Method and system of data packet transmission timing for controlling bandwidth

• US 8,175,117 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2008
• Issued: 05/08/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Rateze Remote Mgmt. L.L.C. (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Darby & Mohaine, LLC
• Inventors: Marchetto, Jarno, Emanuelo, La Cognata
• Primary Examiner(s): Yao, Kwang B
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tran, Tung Q
• Application Number:
  US12/269,023
• Publication Number:
  US 20090262755A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 3703954-39543, 370/468, 370/470, 370/473
• US Class Current: 370/470
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/22 Traffic shaping
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/28 in relation to timing considerations

Abstract

A method and system for determining a wait time (t_w) to be used between successive transmissions of packets of a content to achieve a selected target bandwidth B_T for the transmission. The wait time between successive packets of a content being transmitted is determined as a function of the selected target bandwidth (B_T) to be achieved during the transmission and the size (P) of the packets based on the algorithm

$t_w=\frac{P}{B_T}$
The invention provides bandwidth control at the source (the sending device) without relying on network Quality of Service (QoS) facilities.

Claims

1. A method, performed by a computer having a memory and a processor, for transmitting data as successive packets each having a fixed packet size, the method comprising:

selecting a target bandwidth sought to be achieved during the transmission of the successive packets;

determining a wait time between transmit starting times of successive packets of the transmission based on the target bandwidth and the packet size; and

with the computer, controlling the transmission of the packets using the determined wait time comprising;

(a) determining the time used in the transmission of a packet; and

(b) determining a residual time based on the difference between the time used and the wait time.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the determined wait time is rounded to a time unit.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the time unit is a millisecond.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the time unit is a microsecond.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the rounding to the time unit is accomplished by a counter.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the transmission of the packets further comprises:

(c) beginning transmission of the next packet approximately at a time obtained by adding the residual time to the time at which transmission of the previous packet is complete; and

(d) repeating steps (a), (b), and (c) for each packet transmitted.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein controlling the transmission of the packets further comprises:

(c) determining a start time;

(d) determining a current time;

(e) determining an elapsed time based on the difference between the determined start time and the determined current time; and

(f) repeating steps (d) and (e) until the elapsed time is greater than or equal to the residual time.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein controlling the transmission of the packets further comprises:

(g) determining an error value based on the determined elapsed time and the residual time; and

(h) subtracting the error value from a later determined elapsed time.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

selecting the packet size of the packets to be transmitted.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the packet size is provided by an application.

11. A method, performed by a computer having a memory and a processor, for transmitting data as successive packets each having a fixed packet size, the method comprising:

selecting a target bandwidth sought to be achieved during a transmission of successive packets;

determining a wait time between transmit starting times of successive packets based upon the packet size and the target bandwidth; and

with the computer, controlling the transmission of the successive packets so that there is a residual time between the ending time of transmission of a first packet of the successive packets and the starting time of transmission of the next packet of the successive packets wherein controlling the transmission of the successive packets comprises;

determining the time used in the transmission of the first packet of the successive packets;

determining the residual time based on the difference between the wait time and the time used; and

beginning transmission of the next packet approximately at a time obtained by adding the residual time to the time at which transmission of the previous packet is complete.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

rounding the wait time to a time unit; and

adjusting the residual time to compensate for errors caused by the rounding.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein controlling the transmission of the successive packets further comprises:

(a) determining a start time;

(b) determining a current time;

(c) determining an elapsed time based on the difference between the determined start time and the determined current time; and

(d) repeating steps (b) and (c) until the elapsed time is greater than or equal to the residual time.

14. A device, having a memory and a processor, for transmitting data as successive packets each having a fixed packet size, the device comprising:

a first component configured to select a target bandwidth sought to be achieved during the transmission of the successive packets;

a second component configured to determine a wait time between transmit starting times of successive packets of the transmission based on the target bandwidth and the packet size; and

a third component configured to control the transmission of the packets using the determined wait time by;

(a) determining the time used in the transmission of a packet; and

(b) determining a residual time based on the difference between the time used and the wait time,

wherein at least one of the components comprises computer-executable instructions stored in memory for execution by the device.

