Variable Duration Media Segments for ABR Streaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) streaming protocols face inefficiencies due to the use of fixed duration media segments, which lead to encoding inefficiencies and misalignment with content changes, such as scene changes, ad insertion locations, and channel changes, resulting in gaps or overlaps during media streaming.
Innovation Solution
The method involves dividing streaming media content into variable duration segments, where segment boundaries are determined by analyzing content changes such as scene changes, ad avails, and channel changes, allowing each segment to have a unique duration that aligns with discontinuities, using a system comprising a content analyzer, media segmenter, and adaptive bit rate server for encoding and transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If fixed duration segments are used in ABR streaming, then the streaming protocol is simple and easy to implement, but encoding efficiency is compromised at discontinuities and segment boundaries do not align with content changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic segment duration that adapts to content characteristics. Instead of using fixed duration segments throughout the entire media content, the system varies segment durations based on detected discontinuities and content changes. This allows segments to be shorter at boundaries requiring precise alignment and longer in stable content regions, thereby improving encoding efficiency while maintaining implementation feasibility through automated detection algorithms.
2Stability of the object's composition
If fixed duration segments are used in ABR streaming, then the segment structure is uniform and simple to manage, but gaps or overlaps occur at content boundaries such as between programs or ad insertion locations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary detection of discontinuities and content boundaries before segmenting the media content. By analyzing the content structure in advance to identify program boundaries, ad insertion locations, and other discontinuities, the system can pre-determine optimal segment boundaries that align precisely with these content changes. This preliminary action ensures accurate boundary alignment while maintaining manageable segment structures.
3Productivity
If variable duration segments are implemented to align with content changes, then encoding efficiency improves and boundary alignment is optimized, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service mechanisms where the segmenting system automatically detects content characteristics and determines optimal segment boundaries without requiring manual configuration or complex external control. The system uses automated detection of discontinuities, scene changes, and content boundaries to dynamically adjust segment durations, thereby improving encoding efficiency and boundary alignment while managing system complexity through automation rather than manual intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for an adaptive bit rate system. The method may include streaming media content at a server, determining a discontinuity in the streaming media content based on boundaries corresponding to changes in the streaming media content, and dividing the streaming media content into a plurality of variable duration segments, wherein a duration of one of the plurality of variable duration segments is to be adjusted based on the determined discontinuity to cause the one of the plurality of variable duration segments to end at the determined discontinuity in the streaming media content. The method may further include transmitting the plurality of variable duration segments of the streaming media content from the server.