Multimedia client/server system with adjustable packet size and methods for use therewith

• US 7,984,177 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2007
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: VIXS Systems Incorporated (Pixelworks Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dong, Suiwu, Girardeau, Jr., James Ward
• Primary Examiner(s): Moore, Ian N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zuniga, Jackie
• Application Number:
  US11/799,100
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270528A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,541 Days
• Field of Search: 709/231, 709/203, 370/468, 370/338, 370/474
• US Class Current: 709/231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0007 by modifying the frame length
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0016 involving special memory structures, e.g. look-up tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0017 where the mode-switching is based on Quality of Service requirement
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0026 Transmission of channel quality indication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 1/0033 arrangements specific to the transmitter
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/752 adapting media to network capabilities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/43637 involving a wireless protocol, e.g. Bluetooth, RF or wireless LAN [IEEE 802.11] arrangements for wireless networking or broadcasting of information in indoor or near-field type systems H04B10/114
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4402 involving reformatting operations of video signals for household redistribution, storage or real-time display details of conversion of video standards at pixel level H04N7/01; video transcoding H04N19/40; adapting incoming signals to the display format of the display terminal G09G5/005; media handling at the source in data packet switching networks H04L65/764
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44227 Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64707 for transferring content from a first network to a second network, e.g. between IP and wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64792 Controlling the complexity of the content stream, e.g. by dropping packets intermediate media network packet handling H04L65/765; proxy provisioning conversion or adaptation for reducing the amount or size of exchanged application data H04L67/5651; negotiation of resources in wireless networks H04W28/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/06 Optimizing the usage of the radio link, e.g. header compression, information sizing , discarding information system modifying transmission characteristic according to link quality by modifying frame length H04L1/0007; dynamic adaptation of the packet size for flow control or congestion control H04L47/365
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/22 Negotiating communication rate

Abstract

A circuit for use in a multimedia server module includes an encoder module that encodes a multimedia signal to produce an encoded signal that includes a sequence of packets having a packet size. An RF server transceiver module, coupled to the encoder module, that produces a channel signal that includes the encoded signal, and that wirelessly transmits the channel signal at a link data rate over a wireless communication path to at least one client module The RF server transceiver module includes a quality of service module that adjusts the packet size based on first RF performance signals determined by the RF transceiver, based on second performance signals received from a client module and/or based on adjustments made to the link data rate.

Claims

1. A multimedia client/server system comprising:

a multimedia server module, coupleable to a plurality of multimedia sources that produce at least one multimedia signal that includes streaming video, the multimedia server module including;

an encoder module that encodes the at least one multimedia signal to produce an encoded signal that includes a sequence of packets having a packet size; and

an RF server transceiver module, coupled to the encoder module, that produces a channel signal that includes the encoded signal, and that wirelessly transmits the channel signal over a wireless communication path, the RF server transceiver module receives streaming video performance signals that are based on remote processing of the streaming video by a video decoder, the streaming video performance signals including a video decoding parameter of the video decoder, wherein the video decoding parameter includes at least one of;

a receiving buffer level, a rendering buffer level and a decoding buffer level, and includes a quality of service module that adjusts the packet size based on the streaming video performance signals; and

a client module, coupleable to at least one client device, the client module including;

an RF client transceiver module that receives and demodulates the channel signal to produce a received encoded signal and sends the streaming video performance signals to the multimedia server module; and

a decoder module, coupled to the RF client transceiver module, that decodes the received encoded signal into a decoded output signal, the decoder module including the video decoder.

2. The multimedia client/server system of claim 1 wherein RF client transceiver module further includes a monitor module that generates RF performance signals that are based on the performance of the wireless communication path, and wherein the quality of service module adjusts the packet size, based on the RF performance parameters.

3. The multimedia client/server system of claim 2 wherein the RF performance signals include a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), and the quality of service module adjusts the range of the link data rate based on the RSSI.

4. The multimedia client/server system of claim 1 wherein the encoder module produces the sequence of packets at a nominal packet size and when the quality of service module adjusts the packet size from the nominal packet size to a reduced packet size, the encoder module fragments packets of the sequence of packets size into packets of the reduced packet size.

5. The multimedia client/server system of claim 1 wherein the encoder module encodes the at least one multimedia signal in accordance with one of a Motion Picture Experts Group (MPEG) standard, and a Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) standard.

6. The multimedia client/server system of claim 1 wherein the RF server transceiver module and the RF client transceiver module communicate over a broadband wireless access network that conforms to at least one of the following standards:

802.11x, Ultra Wideband (UWB), and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX).

7. The multimedia client/server system of claim 1 wherein the encoder module transcodes the at least one multimedia signal.

8. A method for use in a multimedia server module that is coupleable to a plurality of multimedia sources that produce at least one multimedia signal that includes streaming video, the method comprising the steps of:

encoding the at least one multimedia signal via an encoding module to produce an encoded signal that includes a sequence of packets having a packet size;

generating via an RF server transceiver module, a channel signal that includes the encoded signal;

transmitting via the RF server transceiver module, the channel signal at a link data rate over a wireless communication path to at least one client module that receives and demodulates the channel signal via an RF client transceiver module to produce a received encoded signal, that decodes the received encoded signal via a video decoder and that generates streaming video performance signals including a video decoding parameter of the video decoder, wherein the video decoding parameter includes at least one of;

a receiving buffer level, a rendering buffer level and a decoding buffer level;

receiving via the RF server transceiver module, the streaming video performance signals from the at least one client module; and

adjusting the packet size via a quality of service module, based on the streaming video performance signals.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving RF performance signals, that are based on the performance of the wireless communication path, from the at least one client module;

wherein the step of adjusting adjusts the packet size, based on the RF performance parameters.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the RF performance signals include a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), and the step of adjusting adjusts the packet size based on the RSSI.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the RF performance signals include a received signal strength indicator (RSSI), and the step of adjusting further adjusts the link data rate based on the RSSI.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating RF performance signals, that are based on the performance of the wireless communication path;

wherein the step of adjusting adjusts the packet size, based on the RF performance signals; and

wherein the RF performance signals include a re-transmission rate and the step of adjusting adjusts the packet size based on the re-transmission rate.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the RF performance signals include a coding error rate.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the RF performance signals include an air busy rate.

15. The method of claim 8 wherein the step of encoding transcodes the at least one multimedia signal.