Communication Server Floor Control Logic for Bandwidth Minimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for multiple clients to access the same media source efficiently are limited by high bandwidth usage, scalability issues, and require client coordination, leading to poor user experience and increased communication server overhead.
Innovation Solution
A communication server implements novel floor control logic to tie multiple floor arbiters together across separate sessions, allowing a single media stream to be sent from the media source to the communication server for distribution to clients, minimizing bandwidth usage and enabling efficient switching between media sources without requiring explicit group call semantics.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If each viewer establishes an independent viewing session with the media device, then each user can access the video independently, but multiple copies of the video are sent on the uplink connection, limiting the number of users and increasing bandwidth usage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the video distribution into two parts: a single uplink stream from the media device to the communication server, and multiple downlink streams from the server to individual viewers. This segmentation allows independent session access for each viewer while consolidating the uplink bandwidth usage to a single stream.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication server acts as an intermediary between the media device and multiple viewers. It receives a single video stream from the media device via the web server and then distributes it to multiple clients, eliminating the need for multiple uplink streams while maintaining independent viewer sessions.
2Quantity of substance
If multicast operation is used to send a single copy of the video to all clients, then bandwidth usage is reduced, but reliability problems occur due to lack of feedback or retry mechanism for lost packets
Solution Approach 1:
The communication server serves as a reliable intermediary that receives the video stream via unicast from the media device, ensuring reliable delivery with feedback mechanisms. It then distributes the stream to multiple clients, combining the reliability of unicast with the bandwidth efficiency of multicast-like distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms through the communication server that can detect lost packets and trigger retries. The server monitors the video stream delivery and can request retransmission of lost packets, ensuring reliable delivery while maintaining efficient bandwidth usage through single uplink streaming.
3Quantity of substance
If a group call is set up for multiple users to share the uplink connection, then bandwidth usage is reduced, but users need to coordinate and explicitly join group sessions, reducing flexibility
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically manages session consolidation without requiring user coordination. When multiple clients connect to view the same media source, the communication server automatically consolidates their sessions into a single uplink stream, eliminating the need for explicit group call setup while maintaining bandwidth efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication server provides multi-functional capability by handling both individual and group viewing sessions through a unified architecture. It automatically detects when multiple clients are viewing the same source and consolidates sessions, providing both the flexibility of independent session joining and the bandwidth efficiency of shared uplink connections.
4Ease of operation
If separate chat sessions are created for each camera, then each camera can be accessed independently, but significant session signaling overhead is created and switching between cameras results in delays
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple camera sessions at the communication server level. When a user switches between cameras, the server maintains the session context and can quickly switch the video source without requiring complete session re-establishment, reducing switching delays while maintaining independent camera access capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication server pre-establishes session frameworks for multiple camera sources. When switching between cameras is requested, the server can quickly activate the pre-prepared session context for the new camera source, minimizing switching delays while maintaining the ability to access each camera independently.
Data Source
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AI summary
A communication server implements a method (200) that minimizes bandwidth usage between a media device and the communication server in a communication system where separate session and floor control protocols are used. Where multiple clients have established (202, 204, 206) separate sessions to access a media source at a media device and upon determining (208) that the multiple clients are attempting to access the same media source, the communication server implements floor control logic to tie (210) multiple floor arbiters together across the separate sessions to cause a single media stream to be sent from the media source and received (212) at the communication server for distribution (214) to the clients, thereby minimizing the bandwidth on the uplink between the media device and the communication server.