Event Message Box Track Format for CMAF Streaming

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current technologies face challenges in efficiently storing, transmitting, and identifying broadcast-related events and timed metadata in fragmented MPEG-4 formats, such as CMAF, due to limitations in multiplexing and tracking capabilities compared to MPEG-2 Transport streams, leading to issues like missed events and inefficient bandwidth usage.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for a media streaming device to identify and store Event Message Boxes as top-level boxes in a media track, allowing for efficient parsing, storage, and transmission, using a specific track format that links the timeline of event messages to the track file, enabling effective seeking and detection of active events.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If CMAF format is used for Internet-based streaming, then segmentation and retransmission capability is improved, but event message carriage capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveretransmission capabilityVSAvoidevent message carriage

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments event messages into individual Event Message Boxes that can be independently carried within CMAF fragments. Each Event Message Box is a self-contained unit that can be located and retransmitted independently, resolving the contradiction by enabling both segmentation for reliability and complete event message carriage through the segmented structure.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent nests Event Message Boxes within CMAF track structures, creating a hierarchical organization where event messages are embedded as top-level boxes within the fragmented MPEG-4 container. This nesting allows the CMAF format to maintain its segmentation benefits while providing dedicated structures for carrying event messages intact.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

2Productivity

If CMAF format is used for Internet-based streaming, then encryption efficiency is improved, but broadcast event carriage capability deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveencryption efficiencyVSAvoidbroadcast event carriage

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments broadcast events into discrete Event Message Boxes that can be individually encrypted and managed within the CMAF structure. This segmentation allows efficient encryption operations on smaller units while maintaining complete event message integrity, resolving the contradiction between encryption efficiency and event carriage capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent nests Event Message Boxes within the CMAF encryption framework, allowing the CMAF structure to provide efficient encryption while the nested Event Message Boxes maintain their broadcast event carriage functionality. The hierarchical structure enables both encryption efficiency and complete event message preservation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Loss of information

If MPEG-2 Transport stream format is used, then event message multiplexing is improved, but Internet-based streaming efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveevent message multiplexingVSAvoidInternet-based streaming efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of informationVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent inverts the traditional approach by making Event Message Boxes top-level structures within CMAF rather than nested within media tracks. This inversion allows efficient Internet-based streaming through CMAF's fragmented structure while maintaining superior event message multiplexing capabilities, as Event Message Boxes can be independently managed and transmitted.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #13The other way round (Inversion)

4Loss of energy

If CMAF format is used, then bandwidth usage is reduced, but event detection accuracy deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebandwidth usageVSAvoidevent detection accuracy

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments event messages into discrete Event Message Boxes that can be efficiently transmitted over bandwidth-constrained Internet connections. The segmented structure reduces overall bandwidth usage while improving event detection accuracy, as each Event Message Box is a clearly defined unit that can be independently parsed and detected without ambiguity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS11356749B2Track format for carriage of event messages

Publication Date: 2022.06.07 CODESHOP BV

AI summary

In accordance with an example embodiment there is at least a method and apparatus to perform operations including identifying, by a media streaming device, samples in an event message track enclosing one or more Event Message Boxes containing information about a splice point, and identifying that all or one or more Event Message Boxes are active at the sample presentation time of the sample enclosing the Event Message Boxes, and parsing the event message track as an ISO base Media Formatted Track. In accordance with another example embodiment there is a method and apparatus to perform operations including parsing, by a media streaming device, one or more Event Message Boxes in a media track where the Event Message Boxes contains information about a split point, identifying time based events with a duration and presentation time, the operations including instantiating an event message track as an ISO Base Media Format track.