Packet distribution apparatus and packet distribution method

• US 8,824,291 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2012
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Ohya, Yasuo, Hashi, Yasumichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Weidner, Timothy J
• Application Number:
  US13/352,630
• Publication Number:
  US 20120257620A1
• Time in Patent Office: 958 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/232
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/54 Store-and-forward switching systems packet switching systems H04L45/00, H04L47/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/28 in relation to timing considerations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/50 Queue scheduling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/90 Buffering arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/60 Network streaming of media packets
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/168 specially adapted for link layer protocols, e.g. asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], synchronous optical network [SONET] or point-to-point protocol [PPP]

Abstract

According to one embodiment, a packet distribution apparatus distributes packets each containing a digital content via a communication network. The packet distribution apparatus includes a generator, a packet transmitter, a detector and a swapper. The generator generates the packets for each session with a bit rate corresponding to a content to be distributed. The packet transmitter transmits the generated packets to the communication network. The detector detects a collision of transmission timings of the packets in the sessions. The swapper exchanges, upon detecting a collision of the transmission timings, a transmission order of packets associated with the collision of the transmission timings based on the bit rates.

Claims

1. A packet distribution apparatus configured to distribute packets comprising a digital content via a communication network, comprising:

a generator configured to generate the packets for each of a plurality of sessions, each having a bit rate and corresponding to a content to be distributed;

a packet transmitter configured to transmit the packets to the communication network;

a detector configured to detect a collision of transmission timings of the packets in at least two of the plurality of sessions; and

a swapper configured to exchange, upon detecting the collision of the transmission timings, a transmission order of the packets in the at least two of the plurality of sessions based on the bit rate of each of the at least two of the plurality of sessions, further comprising

a memory configured to store a table configured to record the bit rate for each of the plurality of sessions,

wherein the swapper exchanges the transmission order with reference to the table.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the swapper exchanges the transmission order to stabilize a packet transmission interval corresponding to the bit rate for each of the at least two of the plurality of sessions.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the swapper prioritizes a first packet in one of the plurality of sessions with a higher bit rate over a second packet in another one of the plurality of sessions with a lower bit rate.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

the memory is configured to store a bandwidth capacity of an interface involved in distribution of the packets, and

the swapper exchanges the transmission order with reference to the table stored in the memory and the bandwidth capacity.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detector predicts an occurrence of the collision of the transmission timings based on a statistical history of the transmission timings.

6. A packet distribution method for a distribution apparatus configured to distribute packets each comprising a digital content via a communication network, comprising:

generating the packets for each of a plurality of sessions, each having a bit rate and corresponding to a content to be distributed;

transmitting the packets to the communication network;

detecting a collision of transmission timings of the packets in at least two of the plurality of sessions; and

changing, upon detecting the collision of the transmission timings, a transmission order of the packets in the at least two of the plurality of sessions based on the bit rate of each of the at least two of the plurality of sessions,

wherein at least one of the steps is carried out by the distribution apparatus, further comprising

storing a table recording the bit rate for each of the plurality of sessions, and

changing the transmission order with reference to the table.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein exchanging the transmission order stabilizes a packet transmission interval corresponding to the bit rate for each of the at least two of the plurality of sessions.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein a first packet in one of the plurality of sessions with a higher bit rate is prioritized over a second packet in another one of the plurality of sessions with a lower bit rate.

9. The method according to claim 6, further comprising

storing a bandwidth capacity of an interface involved in distribution of the packets, and

exchanging the transmission order with reference to the table and the bandwidth capacity.

10. The method according to claim 6, further comprising

predicting occurrence of the collision of the transmission timings based on a statistical history of the packet transmission timings.