Media Server Proxy for Low-Latency Protocol Switching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional streaming media protocols like HLS and DASH suffer from high latency and inefficiencies in delivering media segments, particularly in scenarios requiring low latency and adaptability over lossy networks, leading to delayed playback and ineffective rate control.

Innovation Solution

A media server proxy is introduced between a remote server and a playback tool, switching between different streaming media protocols to manage media segment delivery, enabling low-latency streaming and adaptive bit rate control, even when the playback tool supports only conventional SMPs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If HLS or DASH protocol is used for streaming media segments, then compatibility with conventional playback tools is improved, but playback latency increases and low-latency streaming cannot be achieved

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecompatibility with conventional playback toolsVSAvoidplayback latency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

A media server proxy is introduced as an intermediary component between the media server and the playback tool. The proxy receives media segments from the media server using a low-latency protocol and forwards them to the playback tool using conventional HLS or DASH protocols. This intermediary enables the playback tool to achieve low-latency streaming without requiring native support for experimental low-latency protocols, thus resolving the contradiction between compatibility and latency performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If client-side rate control is used in HLS or DASH, then adaptability to network conditions is improved, but rate control effectiveness deteriorates over lossy networks

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadaptability to network conditionsVSAvoidrate control effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The media server proxy acts as an intermediary that implements server-side rate control mechanisms. Instead of relying solely on client-side rate control which struggles over lossy networks, the proxy monitors network conditions and dynamically adjusts the bitrate of media segments being transmitted to the playback tool. This server-side control approach maintains reliability and effectiveness even in challenging network conditions while preserving adaptability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If transport protocol operations aggressively back off from timely delivery, then packet loss is reduced, but playback timing is delayed or stalled

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket loss reductionVSAvoiddelivery speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The media server proxy changes the parameters of the transport protocol operations by implementing a less aggressive back-off strategy. Instead of using the conservative timeout and retry parameters of standard HLS or DASH transport protocols, the proxy adjusts these parameters to allow more aggressive timely delivery attempts. This parameter adjustment enables faster delivery speed while maintaining acceptable packet loss rates, resolving the contradiction between reliability and speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

4Adaptability or versatility

If media segments are composed client-side from multiple sequences, then media sequence flexibility is improved, but composition complexity increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemedia sequence flexibilityVSAvoidcomposition complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The media server proxy serves as an intermediary that performs media segment composition on the server side rather than requiring client-side composition. The proxy receives media segments from multiple sequences from the media server, composes them into the desired output sequence, and delivers the composed segments to the playback tool. This server-side composition approach maintains media sequence flexibility while dramatically reducing the complexity burden on the client device.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS12477026B2Media server proxy that switches streaming media protocols

Publication Date: 2025.11.18 MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING LLC

AI summary

A media server proxy switches streaming media protocols (“SMPs”) during streaming of media segments. The media server proxy receives a request, from a playback tool, according to a first SMP to provide information about outgoing media segments of a media sequence. The media server proxy generates the information about outgoing media segments and sends the information to the playback tool. The media server proxy also retrieves, from a remote server, incoming media content for the media sequence according to a second SMP different than the first SMP. The media server proxy assembles outgoing media segments based at least in part on the incoming media content. The media server proxy streams, to the playback tool, outgoing media segments according to the first SMP. In this way, the media server proxy can deliver media segments at very low latency, even when the first SMP typically has much higher latency.