Multimedia Redundancy Encoding with Reduced Resource Use

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional redundancy schemes for multimedia content distribution, such as live TV broadcasting, result in significant resource wastage due to redundant channels that are not actively used, leading to increased capital and operational expenditures, as well as environmental impact.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus for encoding multimedia content that determines a redundancy configuration based on a primary configuration, reducing resource usage by disabling certain optimization features and pre-processing operations, thereby generating a redundancy channel that consumes fewer resources while remaining ready to replace the primary channel in case of failure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If redundancy schemes use multiple service instances to protect against failure, then reliability is improved, but resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice availabilityVSAvoidencoding resources

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the encoding parameters of the redundancy channel by disabling optimization features and pre-processing operations, transforming it from a full-encoding mode to a reduced-encoding mode. This parameter change maintains the redundancy function while significantly reducing computational resource consumption and energy usage.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent treats the redundancy channel as a 'cheap' alternative by using simplified encoding with disabled optimizations. The redundancy channel serves as a disposable backup that consumes fewer resources than the primary channel, allowing the system to maintain reliability without proportionally increasing resource investment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #27Cheap short-living objects (Disposable)

2Productivity

If redundancy channels are encoded with full optimization features, then encoding performance is improved, but resource consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveencoding performanceVSAvoidcomputational resources

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies different encoding qualities to different channels: the primary channel receives full optimization features and pre-processing operations for high encoding performance, while the redundancy channel uses disabled optimizations and reduced pre-processing. This local differentiation allows each channel to have appropriate quality levels matching their functional requirements.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies partial encoding actions to the redundancy channel by disabling certain optimization features and pre-processing operations. This partial action is sufficient for the redundancy channel's backup function, avoiding the excessive resource consumption that would result from applying full encoding optimizations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

3Reliability

If all optimization features are enabled for redundancy encoding, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveservice continuityVSAvoidencoding configuration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the encoding configuration into two distinct modes: primary channel encoding with full optimizations enabled, and redundancy channel encoding with optimizations disabled. This segmentation allows the system to manage complexity by treating the two channels differently, with the redundancy channel using a simplified configuration that reduces overall system complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS12461829B2Method for multimedia encoding redundancy management and apparatus for implementing the same

Publication Date: 2025.11.04 ATEME

AI summary

A method for managing encoding of an input multimedia content stream is proposed, which comprises: obtain a primary configuration used for encoding the input multimedia content stream for generating a primary channel; determine, based on the primary configuration, a redundancy configuration for encoding the input multimedia content stream for generating a redundancy channel; and encode the input multimedia content stream according to the redundancy configuration to generate the redundancy channel, wherein the encoding of the input multimedia content stream according to the redundancy configuration uses less resources than resources used for encoding the input multimedia content stream according to the primary configuration, and wherein the redundancy configuration is determined for distributing the redundancy channel through a distribution network in place of the primary channel upon occurrence of a failure in the encoding of the input multimedia content stream for generating the primary channel.