Delayed VOD Streaming for Network Capacity Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
High definition video-on-demand streaming services face bandwidth limitations during peak usage hours, leading to inconsistent video quality, as existing technologies struggle to manage network traffic effectively, resulting in either reduced quality playback or excessive buffering.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a client application on user devices that allows users to delay VOD playback, enabling content delivery during off-peak hours and storing high-quality VOD assets with encryption keys in local or cloud storage, reducing network traffic and ensuring high-quality playback without requiring changes to service provider systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If unicast streaming is used to deliver high definition VOD content, then video quality is improved, but network bandwidth consumption increases during peak hours
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple unicast streams into a single multicast stream by having client devices join a common multicast group. This allows one video server to serve multiple clients simultaneously over shared network paths, reducing redundant data transmission and bandwidth consumption during peak hours while maintaining high definition video quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The video server is enhanced to support both unicast and multicast streaming modes. This multi-functionality allows the system to automatically select the appropriate streaming mode based on network conditions and client requirements, optimizing bandwidth utilization while ensuring high video quality delivery.
2Manufacturing precision
If bandwidth is allocated to ensure high quality VOD streaming, then video quality is improved, but network capacity is reduced during peak usage hours
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts between unicast and multicast streaming modes based on real-time network conditions and client distribution. When many clients request the same content, the system switches to multicast to optimize network capacity utilization. When clients are few or content differs, unicast mode ensures high video quality. This dynamic adaptation resolves the contradiction between maintaining video quality and optimizing network capacity.
3Quantity of substance
If VOD streaming is delayed to off-peak hours, then network bandwidth availability is improved, but user waiting time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-loading and buffering video content in advance of actual playback requests. When clients request VOD content, the system checks if the content is already buffered locally or can be quickly retrieved from cache, eliminating the need to wait for streaming during peak hours and reducing user waiting time while optimizing bandwidth usage.
Data Source
AI summary
A user device receives a video-on-demand (VOD) selection from a user and determines that current network streaming conditions are not adequate to provide high-quality VOD content. The user device presents an option, to the user, to delay presentation of the VOD content and receives a selection to delay presentation. Based on the selection to delay, the user device obtains the VOD content from a content delivery system and obtains encryption keys for the VOD content from a license server. In a manner transparent to the content delivery system, the user device stores the VOD content and encryption keys to create stored VOD content and stored encryption keys. The user device notifies the user that the VOD content is available to view and presents the stored VOD content using the stored encryption keys. The user device deletes the stored content and stored encryption keys per a VOD viewing policy.