HTTP Streaming Metadata Grouping for Terminal Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adaptive streaming technologies waste resources and processing power due to the need for terminals to parse entire media descriptions to find suitable representations, as servers transmit general media descriptions containing all representations, which are often not suitable for the terminal's capabilities.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where metadata includes a group element summarizing attributes of representations, allowing terminals to request specific Media Presentation Descriptions (MPDs) based on their capabilities, and servers transmit only relevant content through HTTP streaming, optimizing resource usage by selecting appropriate representations for the terminal's bandwidth, resolution, and frame rate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If servers transmit general media descriptions containing all representations, then complete media information is provided, but resource waste and processing power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments media descriptions into multiple groups, where each group contains representations with similar attributes (e.g., resolution, bitrate, format). Terminals can then select only the relevant group based on their capabilities, avoiding the need to process all representations. This segmentation reduces the amount of data terminals must parse while ensuring complete delivery of appropriate media information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and transmits only the necessary media descriptions relevant to terminal capabilities. By identifying terminal characteristics (screen resolution, processing power, network bandwidth) and matching them with appropriate representation groups, the server extracts and sends only the relevant subset of media descriptions, eliminating waste of bandwidth and processing resources on incompatible formats.
2Adaptability or versatility
If servers transmit all representations in media descriptions, then all content options are available, but transmission bandwidth and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
Media representations are segmented into attribute-based groups (e.g., high-resolution group, low-resolution group, different codec groups). Terminals can quickly identify and process only the group matching their capabilities, dramatically reducing parsing time while maintaining adaptability to various terminal types through the comprehensive grouping structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary organization of media representations into capability-based groups before transmission. This pre-processing allows terminals to immediately locate suitable content without exhaustive searching, reducing processing time while preserving full adaptability across different device specifications.
3Adaptability or versatility
If general media descriptions are transmitted to all terminals, then universal compatibility is achieved, but resource efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by tailoring media description transmission to each terminal's specific capabilities. Instead of uniform transmission to all devices, the server analyzes terminal characteristics and delivers appropriately scoped media groups, achieving optimal compatibility for each device while maximizing overall system productivity through reduced redundant processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for an adaptive Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) streaming service using metadata of content are provided. The metadata of the content may be efficiently divided for a purpose of use of a terminal based on general media information or specific media information, and may be transmitted to the terminal. A group may include one or more representations of content. The metadata may include a group element, and the group element may provide a summary of attributes of one or more representations included in the group.