Adaptive Bitrate Trick-Play Stream Encoding
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing adaptive bitrate streaming solutions are not well-suited for trick-play features like fast-forwarding and rewinding, as they require significant bandwidth and processing power, leading to choppy video playback due to reliance on intra frames and inefficient bandwidth usage.
Innovation Solution
A master trick-play stream is encoded with a temporally scalable hierarchical relationship between inter and intra frames, allowing for the derivation of trick-play streams at various temporal resolutions by skipping unnecessary frames, which are then packaged as standards-compliant adaptive bitrate streams for smooth playback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If trick-play functionality is implemented using existing adaptive bitrate streaming solutions, then fast-forwarding and rewinding can be achieved, but bandwidth usage and processing power requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The video stream is segmented into discrete frames with specific encoding types (intra-coded and inter-coded frames). The system selectively transmits only the necessary segments (intra-coded frames and selected inter-coded frames) required for trick-play, rather than transmitting complete high-bitrate streams. This segmentation allows the client to reconstruct trick-play sequences using only the essential frame segments.
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts and transmits only the critical components needed for trick-play functionality - specifically intra-coded frames and selected inter-coded frames with hierarchical relationships - from the complete video stream. By taking out only the necessary frame segments and discarding redundant data, the bandwidth requirement is significantly reduced while maintaining trick-play capability.
2Adaptability or versatility
If trick-play functionality is implemented using existing adaptive bitrate streaming solutions, then fast-forwarding and rewinding can be achieved, but video playback becomes choppy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different quality levels to different frames based on their encoding type and position. Intra-coded frames are transmitted with full quality as they serve as reference points, while inter-coded frames are selectively transmitted based on their hierarchical relationship and importance for maintaining motion continuity. This local quality differentiation ensures smooth playback at critical points while reducing overall bandwidth.
Solution Approach 2:
The video stream is pre-encoded with a hierarchical structure of intra-coded and inter-coded frames before transmission. This preliminary encoding arrangement ensures that when trick-play is activated, the client device already has access to the necessary reference frames and inter-coded frames in the correct hierarchical order, enabling smooth playback without requiring complex real-time decoding or rebuffering.
3Reliability
If intra frames are used exclusively for trick-play to ensure decodability, then playback can be achieved, but bandwidth usage increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the encoding parameters of video frames by creating a hierarchical structure where intra-coded frames serve as reference points and inter-coded frames provide motion information. By adjusting the frequency and placement of intra-coded frames and utilizing inter-coded frames with hierarchical relationships, the system maintains decodability while optimizing bandwidth usage - transmitting intra-coded frames only when necessary as reference points rather than for every frame.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a composite stream structure combining two types of frames with different properties: intra-coded frames (self-contained, high redundancy) and inter-coded frames (dependent, low redundancy). This composite structure leverages the strengths of both frame types - intra-coded frames ensure decodability and provide reference points, while inter-coded frames reduce bandwidth by encoding only changes. The hierarchical relationship between these composite frame elements enables efficient trick-play with reduced bandwidth compared to using intra frames exclusively.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of generating a trick-play stream is provided that includes providing a master trick-play stream having a plurality of groups of pictures, wherein each group of pictures comprises a leading intra-coded frame and a plurality of inter-coded frames, and frames within of each group of pictures encoded with a temporally scalable hierarchical encoding relationship, deriving a trick-play stream from the master trick-play stream for a particular temporal resolution by skipping a consistent pattern of frames from each group of pictures that are not needed to decode other frames at the particular temporal resolution according to the temporally scalable hierarchical encoding relationship, and providing the trick-play stream to a client device, wherein the trick-play stream is packaged to appear to the client device as a standards-compliant adaptive bitrate stream.