Streaming Content Version Grouping for Limited Ingress Bandwidth
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Solution Overview
Problem
In scenarios where multiple users share a limited network bandwidth for streaming content distribution, the existing adaptive bitrate streaming methods lead to inefficient use and potential quality deterioration due to unstructured access and rapid saturation of the channel, especially when users request different versions of the content.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that regroup user requests into fewer groups, assigning each request to a representative version of the content with the lowest bitrate requirement, reducing the number of versions transmitted through the network and optimizing bandwidth use by obtaining and providing content in these representative versions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple versions of content are transmitted to meet different user bandwidth conditions, then user service quality is improved, but network bandwidth efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple content versions into a single representative version per group. Users requesting different versions are assigned to groups, and only one representative version is transmitted per group, reducing redundant bandwidth consumption while maintaining service quality for all users.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses bitstream copying where the representative version's bitstream is copied and distributed to all users in the group. This allows multiple users to access different quality levels without transmitting multiple separate bitstreams, improving bandwidth efficiency.
2Adaptability or versatility
If all user requests for different content versions are fulfilled simultaneously, then user needs are met, but channel saturation occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple version requests into groups and transmits only one representative version per group. This reduces the total number of simultaneous transmissions required, preventing channel saturation while still meeting diverse user needs through intelligent request assignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs partial action by transmitting only the representative version rather than all requested versions. This selective transmission approach reduces channel load while providing sufficient content to all users through the representative version's bitstream copying.
3Loss of energy
If the number of content versions is reduced, then bandwidth consumption is lowered, but user quality requirements may not be met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different representative versions to different user groups based on their individual bandwidth conditions and quality requirements. Each group receives the appropriate quality level locally, ensuring quality fulfillment without transmitting all versions globally.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of version selection dynamically. The representative version is chosen based on group characteristics and bandwidth conditions, allowing flexible adaptation to different quality requirements while optimizing bandwidth consumption for each local group.
Data Source
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AI summary
Method for distributing a streaming audiovisual content available in a plurality of versions, in which each version has a respective bitrate requirement and wherein said method comprises the steps of: - receiving (S1) a plurality of requests for the audiovisual content, each request indicating a respective version of the content; - determining (S2), for each group among a plurality of groups, a respective version of the content representing the group, wherein the plurality of groups is fewer in number than the plurality of versions; - assigning (S3) each received request to a respective group that corresponds to the version of the content indicated by the respective request; - obtaining (S4) the content in the versions of the content representing each group; and - providing (S5), to each requester of the content, said content obtained in the version representing the assigned group.