Web Client Video Playback Without Plug-ins
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current video playback in browsers relies on plug-ins like NPAPI and ActiveX, which pose network security issues due to elevated permissions and potential for malicious activities, leading to most browsers disabling these plug-ins, thus necessitating a method to play videos without relying on them.
Innovation Solution
A video playing method and apparatus that performs video-preprocessing and playback using the main process of a Web client, with the option to create a video service process when performance resources are insufficient, allowing for plug-in-free video playback by the main process and offloading processing to the video service process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If plug-ins are embedded in the browser to enable video playback, then video playback functionality is achieved, but network security is compromised due to elevated permissions and potential malicious activities
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the video decoding and rendering functions from the browser's main process and isolates them into a separate plug-in process. This process is further sandboxed using a dedicated context, separating the video playback functionality from the main browser environment. This extraction allows video playback to function while limiting the potential security impact to an isolated process space.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the browser architecture into distinct components: the main browser process, a separate plug-in process for video decoding, and a sandboxed rendering context. By dividing the system into these isolated segments, video playback capability is maintained in the plug-in process while the main browser process remains secure and unaffected by potential malicious activities.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the main process performs video preprocessing and playback, then plug-in-free video playback is achieved, but performance resources may be insufficient for smooth playback
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a video service process as an intermediary between the main browser process and the video rendering context. This intermediary process handles resource-intensive video preprocessing and decoding tasks, allowing the main process to remain responsive while ensuring smooth video playback through dedicated resource allocation in the service process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a new dimensional layer to the browser architecture by introducing a separate video service process that operates in parallel to the main process. This dimensional separation allows video processing tasks to be performed in an additional process space, preventing resource conflicts and ensuring smooth playback without compromising the security benefits of plug-in-free architecture.
3Productivity
If a video service process is created to handle resource-intensive tasks, then video playback smoothness is improved, but system resource consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic architecture where the video service process can be created or deactivated based on real-time resource availability and playback requirements. When resources are sufficient, the system can operate with fewer processes; when resource-intensive video playback is needed, the video service process is dynamically created to handle the load, optimizing resource consumption while maintaining playback smoothness.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided are a video playing method and apparatus. Wherein the video playing method comprises: performing video-preprocessing on video data to be played and playing the video data obtained after the video-preprocessing by means of a main process of the Web client; in the case that the performance resource of the Web client is insufficient, creating and starting a video service process, wherein the video service process is configured to perform the video-preprocessing on video data to be played and play the video data obtained after the video-preprocessing. In the technical solution according to the embodiment in the present application, the main process of the Web client can play videos without relying on plug-ins. In the case that the performance resource of the Web client is insufficient, the video service process is used to play videos for the smoothness of video playing, which can also play videos without relying on plug-ins. Thus, videos can be played without relying on plug-ins by means of this solution.