User Offloading Window for Unicast-to-Broadcast Media Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems lack mechanisms for seamlessly and intelligently offloading users from a unicast network to a broadcast or multicast network without disrupting service, especially in high-throughput environments like 5G networks, where users are viewing the same content.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilizes a processor to identify users accessing similar media content, determine viewing timestamps and buffer times, and implement a sliding window to offload users from a unicast to a broadcast or multicast network, and vice versa, based on user tolerance for disruption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If users are offloaded from unicast network to broadcast network, then licensed radio resources are used efficiently, but service continuity may be disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by evaluating buffer status and determining optimal offloading timing before actual content delivery. The network entity calculates buffer time and viewing time parameters in advance, ensuring that users are offloaded when their local buffers can sustain the transition without disrupting service continuity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms by continuously monitoring buffer status reports from user devices and adjusting offloading decisions accordingly. The network entity receives buffer status information, processes it along with viewing time parameters, and dynamically modifies offloading decisions to maintain service continuity while optimizing radio resource usage.
2Speed
If high throughput is provided to users, then content delivery speed is improved, but data buffering at device side increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system calculates buffer time parameters in advance based on predicted buffering requirements. By determining the optimal buffering duration beforehand and using it in offloading decisions, the system manages high throughput efficiently without causing excessive data accumulation at device sides.
3Productivity
If users are switched between unicast and broadcast platforms, then network resource optimization is achieved, but synchronization of viewing points becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system manages synchronization complexity by changing key parameters such as buffer time, viewing time, and offloading thresholds. These parameter adjustments simplify the synchronization process during platform switching by establishing clear temporal boundaries for content delivery transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary calculations of viewing time and buffer time parameters before executing platform switches. This advance preparation establishes synchronized timing frameworks that simplify the actual switching process and ensure coherent content delivery across unicast and broadcast platforms.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides a system and a method for offloading users from a unicast platform to a broadcast platform. The system receives a request from various users and identifies users accessing similar media content. The system further receives a direction of mobility and a radio capability from the users and determines a point of viewing with a corresponding buffer time. The system determines a sliding window for offloading the one or more users and intelligently offloads the users from a unicast network to a broadcast network across various radio access technologies (RATs).