METHOD FOR DYNAMICALLY OPTIMIZING BANDWIDTH ALLOCATION IN VARIABLE BITRATE (MULTI-RATE) CONFERENCES

• US 20090153645A1
• Filed: 01/12/2009
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Hagendorf, Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 8,917,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/14.80
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/765 triggered by the end-points
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/801 Real time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/806 Broadcast or multicast traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2385 Channel allocation H04N21/266 takes precedence; Bandwidth allocation H04N21/24 takes precedence ; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/152 Multipoint control units therefor

Abstract

Method for dynamically optimizing bandwidth allocation in a variable bitrate conference environment. Conference means with two or more outputs are provided, where each one can output data at different rates, in order to support two or more endpoints which may have different media rates. Two or more endpoints are connected to these conference means for participating in the conference. Whenever more than one video rate is used by participants during the conference, each set of output rates is selected from all possible combinations of output rates in the conference means, wherein the lowest output rate in each selected set is the entry rate of the endpoint joining the conference at the lowest rate. A Quality Drop Coefficient (QDC) for each endpoint that joins the conference is determined for each selected set, wherein the QDC is computed according to the endpoint entry rate and the highest rate, among the output rates of each selected set, that is lower or equal to said endpoints'"'"' entry rate. A Quality Drop Value (QDV) is calculated for each of the selected sets, wherein, preferably, the set of output rates with the lowest QDV is determined as the optimal video rate set to select. The video rate of all the endpoints having a video rate above the highest optimal video rate is reduced to the highest optimal video rate, if required, and the video rate of other endpoints having video rate between two consecutive levels of optimal video rates is reduced to the lowest level among said levels. Whenever a change occurs in either the amount of participating endpoints in the conference or in the declared bit rate capability of the participating endpoints, the video rates of all the outputs are recalculated.

Claims

1. A method of reallocating video conferencing resources on a video conference system, said method comprising:

upon a participant entering or leaving a conference, adjusting at least one conferencing resource of at least one other participant at least partially based on a lookup of an entry in a data structure.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the data structure includes one more entries indicating a conferencing resource allocation priority.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the resource allocation priority is to minimize image quality degradation for the at least one other participant.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the resource allocation priority is to maximize image quality improvement for the at least one other participant.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the resource allocation priority is to maximize service fees from participants.

6. The method according to claim 4, wherein maximizing service fees comprises compliance with at least one Service Level Agreement requirement.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein upon a participant leaving a conference, adjusting at least one conferencing resource includes reallocating at least a portion of resources previously used by the leaving participant to another participant of the conference.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein upon a participant entering a conference, adjusting at least one conferencing resource includes reallocating at least a portion of resources used by a current participant to the entering participant conference.

9. The method according to claim 1, further including upon a capability of a conference participant changing, adjusting at least one conferencing resource of at least one other participant at least partially selected based on a lookup of an entry in a data structure.

10. A multi-participant conferencing system comprising:

a processing unit adapted to reallocate conferencing resources to one or more current conference participants upon a participant entering or leaving a conference, wherein reallocation includes adjusting at least one conferencing resource of at least one current participant at least partially based on a lookup of an entry in a data structure.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the data structure includes one more entries indicating a conferencing resource allocation priority.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein the resource allocation priority is to minimize image quality degradation for the at least one other participant.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the resource allocation priority is to maximize image quality improvement for the at least one other participant.

14. The system according to claim 11, wherein the resource allocation priority is to maximize service fees from participants.

15. The system according to claim 13, wherein maximizing service fees comprises compliance with at least one Service Level Agreement requirement.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein upon a participant leaving a conference, said processing unit is adapted to reallocate at least a portion of resources previously used by the leaving participant to another participant of the conference.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein upon a participant entering a conference, said processing unit is adapted to reallocate at least a portion of resources used by a current participant to the entering participant conference.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein said processing unit is further adapted to reallocate conferencing resources upon a capability of a conference participant changing.

19. A machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to:

upon a participant entering or leaving a conference, reallocating conferencing resources on a video conference system by adjusting at least one conferencing resource of at least one other participant at least partially based on a lookup of an entry in a data structure.

20. The machine-readable storage medium according to claim 19, wherein the data structure includes one more entries indicating a conferencing resource allocation priority.