Broadband Gateway Layered Video Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional systems for digital television and broadband access lack flexibility in providing a broader range of content to users, often requiring dedicated set-top boxes for encryption and limited access to multimedia broadcasts, which can be inconvenient for users seeking to access the internet through their televisions.
Innovation Solution
A broadband gateway system that identifies video layer information based on device decoding capabilities and power profiles, communicates this information to service providers, and selectively provides base and enhancement layer videos to ensure optimal video streaming across various devices, enabling flexible content delivery and energy management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional systems use dedicated set-top boxes for encryption and limited access to multimedia broadcasts, then security and authorized reception are improved, but device complexity and user convenience deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The broadband gateway is designed to perform multiple functions: it provides set-top box functionality for encrypted broadcast reception, enables Internet access through televisions, and supports layered video services. This consolidates what previously required separate dedicated devices into a single universal gateway, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the functions of a set-top box, Internet gateway, and video processing unit into a single broadband gateway device. This merging eliminates the need for separate dedicated STBs for different services, reducing device complexity while preserving authorized reception capabilities through integrated encryption handling.
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional systems provide limited access to multimedia content, then device complexity is reduced, but adaptability and content variety deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The video service is segmented into multiple layers (base layer and enhancement layers) that can be selectively delivered and decoded. This segmentation enables the system to provide basic content to devices with limited capabilities while also supporting high-quality content for capable devices, all through a single gateway without requiring multiple separate systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway dynamically adapts its behavior based on device capabilities and network conditions. It can adjust video layer delivery, encryption handling, and service routing in real-time to match the requirements of different devices (televisions, computers, mobile devices), providing versatile content access without requiring complex static system configurations.
3Manufacturing precision
If the system delivers high-quality video to all devices, then video quality is improved, but energy consumption and bandwidth usage worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different video quality levels to different devices based on their local capabilities. Devices with stronger decoding capabilities receive enhancement layers for high-quality video, while devices with limited capabilities receive only the base layer. This local quality adaptation maintains acceptable video quality for all users while significantly reducing overall energy consumption and bandwidth usage compared to delivering high quality to all devices.
Data Source
AI summary
A broadband gateway, which that enables communication with a plurality of devices, handles at least one physical layer connection to at least one corresponding network access service provider. The broadband gateway may identify video layer information required for a layered video service based on video decoding capabilities and/or power profiles for the devices. The identified video layer information, comprising number of required layers and corresponding video formats such as 720P60, 1080i60 and/or 1080P60, may be communicated to the at least one network access service provider. A base layer video and one or more enhancement layer videos, generated via scalable coding based on the communicated identified video layer information, may be received from the at least one corresponding network access service provider. The received base layer video and enhancement layer videos are selectively provided to the devices for the requested layered video service based on the corresponding video decoding capabilities and/or power profiles.