Media Gateway Architecture for Cloud Video Stream Fan-Out
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Solution Overview
Problem
Content providers face challenges in distributing media content, such as live video streams, due to costly and complex conversion processes when transitioning from on-premises formats to distributed computing environments, often relying on satellite or fiber services that lack scalability and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
An on-premises infrastructure with a gateway and container orchestration service enables conversion and transmission of media content to a cloud service, allowing for scalable distribution to multiple endpoints using a managed service that integrates with cloud-based applications, leveraging public IP or direct connect communication for efficient video stream management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conversion and reconfiguration steps are performed prior to transmission to distributed computing environment, then media content format compatibility is improved, but distribution cost and system complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the conversion and reconfiguration functions from the on-premises infrastructure and relocates them to the distributed computing environment. The gateway receives media content in various formats and the cloud-based conversion services transform the content, eliminating the need for complex on-premises conversion equipment and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining format compatibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a gateway as an intermediary component that sits between the on-premises infrastructure and the distributed computing environment. This gateway handles format compatibility issues by working with cloud-based conversion services, mediating the interaction between different systems and eliminating the need for complex direct integration between on-premises and cloud components.
2Reliability
If satellite or fiber services are used for media content distribution, then transmission reliability is improved, but distribution cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses copying by transmitting media content as digital data packets over standard network infrastructure rather than requiring dedicated satellite or fiber optic physical connections. The content is replicated and distributed through multiple cloud nodes, achieving reliable delivery through redundancy of data copies rather than redundancy of expensive physical transmission media.
3Ease of operation
If on-premises infrastructure is used for media content processing, then control and management are improved, but scalability and efficiency decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the media content processing functions into distinct components: the gateway handles reception and initial processing on-premises, while conversion, encoding, and distribution functions are segmented and executed across multiple cloud-based services. This segmentation allows each component to operate independently at optimal efficiency while maintaining overall system control through standardized interfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent makes the distributed computing environment universal by designing it to handle multiple media formats, multiple distribution protocols, and multiple destination types through a single cloud-based platform. The gateway and cloud services can process various content types (video, audio, data) and distribute to different endpoints (streaming platforms, storage systems, delivery networks) without requiring separate dedicated infrastructure for each function.
Data Source
AI summary
A content distribution environment enables acquisition of a video feed in a first format, conversion into a second format, and transmission to a cloud service using on-premises equipment managed and operated by the content provider. A gateway or bridge may facilitate operation with one or more managed services, such as a content distribution service, that provides a reliable way to ingest a video stream from a source, replicate the video stream to one or more destinations, and permit sharing of video streams to affiliates and partners. The on-premises equipment may execute a software package to provide end-to-end operations that leverage operations of a cloud service while executing on content provider owned or managed hardware.