Transmitting Apparatus Buffer Period Segmentation for Synchronous Reproduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing data transmission methods, particularly in unstable network environments, often result in buffer failures due to variations in transmission rate, network jitter, and packet loss, leading to unsynchronized reproduction of multimedia data.
Innovation Solution
A transmitting apparatus that separates the buffering period into encoding-time and transmission-time buffer periods, adding these as headers to the data, allowing for synchronous reproduction by accounting for network status and maintaining independence between the codec and transmission units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single buffering period is used for both encoding and transmission, then the system complexity is reduced, but the reliability of synchronous reproduction deteriorates in unstable network environments
Solution Approach 1:
The buffering period is segmented into two distinct components: encoding-time buffer period (added as encoding header information) and transmission-time buffer period (added as transmission header information). This segmentation allows independent management of encoding delays and network transmission delays, enabling the system to adapt to unstable network conditions while maintaining synchronous reproduction reliability.
2Reliability
If the buffering period is increased to account for network jitter and packet loss, then the reliability of synchronous reproduction is improved, but the transmission delay increases
Solution Approach 1:
The transmission-time buffer period is dynamically adjusted based on network status information (jitter, packet loss rate, transmission rate) collected by the transmitting apparatus. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to increase the buffer period only when necessary to maintain synchronous reproduction, rather than using a fixed large buffer that would always increase delay.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the transmitting apparatus collects network status information and uses it to calculate appropriate buffer periods. The receiving apparatus also monitors reception status and can request retransmission or adjust buffering based on actual network conditions, enabling delay optimization while maintaining reliability.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the transmitting apparatus smooths the data rate to a transmission rate different from the encoding rate, then the adaptability to network conditions is improved, but the independence between CODEC unit and transmission unit deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the buffering period management into encoding-time and transmission-time components, allowing the CODEC unit to operate independently at its optimal encoding rate while the transmission unit independently manages rate smoothing and timing adjustments based on network conditions. This segmentation maintains functional independence between units.
Solution Approach 2:
The encoding-time buffer period acts as an intermediary parameter that decouples the CODEC unit from the transmission unit. By explicitly managing the encoding-time buffer period as a separate parameter, the system allows rate smoothing without creating tight coupling between encoding and transmission processes.
Data Source
AI summary
Image data is encoded to generate encoded data. An encoding-time buffer period that is a minimum buffer period necessary to prevent synchronous reproduction in which the encoded data is decoded and reproduced in synchronization with a timestamp added to the encoded data from failing due to a delay caused by encoding of the image data is added to the encoded data as encoding header information. A transmission-time buffer period that is a minimum buffer period necessary to prevent the synchronous reproduction from failing due to a delay caused by encoding of the image data and transmission of the encoded data is added to the encoded data as transmission header information different from the encoding header information. The encoded data having the encoding-time buffer period and the transmission-time buffer period added thereto is transmitted to another apparatus that performs the synchronous reproduction via a network.