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Efficient software bitstream rate generator for video server

  • US 7,904,931 B2
  • Filed: 09/10/2002
  • Issued: 03/08/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2001
  • Status: Active Grant
First Claim
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1. A method of processing data streams, comprising:

  • receiving a plurality of data streams having a plurality of bit rates and comprising packets of data, each of the plurality of data streams comprising only a constant bit rate;

    determining a bit rate associated with each packet of data of the plurality of data streams;

    providing a priority queue including a plurality of queues in memory for queuing the received plurality of data streams, each queue in the priority queue being associated with a single data stream, each of the queues in the priority queue having a stream deadline element associated therewith, wherein each stream deadline element has a stream identifier for identifying a data stream in the queue corresponding to the stream deadline element and a deadline key for identifying a deadline based on the determined bit rate associated with packets of the identified data stream for forwarding packets associated with the steam deadline element;

    arranging in priority order the queues in the priority queue holding content streams from a highest priority queue to a lowest priority queue based on the deadline keys in each of the plurality of queues;

    retrieving, from the highest priority queue in the priority queue, a stream deadline element including a respective stream deadline key and a stream identifier identifying the data stream associated with highest priority queue;

    examining a deadline identified by the deadline key from the retrieved stream deadline element of the highest priority queue to determine whether the deadline associated with the highest priority queue has expired; and

    transmitting at least one packet in the highest priority queue associated with the data stream identified by the stream identifier only when the deadline has expired;

    wherein data streams having a relatively low bit rate according to the deadline identified by the deadline keys are processed less frequently than data streams having a relatively high bit rate according to the deadline identified by the deadline keys and wherein the examining the deadline identified by the deadline key from the retrieved stream deadline element of the highest priority queue enables the plurality of data streams to be transmitted at different rates based on the bit rate of each data stream.

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