Packet Content Identifier for Video Stream Prioritization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing network technologies randomly drop packets during congestion, leading to loss of valuable content such as video surveillance data or critical voice communications, as they lack the ability to prioritize packets based on their content significance.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that assign content identifiers to packets in a communications network, allowing downstream nodes to prioritize packets based on their content, such as video frames or voice data, using a content mapping table and Real-Time Protocol (RTP) header extensions, ensuring that more valuable content is prioritized and less likely to be dropped.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If packets are randomly dropped during network congestion, then network bandwidth is reduced, but valuable content such as video surveillance data or critical voice communications is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary classification of packets at the source by analyzing video frame content and assigning content identifiers before transmission. This advance categorization enables downstream nodes to make informed drop decisions without needing to analyze packet content, ensuring valuable content is protected while allowing non-critical packets to be dropped during congestion
Solution Approach 2:
The video stream is segmented into individual packets, each independently classified with a content identifier. This segmentation allows selective prioritization at the packet level, where packets containing critical content (faces, license plates) can be protected while packets containing less important content are dropped during bandwidth constraints
2Reliability
If content identifiers are assigned to each packet and downstream nodes prioritize based on content, then valuable content delivery probability increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Content identifiers serve as intermediaries between the video content and the prioritization mechanism. Instead of requiring downstream nodes to directly analyze and evaluate video content (which would be complex), the content identifier acts as a simplified mediator that encapsulates content importance, enabling easy prioritization decisions based on predefined mappings
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a simplified copy or representation of the video content's essential characteristics through content identifiers. Rather than processing actual video data to determine priority, downstream nodes use the copied identifier information from packet headers, significantly reducing processing complexity while maintaining reliable prioritization
Data Source
AI summary
Processing video for low-bandwidth transmission may be complex. At a content source embodiment of methods disclosed herein may include assigning the content identifier as a function of content in a packet of a packet stream on a packet-by-packet basis. The method may further comprise forwarding the content identifier with the packet to enable a downstream network node or device to effect prioritization of the packet within the packet stream. The downstream network node or device may make drop decisions that are guided by a content identifier. Packets, or video frames that contain useful information may be prioritized and have a higher probability of being delivered.