Method and system for network-directed media buffer-size setting based on device features

• US 7,796,999 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2006
• Issued: 09/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Spectrum LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Martin, Geoff S., Kindred, Jonathan R.
• Primary Examiner(s): SOBUTKA, PHILIP
• Application Number:
  US11/397,003
• Time in Patent Office: 1,625 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/456.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/19 at layers above the network layer network arrangements for networked applications for scheduling or organising the servicing of application requests H04L67/60
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/28 in relation to timing considerations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/30 in combination with information about buffer occupancy at either end or at transit nodes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/0226 based on location or mobility handoff or reselection H04W36/00; mobile application services making use of the location of users or terminals H04W4/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]

Abstract

A method and system for setting buffer size on a wireless communication device (WCD). A network entity receives a streaming-media-session initiation message from the WCD. The network entity determines a WCD buffer size, based at least on one or more features of the WCD, and sends to the WCD a directive to use the determined WCD buffer size. In one example, the network entity may determine the WCD buffer size based at least on media player version in use on the WCD and make and model of the WCD.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving into a network entity a streaming-media-session initiation message from a wireless communication device (WCD);

determining at the network entity a WCD buffer size, based at least on one or more features of the WCD; and

sending from the network entity to the WCD a directive to use the determined WCD buffer size, so as to cause the WCD to set a buffer at the WCD to the determined WCD buffer size.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at the network entity the WCD buffer size, based at least on the one or more features of the WCD comprises:

determining at the network entity the WCD buffer size based at least on a media player version used by the WCD to request initiation of the streaming media session.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at the network entity the WCD buffer size, based at least on the one or more features of the WCD comprises:

determining at the network entity the WCD buffer size based at least on (i) the one or more features of the WCD and (ii) a geographic location of the WCD.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein determining at the network entity the WCD buffer size based at least on (i) the one or more features of the WCD and (ii) the geographic location of the WCD comprises:

determining at the network entity the WCD buffer size based at least on (i) the one or more features of the WCD and (ii) a number of wireless users historically present at the geographic location.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein determining at the network entity the WCD buffer size based at least on (i) the one or more features of the WCD and (ii) the geographic location of the WCD comprises:

determining at the network entity the WCD buffer size based at least on (i) the one or more features of the WCD and (ii) a data throughput at the geographic location.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the streaming-media-session initiation message includes an indication of the geographic location of the WCD.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at the network entity the WCD buffer size, based at least on the one or more features of the WCD comprises:

determining at the network entity a WCD media buffer size, based at least on the one or more features of the WCD.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at the network entity the WCD buffer size, based at least on the one or more features of the WCD comprises:

determining at the network entity a WCD Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) buffer size, based at least on the one or more features of the WCD.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at the network entity the WCD buffer size, based at least on the one or more features of the WCD comprises:

determining at the network entity the WCD buffer size based at least on (i) the one or more features of the WCD and (ii) one or more conditions in a radio access network (RAN) currently serving the WCD.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein determining at the network entity the WCD buffer size, based at least on the one or more features of the WCD comprises:

querying a device capabilities store to determine the one or more features of the WCD.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more features of the WCD includes one or more of:

(i) media player version in use on the WCD; and

(ii) make and model of the WCD.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the network entity comprises a streaming media server.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the network entity comprises a server that provides the WCD with a streaming media server network address.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the network entity is a media gateway.

15. A network entity comprising:

a processor;

a data storage; and

program logic stored in the data storage and executable by the processor (i) to receive a streaming-media-session initiation message from a wireless communication device (WCD), (ii) to determine a WCD buffer size, based at least on one or more features of the WCD, and (iii) to send to the WCD a directive to use the determined WCD buffer size, so as to cause the WCD to set a buffer at the WCD to the determined WCD buffer size.

16. A wireless communication device (WCD) comprising:

a processor;

a data storage, wherein the data storage defines a buffer; and

program logic stored in the data storage and executable by the processor (i) to send a streaming-media-session initiation message to a network entity, (ii) to receive from the network entity a directive to use a buffer size determined based at least on one or more features of the WCD, and (iii) to set the buffer size according to the directive received from the network entity.

17. The WCD of claim 16, wherein the one or more features of the WCD includes:

(i) media player version in use on the WCD; and

(ii) make and model of the WCD.

18. The WCD of claim 16, wherein the buffer includes a media buffer.

19. The WCD of claim 16, wherein the buffer includes a transport-layer buffer.

20. The WCD of claim 16, wherein the streaming-media-session initiation message includes an indication of a geographic location of the WCD.