Multimedia Streaming Node Server-Side Content Integration

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing multimedia streaming technologies face inefficiencies in seamlessly integrating secondary content, such as advertisements, into main streaming content, often resulting in client-side rebuffering and poor user experience due to inflexible and rigid content switching methods.

Innovation Solution

A method that determines a time slot within the main streaming content for secondary content insertion, synchronizes the time and sequence numbers of secondary segment files with those of discardable main segment files, and delivers them through a multimedia streaming service node, allowing seamless integration without updating media presentation documents, thus avoiding client-side content stream switching and rebuffering.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If client-side content stream switching is performed to insert secondary content, then content insertion flexibility is improved, but rebuffering and user experience degradation occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent insertion flexibilityVSAvoiduser experience continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a server-side intermediary mechanism that acts as a mediator between the main content stream and secondary content. The server combines content from multiple streams before delivery to the client, eliminating the need for client-side switching. This intermediary approach maintains content insertion flexibility while ensuring continuous playback without rebuffering, as the server handles the complexity of stream integration transparently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent merges multiple content streams (main content and secondary content) at the server level into a single unified stream for delivery to the client. By combining streams server-side rather than switching at the client, the system achieves both content insertion flexibility and uninterrupted playback, resolving the contradiction between adaptability and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Loss of time

If frequent content stream updates are performed on the client side, then content freshness is improved, but rebuffering and playback interruptions increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontent delivery timelinessVSAvoidcontinuous playback duration

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSDuration of action of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary actions by pre-combining and preparing the unified content stream on the server side before delivery to the client. The server prepares the merged stream with all necessary content transitions already handled, allowing the client to play back continuously without interruptions. This preliminary server-side preparation eliminates rebuffering while maintaining content freshness.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Adaptability or versatility

If secondary content is inserted by disrupting the main content stream, then advertisement insertion capability is improved, but stream continuity is degraded

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveadvertisement insertion capabilityVSAvoidstream composition continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The server acts as an intermediary that seamlessly integrates secondary content into the main content stream. Instead of disrupting the stream at the client level, the server mediates the combination, maintaining stream composition continuity while enabling advertisement insertion capability through transparent server-side stream merging.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS10205765B2Method, multimedia streaming service node, computer program and computer program product for combining content

Publication Date: 2019.02.12 TELEFONAKTIEBOLAGET LM ERICSSON (PUBL)

AI summary

It is presented a method for combining main streaming content comprising a plurality of main segment files and secondary streaming content comprising at least one secondary segment file. The method is performed in a multimedia streaming service node and comprises the steps of: determining a time slot within the main streaming content where secondary streaming content should be provided; setting a time reference of each one of the at least one secondary segment file to correspond to a time reference of the at least one discardable main segment file; setting a sequence number of each one of the at least one secondary segment file to correspond to a sequence number of the at least one discardable main segment file; providing the main segment files which are distinct from the at least one discardable main segment file; and providing the at least one secondary segment file.