Proxy Mixer Scalable Media Mixing Architecture

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Solution Overview

Problem

In videoconferencing, the perceived quality of video streams varies significantly across different endpoints due to differences in display size and allocated display areas, leading to inefficient bandwidth usage and varying user experience, as existing systems struggle to balance low bandwidth consumption with high perceived image quality.

Innovation Solution

A scalable architecture using proxy mixers that receive requests for media streams with quality metrics from endpoints, determine an aggregate quality metric, and transmit requests to generate composite video streams at the highest quality metric, allowing for dynamic adjustment based on display areas and available bandwidth, and incorporating transcoding to match requested quality levels.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a central mixer generates composited video streams for all participants, then all participants can receive video streams, but bandwidth consumption increases and quality consistency across different display sizes deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevideo stream distribution capabilityVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the video distribution task by introducing proxy mixers that serve specific groups of endpoints. Instead of a single central mixer serving all participants, the system divides the distribution network into multiple segments, each handled by a proxy mixer. This reduces the bandwidth burden on any single mixer and allows for more efficient local distribution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements local quality adaptation by allowing each endpoint to request video streams at quality levels appropriate for its display characteristics. Proxy mixers receive quality metric requests from endpoints and generate composite streams at aggregate quality metrics that match local display requirements, ensuring optimal quality for each endpoint without unnecessarily high bandwidth consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Manufacturing precision

If video streams are transmitted at high quality metrics, then perceived image quality improves, but bandwidth consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvevideo qualityVSAvoidbandwidth consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically changes quality parameters based on endpoint requirements. Each endpoint indicates quality metrics in its requests, and proxy mixers adjust the aggregate quality metric accordingly. This allows video streams to be transmitted at the minimum necessary quality level for each endpoint, optimizing the balance between perceived image quality and bandwidth consumption.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If a single central mixer serves all endpoints, then system complexity is reduced, but scalability and adaptability to different display configurations deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemixer architectureVSAvoiddisplay configuration adaptability

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent adds a hierarchical dimension to the mixer architecture by introducing proxy mixers between the central mixer and endpoints. This creates a multi-level distribution structure that maintains the simplicity of the central mixer while adding adaptability at the local level through proxy mixers that handle quality metric requests from different endpoints with various display configurations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

4Manufacturing precision

If video streams are customized for each endpoint's display size, then perceived quality optimizes, but system complexity and processing overhead increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveperceived video qualityVSAvoidstream processing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Proxy mixers act as intermediaries between the central mixer and endpoints, handling the complexity of quality metric requests. They receive requests from endpoints with different display configurations, calculate aggregate quality metrics, and manage the customization of video streams accordingly. This distributes the processing complexity across multiple proxy mixers rather than concentrating it in a single central mixer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS9667683B2Scalable architecture for media mixing

Publication Date: 2017.05.30 NOKIA OF AMERICA CORP

AI summary

A proxy mixer includes a transceiver configured to receive one or more first requests to provide one or more first media streams to one or more first endpoints. The one or more first media streams are generated by one or more second endpoints. The one or more first requests indicate one or more first quality metrics for the one or more first media streams. The transceiver is also configured to provide one or more second requests for the one or more second endpoints to generate the one or more first media streams at an aggregate quality metric that equals a highest quality metric of the one or more first quality metrics. The transceiver is further configured to transmit the one or more first media streams towards the one or more first endpoints.