Edge Server Video Delivery for VR Latency Reduction

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Solution Overview

Problem

Panoramic video content delivery to mobile devices via virtual reality headsets experiences high motion-to-update latency, leading to poor user experience due to delayed video rendering and potential blackouts, especially when using central cloud servers far from the user.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a mobile edge cloud (MEC) system that offloads VR computations to edge servers closer to the user, utilizing techniques like motion prediction and prefetching to reduce latency, and optimizing streaming protocols and codec parameters to provide video content in smaller, timely portions with margin areas to ensure seamless rendering.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of energy

If video content is delivered from a central cloud server, then bandwidth utilization is efficient, but motion-to-update latency increases leading to poor user experience

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebandwidth utilization efficiencyVSAvoidmotion-to-update latency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the video content delivery system into multiple edge servers distributed geographically closer to users, rather than relying on a single central cloud server. This segmentation allows video content to be delivered from the nearest edge server, reducing latency while maintaining efficient bandwidth utilization through distributed content delivery.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces edge servers as intermediary nodes between the central cloud and mobile devices. These edge servers receive video content from the cloud and cache it locally, acting as mediators that reduce the distance and time for content delivery to end users, thereby reducing motion-to-update latency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If video content is provided in full resolution, then video quality is high, but bandwidth consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevideo qualityVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies local quality by delivering video content at different resolutions based on the user's specific needs and device capabilities. Instead of providing full resolution to all users, the system adjusts video quality locally at each edge server according to individual user requirements, reducing overall bandwidth consumption while maintaining high quality where needed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements partial action by delivering only the necessary portions of video content at high resolution, rather than providing complete full-resolution content to all users. The system provides video content at optimized resolutions that satisfy quality requirements while consuming less bandwidth.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Loss of energy

If video content updates are delayed, then bandwidth usage is reduced, but blackouts occur during head movements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebandwidth usageVSAvoidvideo rendering continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-fetching and caching video content at edge servers before it is actually requested by users. This advance preparation ensures that when users request video content or move their heads, the content is already available at the edge server, preventing blackouts while optimizing bandwidth usage through efficient caching strategies.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent ensures continuity of useful action by maintaining video content updates through the edge server caching mechanism. The edge servers continuously receive and store video content from the cloud, ensuring uninterrupted delivery to users even during head movements, thereby maintaining rendering continuity without excessive bandwidth usage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS11032590B2Methods, devices, and systems for providing panoramic video content to a mobile device from an edge server

Publication Date: 2021.06.08 AT&T INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY I L P

AI summary

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, embodiments for determining a first motion-to-update latency of a mobile device in relation to receiving a video content update provided by a video content server. Further embodiments include, responsive to determining that the first motion-to-update latency exceeds a threshold: determining a motion-to-update latency of the mobile device in relation to receiving video content updates from a plurality of edge servers resulting in a plurality of motion-to-update latencies, identifying a second motion-to-update latency from the plurality of motion-to-update latencies that is below the threshold, identifying an edge server associated with the second motion-to-update latency, and transmitting video content to the edge server to mitigate the first motion-to-update latency. The edge server provides a portion of the video content at different time intervals to the mobile device and the video content comprises panoramic video content. Other embodiments are disclosed.