Multi-room User Interface for Bandwidth Conflict Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
IP-based television systems face bandwidth limitations, restricting the number of television devices that can receive live television content simultaneously, leading to complex viewing situations and conflicts between different data streams and viewer requests.
Innovation Solution
A multi-room user interface is implemented, allowing each television-based client device to receive a different data stream and render a viewing selection, with features to display recording information, conflict resolution options, and the ability to redirect data streams, enabling viewers to manage bandwidth conflicts and select alternative viewing options.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If bandwidth is allocated to deliver data streams to multiple television devices, then more devices can receive television content, but the number of devices that can simultaneously receive live television is restricted due to limited bandwidth
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a representation of the viewing selection from the live data stream and displays it at a different client device. This copying approach allows the same content to be viewed on multiple devices without requiring separate live data streams for each device, thereby resolving the bandwidth limitation while maintaining the ability to deliver live television content to multiple locations simultaneously
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple data streams are delivered to support viewing on multiple devices, then more viewing options are available, but bandwidth conflicts and viewing conflicts arise between different data streams
Solution Approach 1:
The system introduces a multi-room user interface as an intermediary that manages data stream allocation and conflict resolution. This interface monitors bandwidth usage, detects conflicts between different viewing requests, and coordinates data stream delivery to multiple devices. By centralizing the management of data streams through this intermediary, the system reduces the complexity of managing bandwidth conflicts while maintaining multiple viewing options
3Productivity
If standard definition data streams are used, then more programs can be viewed simultaneously due to lower bandwidth requirements, but viewing quality is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts data stream delivery based on device capabilities and viewing requirements. When a device requests content, the system determines whether to deliver a live data stream or a representation, and selects the appropriate quality level based on the device's capabilities and the current bandwidth situation. This dynamic approach allows the system to optimize between viewing quality and the number of simultaneously viewable programs
Data Source
AI summary
Multi-room user interface is described. In an embodiment, a viewing system includes television-based client devices that each receive a different data stream and render a viewing selection from the data stream. A multi-room user interface displayed at a first television-based client device can display a representation of a viewing selection being shown at any one or more of the other television-based client devices.