Media Source Device Format Conversion for Playback Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multimedia systems face challenges in playing AV content across devices due to format incompatibilities, as specified by DLNA and UPnP, where content must be converted to match client device capabilities, often resulting in playback failures if formats are not compatible.
Innovation Solution
A media source device that generates and transcodes digital media content to compatible formats for client devices, using a content descriptor generator and transcoder to convert formats such as resolution, bit rate, and audio/video formats, ensuring compatibility and efficient streaming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If content format is changed to match client device capabilities, then playback compatibility is improved, but processing time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs format conversion in advance by creating and storing multiple pre-converted content versions in different formats. When a client device requests content, the server selects the appropriate pre-converted version that matches the device capabilities, avoiding real-time conversion complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a format conversion server as an intermediary component that handles format conversion between content sources and various client devices. This mediator manages the complexity of format compatibility by centralizing conversion operations and providing standardized interfaces.
2Adaptability or versatility
If content is converted to multiple formats for different devices, then client device compatibility is improved, but storage requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple format versions of content are pre-converted and stored on the server before client requests. This allows the system to have ready-to-deliver content in various formats without performing conversion at request time, balancing storage requirements with delivery efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The content server is designed to store and manage multiple versions of the same content in different formats, making it universally compatible with various client devices. This multi-functional storage approach allows a single server to serve diverse device types.
3Quantity of substance
If format conversion is performed in real-time, then storage requirements are reduced, but playback delay increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-converts content into multiple formats and stores these versions in advance. When a client device requests content, the server can immediately deliver the appropriate pre-converted version without real-time conversion delays, achieving fast playback while maintaining format compatibility.
Data Source
AI summary
A media source device includes media files in either original source format or in alternative digital formats, based on a content descriptor indicated by a client device from a plurality of content descriptors generated to represent possible transcodings of the source format. In the alternative, a media source device can receive a client device report and subsequent request for a media file. The media source device can send the media file to the client device in a particular digital format based on whether the content descriptor corresponding to the media file is compatible or incompatible with the client device. The bit rate used to send the media file to the client device can be adjusted based on the available transmit bit rate.