Connection acceptance control

• US 7,890,631 B2
• Filed: 03/17/2008
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Musicqubed Innovations LLC (Ascend Innovation Management, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Democrasoft Incorporated
• Inventors: Allen, Arthur Douglas
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen; Thu Ha T
• Application Number:
  US12/049,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20080228921A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,065 Days
• Field of Search: 709/203, 709/219, 709/226, 709/234, 709/220, 370/229, 370/232, 370/389, 370/412, 370/254, 370/395.21, 340/825, 710/36, 711/170
• US Class Current: 709/226
• 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 47/19 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 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/29 using a combination of thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/741 Holding a request until resources become available
• 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 47/821 Prioritising resource allocation or reservation requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/826 Involving periods of time
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/83 based on usage prediction
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/612 for unicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/62 : Establishing a time schedule for servicing the requests
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 : in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 : Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23805 : Controlling the feeding rate to the network, e.g. by controlling the video pump
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2381 : Adapting the multiplex stream to a specific network, e.g. an Internet Protocol [IP] network transmission of MPEG streams over ATM H04L12/5601
• 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 21/2396 : characterized by admission policies admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for network security using user profiles for access control H04L63/102; access security in wireless networks H04W12/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2401 : Monitoring of the client buffer
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 : Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/26216 : involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2662 : Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47202 : for requesting content on demand, e.g. video on demand
• 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 21/643 : Communication protocols network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP], H04L65/65
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/658 : Transmission by the client directed to the server

Abstract

A method of bandwidth allocation for delivery of stored digital content from at least one server device to at least one client device by way of a network. The method includes the steps of: describing a control variable which represents a target flow rate of content from the server device to each client device; determining time-varying constraints on the target flow rate of the content; determining a cost function of the control variables for all clients, wherein the cost function represents an aggregate flow rate and is a sum of all flow rates for all clients; and prescribing bandwidth to all clients based upon a value of the control variables that maximize the cost function comprising performing periodic computations to update the value of the control variable such that the bandwidth can be continuously allocated to each client.

Claims

1. A method of bandwidth allocation for delivery of stored digital content from a server to one or more client devices in a session, the method comprising:

repeatedly calculating a control variable for each of the one or more client devices, wherein the control variable represents a minimum flow rate of content from the server to a client device by faster-than-real-time transmission, wherein the minimum flow rate of content is guaranteed not to increase during the session;

determining time-varying constraints for each minimum flow rate of content based on scheduled changes in network capacity;

determining a sum of all minimum flow rates of content for all client devices in the session; and

allocating excess bandwidth to all client devices in the session based on a cost function that maximizes revenue for a service provider, wherein excess bandwidth is based on a difference between network capacity and the sum of all minimum flow rates of content for all client devices in a session, and further based on the time-varying constraints.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control variable further represents a maximum flow rate of content from the server to a client device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising establishing a service prioritization of all client devices based upon at least one variable.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein establishing a service prioritization of all client devices based upon at least one variable includes prioritizing all client devices based upon respective minimum flow rates.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein establishing a service prioritization of all client devices based upon at least one variable includes prioritizing all clients based upon respective costs of service.

6. A method of bandwidth allocation for delivery of stored digital content from a server to one or more active clients in a session, comprising:

repeatedly determining a control variable which represents a minimum flow rate of the delivery of stored digital content from the server to an active client by faster-than-real-time transmission, wherein the minimum flow rate is guaranteed not to increase during the session;

determining time-varying constraints on the minimum flow rate based on scheduled changes in network capacity;

determining a sum of all minimum flow rates for all client devices in the session and

allocating bandwidth to all active clients based upon a cost function that maximized revenue for a service provider, wherein excess bandwidth is based on a difference between network capacity and the sum of all minimum flow rates for all client devices in a session, and further based on the time-varying constraints such that each active client is guaranteed bandwidth for successful delivery of the stored digital content from the server to the active client during the session.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the control variable further represents a maximum flow rate of the delivery of stored digital content from the server to an active client.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein repeatedly determining a control variable occurs at least whenever a new client is activated during a session.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising establishing a service ordering of all active clients.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the service ordering is based on respective costs of service of all active clients.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon instructions executable by a computer processor to perform a method of bandwidth allocation for delivery of stored digital content from a server to one or more active clients in a session, the method comprising:

repeatedly determining a control variable which represents a minimum flow rate of the delivery of stored digital content from the server to an active client by faster-than-real-time transmission, wherein the minimum flow rate is guaranteed not to increase during the session;

determining time-varying constraints on the minimum flow rate based on scheduled changes in network capacity;

determining a sum of all minimum flow rates for all client devices in the session; and

allocating bandwidth to all active clients based upon a cost function that maximized revenue for a service provider, wherein excess bandwidth is based on a difference between network capacity and the sum of all minimum flow rates for all client devices in a session, and further based on the time-varying constraints such that each active client is guaranteed bandwidth for successful delivery of the stored digital content from the server to the active client during the session.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the control variable further represents a maximum flow rate of the delivery of stored digital content from the server to an active client.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein repeatedly determining a control variable occurs at least whenever a new client is activated during a session.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, the method further comprising establishing a service ordering of all active clients.