Service Gateway Bandwidth Allocation for Multimedia Streaming

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Solution Overview

Problem

In the context of multimedia content streaming, existing technologies often result in degraded video quality for users due to bandwidth bottlenecks and unfair resource distribution among client terminals, leading to suboptimal quality experiences.

Innovation Solution

A method and device for managing multimedia content that calculates a target level for delivery based on terminal characteristics, such as available bandwidth and priority, to optimize the quality of multimedia streams across a local network, ensuring fair distribution of resources and minimizing bottlenecks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If the client terminal autonomously selects streaming levels based on available bandwidth, then the system maintains simplicity in decision-making, but the video quality becomes degraded due to network bottlenecks and unfair resource distribution among multiple terminals

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveautonomous level selection by clientVSAvoidvideo quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a service gateway as an intermediary between the content server and client terminals. The gateway establishes characteristics for each terminal (screen size, processing power, priority) and calculates target levels centrally, mediating the resource allocation between multiple terminals and the content server to optimize overall video quality while maintaining system simplicity

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically changes the target level parameter based on established terminal characteristics and current network conditions. By calculating optimal target levels centrally and adjusting them according to terminal priorities and capabilities, the system improves video quality without requiring complex autonomous decision-making at each client

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If multiple client terminals compete for bandwidth without centralized control, then each terminal can independently access content, but the resource distribution becomes unfair and bottlenecks occur on the network

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveindependent terminal accessVSAvoidnetwork resource distribution
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The service gateway acts as a mediator that coordinates bandwidth allocation among multiple terminals. It establishes characteristics for each terminal and calculates target levels that ensure fair resource distribution, preventing network bottlenecks while maintaining independent terminal access to content

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates equipotential conditions by ensuring each terminal receives an appropriate share of network resources based on its characteristics and priority. The centralized calculation of target levels balances the resource distribution, making the network environment fair and reliable for all terminals simultaneously

Inventive Principle:
Principle #12Equipotentiality

3Device complexity

If the system uses traditional adaptive streaming with client-based bandwidth estimation, then the implementation remains simple, but the quality of service deteriorates when terminals have different priorities and capabilities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestreaming implementationVSAvoidquality of service
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

The service gateway introduces minimal complexity by centralizing the characteristic establishment and target level calculation. This intermediary handles the quality of service optimization centrally, allowing simple client terminals to receive appropriate service levels without implementing complex quality assessment algorithms

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically adjusts the target level parameter based on terminal characteristics (screen size, processing power) and priority. This centralized parameter adjustment improves quality of service for differentiated terminals while keeping the overall implementation relatively simple through automated calculation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP2879352A1Control of multimedia content broadcasts
Publication Date: 2015.06.03 ORANGE SA
  • EP2879352A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP2879352A1 patent drawingFigure 3
  • EP2879352A1 patent drawing

AI summary

The invention relates to a method for managing multimedia content (C1, C2) capable of being rendered by at least one terminal (2-4) connected to a service gateway (6). The content is capable of being transcoded according to several levels (N1...N10). The method is characterized in that it comprises the steps of: - receiving (E13, E14) a request from a terminal for multimedia content (C1@N2, C2@N5) in an initial level (N2, N5); - establishing (E11, E12) at least one characteristic related to the terminal; - calculating (E15, E16) a target level (C1@R2, C2@R5) for the multimedia content to be delivered to the terminal (3, 4), based on the established characteristic.