Method of dynamically transmitting data packets using RTP and RTCP protocols

• US 20030156550A1
• Filed: 02/04/2003
• Published: 08/21/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Matsushita Electric Industrial Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Akihiro, Hakenberg, Rolf, Burmeister, Carsten
• Granted Patent: US 6,853,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/16 in which the return channel carries supervisory signals, e.g. repetition request signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/20 using signal quality detector
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS

Abstract

A method of transmitting data packets, in particular of real-time or near-real-time data over internet protocol (IP) networks using a real-time protocol (RTP) for media data products and a real-time control protocol (RTCP) for control data packets. Each protocol is allocated a fraction of the available transmission bandwidth. The method comprises the steps of measuring relevant characteristics of the network link, calculating from this measurement an optimized RTCP bandwidth and transmitting control data packets using the optimized RTCP bandwidth.

Claims

1. A method of transmitting data packets, in particular of real-time or near-real-time data over an Internet protocol (IP) network using a real-time protocol (RTP) for media data products and a real-time control protocol (RTCP) for control data packets, each protocol being allocated a fraction of the available transmission bandwidth comprising the steps of:

measuring relevant characteristics of the network link,

calculating from this measurement an optimized RTCP bandwidth and

transmitting control data packets using the optimized RTCP bandwidth.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of measuring relevant network link characteristics comprise the measurement of the number of data packets sent per time interval.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of measuring relevant network link characteristics comprise determining the number of packets lost during transmission.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of measuring relevant network link characteristics comprise determining the time it takes a packet to be transmitted from a server to a client and back to the server.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of measuring relevant network link characteristics comprises determining the congestion state of the IP network.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the measurement of the relevant network link characteristics is effected periodically at regular intervals.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the optimized RTCP bandwidth is signaled from a client to a server as a feedback.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the control data packets are one of a regular status report, a positive or negative acknowledgement of a transmission event.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising the further step of calculating an optimum feedback interval between two successive transmissions of control data packets.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of calculating the optimized RTCP bandwidth comprises the step of determining an average rate of the control data packets.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of calculating the optimized RTCP bandwidth comprises the step of determining the size of the control data packets.