Dual Buffering for Trick Play Latency in Content Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing content viewing systems experience delays when users execute trick play operations, such as rewind or fast-forward, due to the need to access content stored in remote buffers, which negatively impacts the viewing experience.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a dual buffering system where a portion of the content is stored locally on the output device in a smaller buffer, allowing for near-instantaneous rewind or skip-back operations, while also storing a larger portion in a remote buffer for longer trick play operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If content is stored in a remote buffer, then storage capacity is improved, but access speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the buffering system into two separate buffers: a remote buffer for long-term content storage and a local buffer for immediate content retrieval. This segmentation allows the system to simultaneously achieve large storage capacity (remote buffer) and fast access speed (local buffer), resolving the contradiction between quantity and speed.
2Speed
If content is stored in a local buffer, then access speed is improved, but storage capacity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two buffering systems (remote and local) into a unified content delivery architecture. The local buffer merges with the remote buffer to create a hierarchical storage system that provides both fast access for recent content and ample capacity for historical content, resolving the contradiction between speed and quantity.
3Device complexity
If only remote buffering is used, then system complexity is reduced, but user experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-fetching and storing content in the local buffer before the user needs it. This allows the system to provide instant trick-play operations without requiring complex real-time processing, thereby improving user experience while maintaining manageable system complexity through automated content preparation.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems for storing content are disclosed. At least a first portion of a content item may be stored to a first buffer in a first storage located on a computing device. Based on user-initiation of at least one trick play operation, output of the at least the first portion of the content item from the first buffer may be caused. It may be determined that at least an additional portion of the content item is required to perform the trick play operation(s). At least the additional portion of the content item may be received from a second buffer in a second storage located remotely from the computing device. Output of the received additional portion of the content item may be caused.