Lossless Multicast Stream Switching via Buffer Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current multicast data transmission methods experience bandwidth doubling and data loss during stream switching, as they require simultaneous reception of both old and new streams, leading to inefficiencies in redundant multicast networks.
Innovation Solution
The system enables lossless switching by leveraging dual-path redundancy in networks, allowing simultaneous reception of new and current multicast streams without increasing bandwidth, using a media stream switcher that controls receiver channels to seamlessly transition between streams while maintaining redundancy.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the receiving device joins the new multicast stream before leaving the current stream, then lossless switching is achieved, but bandwidth consumption doubles during the transition period
Solution Approach 1:
The receiving device performs preliminary actions by leaving the current multicast stream before joining the new stream. This reverses the conventional approach and allows the device to free up bandwidth resources first, then establish the new stream connection, thereby avoiding simultaneous reception of both streams and preventing bandwidth doubling while maintaining lossless switching through proper buffer management
2Quantity of substance
If the receiving device leaves the current multicast stream before joining the new stream, then bandwidth usage is optimized, but data loss occurs during the transition
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary buffering actions before the stream transition occurs. The receiving device pre-loads and buffers data from the current stream before disconnecting, ensuring that no data is lost during the transition period. This preliminary data accumulation in buffers allows the device to safely leave the current stream and join the new one without experiencing data gaps or loss
Solution Approach 2:
The receiving device implements beforehand cushioning by maintaining data buffers that act as a cushion during the stream transition. These buffers store incoming data packets temporarily, providing a safety margin that prevents data loss when switching between streams. The cushioning effect ensures continuous data availability even during the brief transition period when one stream is being left and another is being joined
3Reliability
If redundant media packet streams are transmitted over two separate paths, then packet loss is minimized, but total bandwidth usage doubles
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the redundant stream transmission into a single network path by utilizing multicast group mechanisms. Instead of sending duplicate unicast streams over two separate paths, the system uses a single multicast stream that can be efficiently distributed across the network infrastructure. This combining approach maintains the redundancy benefit for packet loss recovery while avoiding the bandwidth doubling that would occur with separate unicast transmissions
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method is provided for performing lossless switching in a redundant multicast network. An exemplary method includes receiving a primary media stream and a redundant media stream over different forwarding network paths by network ports of a receiver communicatively coupled to an A/V device. Furthermore, the receiver outputs media data of the media streams to the A/V device to be presented thereon. In response to a control signal to switch the receiver to a new primary media stream, the method disconnected either the primary ort the redundant media streams from the respective network port of the receiver receiving that stream. Furthermore, the method includes controlling the disconnected network port to receive the new primary media stream and then outputting media data of the new primary media stream to the A/V device to be presented thereon.