Server Signal Processing Hardware Offloading

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current server systems face significant performance costs in bandwidth, power, and latency when processing and transferring video and audio signals over networks, especially when multiple users share resources, due to the computational intensity of these tasks being handled in software.

Innovation Solution

Offloading computationally demanding signal processing tasks such as compression, encoding, and encryption to specialized hardware components within the server system, which cooperate with existing processors and memory to optimize signal processing and reduce data transfer requirements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If video and audio signal processing is performed using software on server processors, then the system can handle multiple users concurrently, but the processing speed and performance deteriorate due to computational intensity

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenumber of concurrent usersVSAvoidsignal processing speed

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides the signal processing function into separate hardware components (video processing hardware, audio processing hardware) that are dedicated to specific tasks. This segmentation allows the server to handle multiple users concurrently while each hardware component processes signals in parallel, resolving the contradiction between multi-user support and processing speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces specialized hardware components as intermediaries between the server processor and the network communication. These hardware components handle the computationally intensive signal processing tasks, allowing the software to maintain multi-user support while the hardware ensures high processing speed. The hardware acts as a mediator that offloads tasks from the software layer.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Quantity of substance

If video signals are compressed using software-based RDP protocols, then data transfer is reduced from 1.7 Gbps to 1-30 Mbps, but significant performance costs remain in bandwidth, power, and latency

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata transfer volumeVSAvoidprocessing latency

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the software-based compression mechanism with hardware-based compression circuits. This substitution eliminates the computational overhead and latency associated with software processing while maintaining the data reduction capability. The hardware compression performs the same function (reducing data volume) but without the time and power penalties of software execution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Speed

If specialized hardware components are introduced for signal processing, then processing speed and efficiency improve, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesignal processing speedVSAvoidhardware architecture complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

SpeedVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent designs the specialized hardware components to be universally applicable across different server configurations and protocols. The video processing hardware and audio processing hardware are built with standardized interfaces that work with various server architectures and communication protocols, reducing the overall system complexity despite adding specialized functionality. The hardware components can serve multiple purposes and integrate seamlessly with existing systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS8886699B2Offloading the processing of signals

Publication Date: 2014.11.11 BLACK BOX SOFTWARE DEV SERVICES LTD

AI summary

A server computer that is connected over a network to one or more remote client computers includes specialized hardware for handling computationally-intensive signal processing operations involving video, audio, and/or other signals. As a result, users of the client computers experience little or no delay when accessing over the network applications that are hosted on the server.