System and method to adapt to network congestion

• US 8,797,850 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2008
• Issued: 08/05/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Lott, Christopher Gerard, Sundarraman, Chandrasekhar Therazhandur, Tinnakornsrisuphap, Peerapol, Spindola, Serafin Diaz, Leung, Nikolai Konrad Nepomuceno
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Warner
• Application Number:
  US12/331,234
• Publication Number:
  US 20090180379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,065 Days
• Field of Search: 370/229, 370/235, 370/235.1, 370/236, 370/237, 370/412, 370/428, 370/429
• US Class Current: 370/229
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/11 Identifying congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/12 Avoiding congestion; Recovering from congestion
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/2416 Real-time traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/263 Rate modification at the source after receiving feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/28 in relation to timing considerations
• 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 47/32 by discarding or delaying data units, e.g. packets or frames
• 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: Y02D 30/50 in wire-line communication networks, e.g. low power modes or reduced link rate

Abstract

In a particular embodiment, a method is disclosed that includes receiving a feedback message at a transmitter, the feedback message including an indication of a magnitude of congestion and a sustainable rate of data transmission at a receiver. The method also includes determining a decongestion rate and a decongestion time based on at least one of the sustainable rate of data transmission and the magnitude of congestion when the magnitude of congestion satisfies a threshold value. The method further includes sending data at the decongestion rate from the transmitter to the receiver for the decongestion time. The method also includes adjusting a data transmission rate at the transmitter to the sustainable rate of data transmission after the decongestion time is ended.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a feedback message at a transmitter, the feedback message including an indication of a magnitude of congestion and a sustainable rate of data transmission at a receiver;

determining a decongestion rate and a decongestion time based on at least one of the sustainable rate of data transmission and the magnitude of congestion when the magnitude of congestion satisfies a threshold value;

sending data at the decongestion rate from the transmitter to the receiver for the decongestion time; and

adjusting a data transmission rate at the transmitter to the sustainable rate of data transmission after the decongestion time is ended;

wherein the magnitude of congestion is measured by an arrival-to-playout time offset (APTO) value and the sustainable rate of data transmission is measured by an average received rate (ARR) of data received at the receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the data from the transmitter to the receiver at the decongestion rate for the decongestion time removes an amount of congested data, the amount of congested data removed being substantially equal to a product of the decongestion time and a difference between the ARR and the decongestion rate.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the decongestion time is proportional to the APTO value with a constant of proportionality F.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

increasing the transmission rate of the transmitter to a rate higher than the sustainable rate of data transmission when the magnitude of congestion is less than the threshold value.

5. A method comprising:

identifying congestion in a transmission path between a sender and a receiver using parameters provided in a feedback message from the receiver to the sender, the parameters including a magnitude of congestion and a sustainable rate of data transmission;

determining a decongestion rate and a decongestion time based on at least one of the sustainable rate of data transmission and the magnitude of congestion;

decongesting the transmission path by sending data at the decongestion rate from the sender to the receiver for the decongestion time; and

adjusting a data transmission rate in the transmission path to the sustainable rate of data transmission after the decongestion time is ended;

wherein the magnitude of congestion is an arrival-to-playout time offset (APTO) value measured at the receiver; and

the sustainable rate of data transmission is an average received rate (ARR) of data transmission of data received at the receiver.

6. A method comprising:

receiving a measured arrival-to-playout time offset (APTO) value and an average received rate (ARR) in a feedback message at a transmitter;

increasing a sending rate at the transmitter to an increased sending rate determined based on at least one of the APTO value and the ARR; and

continuing transmission at the increased sending rate after a detection time, wherein the detection time is determined based on at least one of the APTO value, the ARR, a constant value, or an adaptively set value.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining a quantity of insertable data that can be inserted into a transmission path before the transmission path starts to become congested, wherein insertion of the insertable data into the transmission path is distributed over a time period that is proportional to the detection time with a constant of proportionality R.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

adding insertable data distributed over a data insertion time period that is proportional to the detection time with a constant of proportionality R, wherein the detection time is proportional to the APTO value with a constant of proportionality F, wherein the increased sending rate is determined based on the ARR and a product of R and F.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer executable instructions that are operative to cause the computer to:

send a feedback message from a receiver to a transmitter, the feedback message including a measured arrival-to-playout time offset (APTO) value and an average received rate (ARR);

receive data at the receiver sent by the transmitter at a decongestion rate determined based on at least one of the APTO value and the ARR for a decongestion time determined based on at least one of the APTO value and the ARR; and

receive data at the receiver sent by the transmitter at the maximum sustained data rate of the ARR after the decongestion time is ended.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the decongestion time is proportional to the APTO value with a constant of proportionality F, and the decongestion rate is proportional to the ARR with a constant of proportionality equal to a ratio of (F−

1) to F.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the computer executable instructions are further operative to cause the computer to receive additional inserted data at the receiver, the additional inserted data received during an insertion time period.

