DATA STREAMING THROUGH TIME-VARYING TRANSPORT MEDIA

• US 20110047283A1
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Published: 02/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Masimo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Vantrix Corporation
• Inventors: Cote, Sebastien, Labonte, Francis Roger, Lefebvre, Yves
• Granted Patent: US 8,135,856 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/00 Arrangements for monitoring or testing data switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0829 Packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/38 by adapting coding or compression rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for supporting real-time applications in data packet communication real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM] H04L51/04; selective video distribution H04N21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/613 for the control of the source by the destination control signals issued by the client directed to the server or network components specially adapted for selective content distribution H04N21/637
• 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 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4126 The peripheral being portable, e.g. PDAs or mobile phones
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47815 Electronic shopping payment schemes, payment architectures or payment protocols for electronic shopping systems G06Q20/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64322 IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/812 involving advertisement data advertising per se G06Q30/02

Abstract

Methods of data streaming from an encoder to a decoder through a connection subjected to time-varying conditions are disclosed. The connection is assigned a nominal flow rate and an encoding coefficient associated with the connection modifies the nominal flow rate to determine a permissible flow rate compatible with a time-varying state of the connection. Multiple performance characteristics are associated with the connection and corresponding sets of performance measurements taken over adaptively selected time windows are acquired. Performance metrics having one-to-one correspondence to the performance characteristics are determined and compared with lower bounds and upper bounds of respective predefined acceptance intervals. A current encoding coefficient is computed as a function of the performance metrics and used to determine the permissible flow rate. The encoder'"'"'s configuration is adapted to produce an encoded signal which maximizes signal fidelity under the constraint of the permissible flow rate.

Claims

1. A method of data streaming from an encoder to a decoder through a time-varying connection, the method comprising steps of:

associating an encoding coefficient with said connection, said encoding coefficient determining a flow rate of an output of said encoder;

associating multiple performance characteristics with said connection;

defining multiple performance metrics having one-to-one correspondence to said multiple performance characteristics;

at a current encoding coefficient, acquiring multiple sets of performance measurements of said connection over a time window, each set of performance measurements corresponding to one of said multiple performance characteristics;

determining a current value of each performance metric using a corresponding set of performance measurements to produce a set of current values of performance metrics; and

determining a preferred encoding coefficient according to said current value of each performance metric.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising steps of:

defining a set of acceptance intervals, each said acceptance interval having a respective lower bound and a respective upper bound and corresponding to a respective one of said multiple performance metrics;

multiplying said current encoding coefficient by a first factor greater than 1 to produce said preferred encoding coefficient when each element in said set of current values of performance metrics is lower than a lower bound of a corresponding acceptance interval; and

multiplying said current encoding coefficient by a second factor less than 1 to produce said preferred encoding coefficient when at least one element in said set of current values of performance metrics exceeds an upper bound of a corresponding acceptance interval.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said multiple performance characteristics comprise transfer delay, data loss, and occupancy of a decoder buffer holding data received through said connection and said multiple performance metrics comprise:

a mean value of transfer delay from said encoder to said decoder during said time window;

a value of data loss during said time window; and

a value of occupancy of said decoder buffer during said time window.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein a product of said first factor and said second factor is less than 1.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising a step of selecting said time window to succeed a preceding time window by at least a predefined minimum time gap.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said multiple sets of performance measurements are acquired through exchange of control data between said encoder and said decoder using the real-time transport protocol (RTP) and the real-time transport control protocol (RTCP).