Continuous Content Distribution via Client Buffering and Crossfade
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing content distribution systems experience unnatural pauses between music pieces when distributing live albums, as they wait for reproduction completion before sending subsequent pieces, leading to silent periods and an unnatural listening experience.
Innovation Solution
A content distribution system where a server transmits multiple content pieces continuously to a client without waiting for reproduction completion, using a buffer to store and sequentially reproduce the pieces, and employing crossfade mode for seamless transitions between tracks.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the server waits for reproduction completion before distributing subsequent contents, then the client can reproduce contents in order, but waiting time occurs between content pieces causing unnatural pauses
Solution Approach 1:
The server performs preliminary actions by distributing multiple content pieces to the client before the client has finished reproducing the first piece. The client receives and stores subsequent contents (second piece, third piece, etc.) in advance, so that when the first piece finishes playing, the next content is already available for immediate reproduction without waiting time.
Solution Approach 2:
The client acts as an intermediary buffer between the server and the reproduction output. It stores multiple content pieces received from the server and manages their sequential reproduction, allowing the server to distribute contents continuously while the client controls the timing of reproduction to maintain proper order without gaps.
2Loss of time
If the server distributes multiple content pieces continuously, then waiting time is eliminated, but the client needs buffer management capability
Solution Approach 1:
The client performs preliminary buffering by storing multiple content pieces received from the server before reproduction is complete. This preliminary storage action enables continuous content distribution from the server while maintaining the ability to reproduce contents in order, eliminating waiting time between pieces.
Solution Approach 2:
The client autonomously manages its own buffer, receiving continuous content streams from the server and independently controlling the timing and order of reproduction. The client monitors its buffer status and automatically reproduces contents in the correct sequence without requiring complex server-side coordination, simplifying the overall system architecture.
Data Source
AI summary
A contents distributing system capable of reproducing a plurality of contents continuously at the client not to put a waiting time can be provided. A server 100 reads respective contents constituting a group from a memory device 102 and then transmits continuously the contents when such server receives a request for distribution of plural pieces of contents formed into a group. A client 200 stores sequentially the received contents in a buffer 205. An AV outputting portion 206 of the client reads the contents stored in this buffer sequentially from the early stored contents and then reproduces the contents.