Simulated Buffer for Media Stream Quality Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods struggle to objectively quantify the Quality of Experience (QoE) of media streaming over computer networks, especially with encrypted content, leading to difficulties in identifying quality events like stalls, bitrate changes, and pauses, which can result in customer churn and high costs for content providers.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that simulate a content player buffer to detect quality events such as stalls, bitrate changes, and pauses by analyzing packet data, determining the impact on subscribers, and calculating a Quality of Experience score based on perceivable events, device attributes, and predetermined thresholds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If subscriber opinions and scoring are used to measure QoE, then subjective quality assessment is obtained, but the measurement becomes unavailable and insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a simulated content player buffer that copies and replicates the actual player's buffering behavior. This simulation allows objective measurement of QoE metrics by modeling how data chunks are buffered and played back, eliminating the need for subjective subscriber feedback while maintaining measurement accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary measurement system that sits between the media stream and the subscriber. This system intercepts data chunks, simulates buffering behavior, and measures QoE metrics objectively, serving as a mediator that provides accurate measurements without requiring direct subscriber input.
2Reliability
If subscriber feedback is waited for to fix network problems, then subscriber opinions can be obtained, but customer churn increases and costs rise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary measurement and analysis of QoE metrics by simulating buffer behavior in real-time. By proactively identifying quality events such as stalls and bitrate changes before subscribers complain, the system enables early intervention to prevent customer churn and maintain service reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes a continuous feedback loop that monitors QoE metrics in real-time through buffer simulation. This feedback mechanism provides ongoing information about media stream quality, enabling the system to detect degradation patterns and trigger corrective actions before they impact subscriber satisfaction and cause churn.
3Measurement precision
If detailed analysis of each packet is performed, then QoE measurement accuracy is improved, but processing complexity and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential data chunks needed for buffer simulation from the complete media stream. By focusing on extracting and analyzing only the relevant data portions required to model buffering behavior, the system achieves accurate QoE measurement without the computational overhead of analyzing every single packet in detail.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the media stream into discrete data chunks that are processed individually through the buffer simulation. This segmentation allows the system to analyze quality events at appropriate granularities without overwhelming computational complexity, dividing the complex task of QoE measurement into manageable segments.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for determining the quality of a media stream of a computer network including: receiving a packet from a traffic flow; determining whether the packet relates to a media stream; if the packet is related to the media stream, simulating a content player buffer related to the media stream; reviewing further data chunks associated with the media stream to determine quality events affecting the media stream; analyzing the effect of the quality event on a subscriber viewing the quality event; and determining a Quality of Experience score related to the media stream; otherwise allowing the packet to continue to the subscriber without further analysis. A system for determining the quality of a media stream, the system including modules configured to carry out the method for determining the quality of the media stream.