15. The device of claim 14, the third component being configured to control the transmission of the packets by further:

(c) beginning transmission of the next packet approximately at a time obtained by adding the residual time to the time at which transmission of the previous packet is complete; and

(d) repeating steps (a), (b), and (c) for each packet transmitted.

16. The device of claim 14, the third component being configured to control the transmission of the packets by further:

(c) determining a start time;

(d) determining a current time;

(e) determining an elapsed time based on the difference between the determined start time and the determined current time; and

(f) repeating steps (d) and (e) until the elapsed time is greater than or equal to the residual time.

17. The device of claim 16, the third component being configured to control the transmission of the packets by further:

(g) determining an error value based on the determined elapsed time and the residual time; and

(h) subtracting the error value from a later determined elapsed time.

18. The device of claim 14, further comprising:

a fourth component configured to adjust the transmission time of the packets to compensate for any rounding errors.

19. A method of controlling the wait time (t_w) between the starting time of transmission of each of successive packets of known packet size (P) of content to be transmitted to achieve a target bandwidth (B_T) during the transmission comprising:

selecting a target bandwidth (B_T) sought to be achieved during the transmission;

computing a wait time (t_w) between the starting time of the successive packets of the transmission using the algorithm

20. A method of controlling the wait time (t_w) between the starting time of transmission of each of successive packets of known packet size (P) of content to be transmitted to achieve a target bandwidth (B_T) during the transmission comprising:

selecting a target bandwidth (B_T) sought to be achieved during the transmission;

computing a wait time (t_w) between the starting time of the successive packets of the transmission using the algorithm

21. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

computing an error value δ

=t_elapsed−

t and subtracting the value δ

from a later supplied value of t.

22. A method of controlling the wait time (t_w) between the starting time of transmission of each of successive packets of known packet size (P) of content to be transmitted to achieve a target bandwidth (B_T) during the transmission comprising:

selecting a target bandwidth (B_T) sought to be achieved during the transmission;

selecting the known packet size (P) of the content to be transmitted;

computing a wait time (t_w) between the starting time of the successive packets of the transmission using the algorithm

23. A method of controlling the wait time (t_w) between the starting time of transmission of each of successive packets of known packet size (P) of content to be transmitted to achieve a target bandwidth (B_T) during the transmission comprising:

selecting a target bandwidth (B_T) sought to be achieved during the transmission;

computing a wait time (t_w) between the starting time of the successive packets of the transmission using the algorithm

24. An apparatus for controlling the transmission of successive packets of known packet size (P) of content to be transmitted to achieve a target bandwidth (B_T) during the transmission comprising:

a computer including;

a program to control transmission of content in packets of data;

means to input and receive parameters of the size (P) of each of the packets to be transmitted and of the desired target bandwidth (B_T);

means for determining the starting time (t₁) of transmission of a packet;

means for determining the ending time (t₂) of transmission of the packet;

means for determining the time used (t_used) in transmitting the packet as (t₂−

t₁); and

control means to transmit the successive packets to have a residual time (t) between the ending time of transmission of one packet and the starting of transmission of the next successive packet to achieve a wait time t_w between the packets such that

25. An apparatus for controlling the transmission of successive packets of known packet size (P) of content to be transmitted to achieve a target bandwidth (B_T) during the transmission comprising:

a computer including;

a program to control transmission of content in packets of data;

means to input and receive parameters of the size (P) of each of the packets to be transmitted and of the desired target bandwidth (B_T);

first means for determining the time used (t_used) in the transmission of a packet; and

control means to transmit the successive packets to have a residual time (t) between the ending time of transmission of one packet and the starting of transmission of the next successive packet to achieve a wait time t_w between the packets such that

26. An apparatus for controlling the transmission of successive packets of known packet size (P) of content to be transmitted to achieve a target bandwidth (B_T) during the transmission comprising:

a computer including;

a program to control transmission of content in packets of data;

means to input and receive parameters of the size (P) of each of the packets to be transmitted and of the desired target bandwidth (B_T);

control means to transmit the successive packets to have a residual time (t) between the ending time of transmission of one packet and the starting of transmission of the next successive packet to achieve a wait time t_w between the packets such that

27. The apparatus of claim 26 further comprising means for computing an error value δ

=t_elapsed−

t and subtracting the value δ

from a later supplied value of t.