Computational Storage Drive for On-Demand Multimedia Codec Offload
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing multimedia on demand systems face high CPU load, high power consumption, and increased hardware costs due to encoding and decoding processes performed on the host side, and hardware expansion solutions introduce additional delays and bandwidth bottlenecks.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a computational storage drive that performs multimedia on demand processing, including codec and multiplexing processes, within the drive itself, reducing the need for host-side CPU occupation and hardware expansion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If encoding and decoding operations are performed on the host side using software, then multimedia processing capability is achieved, but CPU load and power consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the encoding and decoding operations from the host side and relocates them to the storage device side. The storage device independently performs codec processes on stored multimedia data, generating processed data that is then transmitted to the host. This extraction eliminates the burden on host CPU and reduces power consumption while maintaining multimedia processing capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism where the storage device acts as a mediator between the multimedia storage and the host. The storage device receives processing requests from the host, performs the required encoding/decoding operations, and returns the processed data. This intermediary approach allows the host to offload computationally intensive tasks while the storage device handles the processing workload.
2Speed
If hardware expansion acceleration is implemented on the host side, then processing speed is improved, but additional delay and bus bandwidth load are introduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the storage function and the codec processing function into a single integrated system at the storage device side. Instead of having separate hardware acceleration cards that require data transfer between host and accelerator, the storage device itself performs the processing. This merging eliminates the need for additional data transfer cycles and reduces bus bandwidth utilization while maintaining processing speed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the multimedia processing workflow into distinct phases: data storage and retrieval at the storage device, processing request transmission to the storage device, actual encoding/decoding execution at the storage device, and result transmission back to the host. This segmentation allows processing to occur in parallel with data availability, reducing overall latency compared to traditional host-side acceleration approaches.
3Ease of manufacture
If complete software implementation is used on the host side, then hardware cost is reduced, but hardware performance requirements on the host side increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the storage device multi-functional by enabling it to perform both storage operations and codec processing operations. The storage device is designed with universal capabilities to handle various multimedia formats and processing types (encoding, decoding, transcoding) without requiring additional specialized hardware on the host side. This universality maintains low hardware cost while reducing host performance requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A multimedia on demand system includes a host, and a computational storage drive. The host transmits, to the computational storage drive, a first request for multimedia on demand. The computational storage drive, in response to the first request, performs an on demand processing process for multimedia that corresponds to the first request to generate a corresponding on demand result, the on demand processing process including a flow control and one or more of a codec process or a multiplexing process for the multimedia. The computational storage drive transmits the on demand result to the host, and the host receives the on demand result from the computational storage drive.