Subsequence-Based Media Encoding Using Interpolated Rate-Quality Points

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing media streaming technologies face inefficiencies in encoding media titles due to fixed resolution and encoding parameter values across the media content, leading to excessive computational and storage resource consumption, and increased bandwidth requirements, while subsequence-based encoding techniques increase time and resources without adequately reducing inefficiencies when limiting encoding points.

Innovation Solution

An interpolation-based encoding application that varies encoding points across media titles, using a limited set of initial points to generate encoded subsequences and performs interpolation operations to estimate optimization data, reducing the number of generated subsequences and computational resources without limiting encoding efficiency improvements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If subsequence-based encoding techniques are used to reduce encoding inefficiencies, then encoding efficiency is improved, but time and computational resources required for encoding increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveencoding efficiencyVSAvoidtime required for encoding
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent pre-computes and stores rate-quality points for a limited set of initial encoding points before the actual encoding process. This preliminary action allows the system to quickly retrieve and interpolate encoding parameters during subsequence-based encoding, reducing the real-time computational burden while maintaining encoding efficiency improvements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces rate-quality points as an intermediary data structure that bridges the gap between a limited set of initial encoding points and the full range of encoding parameters needed. These pre-computed rate-quality points serve as reference data that can be interpolated to generate encoding parameters for any desired bitrate, eliminating the need to pre-compute all possible encoding combinations

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the number of encoding points is increased to reduce encoding inefficiencies, then encoding efficiency is improved, but computational resources and time required for encoding increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveencoding efficiencyVSAvoidcomputational resources required
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent creates a compressed representation of encoding data by storing rate-quality points that capture the essential relationship between encoding parameters and output quality. Instead of storing or computing all possible encoding combinations, the system uses these copied reference points to reconstruct encoding parameters through interpolation, significantly reducing computational resources while maintaining encoding efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter representation from storing actual encoding parameters for all possible combinations to storing rate-quality points that describe the relationship between bitrate and quality. This parameter transformation allows the system to derive any needed encoding parameter through mathematical interpolation rather than direct computation, reducing device complexity while improving encoding efficiency

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of time

If a limited set of encoding points is used to reduce time and resources, then time and computational resources are reduced, but encoding efficiency improvements are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetime required for encodingVSAvoidencoding efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent makes the encoding system dynamic by allowing it to adaptively select encoding parameters from a continuous range of possibilities through interpolation, rather than being constrained to a fixed set of pre-defined encoding points. This dynamic parameter selection enables the system to optimize encoding efficiency for each specific subsequence while maintaining low computational overhead

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent adds a mathematical interpolation dimension to the encoding process. By introducing rate-quality points that exist in the bitrate-quality parameter space, the system can derive encoding parameters for any desired bitrate through interpolation, effectively adding a continuous dimension to what would otherwise be a discrete set of encoding points, thereby improving encoding efficiency without increasing time or resource requirements

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

Data Source

PatentEP3922022B1Techniques for efficiently performing subsequence-based encoding for a media title
Publication Date: 2025.12.31 NETFLIX INC
  • EP3922022B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3922022B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3922022B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

In various embodiments, an interpolation-based encoding application encodes a first subsequence included in a media title at each encoding point included in a first set of encoding points to generate encoded subsequences. Subsequently, the interpolation-based encoding application performs interpolation operation(s) based on the encoded subsequences to estimate a first media metric value associated with a first encoding point that is not included in the first set of encoding points. The interpolation-based encoding application then generates an encoding recipe based on the encoded subsequences and the first media metric value. The encoding recipe specifies a different encoding point for each subsequence included in the media title. After determining that the encoding recipe specifies the first encoding point for the first subsequence, the interpolation-based encoding application encodes the first subsequence at the first encoding point to generate at least a portion of an encoded version of the media title.