minimizing storage requirements on client devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The server is designed to handle multiple video formats and manifest types (HLS, DASH, MP4, TS) universally, making the system adaptable to various formats without requiring each client device to possess comprehensive format support libraries. This multi-functional server approach achieves format versatility while keeping client device storage minimal.
3Ease of operation
If thin client devices with limited resources run ABR players, then video playback is possible, but performance is constrained due to limited local resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the computationally intensive ABR player operations from thin client devices and relocates them to powerful servers. This allows thin client devices to maintain ease of operation for video playback without being constrained by their limited local computational resources, as the heavy processing occurs on the server side.
Solution Approach 2:
The server performs self-service by automatically analyzing network conditions, parsing manifests, and selecting optimal bitrate configurations without requiring complex client-side processing. This enables thin client devices to access high-performance video playback capabilities while the server handles the computational workload independently.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for providing multimedia content by a cloud media player are described herein. In some embodiments, the cloud media player is hosted by one or more servers that include one or more processors and a non-transitory memory. The cloud media player receives a request to play a media content item at a client device. The cloud media player identifies, based at least in part on client conditions at time of the request, one or more units of the media content item for the client device to download according to a manifest obtained and parsed by the one or more servers. The cloud media player then signals to the client device the one or more units to download.