Multimedia Stream Control Signaling for Protocol Version Compatibility
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional communication systems lack flexibility and efficiency in signaling and versioning, particularly in multimedia streams, leading to limitations in supporting new technologies and unforeseen changes, and existing data protocols like XML are not optimized for bit efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for generating and transmitting control information using a tree-based data structure with extensible service descriptors, allowing for dynamic configuration of audiovisual devices to handle different protocol versions and accommodate new standards, while optimizing bit efficiency through uniform length commands and data fields.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a tree-based data structure with extensible service descriptors is used, then adaptability and versatility are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control information is segmented into multiple service descriptors, each representing a specific protocol version or functionality. Each service descriptor contains a version field and associated control parameters, allowing the system to divide complex protocol information into manageable, independently parseable units that devices can selectively process based on their capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The service descriptor structure is designed to be dynamically extensible, with version fields that can indicate different protocol revisions and optional parameter fields that can be present or absent based on the specific service requirements. This dynamic structure allows the system to adapt to new protocol versions without requiring fundamental changes to the data structure framework
2Loss of energy
If uniform length commands and data fields are used, then bit efficiency is improved, but flexibility in representing variable information is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses parameter fields within service descriptors that can change their effective length or presence based on the protocol version and service type indicated. The uniform structure provides fixed-length fields for version identification and service descriptor type, while allowing optional or variable-length parameter fields to be included only when needed, thus achieving bit efficiency through uniformity where required while maintaining flexibility where information varies
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple groups of control information according to different protocol versions are transmitted, then adaptability is improved, but loss of information increases due to bandwidth consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The service descriptor structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it identifies the protocol version, describes the service parameters, and indicates which control information groups are applicable. By using a universal descriptor format that can represent different protocol versions and service types through standardized fields, the system avoids transmitting separate complete control information sets for each version, instead using the descriptors to efficiently indicate which version-specific information should be applied
Solution Approach 2:
The service descriptors are transmitted in advance to indicate which protocol versions and control information groups are available or applicable. This preliminary information allows receiving devices to pre-determine which control information to process, avoiding the need to transmit or process all possible protocol version variations simultaneously, thus reducing bandwidth overhead while maintaining support for multiple versions
Data Source
AI summary
Control information for configuring an audiovisual device to present multimedia content according to a first service type may be generated. A method may include generating first control information for configuring an audiovisual device to decode a multimedia stream, generating first data that indicates a structure of the first control information, and transmitting the first data and the first control information. The first control information may be generated according to a first protocol version. Second data and second control information may be similarly generated and transmitted according to a second protocol version. Disclosed techniques may facilitate receiving devices to determine whether they support received wireless transmissions and decode the transmissions based on the control information.