Multi-Stream Content Delivery for Responsive Cloud TV Interfaces
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Low-end devices with limited resources face challenges in delivering high-quality videos and responsive user interfaces due to conflicting needs for resiliency and low latency, particularly in cloud-based TV UI rendering platforms.
Innovation Solution
A multi-stream content delivery method where the cloud renders UIs and videos separately, using one stream for low latency UI elements and another for buffered videos, with distinct decoders and buffers configured for each, ensuring high responsiveness and resilience against network interruptions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single stream is used to deliver both video and UI content, then device complexity is reduced, but responsiveness of UI elements deteriorates due to buffering requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the content delivery into two separate streams: a buffered video stream for resiliency and a low-latency UI stream for responsiveness. This segmentation allows each stream to be optimized independently, with the UI stream delivered without buffering to achieve real-time responsiveness while the video stream can be buffered for quality playback.
2Reliability
If video content is buffered for smooth playback, then resiliency against network interruptions is improved, but UI responsiveness deteriorates due to delay
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the delivery stream into separate buffered video content and low-latency UI elements. The video portion is buffered to ensure smooth playback and resiliency against network interruptions, while UI elements are delivered in real-time without buffering to maintain responsiveness and avoid user-perceptible delays.
3Device complexity
If low-end devices receive cloud-rendered UIs with embedded videos, then device resource requirements are reduced, but network resiliency deteriorates due to single-stream limitations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements segmentation by delivering cloud-rendered UI content and embedded video content through separate streams with different buffering strategies. This allows low-end devices to receive optimized content delivery where critical UI elements are prioritized for immediate display while video content is buffered, improving overall network resiliency without increasing device complexity.
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Techniques for multi-stream content delivery are described herein. In various embodiments, at least one server hosting a cloud computing platform renders a user interface for a client device, where the user interface includes low latency content and buffered content. The server then identifies display properties of the buffered content in the user interface and encodes the low latency content into a low latency stream. The server also streams the user interface to the client device, including transmitting to the client device the low latency stream, separate and distinct from a buffered content stream for delivering the buffered content to the client device. The server additionally signals the client device the display properties of the buffered content for playback of the low latency stream and the buffered content at the client device.