Gateway Proxy for OTT Streaming on Resource-Constrained Clients
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Solution Overview
Problem
Older Internet Protocol (IP) clients with resource constraints struggle to decode certain data formats and support newer methods of data packing, especially when receiving streams from Over the Top (OTT) servers, as they may lack the necessary central processing unit (CPU) capabilities or resources.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where a gateway acts as a proxy server within the customer premises equipment network, receiving user selections for OTT content and inserting cue points as metadata or different packet identifiers, which allows the gateway to provide pre-installed or translated content, and handle resource issues dynamically without changing processing methods.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If OTT servers deliver streams directly to older IP clients, then data transmission efficiency is improved, but the clients cannot decode certain formats or support newer data packing methods due to lacking CPU capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a gateway device as an intermediary between the OTT server and older IP clients. The gateway receives streams from the OTT server, decodes them using its own capable CPU, and re-encodes them in formats compatible with older clients. This mediator resolves the contradiction by enabling data transmission efficiency while simultaneously providing the necessary format adaptation that older clients lack.
2Adaptability or versatility
If OTT servers push data to clients at certain times, then service control flexibility is improved, but older clients cannot process the data due to resource constraints
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway acts as a buffer and processing intermediary that receives pushed data from the OTT server, processes it using its own resources, and delivers it to older clients in a manageable format. This allows the system to maintain flexible service control while the gateway absorbs the processing burden, preventing older clients from being overwhelmed.
Solution Approach 2:
The gateway performs preliminary processing of the pushed data before delivering it to older clients. By pre-decoding, pre-formatting, and pre-conditioning the data stream, the gateway ensures that older clients receive only the processed results, eliminating the need for them to perform complex processing operations they cannot handle.
3Adaptability or versatility
If gateway acts as proxy server and receives all OTT content, then client compatibility is improved, but network device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The gateway is designed as a multi-functional device that combines OTT content reception, decoding, re-encoding, advertising insertion, and client delivery capabilities into a single universal platform. By consolidating these functions, the gateway achieves broad client compatibility while the added complexity is centralized in one device rather than distributed across multiple components.
Data Source
AI summary
Various implementations described herein are directed to technologies for providing over the top streaming for one or more clients of a network. A network is formed among the network among customer premises equipment. The customer premises equipment may include at least a gateway and the one or more clients. A user selection for over the top (OTT) content is received. The OTT content is received and includes one or more cue points. The gateway is marked as a proxy server in response to receiving the one or more cue points. Proxy data is received from the gateway corresponding to the one or more cue points.