Many-to-Many Streaming Control Using Delay-Based Selection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for controlling bitrate and stream selection in large-scale video conferencing systems struggle to balance low latency and high quality performance, particularly when the number of users increases, as they often require time-consuming optimization and cannot quickly adapt to changing network conditions.
Innovation Solution
A stream control system where receiving client devices select combinations of reception streams based on frame delay time using a bitrate map, and the media server adjusts transmission stream bitrates based on these selections, allowing immediate response to delay changes and optimizing video quality within available bandwidth.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If a fixed bitrate is used to achieve low-latency performance, then latency is reduced, but video quality degrades
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts bitrate allocation based on real-time network conditions and user priorities rather than using a fixed bitrate. The media server continuously monitors network status and reconfigures stream bitrates adaptively to maintain both low latency and acceptable video quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes bitrate parameters dynamically based on network conditions. By adjusting the bitrate parameter in response to changing network capacity and latency requirements, the system can optimize the trade-off between video quality and latency performance.
2Manufacturing precision
If bitrate determination and stream selection are optimized periodically, then video quality improves, but the system cannot quickly respond to increased latency when user count increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-calculates and prepares multiple stream selection schemes before network conditions deteriorate. By having pre-computed optimization solutions ready, the system can switch to appropriate schemes quickly when latency increases, avoiding time-consuming real-time optimization calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
The optimization frequency and depth are made dynamic based on current system load and network conditions. When user count is low, comprehensive optimization can be performed. When user count increases and latency rises, the system reduces optimization frequency or uses simplified models to maintain fast response capability.
3Manufacturing precision
If comprehensive stream optimization is performed, then video quality is maximized, but computational complexity and processing time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The stream selection optimization problem is segmented into multiple independent sub-problems, one for each receiving client device. Each device independently selects its optimal stream combination based on its specific network conditions and requirements, rather than solving one large complex optimization problem for all users simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
Each receiving client device autonomously performs stream selection optimization based on information provided by the media server, rather than requiring the media server to compute and manage optimal streams for all users. This distributes the computational burden from the server to the individual client devices.
Data Source
AI summary
A stream control system for many-to-many streaming services includes a plurality of client devices receiving a bitrate map including identification information for at least one transmitting client device from a media server, grade information of a transmission stream transmitted by each transmitting client device, and bitrate information for each grade of the transmission stream, generating a selection table including a plurality of combinations of reception streams and selecting a combination of reception streams based on a frame delay time, and a media server receiving encoded media from at least one transmitting client device and transmitting the media to at least one receiving client device, wherein the client device determines the frame delay time based on transmission start time information inserted into a media frame received from the transmitting client device and an arrival time of the media frame.