Transport Accelerator User Agent Signaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing content delivery technologies, such as HTTP-based systems, face challenges in providing efficient and uninterrupted streaming due to inaccuracies in download rate estimation and rebuffering issues during live events, leading to suboptimal user experiences in video streaming and file downloads.
Innovation Solution
A transport acceleration method that analyzes content requests for signaling indicating the need for accelerated delivery, subdivides requests into smaller chunks, and controls the content delivery process to optimize data transfer, utilizing a transport accelerator to provide accelerated content delivery to user agents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If TCP congestion control mechanism is used to ensure reliable packet delivery, then packet loss is reduced, but download speed decreases and rebuffering increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the video content into multiple chunks and downloads them in parallel using multiple threads. This segmentation allows the system to bypass TCP's sequential acknowledgment mechanism and achieve faster download speeds while maintaining reliability through redundant downloads and error correction codes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-downloading video chunks before they are actually needed for playback. It uses a lookahead buffer to anticipate future content requirements and starts downloading segments in advance, reducing rebuffering events while maintaining smooth playback.
2Reliability
If the streaming client builds a large buffer to avoid rebuffering, then playback continuity is improved, but latency from the live event timeline increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic buffer management where the buffer size and download rate are continuously adjusted based on network conditions and playback state. The system dynamically switches between different download strategies (sequential vs. parallel, aggressive vs. conservative) to optimize the trade-off between buffer fullness and latency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from playback state, network conditions, and buffer levels to continuously adjust download behavior. It monitors rebuffering events, latency metrics, and network throughput to dynamically optimize the balance between maintaining playback continuity and minimizing latency from the live event.
3Stability of the object's composition
If the client requests content sequentially to maintain order, then packet ordering is preserved, but download rate estimation accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments content into chunks that can be downloaded in parallel while maintaining logical ordering through sequence numbers and chunk indexing. This allows the system to measure download rates of individual chunks independently for more accurate estimation, while ensuring proper reassembly and playback order through systematic chunk management.
4Productivity
If transport accelerator processes all requests through caching and intermediate handling, then delivery speed is improved, but network congestion increases and protocol compatibility issues arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements selective transport acceleration where not all requests are processed through the same caching mechanism. Instead, it applies different handling strategies based on content type, request patterns, and cache status. This local differentiation optimizes delivery speed for cacheable content while reducing network congestion by allowing direct server access for non-cacheable or time-sensitive content.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods which are adapted to provide transport accelerator operation through the use of user agent (UA) signaling are disclosed. In operation according to embodiments, a transport accelerator (TA) analyzes content requests to determine if the content request includes an indication that transport acceleration functionality is to be provided. If such an indication is present, the TA further analyzes the content request to determine if transport acceleration functionality will be provided.