Optimization of streaming data throughput in unreliable networks

• US 8,379,535 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2010
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: S Aqua Semiconductor LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Videopression LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Chen, Minghua, Zakhor, Avideh
• Primary Examiner(s): Chung, Hoon J
• Application Number:
  US12/881,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20110002236A1
• Time in Patent Office: 890 Days
• Field of Search: 370230-2381, 370/252, 370/253, 370/333, 370/395.2, 370/395.21, 370/395.4, 370/395.41, 370/468, 370/477, 709223-235
• US Class Current: 370/252
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5009 Determining service level performance parameters or violations of service level contracts, e.g. violations of agreed response time or mean time between failures [MTBF]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5019 Ensuring fulfilment of SLA
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0835 One way packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/106 using time related information in packets, e.g. by adding timestamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/16 Threshold monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/15 in relation to multipoint traffic arrangements for broadcast or multicast in data networks H04L12/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/193 at the transport layer, e.g. TCP related
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/25 with rate being modified by the source upon detecting a change of network conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/283 in response to processing delays, e.g. caused by jitter or round trip time [RTT]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/70 Admission control; Resource allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/822 Collecting or measuring resource availability data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1101 Session protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• 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: H04W 28/0242 Determining whether packet losses are due to overload or to deterioration of radio communication conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/10 Flow control between communication endpoints
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/04 Registration at HLR or HSS [Home Subscriber Server]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 80/06 Transport layer protocols, e.g. TCP [Transport Control Protocol] over wireless transmission control protocol/Internet protocol [TCP/IP] or user datagram protocol [UDP] H04L69/16

Abstract

Multiple TRFC connections transport streaming data through a wireless channel, and the difference between measured round trip times of packets and minimum round trip time is used to adjust the number of TFRC connections to fully utilize bandwidth through the wireless channel.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

calculating a threshold according to a minimum packet loss rate for a plurality of packets in the data stream;

accumulating acknowledgement notifications for the plurality of packets;

calculating an observed packet loss rate in response to the acknowledgement notifications accumulated for the plurality of packets; and

decreasing a data rate in response to a difference between the observed packet loss rate and the minimum packet loss rate exceeding the threshold, otherwise increasing the data rate.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least one marked packet in the data stream to be used in calculating the observed packet loss rate and at least one unmarked packet to be excluded from calculating the observed packet loss rate; and

distributing the at least one marked packets within the data stream to approximate inter-packet timing of packets.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein decreasing a data rate comprises decreasing the data rate of at least one data communications connection between a sending device and a receiving device.

4. The method of claim 3 further comprising additively decreasing the data rate of the at least one data communications connection between the sending device and the receiving device.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising multiplicatively decreasing the data rate of the at least one data communications connection between the sending device and the receiving device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising accumulating a predetermined number of the acknowledgement notifications.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising accumulating the acknowledgement notifications over a predetermined period.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising calculating an average observed packet loss rate in response to the acknowledgement notifications accumulated for the plurality of packets.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting the minimum packet rate loss in response to the observed packet loss rate being less than a previous minimum packet loss rate.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

means for calculating a threshold according to a minimum packet loss rate for a plurality of packets in the data stream;

means for accumulating acknowledgement notifications for the plurality of packets;

means for calculating an observed packet loss rate in response to the acknowledgement notifications accumulated for the plurality of packets; and

means for decreasing a data rate in response to a difference between the observed packet loss rate and the minimum packet loss rate exceeding the threshold, otherwise increasing the data rate.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

means for providing at least one marked packet in the data stream to be used in calculating the observed packet loss rate and at least one unmarked packet to be excluded from calculating the observed packet loss rate; and

means for distributing the at least one marked packet within the data stream to approximate inter-packet timing of packets.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for decreasing the data rate of at least one data communications connection between a sending device and a receiving device.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for additively decreasing the data rate of the at least one data communications connection.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising means for multiplicatively decreasing the data rate of the at least one data communications connection.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for accumulating a predetermined number of the acknowledgement notifications.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for accumulating the acknowledgement notifications over a predetermined period.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for calculating an average observed packet loss rate in response to the acknowledgement notifications accumulated for the plurality of packets.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for adjusting the minimum packet rate loss in response to the observed packet loss rate being less than a previous minimum packet loss rate.

19. An apparatus, comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions;

a processor configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory to;

calculate a threshold according to a minimum packet loss rate for a plurality of packets in the data stream;

accumulate acknowledgement notifications for a plurality of packets;

calculate an observed packet loss rate in response to the acknowledgement notifications accumulated for the plurality of packets; and

decrease a data rate in response to a difference between the observed packet loss rate and the minimum packet loss rate exceeding the threshold, otherwise increase the data rate.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory further to:

provide at least one marked packet in the data stream to be used in calculating the observed packet loss rate and at least one unmarked packet to be excluded from calculating the observed packet loss rate; and

distribute the at least one marked packet within the data stream to approximate inter-packet timing of packets.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory further to additively decrease a data rate of at least one data communications connection.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory further to multiplicatively decrease a data rate of at least one data communications connection.

23. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory further to accumulate a predetermined number of the acknowledgement notifications.

24. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory further to accumulate the acknowledgement notifications over a predetermined period.

25. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory further to calculate an average observed packet loss rate in response to the acknowledgement notifications accumulated for the plurality of packets.

26. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the processor is configured to execute the instructions stored in the memory further to adjust the minimum packet rate loss in response to the observed packet loss rate being less than a previous minimum packet loss rate.