Multimedia Playback Source Switching for Low-Bandwidth Rewind

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing multimedia streaming systems face significant bandwidth consumption issues when multiple playback devices perform rewind actions simultaneously, particularly during live content streaming, due to the switch from multicast to unicast streaming, which is inefficient and costly in terms of network resources.

Innovation Solution

A method that manages content reading by switching between sources with different transmission speeds, allowing accelerated playback from a secondary source to catch up with the primary source, thereby reducing the reliance on unicast streaming and optimizing bandwidth usage.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If unicast streaming is used for rewind actions, then playback functionality is achieved, but bandwidth consumption increases significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverewind functionalityVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The content stream is segmented into multiple segments with different time offsets. The system divides the rewind operation into two phases: first playing segments from the unicast stream at accelerated speed, then switching to the multicast stream when segments become available, thereby segmenting the bandwidth consumption pattern

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-playing segments from the unicast stream at accelerated speed before switching to multicast. This preliminary playback ensures that the user can immediately access rewound content while the system prepares to transition to the more bandwidth-efficient multicast stream

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Loss of energy

If accelerated playback is used to catch up with the stream, then bandwidth consumption is reduced, but playback quality may deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebandwidth consumptionVSAvoidplayback quality

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the playback speed parameter dynamically - using accelerated playback for unicast segments and normal playback speed for multicast segments. This parameter adjustment allows the system to maintain acceptable playback quality while reducing overall bandwidth consumption through the accelerated unicast phase

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP4654590A1Method for managing the playback of a multimedia content

Publication Date: 2025.11.26 ORANGE SA

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AI summary

The invention relates to a method of managing reading by a device for reading segments of content accessible from content sources capable of transmitting segments of the same content with a time offset, characterized in that during a reading of the content from a first source (n-CDN) with a reading speed, called the reference speed, a reception of a command to go back in the content is followed by a reading of segments from a second source (SU) with a speed different from the reference speed, the reading of the content continuing by reading segments from the first source (n-CDN) when the segments to be read are available from the first source (n-CDN).