Generic Media Encoding for Multicast Live Broadcast Streams

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Solution Overview

Problem

Network bandwidth is consumed excessively when multiple subscribers request the same real-time broadcast from different content providers due to separate streaming of differently encoded audiovisual data streams, leading to inefficient use of network resources.

Innovation Solution

A web agent generates a generic encoding of audiovisual data streams by rendering and encoding frames from video memory, allowing multicast of a single stream to multiple subscribers, even if they use different content providers, using virtual screen sessions and generic encoders.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple content providers stream the same real-time broadcast separately to different subscribers, then each subscriber can access their preferred content provider, but network bandwidth consumption increases due to duplicate transmissions of identical content

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesubscriber choice of content providerVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges multiple identical content streams into a single multicast stream. When the system detects that multiple subscribers are requesting the same real-time broadcast from different content providers, it consolidates these requests and transmits a single encoded stream to all subscribers simultaneously, eliminating duplicate bandwidth consumption while preserving subscriber access to their preferred providers through logical routing

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a universal encoded stream that serves multiple content provider requests simultaneously. The encoding system generates a standardized stream format that can be distributed to subscribers regardless of their original content provider preference, allowing the same physical stream to fulfill multiple logical requests from different providers

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Loss of energy

If the system encodes and caches audiovisual data for real-time broadcasts, then bandwidth consumption is reduced through efficient distribution, but system complexity increases due to encoding and caching infrastructure requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork bandwidth consumptionVSAvoidencoding and caching system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system introduces an intermediary encoding and caching layer between content providers and subscribers. This intermediary component receives streams from multiple providers, encodes them into a universal format, caches them for efficient retrieval, and distributes them via multicast. This mediator absorbs the complexity of encoding and caching operations, shielding both content providers and subscribers from these complexities while achieving bandwidth optimization

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Productivity

If the system monitors and compares audiovisual data from multiple content providers, then duplicate content can be identified for multicast optimization, but processing overhead and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebandwidth optimization efficiencyVSAvoidcomputational processing overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies partial monitoring by focusing computational resources only on identifying key identifying features of audiovisual streams rather than analyzing entire content. By extracting and comparing only essential metadata and content fingerprints, the system can detect duplicate broadcasts across multiple providers with minimal processing overhead, sufficient to trigger multicast optimization without excessive computational burden

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS12549791B2Reducing network bandwidth consumption of real-time broadcasts using generically encoded media objects

Publication Date: 2026.02.10 VIASAT INC

AI summary

Described herein are ways to reduce bandwidth use for real-time broadcasts between an Internet Service Provider (ISP) and its subscribers by re-encoding audiovisual data streams to have a generic encoding that can be viewed by subscribers of different content providers. A system can determine that a plurality of subscribers is watching the same live event and can multicast the generic encoding of the live event to the plurality of subscribers, even where individual subscribers stream the live event from different content providers. This can eliminate the need for streaming multiple versions of the same live event from different content providers to subscribers. The systems can generically encode an audiovisual data stream of a live event to generate a single audiovisual data stream for the live event that is multicast to subscribers watching the same live event.