Adaptive scheduling of streaming video over wireless networks

• US 8,141,120 B2
• Filed: 01/05/2009
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Laboratories America Inc (NEC Corporation)
• Inventors: Zhang, Honghai, Rangarajan, Sampath
• Primary Examiner(s): Kumar, Pankaj
• Assistant Examiner(s): NEWLIN, TIMOTHY R
• Application Number:
  US12/348,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20090193484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,170 Days
• Field of Search: 725/62, 725 75- 97, 370/395.4, 370/395.41, 370/395.42, 370/468
• US Class Current: 725/96
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/23805 Controlling the feeding rate to the network, e.g. by controlling the video pump
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2402 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 21/2405 Monitoring of the internal components or processes of the server, e.g. server load allocation of resources in multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/50; performance measurement of computer activity G06F11/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6473 Monitoring network processes errors for recovering from a failure of a protocol instance or entity H04L69/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64738 Monitoring network characteristics, e.g. bandwidth, congestion level data switched network analysis H04L41/14; monitoring functioning in data switched networks H04L43/0817; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/64769 for rate control flow control in packet networks H04L47/10

Abstract

An adaptive scheduling process is disclosed which dynamically decides which frames need to be transmitted and which ones need to be dropped at any transmission opportunity based on current channel conditions and on characteristics of each video frame.

Claims

1. A method to transmit streaming video over a wireless network channel with periodic transmission opportunities, comprising:

receiving a plurality of video frames for transmission, each frame having an importance θ and

a deadline by which the frame is to be received;

transmitting video frames at each transmission opportunity with a scheduler, wherein the scheduler maximizes the total importance for all frames to be received within each frame deadline by applying dynamic programming on a predetermined window of frames and updating the scheduler with a channel feedback;

applying random channel error probability in selecting the frames;

determining an expected utility u(i, T) as attainable by deadline T with up to i frames; and

recursively determining the expected utility u(i, T) as u(i, T)=max (u(i−

1, T), max (u(i−

1, T−

k)P_li,k·

θ

_i, over l_i≦

k≦

T and P_li,k≦

1−

δ

)) where

2. The method of claim 1, comprising determining u(i, T) as a maximum utility (importance) that can be attained with a deadline T and with frames up to i.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising determining u(i, T)=u(i, T_i) if T is greater than the deadline T_i of frame i and otherwise determining u(i, T) first recursively and then using dynamic programming.

4. A method to transmit streaming video having a plurality of frames over a wireless channel, each frame having an importance measure relating to video quality, comprising:

maximizing a total importance measure for all frames to be received within each frame deadline through dynamic programming with a predetermined window of frames;

dynamically scheduling one or more frames to be transmitted or dropped at each transmission opportunity based on current channel conditions and on characteristics of each video frame;

updating the dynamic schedule with a channel feedback;

applying random channel error probability in selecting the frames;

determining an expected utility u(i, T) as attainable by deadline T with up to i frames; and

recursively determining the expected utility u(i, T) as u(i, T)=max (u(i−

1, T), max (u(i−

1, T−

k)P_li,k·

θ

_i, over l_i≦

k≦

T and P_li,k≦

1−

δ

)) where

5. The method of claim 4, comprising deciding frame(s) to be dropped based on deadline, size and importance of each frame.