Digital TV Receiver Random Backoff for Server Load Balancing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Advanced digital television systems face server overload when a large number of receivers simultaneously access a service provider's server, leading to potential failure, delayed, or missing responses due to peak demand.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a random backoff algorithm in digital television receiver devices, where a time interval is introduced between the trigger event and the server access, allowing a uniform distribution of load by using a random delay period between zero and a maximum time window, which can be pre-programmed or calculated using a script.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a large number of receivers simultaneously access the service provider's server, then the service demand is met, but the server becomes overloaded and may fail
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements periodic action by introducing a backoff interval with randomized delay periods between simultaneous access requests. Instead of all receivers accessing the server at the exact same time, they are distributed across a time window, creating periodic rather than simultaneous access patterns. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining service responsiveness while preventing server overload through temporal distribution of requests.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the access time flexible and variable rather than fixed. Each receiver calculates a random delay within a specified backoff interval, creating dynamic access timing that adapts to the number of receivers and server capacity. This dynamic approach allows the system to handle varying loads while maintaining both productivity and reliability.
2Ease of operation
If receivers access the server at the same time, then service availability is high, but server load peaks cause delayed or missing responses
Solution Approach 1:
By implementing periodic access patterns with randomized delays within a backoff interval, the system maintains high service availability while preventing response delays. The periodic distribution ensures that requests are spread out, avoiding both simultaneous access conflicts and excessive waiting times, thus resolving the contradiction between availability and response timing.
3Reliability
If the server infrastructure is upgraded to handle peak loads, then server stability is improved, but the cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by implementing load distribution mechanisms at the receiver端 before requests reach the server. By pre-calculating random backoff intervals and distributing access times, the system prevents peak loads from forming, thereby maintaining server stability without requiring infrastructure upgrades. This resolves the contradiction by achieving reliability through preventive timing strategies rather than through increased hardware capacity.
Data Source
AI summary
A method consistent with certain implementations involves receiving a triggered declarative object (TDO) to a digital television receiver device that carries out a programmed routine when activated; receiving a trigger object associated with the TDO to the digital television receiver device; receiving a back-off parameter that represents a time interval during which the trigger is to initiate an operation; the digital television receiver device having a processor that establishes a random time within the time interval of the backoff parameter in which the TDO is activated; and the digital television receiver device processor initiating the operation at the random time. This abstract is not to be considered limiting, since other embodiments may deviate from the features described in this abstract.