Dynamic Content Segment Lengths for Streaming Latency

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current content streaming technologies face challenges in minimizing latency and ensuring efficient playback of video and audio content over networks, particularly in adapting segment lengths based on network conditions and user demands.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a content server and client system that generates and transmits content segments of varying lengths, starting with short segments for quick playback and gradually increasing their duration based on predefined events or conditions, using a segmentation engine and transcoder to ensure compatibility with protocols like DASH or HLS, allowing for efficient streaming and playback without interruptions.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If content is transmitted as a single large segment, then transmission efficiency is improved, but latency increases and playback responsiveness deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvetransmission efficiencyVSAvoidlatency

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The content is divided into multiple segments of varying lengths. Initial segments are transmitted with shorter durations to enable quick playback initiation, reducing latency. Subsequent segments gradually increase in length to improve overall transmission efficiency. This segmentation strategy resolves the contradiction by balancing responsive playback with efficient resource utilization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

2Productivity

If segment length is increased to improve encoding efficiency, then bandwidth utilization improves, but playback startup time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveencoding efficiencyVSAvoidplayback startup speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The segment length is made dynamic rather than static. The system transitions from short initial segments that enable fast playback startup to progressively longer segments that improve encoding efficiency. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize both playback responsiveness and encoding efficiency at different stages of content delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Adaptability or versatility

If segment length varies adaptively, then network condition adaptability improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork condition adaptabilityVSAvoidsegmentation system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the parameter of segment length adaptively based on network conditions and playback progress. By modifying this single critical parameter dynamically, the system achieves network adaptability without requiring complex structural changes. The segmentation engine adjusts segment duration as a key parameter to balance responsiveness and efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS9356981B2Streaming content over a network

Publication Date: 2016.05.31 AVAGO TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL SALES PTE LTD

AI summary

Disclosed are embodiments for streaming content over a network. First content segments are generated such that the time durations of at least a subset of the first content segments progressively increase with respect to time. Second content segments are generated that are configured to be played subsequent to the first content segments. The second content segments have time durations that are substantially the same with respect to each other. The first content segments and the second content segments are transmitted to a client device.