Media Gateway Overlay Channels for Video Stream Mixing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional media gateways are inefficient in processing overlay content, as they can only combine graphics and text in a single manner with a single video stream at a time, leading to excessive resource usage and overhead costs due to repeated transmission of overlay content for mixing with different video streams.
Innovation Solution
A network media gateway with multiple decoder and overlay channels, an overlay renderer, and a video mixer that stores rendered overlay content, allowing it to be mixed with multiple decoded video streams and encoded into multiple mixed streams, reducing redundant data transmission by storing overlay content for reuse with various video streams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If overlay content is transmitted through a single overlay channel to be mixed with video streams, then the system structure is simple, but the overlay content cannot be distributed to multiple encoded mixed streams simultaneously and requires repeated transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the overlay content transmission into separate channels: a first overlay channel for graphics overlay content and a second overlay channel for text overlay content. This segmentation allows each channel to be independently mixed with multiple video streams, enabling simultaneous distribution to multiple encoded mixed streams while maintaining manageable system complexity through functional separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements multi-functionality by allowing each overlay channel to serve multiple purposes: the first overlay channel can mix graphics overlay content with multiple different video streams, and the second overlay channel can mix text overlay content with multiple different video streams. This universal capability enables a single overlay channel to support multiple encoded mixed streams simultaneously, improving adaptability without proportionally increasing complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If overlay content is transmitted repeatedly for mixing with different video streams, then the system can handle multiple video streams, but gateway and processor resources are excessively consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-rendering overlay content (both graphics and text) into YUV format before mixing with video streams. The overlay renderer decodes and renders overlay content in advance, storing it in a buffer. This preliminary rendering eliminates the need to repeatedly transmit and re-process the same overlay content for different video streams, significantly reducing gateway and processor resource consumption while maintaining compatibility with multiple video streams.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses copying by creating a buffer that stores rendered overlay content pixels. Instead of repeatedly transmitting the original overlay content from the server for each video stream mixing operation, the system copies the pre-rendered overlay content from the buffer into the mixed stream. This copying mechanism maintains video stream compatibility while dramatically reducing the bandwidth and processing resources required.
3Quantity of substance
If overlay content is not stored for reuse, then the system uses less memory, but redundant data transmission occurs and overhead costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-rendering overlay content into YUV format and storing it in a buffer before mixing with video streams. This preliminary rendering and storage eliminates the need for redundant data transmission when mixing overlay content with different video streams, significantly reducing bandwidth consumption and processing overhead while using manageable memory resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements discarding and recovering by discarding the need for repeated overlay content transmission and recovering the overlay content from the buffer. Instead of continuously requesting and transmitting the same overlay content from the server for each video stream, the system recovers the overlay content from the pre-rendered buffer, eliminating redundant data transmission and reducing overhead costs while using efficient memory storage.
Data Source
AI summary
A network media gateway is disclosed with a processor configured to include a plurality of decoder channels, a plurality of overlay channels, an overlay renderer, a video mixer, and an encoder channel. A digital signal processor embedded in a network media gateway is also disclosed, and a mixing method implemented on a digital signal processor is also disclosed.