MULTICAST DIGITAL VIDEO LOST PACKET RECOVERY

• US 20100037270A1
• Filed: 12/03/2008
• Published: 02/11/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies General IP PTE Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bennett, James D.
• Granted Patent: US 8,112,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 725/62
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/1607 Details of the supervisory signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2001/0093 Point-to-multipoint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6125 involving transmission via Internet transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6375 for requesting retransmission , e.g. of data packets lost or corrupted during transmission from serverARQ protocols H04L1/18; implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/17318 Direct or substantially direct transmission and handling of requests

Abstract

An electronic communication network supports delivery of video program Internet protocol packets and includes a source device, a first recipient device, and a second recipient device. The source device transmits both first and second video program Internet protocol packets. The first recipient device is assigned as positive acknowledgment leader by the source device and the second recipient device that is assigned as negative acknowledgement leader by the source device. The first recipient device is operable to transmit to the source device a positive acknowledgment of receipt of the first video program Internet protocol packet. The second recipient device is operable to transmit to the source device a negative acknowledgment of non-receipt upon not receiving the first video program Internet protocol packet. The source device responds to the negative acknowledgement of non-receipt by the second recipient device by multicast resending the second video program Internet protocol packet to both the first and second recipient devices.

Claims

1. A method for operating a wireless access point to transmit a video stream having a plurality of independent frames and a plurality of reference frames to a plurality of wireless devices, the method comprising:

the wireless access point selecting a reception confirmation leader from the plurality of wireless devices;

the wireless access point transmitting an independent frame of the plurality of independent frames to the plurality of wireless devices using reception confirmation;

the wireless access point receiving a reception confirmation message only from the reception confirmation leader of the plurality of wireless devices regarding the independent frame;

when the reception confirmation message received from the reception confirmation leader is negative, the wireless access point retransmitting the independent frame to the plurality of wireless devices; and

the wireless access point transmitting a reference frame to the plurality of wireless devices without reception confirmation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the wireless access point receiving respective received signal qualities from the plurality of wireless devices; and

the wireless access point selecting the reception confirmation leader as having a lesser received signal quality than received signal quality of other of the plurality of wireless devices.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising a wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices requesting transmission of the independent frame from the reception confirmation leader to the wireless device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the wireless access point transmitting a second independent frame of the plurality of independent frames to the plurality of wireless devices using reception confirmation;

the wireless access point failing to receive a reception confirmation message from the confirmation leader of the plurality of wireless devices regarding the second independent frame within a predetermined time period; and

the wireless access point receiving a reception confirmation message from a backup confirmation leader of the plurality of wireless devices regarding the second independent frame.

5. A method for operating a wireless access point to transmit a video stream having a plurality of independent frames and a plurality of reference frames to a plurality of wireless devices, the method comprising:

the wireless access point selecting a positive reception confirmation leader from the plurality of wireless devices;

the wireless access point selecting a negative reception confirmation leader from the plurality of wireless devices;

the wireless access point transmitting an independent frame of the plurality of independent frames to the plurality of wireless devices using reception confirmation;

the wireless access point receiving a positive reception confirmation message only from the positive reception confirmation leader of the plurality of wireless devices regarding the independent frame;

the wireless access point receiving a negative reception confirmation message only from the negative reception confirmation leader of the plurality of wireless devices regarding the independent frame; and

the wireless access point transmitting a reference frame to the plurality of wireless devices without reception confirmation.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

the wireless access point receiving a positive reception confirmation message only from the positive reception confirmation leader of the plurality of wireless devices regarding an Internet protocol video program packet that contains the independent frame;

the wireless access point receiving a negative reception confirmation message only from the negative reception confirmation leader of the plurality of wireless devices regarding an Internet protocol video program packet that contains the independent frame; and

the wireless access point transmitting an Internet protocol video program packet that contains a reference frame to the plurality of wireless devices without reception confirmation.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

the wireless access point receiving respective received signal qualities from the plurality of wireless devices;

the wireless access point selecting the positive reception confirmation leader based upon a respective received signal quality; and

the wireless access point selecting the negative reception confirmation leader based upon a respective received signal quality.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising the wireless access point receiving a retransmission request from one of the positive reception confirmation leader and the negative reception confirmation leader to the wireless device regarding the independent frame of the plurality of independent frames.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

the wireless access point retransmitting the independent frame of the plurality of independent frames to the plurality of wireless devices using reception confirmation in response to receipt of the retransmission request.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising the wireless access point employing data rights management overlaying.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

the wireless access point receiving a retransmission request from one of the positive reception confirmation leader and the negative reception confirmation regarding an Internet protocol video program packet that contains the reference frame; and

; and

the wireless access point retransmitting the Internet protocol video program packet that contains that reference frame.

12. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

the wireless access point receiving a positive reception confirmation message from a first responding wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices regarding the independent frame; and

the wireless access point selecting the first responding wireless device as the positive reception confirmation leader.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

the wireless access point receiving a negative reception confirmation message from a first responding wireless device of the plurality of wireless devices regarding the independent frame; and

the wireless access point selecting the first responding wireless device as the negative reception confirmation leader.

14. An electronic communication network that supports delivery of video program Internet protocol packets, the electronic communication network comprising:

a source device that transmits both first and second video program Internet protocol packets;

a first recipient device that is assigned as positive acknowledgment leader by the source device; and

a second recipient device that is assigned as negative acknowledgement leader by the source device;

wherein the first recipient device is operable to transmit to the source device a positive acknowledgment of receipt of the first video program Internet protocol packet;

wherein the second recipient device is operable to transmit to the source device a negative acknowledgment of non-receipt upon not receiving the first video program Internet protocol packet; and

wherein the source device responds to the negative acknowledgement of non-receipt by the second recipient device by multicast resending the second video program Internet protocol packet to both the first and second recipient devices.

15. The electronic communication network of claim 14 wherein:

the first recipient device sends back a negative acknowledgment of non-receipt upon not receiving a third video frame contained in the third video program Internet protocol packet; and

the source device responds to the negative acknowledgement of non-receipt regarding the third video frame contained in the third video program Internet protocol packet by multicast resending the third video program Internet protocol packet to both the first and second recipient devices.

16. The electronic communication network of claim 15, wherein the first video frame is an independent frame.

17. The electronic communication network of claim 15, wherein the first video frame is a reference frame.

18. The electronic communication network of claim 14, wherein the first recipient device and the source device are communicatively coupled with a highest communication error rate in the electronic communication network.

19. The electronic communication network of claim 14, wherein the electronic communication network employs data rights management overlaying.

20. An electronic communication network that supports delivery of video program Internet protocol packets, the electronic communication network comprising:

a source device that transmits the video program Internet protocol packets;

a first recipient device that receives at least some of the video program Internet protocol packets; and

a second recipient device that receives at least some of the video program Internet protocol packets;

wherein the source device assigns the first recipient device as a leader to send back acknowledgment of receipt of the video program Internet protocol packets;

wherein the source device transmits a first video program Internet protocol packet to both the first and second recipient devices;

wherein the source device responds to the lack of receipt of acknowledgement from the first recipient device regarding the first video program Internet protocol packet by resending the first video program Internet protocol packet to both the first and second recipient devices; and

wherein the source device transmits a second video program Internet protocol packet to both the first and second recipient devices without receipt confirmation.

21. The electronic communication network of claim 20, wherein the first video frame is an independent frame.

22. The electronic communication network of claim 21, wherein the first video frame is a reference frame.