Streaming Buffer Timestamp Scalar Adjustment for Bandwidth Adaptation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing video streaming technologies face challenges in managing latency and bandwidth variations, leading to interruptions and increased waiting times during interactive controls, especially in video surveillance and network streaming applications, where rapid control reactions are required.
Innovation Solution
A method for audio and video control response and bandwidth adaptation that involves a server-based system with a stream controller, QoS controller, and stream adaptor, which adjusts the timestamp scalar and buffer management to ensure smooth playback by estimating the buffer data and adapting to bandwidth changes, allowing for rapid control responses and efficient data re-accumulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the player buffers streaming data to adapt to bandwidth variations, then playback smoothness is improved, but streaming latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the buffer management strategy based on network conditions and control operations. When a control operation is detected, the buffer expiration message mechanism actively flushes the buffer to minimize latency. During normal playback, the buffer accumulates data to ensure smooth playback. This dynamic switching between buffer accumulation and buffer flushing resolves the contradiction between playback smoothness and streaming latency.
2Speed
If the buffer is flushed rapidly for control operations, then control response time is improved, but playback may become interrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The system sends a buffer expiration message in advance when a control operation is detected, allowing the buffer to be flushed proactively before the control operation needs to take effect. This preliminary buffer flushing ensures that the control operation can be executed immediately without waiting for buffer data to expire naturally, thus improving control response time while maintaining playback continuity through the timestamp scalar adjustment mechanism.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the timestamp scalar is adjusted to re-accumulate buffer data, then bandwidth adaptation is improved, but playback speed is affected
Solution Approach 1:
The system adjusts the timestamp scalar parameter to control the playback speed of streaming data. When bandwidth is reduced and the buffer needs to re-accumulate data, the timestamp scalar is increased, which slows down the effective playback speed and allows more time for buffer accumulation. When bandwidth is sufficient, the timestamp scalar returns to normal, restoring normal playback speed. This parameter adjustment resolves the contradiction between bandwidth adaptation and playback speed.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for audio and video control response and bandwidth adaptation based on network streaming applications is disclosed. A server delivers a received control command to a stream controller while a player empties the expired streaming data stored in a buffer thereof. The stream controller controls the input source of a video/audio capturer. The receiver buffer estimator of the receiver estimates whether the amount of the streaming data stored in the buffer is within a safe range and delivers the estimation result and bandwidth variation information to a stream adaptor. If the amount of the stream data is less than a threshold value, the timestamp scalar is adjusted based on the estimation result and the bandwidth variation information, thereby adjusting the consumption rate of the streaming data in the buffer of the player for re-accumulating streaming data of the buffer.