Video Player Bandwidth Allocation for Quality Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current streaming technologies face challenges in reliability, efficiency, and latency when delivering multimedia content over networks, especially when multiple video players are used simultaneously, due to bandwidth constraints and network variability.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for managing multiple video players that allocate shared network bandwidth based on priority settings, allowing video players to sustain video playback quality by dynamically adjusting data rates and profiles, and sending modify playback messages to ensure continuous playback of high-priority content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple video players are used simultaneously to create a video wall, then the user can view multiple content streams, but the available bandwidth is divided among them causing quality degradation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent assigns different priority levels to different video players, allowing high-priority players to receive more bandwidth and maintain higher quality, while lower-priority players receive less bandwidth. This creates local quality differentiation based on priority, resolving the contradiction between supporting multiple streams and maintaining quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the data rate parameter for each video player based on available bandwidth and priority assignments. When bandwidth is limited, the system changes the data rate parameters of lower-priority players to ensure high-priority players maintain acceptable quality, thus resolving the quality degradation issue.
2Manufacturing precision
If bandwidth is allocated to maintain video playback quality, then quality is preserved, but the system cannot sustain playback for all players when bandwidth is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic bandwidth allocation where the system continuously monitors available bandwidth and adjusts data rates and player states in real-time. This dynamic approach allows the system to maintain quality for high-priority players while adapting to bandwidth constraints, ensuring continuous playback sustainability across the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from bandwidth availability measurements to adjust data rate assignments and player states. When bandwidth is insufficient, the system receives feedback about quality degradation and responds by modifying allocations, creating a closed-loop control system that balances quality and sustainability.
3Manufacturing precision
If the system dynamically adjusts data rates to maintain quality, then quality is maintained for high-priority players, but lower-priority players experience quality reduction or playback interruption
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by ensuring high-quality playback for high-priority players while accepting reduced quality for lower-priority players. This localized quality assurance resolves the contradiction by making quality degradation targeted rather than universal, protecting essential content while allowing non-essential content to degrade.
Solution Approach 2:
The system converts the harmful effect of bandwidth limitation into a benefit by using priority-based allocation to ensure that the most important content receives adequate bandwidth. The quality reduction for lower-priority players becomes an acceptable trade-off that benefits the overall system by guaranteeing quality for critical content.
4Reliability
If TCP connection is used for reliable data delivery, then data loss is reduced, but transmission delays increase due to retransmission and congestion control
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the data rate parameter dynamically based on available bandwidth and priority, allowing the system to operate at higher rates when possible and lower rates when constrained. This parameter adjustment reduces the need for retransmissions and congestion control delays, improving transmission time while maintaining acceptable reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method are provided for managing multiple video players executing on a client software platform. The method includes the operation of displaying a plurality of video players viewable by an end user. Each video player can have at least one video data stream supplied over a data network. A priority value can be applied to selected video players. In addition, an amount of bandwidth available from the data network to supply the plurality of video players can then be determined. Another operation is calculating whether the selected video players can sustain a video playback quality above a pre-defined threshold using the determined amount of bandwidth available. This operation can include appropriately apportioning and managing bandwidth and/or processing power allotments between the video players based on the priority assignments when the bandwidth and/or processing power is less than what the video players want to consume A modify playback message may be sent to at least one video player when the video playback rate is not sustainable or has become sustainable again.