Server Push for Media Segment Batching

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional HTTP streaming methods require a separate request for each media segment, leading to significant overhead and power consumption on client devices and scalability issues on servers, especially when streaming multiple sub-streams like audio and video.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a server push mechanism where multiple media segments are sent to the client device without a specific request for each, using a stateless communication protocol like HTTP, reducing the total number of requests required for streaming multimedia content.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If traditional HTTP streaming is used where each media segment requires a separate request, then the client device can precisely control which segments to request, but the number of requests increases significantly leading to high power consumption and server processing overhead

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveClient control over segment requestsVSAvoidPower consumption on client device

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple separate request-response transactions into a single request that triggers a batch transfer of multiple media segments. Instead of issuing individual HTTP requests for each segment, the client sends one request and the server responds by pushing multiple segments in sequence, combining what would have been multiple separate operations into one unified interaction.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The server performs preliminary action by proactively pushing multiple media segments to the client in advance of when they are explicitly requested. The server anticipates the client's needs and prepares segments ahead of time, transferring them before the client would normally request them, thereby reducing the total number of requests required.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Adaptability or versatility

If traditional HTTP streaming is used with multiple sub-streams (audio, video), then each sub-stream can be independently controlled, but the multiplicative effect increases the total number of requests significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveIndependent control of sub-streamsVSAvoidNumber of requests to handle

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges the handling of multiple sub-streams into a unified request-response framework. Instead of managing separate request sequences for audio, video, and other sub-streams, the system uses a single request mechanism that triggers coordinated delivery of segments from all sub-streams, reducing the multiplicative complexity of managing multiple independent request streams.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Device complexity

If traditional HTTP streaming is used, then the stateless protocol ensures simple server architecture, but each request requires full request-response processing overhead reducing scalability

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveServer architecture simplicityVSAvoidServer processing efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent establishes continuity of useful action by maintaining an open request channel between client and server. Once a request is initiated, the connection remains active allowing the server to continuously push multiple segments without requiring the client to close and reopen connections or send repeated requests, thereby improving processing efficiency and scalability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS10880357B2Reducing requests for media segments in streaming of multimedia content

Publication Date: 2020.12.29 ADOBE INC

AI summary

In various implementations, a server is configured to execute instructions stored in storage that when executed perform operations that include receiving a hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) request to stream a video segment of multimedia content to a client device. The video segment is of a video sub-stream of the multimedia content. The operations further include sending the video segment and an audio segment to the client device based on the HTTP request for the video segment. The sending pushes the video segment and/or the audio segment to the client device. The audio segment is of an audio sub-stream of the multimedia content. A plurality of segment sets may be pushed based on the HTTP request for the video segment. Each segment set can include an additional video segment and an additional audio segment that correspond to at least partially concurrent portions of the multimedia content.