Video Sprite Sheets for Single-Connection Streaming Interfaces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing streaming technologies require multiple connections for displaying complex user interface elements, which become resource-intensive, especially when handling multiple smaller portions of media content.
Innovation Solution
The use of video sprite sheets, which include multiple video sprites that can be streamed alongside media content, allowing for concurrent rendering of interface elements without additional connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If multiple streaming connections are used to display different media content portions and interface elements, then the user interface can display more content elements concurrently, but the resource consumption and system complexity increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple interface elements (thumbnails, controls, overlays) that would traditionally require separate streaming connections into a single integrated user interface layer. This single layer composes multiple content portions from one media file, eliminating the need for multiple parallel streaming connections while maintaining the ability to display diverse interface elements concurrently.
Solution Approach 2:
The user interface layer is designed as a universal component that can handle multiple functions simultaneously - displaying thumbnails, providing navigation controls, showing overlays, and managing different content portions all within a single interface framework. This multi-functional design replaces what would otherwise require multiple specialized streaming connections.
2Productivity
If multiple streaming connections are established for different media content portions, then more interface elements can be rendered concurrently, but the network resources and processing overhead increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple content portions from a single media file into one streaming connection. The user interface layer extracts and renders different temporal or spatial portions of the same media content simultaneously, eliminating the need for multiple parallel network connections while maintaining high interface element rendering capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The single media file is segmented into multiple renderable portions (thumbnails, main content, overlays) that can be independently extracted and displayed. This segmentation allows the system to create multiple interface elements from one source stream, achieving high productivity without proportionally increasing network resource consumption.
3Reliability
If separate video streams are used for each interface element, then each element can be optimized independently, but the overall system efficiency decreases due to redundant data transmission
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple interface element streams into a single unified rendering process. Instead of maintaining separate optimized streams for thumbnails, controls, and overlays, the system extracts all necessary portions from one media file and composes them in a single user interface layer, eliminating redundant data transmission while maintaining element quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates multiple renderable copies of portions from the single media file for different interface elements. Rather than transmitting separate original streams, the system generates appropriate copies and extracts from the unified source, reducing network overhead while ensuring each interface element receives optimized data.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and media for displaying streaming media content on a user device using video sprite sheets are provided. In some embodiments, a method for displaying streaming media content on a user device includes: receiving a first request to view media content through a media content streaming session in a user interface on a user device; transmitting, by the user device, a second request to a server that hosts the media content based on the first request to view the media content; receiving, at the user device, a response from the server, wherein the response comprises a video sprite sheet and the media content, wherein the video sprite sheet includes a plurality of video sprites in which each video sprite is selectable for rendering in portions of the user interface; determining that the media content streaming session contains a first reference to a first video sprite from the video sprite sheet, wherein the first reference is received by the user device and wherein the first reference further includes instructions to present the first video sprite concurrently with the media content; determining a location of the first video sprite within the video sprite sheet, wherein the location of the first video sprite comprises spatial coordinates of the first video sprite within the video sprite sheet and temporal coordinates of the first video sprite within the video sprite sheet; and causing the first video sprite to be presented concurrently with the media content in the user interface.