Video Stream Orientation Adaptation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing video streaming technologies fail to seamlessly adapt video content to changes in screen orientation during playback, leading to poor Quality of Experience (QoE) due to mismatched aspect ratios and incorrect content selection, especially when users rotate their devices from portrait to landscape or vice versa.

Innovation Solution

A method that involves obtaining and selecting video streams specifically associated with intended screen orientations, decoupling video aspect ratios from screen orientations, and seamlessly switching between them without interruptions, using a manifest file that includes intended screen orientations for each video stream, allowing for dynamic adaptation based on device characteristics and decoding preferences.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If video streaming technology uses traditional content selection based on aspect ratio matching, then content selection is simple, but quality of experience deteriorates when screen orientation changes during playback

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecontent selection simplicityVSAvoidquality of experience
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from static aspect ratio matching to dynamic screen orientation-based content selection. The system continuously monitors screen orientation changes during playback and dynamically switches between different video content streams (e.g., landscape-oriented vs. portrait-oriented content) to maintain optimal viewing experience, resolving the contradiction between simple selection and quality maintenance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the selection parameter from fixed aspect ratio to dynamic screen orientation. By detecting orientation changes (portrait/landscape transitions) and using this information to select appropriate video streams, the system maintains quality of experience while preserving the simplicity of automated content selection.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If the system provides multiple video streams for different screen orientations, then adaptability improves, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvescreen orientation adaptationVSAvoidvideo stream management
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments video content into separate streams based on intended screen orientation (e.g., landscape and portrait versions). Each stream is independently managed and selected based on current orientation, allowing the system to handle multiple orientations without managing a single complex mixed stream, thus improving adaptability while controlling complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary orientation detection and selection mechanism that mediates between the video streams and the display. This intermediary layer (orientation detector + selection logic) simplifies the overall system by providing a clear decision-making framework based on screen orientation, reducing the complexity of managing multi-oriented content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If video content is selected based on current screen orientation during playback, then quality of experience improves, but loss of time increases due to orientation detection and content switching

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality of experienceVSAvoidorientation switching delay
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-loading and preparing multiple video streams corresponding to different screen orientations before actual playback begins. The system anticipates orientation changes and has ready-to-play alternative streams prepared, so when orientation changes occur, the switching time is minimized as the content is already buffered and ready, thus improving quality while reducing time loss.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP4440118A1Method and system of playing video streams according to a current orientation of a device's screen
Publication Date: 2024.10.02 BEIJING XIAOMI MOBILE SOFTWARE CO LTD
  • EP4440118A1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP4440118A1 patent drawingFigure 3~4
  • EP4440118A1 patent drawingFigure 5

AI summary

The present application relates to a method of playing video streams according to a current orientation of a device's screen, wherein the method comprises: - obtaining (410) a set of first video streams, each first video stream being associated with an intended screen orientation and each first video stream can be decoded by decoding means of the device; - obtaining (420) a set of second video streams from the set of first video streams, each second video stream being a first video stream whose associated intended screen orientation suits the current orientation of the device's screen; - selecting (430) one second video stream from the set of second video streams based on device characteristics and/or decoding preferences; - playing (440) the selected second video stream.