Server and method for transmitting streaming media to client through a congested network

• US 7,111,058 B1
• Filed: 06/28/2000
• Issued: 09/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Slain, Ilya, Nguyen, Bich, Connor, Kevin J., Surazski, Luke K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Etienne, Ario
• Assistant Examiner(s): Halim, Sahera
• Application Number:
  US09/606,787
• Time in Patent Office: 2,274 Days
• Field of Search: 709/224, 709/247, 709/234, 709/238, 375/240.16, 714/701, 714/755, 370/390
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6377 directed to server one-way streaming services wherein the source is controlled by the destination H04L65/613
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 Transmission by the client directed to the server

Abstract

A server is provided with a transmit buffer, a transcoder, and a redundancy encoder. The server is for transmitting streaming media to a client through a communication network. A control unit senses when the network is temporarily congested, and activates the transcoder and the redundancy encoder. The frames require fewer bits, and thus arrive in the client'"'"'s de-jitter buffer without interruption, notwithstanding the network congestion. This prevents network jitter.

Claims

1. A server comprising:

a transmit buffer for transmitting a plurality of frames of stored data to a network;

a network bandwidth monitor for monitoring a bandwidth of the network preceding each frame transmission;

a transcoder for transcoding a frame into a reduced data content frame if the monitored bandwidth for the corresponding frame transmission is less than a first preset value, where the first preset value is associated with a streaming media play out rate, the transcoding to increase a rate that each reduced data content frame is transmitted from the buffer over the network for the corresponding monitored bandwidth; and

a redundancy encoder for redundancy encoding the transcoded frame if the monitored bandwidth is less than a second preset value, where the second preset value is a network available bandwidth value where some frames carrying data are dropped by the network.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the transcoder increases the rate that the frames are transmitted above a receiver play out rate for a period of time after the monitored bandwidth of the network rises above the first preset value.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the network bandwidth monitor includes

a control unit for activating the redundancy encoder when the monitored bandwidth is less than the second preset value.

4. The server of claim 3, wherein the first preset value equals the second preset value.

5. The server of claim 1 where the redundancy encoder retransmits the transcoded frame to the network with at least another frame in the frame buffer.

6. The article of claim 1 including retransmitting the transcoded portion to the network with at least another portion of the streaming media.

7. A server for transmitting data to a network, comprising:

transmitting means for transmitting the data to the network;

monitoring means for monitoring a bandwidth of the network;

transcoding means for transcoding the data if the monitored bandwidth is less than a first preset value; and

redundancy encoding means for redundancy encoding the transcoded data prior to transmission if the monitored bandwidth is less than a second preset value, where the first preset value is a streaming media play out rate and the second preset value is a network available bandwidth value where some frames carrying the data are dropped by the network.

8. The server of claim 7, further comprising:

a control unit for activating the transcoding means when the monitored bandwidth is less than the first preset value and for activating the redundancy encoding means when the monitored bandwidth is less than the second preset value.

9. The server of claim 8, wherein the first preset value equals the second preset value.

10. The server of claim 7 where the transmit buffer sends the frames to the network at a fixed frame rate.

11. An article comprising:

a storage medium, said storage medium having stored thereon instructions for a server to transmit a portion of streaming media to a network, that, when executed by a computing device, result in;

monitoring a bandwidth of the network;

transcoding the portion if the monitored bandwidth is less than a first preset value, where the first preset value is associated with a streaming media play out rate, the transcoding to increase a rate that streaming media portions are transmitted over the network in relationship to the monitored bandwidth for each portion;

transmitting the portion to the network; and

redundancy encoding the transcoded portion if the monitored bandwidth is less than a second preset value, where the second preset value corresponds to available network bandwidth where one or more frames carrying data are dropped by the network.

12. The article of claim 11, further comprising:

activating a transcoder when the monitored bandwidth is less than the first preset value.

13. The article of claim 11, further comprising:

activating a redundancy encoder when the monitored bandwidth is less than the second preset value.

14. The server of claim 11 including means for retransmitting the transcoded data to the network with one or more data frames.

15. A method for a server to transmit a portion of streaming media to a network comprising:

monitoring an amount of available bandwidth on the network for the transmission of the portion;

transcoding a reduced portion of the streaming media into frames when the monitored bandwidth is less than a first preset value causing the frames to be transmitted over the network at an increased rate in relationship to the amount of available bandwidth for each frame;

transmitting the portion to the network;

redundancy encoding the transcoded portion if the monitored bandwidth is less than a second preset value; and

setting the first preset value at a media stream play out rate and setting the second preset value at an available network bandwidth value where some frames are dropped by the network.

16. The method of claim 15 including:

maintaining the transcoding for a selected period of time after the monitored available bandwidth rises above the first preset value causing the frames to be transmitted above a streaming media play out rate; and

discontinuing the transcoding after the selected period of time so that the frames are transmitted at the media play out rate.

17. The method of claim 15 including retransmitting the transcoded portion to the network with at least another portion of the streaming media.

18. A system for a server to transmit streaming media to a network comprising:

means for transmitting the streaming media comprising a plurality of portions to the network;

means for monitoring a bandwidth of the network preceding the transmission of each portion;

means for transcoding a portion prior to transmitting responsive when the monitored bandwidth for the corresponding transmission of the portion is less than a first preset value, where the first preset value is associated with a streaming media play out rate; and

means for redundancy encoding the transcoded portion if the monitored bandwidth is less than a second preset value, where the second preset value corresponds to a network bandwidth level where one or more frames carrying data are dropped by the network.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for activating the means for transcoding when the monitored bandwidth is less than the first preset value.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

means for activating the means for redundancy encoding when the monitored bandwidth is less than the second preset value.

21. The system of claim 18 including means for retransmitting the transcoded portion to the network with at least another portion of the streaming media.