Session Proxy for Seamless Streaming Content Redirection

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional streaming of content is limited to a specific client, leading to additional costs and user inconvenience when switching devices, as new sessions are initiated without awareness of previous sessions, resulting in manual navigation to continue content playback from the previous point.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that registers user equipment with a lookup server, tags them with unique identifiers, and periodically checks connection integrity to redirect streaming content from one user equipment to another based on unique content IDs, utilizing a rendezvous point for dynamic topology and buffering.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a new session is initiated between the head end and a new client, then the client can access the content, but additional costs are incurred for conditional access rights and network bandwidth

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveclient switching capabilityVSAvoidnetwork bandwidth cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple client sessions into a single shared session by introducing a session proxy mechanism. The head end streams content to a proxy, which then distributes it to multiple clients (UE1, UE2) without requiring separate sessions. This consolidation eliminates redundant bandwidth consumption and access rights purchases while maintaining client switching capability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a session proxy as an intermediary component between the head end and multiple clients. This proxy maintains the session state and manages content distribution, allowing clients to switch in and out of the session without triggering new session initiations. The intermediary preserves session continuity and prevents duplicate resource allocation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a new session is initiated between the head end and a new client, then the client can access the content, but the user must manually navigate to continue content playback from the previous point

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedevice switching capabilityVSAvoidcontent continuation convenience

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The session proxy implements feedback mechanisms by tracking playback position and session state across client switches. When a client joins or leaves the session, the proxy maintains awareness of the current playback point and communicates this state information to subsequent clients, enabling automatic content continuation without manual navigation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-establishing the session between the head end and the proxy before client devices need to switch. The playback position and session parameters are prepared and stored in advance, so when a client switches devices, the content can resume immediately from the correct point without requiring the user to manually navigate.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Device complexity

If traditional streaming is limited to a particular client, then session management is simple, but additional costs are incurred when switching devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesession management complexityVSAvoidconditional access cost

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The session proxy serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as a session manager, content distributor, state tracker, and client coordinator. This multi-functional component enables the system to handle multiple client devices within a single session framework, eliminating the need for separate sessions and associated access rights for each device while maintaining manageable complexity through centralized control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS10432682B2Method and system of redirecting streaming content over a communication network

Publication Date: 2019.10.01 TEJAS NETWORKS LTD

AI summary

The present invention relates to a method and system of redirecting streaming content from one user equipment to the other available precise user equipment over a communication network. In one embodiment this is accomplished by registering a plurality of user equipments and a server with at least one lookup server, checking periodically integrity of the connection between the first user equipment and the lookup server, triggering, upon failure of connection, to identify the transfer of some or all incoming contents at the first UE to at least one second UE from the group of UEs registered with the lookup server and redirecting the transfer of the content of the lookup server from the first UE to the identified second available UE, wherein the redirection is based on the unique ID of the content.