Broadcast Video Substream Segmentation for Adaptive Frame Rates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current broadcast video services over high-speed wireless data networks are limited to a single video quality, with all users restricted to the same frame rate, regardless of their mobile device capabilities, leading to inefficient use of network resources and unsatisfactory video quality for users with more capable devices.
Innovation Solution
The method involves splitting a source video stream into multiple video substreams with offset frames and modulating them onto air interface channels, allowing users to access either a single substream for a lower frame rate or multiple substreams for a higher frame rate, enabling providers to offer basic and premium video services with varying quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If broadcast video services are provided over high-speed wireless data networks, then multiple users can simultaneously access the same video content, but all users are limited to the same video quality regardless of their mobile device capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The video stream is segmented into multiple substreams with different frame rates (e.g., 15 fps, 30 fps). Each substream is assigned to a different air interface channel, allowing mobile devices to select the appropriate substream based on their processing capabilities and service tier, thereby achieving adaptive video quality without overwhelming device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically assigns mobile devices to different video substreams based on their capabilities and service subscriptions. Users can transition between service tiers (basic to premium), and the system dynamically switches the assigned air interface channel to provide appropriate video quality, making the broadcast service adaptable rather than static.
2Loss of energy
If a single video stream is broadcast to all users, then network resource usage is optimized, but users with more capable devices cannot access higher video quality
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of broadcasting a single video stream, the system segments the video content into multiple substreams with different frame rates. This segmentation allows the network to efficiently serve multiple quality levels simultaneously, where basic service users consume fewer network resources while premium service users utilize additional bandwidth for higher quality content.
Solution Approach 2:
Different portions of the broadcast spectrum (air interface channels) are allocated different video qualities based on local user needs and device capabilities. Basic service channels provide lower frame rate video for legacy devices, while premium service channels provide higher frame rate video for capable devices, optimizing network resource distribution locally rather than uniformly.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple video substreams with offset frames are provided on different air interface channels, then users can access video at different frame rates, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The video stream is divided into multiple substreams with offset frames, where each substream corresponds to a specific frame rate requirement. This segmentation is managed centrally by the broadcast system, which handles the complexity of splitting and assigning substreams to appropriate air interface channels, rather than requiring individual devices to perform complex stream processing.
Data Source
AI summary
A method, system, and medium are provided for delivering broadcast video content at varying levels of video quality. In particular, a source video stream is provided that is divided into two or more video substreams such that the video substreams include offset frames from the source video stream. The video substreams are modulated onto one or more air interface channels. Mobile devices may be configured to access only one of the video substreams to present video content at a lower frame rate or to access multiple video substreams to present video content at a higher frame rate.