Fragmented Media Stream Delivery with Embedded Adaptation Data
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional mechanisms for media stream delivery, particularly for fragmented media streams, result in significant delays before playback can commence, affecting user experience due to the need for separate requests and processing of playlist information, media data, and bandwidth adaptation data.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a fragmented MPEG-4 framework that embeds playlist information, media data, and bandwidth adaptation data within media stream fragments, allowing playback to begin with the receipt of sufficient fragments, and enabling dynamic encoding and distribution of live streams across scalable hardware, reducing the need for separate requests and minimizing delays.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If conventional mechanisms are used for media stream delivery, then separate requests for playlist information, media data, and bandwidth adaptation data can be processed, but significant delays occur before playback can commence
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines playlist information, media data, and bandwidth adaptation data into a single fragmented media stream delivery mechanism. Instead of requiring separate requests for each type of data, the system merges all necessary information into one unified request-response cycle, eliminating the sequential delays caused by multiple separate requests and processing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-organizing and embedding playlist information, media data, and bandwidth adaptation data together in the fragmented media stream before delivery. This preliminary preparation ensures that when a request is made, all necessary data is already packaged and ready for immediate processing, eliminating the need for multiple subsequent requests and reducing playback delay.
2Productivity
If fragmented media streams are delivered with separate requests for each data type, then data can be transmitted systematically, but the number of requests and processing steps increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple data types (playlist information, media data, bandwidth adaptation data) into a single fragmented media stream delivery unit. This consolidation reduces the number of separate requests from three or more to just one, significantly improving playback startup speed while maintaining systematic data transmission through the unified fragment structure.
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional encoding and delivery mechanisms are used, then media streams can be delivered, but channel change and startup performance are degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the media stream into fragmented units that each contain self-contained information including playlist data, media content, and bandwidth adaptation information. This segmentation enables rapid channel changes because the client can quickly switch between different fragmented streams without needing to process large monolithic files or make multiple sequential requests, thereby improving both adaptability and reducing channel change delay.
Data Source
AI summary
A media stream delivery system encodes and fragments media streams into numerous media stream fragments maintained on fragment servers. Playlist information, media data, and bandwidth adaption data is provided as box information with media stream fragments to reduce the number of client requests required to begin playback or perform a channel change. A client no longer needs to make separate requests for bandwidth adaptation data, media data, or playlist information. Playback can begin as soon as sufficient media stream fragments are received.