Suspend Mode for Seamless Media Streaming Resumption

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current place shifting technologies terminate the media streaming session when interrupted by events like phone calls or network changes, requiring users to restart from the beginning upon resumption, leading to a suboptimal user experience.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a 'suspend mode' in place shifting devices that temporarily pauses the media stream during interruptions and resumes from the exact point of interruption upon connection restoration, minimizing data loss and allowing seamless continuation of the streaming session.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the streaming session is terminated during interruptions (phone calls, network changes), then the system can handle the interruption event, but the user experience deteriorates as the streaming must restart from the beginning

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestreaming session continuityVSAvoidtime to restart streaming

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by detecting interruption events (phone calls, network changes) before they fully terminate the streaming session. It proactively suspends the session state, preserves the current playback position and buffer data, and prepares for resumption, thereby avoiding complete termination and subsequent restart from beginning

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system maintains continuity of useful action by implementing suspend mode that preserves the streaming session state during interruptions. The playback position, buffered data, and session parameters are maintained in memory, allowing the streaming to continue seamlessly from where it left off once the interruption is resolved, rather than restarting the entire stream

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

2Adaptability or versatility

If the streaming session is recreated afresh after interruption, then the data connection can be re-established, but data loss occurs as the user loses the video content watched during interruption

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconnection recovery capabilityVSAvoidvideo content lost during interruption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies beforehand cushioning by maintaining a buffer of pre-loaded video data in memory during normal streaming operation. When an interruption occurs, this buffered data serves as a cushion that preserves the video content that would otherwise be lost, allowing the user to continue watching from the buffered position rather than losing all progress made during the interruption period

Inventive Principle:

Principle #11Beforehand cushioning (Prior cushioning)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a copy of the streaming session state including playback position, buffered data, and session parameters during suspend mode. This copied state is preserved in memory during interruptions and restored after recovery, effectively duplicating the pre-interruption state to prevent information loss without requiring the original continuous data stream

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Ease of operation

If the place shifting device maintains session state during interruptions, then user experience improves with seamless resumption, but device complexity increases due to suspend mode implementation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvestreaming resumption easeVSAvoidsuspend mode mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The place shifting device provides self-service by automatically detecting interruption events, transitioning to suspend mode, preserving session state in memory, and automatically resuming streaming when the interruption is resolved. This self-managing capability eliminates the need for user intervention to restart streaming, improving ease of operation despite the added complexity of the automatic suspend/resume mechanism

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS9877073B2Suspend mode of streaming for seamless user experience

Publication Date: 2018.01.23 DISH NETWORK TECHNOLOGIES INDIA PTE LTD

AI summary

A method for placeshifting media content with the use of a suspend mode includes the steps of receiving media content at a placeshifting device, receiving a request at the placeshifting device from a mobile device to initiate transmission of the media content from the placeshifting device to the mobile device, and in response to the request, transmitting the media content from the placeshifting device to the mobile device. The method further includes the steps of detecting an interruption of the transmission of the media content and based on the detecting the interruption, entering a suspend mode at the placeshifting device wherein transmission of the media content is temporarily suspended. Still further, the method includes the steps of detecting a resumption of ability to transmit media content and based on the detecting the resumption, exiting the suspend mode and resuming transmitting the media content from the placeshifting device to the mobile device. The resumed transmission begins a point in time of the media content at which entry into the suspend mode occurred.