Manifest Update Files for Live Content Data
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for updating content data, particularly for linear/live content items, are often compute-intensive and inefficient, as they require transmitting redundant data, such as boilerplate content, which increases network traffic and device compute requirements.
Innovation Solution
The approach involves generating manifest and captions update files that only include new or updated content data for new segments, excluding standard or common data already received by the client device, using operations like 'add', 'replace', and 'remove' to create a manifest update file that conveys changes between old and new manifest files, and applying XML 'copy' operations to minimize data transfer and computational complexity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If entire manifest files are transmitted for updates, then complete content data is provided to client devices, but network traffic and data transmission volume increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The manifest update process is segmented into two parts: (1) transmission of only the updated period elements that contain new segment information, and (2) retention of existing period elements at the client device. This segmentation allows the server to send minimal update data rather than complete manifest files, reducing network traffic while maintaining data completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the necessary updated portions (new period elements) from the complete manifest file and transmits them separately. By taking out and transmitting only the changed segments rather than the entire manifest, the system reduces the quantity of transmitted data while ensuring the client receives all necessary updates.
2Reliability
If complete manifest files with boilerplate content are transmitted, then all content data is updated, but computational complexity and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The manifest file structure is segmented into period elements, with only the updated periods being transmitted and processed. The client device processes only the new period elements rather than parsing and processing entire manifest files, reducing computational complexity while maintaining complete content data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs partial action by transmitting and processing only the necessary updated portions of the manifest file rather than complete files. This partial action approach reduces computational overhead at both server and client sides while ensuring all necessary content updates are applied.
3Reliability
If captions data is updated for new segments, then accurate subtitles are provided, but common captions data is transmitted redundantly
Solution Approach 1:
Captions data is segmented and associated specifically with new period elements. When updating captions for new segments, only the captions corresponding to those specific periods are transmitted, avoiding redundant transmission of common captions data that applies to multiple segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing captions data specifically tailored to each new period element rather than uniformly transmitting common captions data for all segments. This ensures accurate captions for new content while avoiding unnecessary redundancy.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and apparatuses for updating content data are described herein. Content data may include, for example, manifest files and captions data. A manifest file for a content item may need to be updated when new segments are available for delivery/output. Rather than retrieving an entirely new manifest file, a first manifest file previously received may be updated using a manifest update file(s). The manifest update file(s) may convey any change(s), difference(s), etc., between the first manifest file and the new manifest file that includes content data for the new segments. Captions data may be updated in a similar manner. A captions update may include new captions data corresponding to the new segments, but it may exclude common captions data.