Media Description File Range String Indicator for Adaptive Streaming

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing media streaming systems face performance degradation due to large and unmanageable text-based media description files, which are required to individually define numerous media fragments, leading to longer startup delays and inefficient streaming.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that uses a media description file with a range string indicator to specify size offsets of media fragments, allowing for the storage of these offsets directly in the file or in a separate file, and includes a range unit to specify the size of the offsets, thereby reducing the size of the media description file and improving streaming performance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If separate text-based descriptions are used for each media fragment, then media fragment management is enabled, but the media description file becomes very large and unmanageable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemedia fragment managementVSAvoidmedia description file size

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges individual text-based fragment descriptions into a single consolidated media description file with a unified structure. Instead of having separate description files for each of the 37,800 media fragments, the invention creates one consolidated file that manages all fragments efficiently, reducing the total quantity of description data while maintaining fragment management capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter representation from individual text-based descriptions to a structured format with start time, end time, and byte range parameters. This parameterization allows compact representation of fragment locations and sizes, significantly reducing the file size while enabling efficient fragment identification and retrieval.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If individual text-based descriptions are used for each media fragment, then fragment location tracking is enabled, but startup delay increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefragment location trackingVSAvoidstartup delay

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary organization of all media fragment information into a structured description file before streaming begins. The start time, end time, and byte range parameters are pre-calculated and stored in an optimized format, allowing the client to quickly locate and request specific fragments without parsing through individual descriptions during startup, thereby reducing startup delay.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

By representing fragment information as structured parameters (start time, end time, byte range) rather than individual text descriptions, the system enables faster parsing and location tracking. The client can efficiently query and retrieve fragment locations using these parameters, significantly reducing the time required to start streaming compared to searching through numerous individual text-based descriptions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

If multiple media alternatives are provided for adaptive streaming, then quality adaptation is enabled, but the media description file becomes unmanageable

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequality adaptationVSAvoidmedia description file management

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a universal media description file structure that handles multiple media alternatives (different bit rates, audio languages, closed captioning) through a single unified format. Instead of maintaining separate description files for each alternative, the invention uses a multi-functional structure that can represent and manage all alternatives within one file, reducing complexity while preserving adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges the management of multiple media alternatives into a single consolidated description file. The structured parameters allow efficient organization and retrieval of fragments across different quality levels, audio tracks, and captioning options, making the file manageable despite the large number of alternatives and fragments (37,800 total) through systematic parameter-based indexing.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS9237178B2Combined binary string for signaling byte range of media fragments in adaptive streaming

Publication Date: 2016.01.12 FUTUREWEI TECHNOLOGIES INC

AI summary

A system and method for providing media streaming are provided. A media description file having a range string indicator is used to specify location offsets of a plurality of media fragments within a media file. The range string may be stored directly in the media description file or the media description file may contain an indicator specifying a file containing the range string. The media description file may also include a range unit specifying the size of the offsets in the range string. In an embodiment, offsets within the individual media fragments may also be provided, either in the media description file or in a different file.