360-Degree Video Streaming Tile Segmentation for Latency and Bandwidth
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 360-degree video streaming technologies face challenges in efficiently managing bandwidth and reducing latency due to the high number of short tile segments required for viewport-dependent streaming, leading to increased HTTP requests and network congestion, especially when users change their viewing orientation.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that determine a foreground and background area in 360-degree video, concluding sets of tile streams to cover these areas, and requesting transmission of portions with varying durations to optimize bandwidth usage and reduce latency, by using different segment sizes for foreground, margin, and background areas, and potentially longer durations for non-critical streams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If short tile segments are used for viewport-dependent streaming, then latency is reduced and viewport switching efficiency is improved, but the number of HTTP requests increases and network congestion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the 360-degree video content into multiple tile streams, where each tile represents a specific region of the spherical video. This segmentation allows the system to selectively stream only the tiles that are currently visible in the user's viewport, rather than transmitting the entire 360-degree content. By dividing the content into manageable tile segments, the system reduces the amount of data that needs to be transmitted and enables efficient viewport switching without increasing the overall number of HTTP requests.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different quality levels to different regions of the 360-degree video content. The foreground area (current viewport) is streamed at high quality with short segments for low latency, while the background area is streamed at lower quality with longer segments. This local quality differentiation optimizes bandwidth usage by allocating more resources to the visually critical foreground region while reducing resources for the background region, thereby improving network throughput without sacrificing perceived video quality.
2Reliability
If high number of tile streams are transmitted, then complete viewport coverage is achieved, but bandwidth waste increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and transmits only the necessary tile streams that correspond to the user's current viewport, rather than transmitting all available tile streams. The system identifies which tiles are currently visible and selectively requests transmission of only those specific tile segments. This extraction approach ensures complete viewport coverage while eliminating bandwidth waste by excluding tiles that are not currently visible to the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic tile stream selection that adapts to the user's changing viewport orientation. As the user moves their head or changes viewing direction, the system dynamically identifies the new viewport region and adjusts which tile streams are transmitted accordingly. This dynamic adaptation ensures that the system always transmits the correct set of tiles for the current viewport while minimizing bandwidth usage by not transmitting tiles outside the visible area.
3Device complexity
If uniform segment duration is used for all tile streams, then processing is simplified, but foreground latency is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different segment durations to different regions of the 360-degree video content. Foreground tiles (current viewport) are divided into short segments to enable rapid transmission and reduce latency, while background tiles use longer segments. This local differentiation in segment duration optimizes the user experience by ensuring that the visually critical foreground content is delivered quickly, while accepting longer durations for the less critical background content. The system manages this complexity through intelligent tile identification and selective streaming.
Data Source
AI summary
The embodiments relate to a method including determining a foreground area covering a viewport of 360-degree video and one or more other areas of 360-degree video, not containing the foreground area in its entirety; concluding a first set of tile streams among available tile streams of the 360-degree video to cover the foreground area; concluding a second set of tile streams among the available tile streams of the 360-degree video, to cover the one or more other areas; and requesting transmission of a first set of portions of the first set of tile streams and a second set of portions of the second set of tile streams, wherein the portions in the first set of portions have a shorter duration that portions in the second set of portions.