Systems, methods, apparatus and computer program products for providing packet-level FEC with higher throughput using user datagram protocol (UDP)

• US 7,949,778 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2008
• Issued: 05/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: KenCast Inc.
• Original Assignee: KenCast Inc.
• Inventors: Fang, Weimin
• Primary Examiner(s): Jaroenchonwanit; Bunjob
• Application Number:
  US12/055,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20080244001A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 709/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0002 by adapting the transmission rate
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/193 at the transport layer, e.g. TCP related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/263 Rate modification at the source after receiving feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

A method and system for data delivery from a server to a client is provided. The server maintains a session counter and transmits data to a client at a transmission speed. The server receives a message from the client indicating a percentage of packets lost in a current session and compares the percentage of packets lost to a predefined range of packet loss, and modifies the transmission speed based on the comparison. Forward Error Correction (FEC) may be used to reconstruct the lost packets.

Claims

1. A method for data delivery by a server, comprising the steps of:

maintaining a session counter set by the server, the session counter being used by a client to identify packets of a current UDP session and determine a percentage of packets lost in the current UDP session;

transmitting data including the session counter to the client at a transmission speed;

receiving a message from the client indicating the percentage of packets lost in the current UDP session;

comparing the percentage of packets lost to a predefined range of packet loss; and

increasing, decreasing or maintaining the transmission speed of the current UDP session based on the comparing,

wherein at least one of the above steps is performed by a processor.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

incrementing the session counter and transmitting additional data at the transmission speed when the percentage of packets lost is within the predefined range.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

increasing the transmission speed to an increased transmission speed, incrementing the session counter and transmitting additional data at the increased transmission speed when the percentage of packets lost is less than the predefined range.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the increased transmission speed is the transmission speed plus a transmission speed change amount based on feedback information from the client.

5. The method according to claim 1,

decreasing the transmission speed to a decreased transmission speed, incrementing the session counter and transmitting additional data at the decreased transmission speed when the percentage of packets lost is greater than the predefined range.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the decreased transmission speed is decreased proportionally based on the percentage of packets lost.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

receiving from the client a termination request message; and

terminating transmission of data based on the termination request message.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the termination request message identifies a reason for terminating transmission.

9. The method according to claim 1,

terminating the transmission when the server has not received the message from the client before a predefined time interval.

10. A server for delivering data to a client, comprising:

a session counter, the session counter being used by a client to identify packets of a current UDP session and determine a percentage of packets lost in the current UDP session;

a transmitter operable to transmit data including the session counter to the client at a transmission speed;

a receiver operable to receive a message from the client indicating a percentage of packets lost in the current UDP session;

a comparator operable to compare the percentage of packets lost to a predefined range of packet loss; and

a processor operable to control the transmitter to increase, decrease or maintain the transmission speed of the current UDP session based on the comparing.

11. The server according to claim 10, wherein:

the session counter is further operable to be incremented and the transmitter is further operable to transmit additional data at the transmission speed, when the percentage of packets lost is within the predefined range.

12. The server according to claim 10, wherein:

the session counter is further operable to be incremented and the transmitter is further operable to increase the transmission speed to an increased transmission speed and transmit additional data at the increased transmission speed, when the percentage of packets lost is less than the predefined range.

13. The server according to claim 12, wherein the increased transmission speed is the transmission speed plus a transmission speed change amount based on feedback information from the client.

14. The server according to claim 10, wherein:

the session counter is further operable to be incremented and the transmitter is further operable to decrease the transmission speed to a decreased transmission speed and transmit additional data at the decreased transmission speed, when the percentage of packets lost is greater than the predefined range.

15. The server according to claim 14, wherein the decreased transmission speed is decreased proportionally based on the percentage of packets lost.

16. The server according to claim 10, wherein the transmitter is further operable to receive from the client a termination request message and the transmitter is further operable to terminate transmission of data based on the termination request message.

17. The server according to claim 16, wherein the termination request message identifies a reason for terminating transmission.

18. The server according to claim 10, wherein:

the transmitter is further operable to terminate the transmission when the server has not received the message from the client before a predefined time interval.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing instructions which when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of:

maintaining a session counter set by the server, the session counter being used by a client to identify packets of a current UDP session and determine a percentage of packets lost in the current UDP session;

transmitting data including the session counter to the client at a transmission speed;

receiving a message from the client indicating a percentage of packets lost in the current UDP session;

comparing the percentage of packets lost to a predefined range of packet loss; and

at least one of increasing, decreasing or maintaining the transmission speed of the predetermined communication session based on the comparing.