Asynchronous Media Requests Using UDP Multicast Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unicast systems struggle to efficiently deliver media content to a large number of devices in environments with limited network traffic bandwidth, leading to decreased media playback quality and increased network congestion.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a local manager that coordinates media requests within a multicast environment, using a local network to efficiently multicast UDP streams by analyzing request histories and buffering data, thereby reducing unnecessary transmissions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If unicast protocol is used to deliver media content to multiple devices, then each device receives separate copies of media content, but network traffic increases and media playback quality decreases due to buffering and disconnections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple unicast streams into a single multicast stream. The local manager consolidates requests from multiple client devices and creates one multicast stream that delivers media content to all requesting devices simultaneously, reducing network traffic while maintaining playback quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The multicast stream serves multiple client devices simultaneously, making the media delivery system universal. A single stream can be received by any number of client devices in the multicast group, eliminating the need for separate unicast connections to each device.
2Reliability
If HTTP streams with TCP protocol are used for media delivery, then reliable delivery is achieved, but network traffic increases and playback quality decreases due to buffering
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a single multicast copy of the media stream that is distributed to multiple devices. Instead of creating separate TCP/HTTP stream copies for each device, one UDP multicast stream serves all clients, reducing redundant data transmission while maintaining content integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the delivery protocol parameters from TCP/HTTP to UDP/multicast. This parameter change trades some individual connection reliability for overall system efficiency, reducing network traffic and improving playback quality through single-stream distribution to multiple devices.
3Adaptability or versatility
If separate copies of media content are delivered to each device via unicast, then each device receives dedicated content, but computational demands and network traffic increase
Solution Approach 1:
The local manager merges multiple device-specific requests into a single multicast stream when the content is identical. By combining requests for the same media content, the system reduces computational overhead and network traffic while still delivering content to multiple devices.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adapts between unicast and multicast delivery modes. The local manager monitors client requests and automatically switches to multicast when multiple devices request the same content, optimizing resource usage based on real-time conditions while maintaining device-specific delivery capability when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, apparatus, articles of manufacture, and methods are disclosed. An example system of client devices, includes a first client device comprising: programmable circuitry; a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed or instantiated by the programmable circuitry, facilitate performance of operations including: receiving a datagram using User Datagram Protocol (UDP) from a server device, the datagram corresponding to a media segment of a media stream; after receiving the datagram, transmitting a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) communication including a request for the media segment; and responsive to transmitting the HTTP communication, receiving metadata corresponding to the media segment from the server device.