Media Storage Fast-Fail Controller for Latency Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage systems face challenges in managing playback latency during media file access, particularly when errors occur, as they often apply a fixed threshold that can be too strict, leading to unnecessary error correction and potential playback errors, especially in scenarios where additional latency may be tolerated for synchronized audio and video playback.
Innovation Solution
A storage system with a controller that tracks playback latency caused by error correction and executes a fast-fail operation if the aggregated latency exceeds a threshold, allowing it to decide whether to continue error correction or send an error to the host, thereby optimizing playback quality and reducing unnecessary corrections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a fixed threshold is applied for error correction, then reliability is improved, but playback latency increases and media access efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic threshold adjustment for error correction based on aggregated playback latency. Instead of using a fixed threshold, the system continuously monitors the cumulative time spent on error correction and dynamically adjusts whether to continue correction or fast-fail, optimizing the balance between reliability and playback timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter of error correction threshold from a static fixed value to a dynamic value that depends on aggregated latency. This parameter change allows the system to adapt the strictness of error correction based on the current playback timing context, reducing unnecessary corrections when latency is already high.
2Manufacturing precision
If error correction is continuously applied, then data accuracy is improved, but playback timing is disrupted and latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a fast-fail mechanism that allows the system to skip further error correction when the aggregated latency threshold is exceeded. This skipping principle enables the system to rush through the remaining corrections and maintain playback timing, accepting that some data accuracy may be compromised to preserve overall playback synchronization.
3Reliability
If a strict fixed threshold is used for error handling, then data integrity is improved, but media access efficiency and playback quality deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts error handling strictness based on aggregated latency measurements. When latency is low, the system maintains strict error correction to ensure data integrity. When latency accumulates, the system becomes more lenient and allows fast-fail operations, improving media access efficiency and overall playback quality.
Data Source
AI summary
A storage system and method for media-based fast-fail configuration are provided. In one embodiment, the storage system aggregates elapsed time spent handling errors in parts of a media frame read from the memory of the storage system. The storage system compares the aggregated elapsed time to a threshold representing a total acceptable latency. If the aggregated elapsed time does not exceed the threshold, the storage system handles error(s) in other part(s) of the media frame read from the memory. However, if the aggregated elapsed time exceeds the threshold, the storage system sends an error to a host without handling error(s) in other part(s) of the media frame read from the memory. Other embodiments are provided.