Transcoding Session Optimization via Cost Function

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Solution Overview

Problem

Transcoding operations in communication sessions between multiple terminals require significant computational complexity, bandwidth usage, and energy consumption, leading to high costs and ineffective hardware utilization due to incompatibilities in audiovisual codecs and limitations on bandwidth or power usage.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that optimize transcoding sessions by determining properties such as the number of terminals, media characteristics, and performance metrics to build a cost function, which is then optimized to determine optimal codec settings for each terminal, thereby minimizing resource usage and improving session efficiency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If transcoding operations are performed to enable interoperability between terminals with incompatible audiovisual codecs, then compatibility between terminals is improved, but computational complexity and energy consumption increase significantly

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecompatibilityVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the parameter of codec selection by dynamically choosing from multiple available codecs based on terminal capabilities and session requirements. The system evaluates different codec combinations and selects the optimal set that balances compatibility with energy consumption, rather than forcing transcoding for all incompatible pairs.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the transcoding operation from being mandatory for all terminal pairs and applies it selectively only where necessary. By analyzing terminal capabilities upfront, the system identifies which terminals require transcoding and which can communicate directly, removing unnecessary transcoding operations that would waste energy.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Adaptability or versatility

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecompatibilityVSAvoidcomputational complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary analysis of terminal capabilities during session setup before actual media transmission begins. By determining which terminals support which codecs in advance, the system pre-plans the transcoding strategy, avoiding complex real-time decisions during media playback and reducing overall computational complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the approach from fixed transcoding to dynamic codec selection. It evaluates multiple codec parameters and terminal capability parameters to determine the optimal configuration, transforming a complex ongoing transcoding problem into a manageable selection problem based on pre-collected terminal information.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Adaptability or versatility

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovecompatibilityVSAvoidbandwidth usage

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts unnecessary transcoding operations by identifying terminal pairs that can communicate directly without conversion. By removing redundant transcoding steps, the system reduces the total bandwidth consumed by media streams and control signals associated with multiple transcoding paths.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

4Productivity

If optimal codec settings are determined through cost function optimization, then resource usage efficiency is improved, but the complexity of the optimization process increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveresource usage efficiencyVSAvoidoptimization process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the optimization problem into a parameter selection task based on terminal capabilities. By changing the focus from optimizing continuous parameters to selecting from discrete codec options, the complexity of the optimization process is reduced while maintaining resource efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUS10362084B2System and method for optimizing a communication session between multiple terminals involving transcoding operations

Publication Date: 2019.07.23 MASIMO CORP

AI summary

System and method for optimizing a transcoding session between multiple terminals are disclosed. The method determines properties of the transcoding session, including a number of terminals participating in the transcoding session, media characteristics supported by each terminal, a measure of performance of the transcoding session to be optimized, and optionally a proportion of time involved in the transcoding session for each terminal. Then a cost function characterizing the measure of performance of the transcoding session and depending on the above properties of the transcoding session is built, followed by optimizing the cost function with respect to said measure of performance to determine an optimal measure of performance for the transcoding session and optimal values for the media characteristics for each terminal. In one embodiment, codecs used by multiple terminals and computational complexity of the transcoding session are optimized. A corresponding system for optimizing the transcoding session is also provided.