Multicast Streaming for Broadcast Radio
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional unicast streaming for broadcast radio content over cellular networks is bandwidth-intensive and lacks flexibility in switching between unicast and multicast streaming, leading to network congestion and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
Implementing content linking multicast streaming, which connects listeners to over-the-air broadcast radio content via IP multicast streams, reducing bandwidth consumption by converting unicast streams to multicast streams when multiple clients access the same content in a specific geographical area, using a cloud-based connected radio service to manage this transition.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If unicast streaming is used to deliver broadcast radio content to multiple clients, then each client receives a dedicated data stream ensuring reliable delivery, but bandwidth consumption increases linearly with the number of clients causing network congestion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple unicast streams into a single multicast stream for broadcast radio content. When multiple clients in the same geographical area request the same content, the system combines their individual stream requests into one shared multicast stream, reducing total bandwidth consumption while maintaining delivery reliability through the cellular network's multicast infrastructure
2Loss of energy
If multicast streaming is implemented to reduce bandwidth consumption, then overall streaming bandwidth is reduced, but flexibility and ease of operation in switching between unicast and multicast modes is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between unicast and multicast streaming modes based on real-time conditions. The cloud-based service monitors client requests, geographical locations, and network conditions, automatically transitioning from unicast to multicast when multiple clients in the same area request identical content, and reverting to unicast when conditions change, providing operational flexibility without manual intervention
3Reliability
If unicast streaming is used for broadcast radio content, then individual client streams are maintained ensuring content availability, but server load increases significantly with the number of concurrent clients
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple client stream requests into a single multicast stream handled by the cellular network infrastructure rather than the content server. The server publishes the audio content once as a multicast stream, and the cellular network distributes it to multiple clients, dramatically reducing server processing load while maintaining content availability through the network's distributed delivery mechanism
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments presented herein are directed to “content linking multicast streaming” The embodiments connect a listener to over-the-air (OTA) broadcast radio content using an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast stream of the broadcast radio content when, for example, (i) a traditional broadcast radio receiver is not available, or (ii) an OTA broadcast radio signal that carries the content is not available. For example, when recovery of the OTA broadcast radio signal by a car radio is not possible because of poor reception or because the car radio is not configured with a suitable broadcast radio tuner, the embodiments generate a link to a multicast stream of the OTA broadcast radio content (also referred to as a “multicast broadcast radio stream” or simply a “multicast stream”), and provide the link to the car radio. The car radio can then access the multicast stream of the OTA broadcast radio content using the link.