Apple patents smarter video streaming that predicts network drops
Apple describes a system that uses machine learning to predict when your internet speed will suddenly drop or spike. It then adjusts the video quality in real-time to either prevent buffering or use the full speed available.
In the filing’s own words
Methods and systems are for receiving network data representing a quality of a communication link in a network, the network data comprising a bandwidth value representing an available bandwidth for the communication link; detecting, based on the network data, that the available bandwidth has changed or will change from a first bandwidth level to a second bandwidth level; determining a probability that the network is congested; when the probability satisfies a threshold value, adjusting a bitrate for the communications link to a first value that enables network congestion to clear; when the probability does not satisfy the threshold value, adjusting the bitrate for the communications link to a second value that fully utilizes the second bandwidth level.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A method, comprising: receiving network data representing representing an available bandwidth for a transmission; detecting, based on the network data, that the available bandwidth will change from a first bandwidth level to a second bandwidth level, wherein detecting that the available bandwidth will change from the first bandwidth level to the second bandwidth level comprises executing a first machine learning engine that is trained with training data that associates values of the network data with changes in the available bandwidth for the transmission, wherein the change from the first bandwidth level to the second bandwidth level exceeds a threshold that set based on training of the first machine learning engine; classifying that the network is congested or not congested, wherein classifying that the network is congested or not congested comprises executing a second machine learning engine that is trained with training data that associates values of the network data with congestion levels for the network, wherein a threshold probability level that represents that the network is congested is set based on training of the second machine learning engine; when the network is classified as congested, adjusting a bitrate for the transmission to a first value that enables network congestion to clear; or when the network is classified as non-congested, adjusting the bitrate for the transmission to a second value that fully utilizes the second bandwidth level.
Facts
- Company
- Apple (Apple Inc.)
- Official title
- Optimizing bitrate adaption to sudden bandwidth changes based on inferred network characteristics
- Patent number
- US12757067B2
- Application number
- 18733454
- Filed
- Jun 4, 2024
- Granted
- Oct 6, 2026
- Inventors
- 10
- Claims
- 16
Classified under
H04W 28/0289 Electricity & electronicsH04L 41/16 Electricity & electronicsH04L 47/25 Electricity & electronicsMore from Apple in AI & software
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.