Dynamic Buffer Ordering for Digital Content

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Solution Overview

Problem

Users experience delays while interacting with digital content, such as video games, as they reach portions that have not yet been fully downloaded, due to varying consumption patterns among users.

Innovation Solution

A method that tracks content access information for each user to identify similar patterns, allowing for customized buffer ordering of digital content items, ensuring that users receive portions in an order that aligns with their consumption style, thereby minimizing lag during playback.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of time

If a user begins interacting with digital content before downloading is complete, then the user can start consuming content earlier, but the user experiences delays when reaching portions that have not yet been downloaded

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvewaiting time before content consumptionVSAvoidcontent delivery speed
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by predicting which content portions the user will access next and pre-buffering those specific portions before they are actually needed. This allows the user to start consuming content immediately while the predicted portions are being downloaded in the background, eliminating both initial waiting time and subsequent playback delays.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The buffer ordering is made dynamic by continuously tracking actual user access patterns and adjusting the predicted access order in real-time. The system adapts the buffering strategy based on observed user behavior, changing the download priority of content portions dynamically to match the user's actual consumption style rather than following a fixed predetermined order.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

2Device complexity

If content is buffered in a fixed order for all users, then the buffering process is simple and consistent, but it does not account for varying user consumption patterns causing delays

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebuffering system complexityVSAvoidcontent delivery efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the parameter of buffer ordering from a fixed static sequence to a dynamic user-specific sequence. By monitoring user access patterns and adjusting the buffer ordering parameters based on individual consumption behaviors, the system optimizes content delivery efficiency for each user while maintaining manageable system complexity through automated pattern recognition.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2912820B1Buffer ordering based on content access tracking
Publication Date: 2018.09.12 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC
  • EP2912820B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP2912820B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP2912820B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Embodiments are disclosed that relate to buffering portions of a digital content item in different orders for different users. For example, one disclosed embodiment provides a method of providing a buffer ordering for a digital content item. The method includes tracking content access information for each user of a plurality of users, the content access information for each user comprising information regarding how content portions of each of one or more digital content items were accessed by the user. The method further comprises providing a different buffer ordering for a first user of a selected digital content item than for a second user based upon the content access information.