12. A method comprising:

sending a feedback message from a receiver to a transmitter, the feedback message including a measured arrival-to-playout time offset (APTO) value and an average received rate (ARR);

receiving data at the receiver sent by the transmitter at a decongestion rate determined based on at least one of the APTO value and the ARR for a decongestion time determined based on at least one of the APTO value and the ARR; and

receiving data at the receiver sent by the transmitter at the maximum sustained data rate of the ARR after the decongestion time is ended.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the decongestion time is proportional to the APTO value with a constant of proportionality F, and the decongestion rate is proportional to the ARR with a constant of proportionality equal to a ratio of (F−

1) to F.

14. An apparatus comprising:

means for sending a feedback message from a receiver to a transmitter, the feedback message including a measured arrival-to-playout time offset (APTO) value and an average received rate (ARR);

means for receiving data at the receiver sent by the transmitter at a decongestion rate determined based on at least one of the APTO value and the ARR for a decongestion time determined based on at least one of the APTO value and the ARR; and

means for receiving data at the receiver sent by the transmitter at the maximum sustained data rate of the ARR after the decongestion time is ended.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the decongestion time is proportional to the APTO value with a constant of proportionality F, and the decongestion rate is proportional to the ARR with a constant of proportionality equal to a ratio of (F−

1) to F.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to generate a feedback message to send from a receiver to a transmitter, the feedback message including a measured arrival-to-playout time offset (APTO) value and an average received rate (ARR);

wherein data is received at the receiver sent by the transmitter at a decongestion rate determined based on at least one of the APTO value and the ARR for a decongestion time determined based on at least one of the APTO value and the ARR; and

wherein data is received at the receiver sent by the transmitter at the maximum sustained data rate of the ARR after the decongestion time is ended.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the decongestion time is proportional to the APTO value with a constant of proportionality F, and the decongestion rate is proportional to the ARR with a constant of proportionality equal to a ratio of (F−

1) to F.

18. An apparatus comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit data, to receive a measured arrival-to-playout time offset (APTO) value and an average received rate (ARR) in a feedback message, to initiate decongestion by reducing a sending rate at the transmitter to a decongestion rate determined based on at least one of the APTO value and the ARR, and to end decongestion transmission at the decongestion rate after a decongestion time determined based on at least one of the APTO value and the ARR.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the decongestion time is proportional to the APTO value with a constant of proportionality F, and the decongestion rate is proportional to the ARR with a constant of proportionality equal to a ratio of (F−

1) to F.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the transmitter is further configured to receive the APTO value and the ARR in a single feedback message, wherein the transmitter is further configured to add insertable data distributed over an insertion time period that is proportional to the decongestion time with a constant of proportionality R, and wherein another rate of sending data is determined based on the ARR and a product of R and F.

21. An apparatus comprising:

means for initiating decongestion by reducing a sending rate at a transmitter to a decongestion rate determined based on at least one of a measured arrival-to-playout time offset (APTO) value and an average received rate (ARR) that are received in a feedback message; and

means for ending decongestion transmission at the decongestion rate after a decongestion time determined based on at least one of the APTO value and the ARR.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein the decongestion time is proportional to the APTO value with a constant of proportionality F, and the decongestion rate is proportional to the ARR with a constant of proportionality equal to a ratio of (F−

1) to F.

23. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a feedback message at a transmitter, the feedback message including an indication of a magnitude of congestion and a sustainable rate of data transmission at a receiver;

means for determining a decongestion rate and a decongestion time based on at least one of the sustainable rate of data transmission and the magnitude of congestion when the magnitude of congestion satisfies a threshold value;

means for sending data at the decongestion rate from the transmitter to the receiver for the decongestion time; and

means for adjusting a data transmission rate at the transmitter to the sustainable rate of data transmission after the decongestion time is ended, wherein the magnitude of congestion is an arrival-to-playout time offset (APTO) value measured at the receiver and the sustainable rate of data transmission is an average received rate (ARR) of data transmission of data received at the receiver.

24. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer executable instructions that are operative to cause the computer to:

receive a feedback message at a transmitter, the feedback message including an indication of a magnitude of congestion and a sustainable rate of data transmission at a receiver;

determine a decongestion rate and a decongestion time based on at least one of the sustainable rate of data transmission and the magnitude of congestion when the magnitude of congestion satisfies a threshold value;

send data at the decongestion rate from the transmitter to the receiver for the decongestion time; and

adjust a data transmission rate at the transmitter to the sustainable rate of data transmission after the decongestion time is ended, wherein the magnitude of congestion is an arrival-to-playout time offset (APTO) value measured at the receiver and the sustainable rate of data transmission is an average received rate (ARR) of data transmission of data received at the receiver.

25. An apparatus comprising:

a feedback message receiver configured to receive a feedback message at a transmitter, the feedback message including an indication of a magnitude of congestion and a sustainable rate of data transmission at a receiver; and

a processor configured to;

determine a decongestion rate and a decongestion time based on at least one of the sustainable rate of data transmission and the magnitude of congestion when the magnitude of congestion satisfies a threshold value;

send data at the decongestion rate from the transmitter to the receiver for the decongestion time; and

adjust a data transmission rate at the transmitter to the sustainable rate of data transmission after the decongestion time is ended, wherein the magnitude of congestion is an arrival-to-playout time offset (APTO) value measured at the receiver and the sustainable rate of data transmission is an average received rate (ARR) of data transmission of data received at the receiver.

26. An apparatus comprising:

means for identifying congestion in a transmission path between a sender and a receiver using parameters provided in a feedback message from the receiver to the sender, the parameters including a magnitude of congestion and a sustainable rate of data transmission;

means for determining a decongestion rate and a decongestion time based on at least one of the sustainable rate of data transmission and the magnitude of congestion;

means for decongesting the transmission path by sending data at the decongestion rate from the sender to the receiver for the decongestion time; and

means for adjusting a data transmission rate in the transmission path to the sustainable rate of data transmission after the decongestion time is ended, wherein the magnitude of congestion is an arrival-to-playout time offset (APTO) value measured at the receiver and the sustainable rate of data transmission is an average received rate (ARR) of data transmission of data received at the receiver.

27. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer executable instructions that are operative to cause the computer to:

identify congestion in a transmission path between a sender and a receiver using parameters provided in a feedback message from the receiver to the sender, the parameters including a magnitude of congestion and a sustainable rate of data transmission;

determine a decongestion rate and a decongestion time based on at least one of the sustainable rate of data transmission and the magnitude of congestion;

decongest the transmission path by sending data at the decongestion rate from the sender to the receiver for the decongestion time; and

adjust a data transmission rate in the transmission path to the sustainable rate of data transmission after the decongestion time is ended, wherein the magnitude of congestion is an arrival-to-playout time offset (APTO) value measured at the receiver and the sustainable rate of data transmission is an average received rate (ARR) of data transmission of data received at the receiver.

28. An apparatus comprising:

a processor configured to;

identify congestion in a transmission path between a sender and a receiver using parameters provided in a feedback message from the receiver to the sender, the parameters including a magnitude of congestion and a sustainable rate of data transmission;

determine a decongestion rate and a decongestion time based on at least one of the sustainable rate of data transmission and the magnitude of congestion;

decongest the transmission path by sending data at the decongestion rate from the sender to the receiver for the decongestion time; and

adjust a data transmission rate in the transmission path to the sustainable rate of data transmission after the decongestion time is ended, wherein the magnitude of congestion is an arrival-to-playout time offset (APTO) value measured at the receiver and the sustainable rate of data transmission is an average received rate (ARR) of data transmission of data received at the receiver.

29. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including computer executable instructions that are operative to cause the computer to:

receive a measured arrival-to-playout time offset (APTO) value and an average received rate (ARR) in a feedback message at a transmitter;

increase a sending rate at the transmitter to an increased sending rate determined based on at least one of the APTO value and the ARR; and

continue transmission at the increased sending rate after a detection time, wherein the detection time is determined based on at least one of the APTO value, the ARR, a constant value, or an adaptively set value.