Framework Layer Offline Caching for Streaming Media
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Solution Overview
Problem
In digital signage scenarios, streaming media playback requires offline caching to ensure continuous access to video resources despite network disruptions or system restarts, but existing methods fail to maintain permanent memory caching, leading to cache expiration and increased IO due to proxy server involvement.
Innovation Solution
Modifying the source code of a media player component to create a cache data source module and media cache module on the framework layer, allowing for offline caching of streaming media resources from cloud storage, thereby generating an offline cache file that can be accessed by the application layer without relying on a proxy server.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If streaming media playback is implemented with offline caching using a proxy server, then continuous access to video resources is enabled, but system IO increases and cache integrity deteriorates due to memory caching expiration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the caching function from the application layer and implements it directly in the media player component on the framework layer. This removes the need for proxy servers and intermediate caching layers, allowing the media player to directly download and cache video resources in its own memory space, thereby reducing system IO while maintaining cache integrity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a data source module as an intermediary between the network and the media decoding module. This module handles the downloading, caching, and management of video resources, mediating between the application layer and the media player to eliminate the need for external proxy servers while ensuring continuous playback
2Reliability
If video resources are downloaded completely before playback, then offline access is ensured, but download time and productivity decrease due to large file sizes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by enabling the media player to download video resources in the background during playback. The data source module continuously downloads video segments while the player is running, caching them in memory for future offline playback, thus preparing resources in advance without requiring a separate full download before playback
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by implementing a dynamic caching strategy where the media player adapts its download and caching behavior based on playback progress and available memory. The system dynamically adjusts what to download next and where to cache it, optimizing between offline access reliability and download time efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
An offline caching method comprises: creating a cache data source module on the framework layer for downloading streaming media and a media cache module on the framework layer for writing data to a cache; downloading, by the cache data source module, a media resource from a storage, and writing the media resource into the media cache module to generate an offline cache file; storing the offline cache file; and providing the stored offline cache file to the application layer for access.