SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DYNAMIC BANDWIDTH ALLOCATION

• US 20120144336A1
• Filed: 12/03/2010
• Published: 06/07/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Teladoc Health, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Touch Technologies Incorporated
• Inventors: Pinter, Marco, Chan, Justin
• Granted Patent: US 9,264,664 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/772
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/02 Capturing of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1059 End-user terminal functionalities specially adapted for real-time communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1086 session scope modification
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/80 Responding to QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/567 Multimedia conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/148 Interfacing a video terminal to a particular transmission medium, e.g. ISDN
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems

Abstract

Disclosed herein are various embodiments of systems and methods that may be utilized in a variety of videoconferencing applications. According to various embodiments, techniques may be utilized to dynamically allocate and adjust bandwidth utilization during a videoconferencing session. A data network may allow for the transmission of data between two or more endpoints. The data exchanged between the endpoints may include video data, audio data, control data, and status data. Control data may be utilized in various embodiments to operate a robotic videoconferencing endpoint. Accordingly, various components of a data network connecting videoconferencing endpoints may transmit data wirelessly.

Claims

1. A videoconferencing endpoint, comprising:

a bus;

a wireless network transceiver in communication with the bus and configured to wirelessly communicate data with a network;

a processor in communication with the bus;

a video input source in communication with the bus;

an audio input source in communication with the bus; and

a computer readable storage medium in communication with the bus, comprising;

a network statistics dataset module executable on the processor and configured to generate a network statistics dataset, and configured to compare a plurality of data samples to the network statistics dataset, each of the plurality of data samples comprising a quantifiable metric representing one or more network conditions; and

a bandwidth allocation module executable on the processor and configured to dynamically adjust a data communication bandwidth between the videoconferencing endpoint and the network based upon comparison of the plurality of data samples to the network statistics dataset.

2. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 1, wherein the videoconferencing endpoint comprises a mobile endpoint.

3. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 2, further comprising:

a robotic element in communication with the bus; and

a robotics driver in communication with the bus and configured to receive an instruction for controlling the robotic element via the wireless network transceiver and to control the robotic element according to the instruction for controlling the robotic element.

4. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 2, wherein the computer readable storage medium further comprises:

a data prioritization module executable on the processor and configured to prioritize data based upon classifying the data as one of a plurality of types of data;

wherein the data prioritization module operates at an application layer and is in communication with the bandwidth allocation module.

5. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 4, wherein the plurality of types of data comprise video data, audio data, control data, and status data.

6. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 1, comprising:

a patient sensor interface in communication with the bus and configured to receive information from a patient sensor and to transmit information received from the patient sensor via the wireless network transceiver.

7. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 1, wherein the computer readable storage medium further comprises:

an encoding module executable on the processor and configured to encode at least one of audio and video data, such that total data transmitted from the videoconferencing endpoint is less than a portion of the data communication bandwidth allocated for transmitting data.

8. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 7, wherein the encoding module encodes audio and video data, and the encoding module is further configured to adjust at least one of a frame rate and a resolution of video data.

9. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 7, wherein the encoding module encodes audio and video data, and the encoding module is further configured to adjust at least one of a video frame rate, a video compression ratio, an audio compression ratio and the resolution of video data, such that a data transmission rate is less than the difference between a portion of the data communication bandwidth allocated for transmission of data by the videoconferencing endpoint and a combined data transmission rate of audio data and status data.

10. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 1, wherein the plurality of data samples comprise a plurality of latency measurements associated with transmission of data on the network.

11. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth allocation module is further configured to establish a minimum allowable data communication bandwidth.

12. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 11, wherein the bandwidth allocation module is further configured to establish a first minimum allowable data communication bandwidth, and wherein the data communication bandwidth between the videoconferencing endpoint and the network exceeds the minimum allowable data communication bandwidth.

13. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 12, wherein the bandwidth allocation module is further configured to receive a second minimum allowable data communication bandwidth associated established by a remote videoconferencing endpoint.

14. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 13, wherein the first minimum allowable data communication bandwidth and the second minimum allowable data communication bandwidth are asymmetrical.

15. The videoconferencing endpoint of claim 1, wherein the bandwidth allocation module is further configured to display a first graphical indicator representing an estimated data communication bandwidth capacity between the video conferencing endpoint and the network;

and to display a second graphical indicator representing a current data transmission rate, the current data transmission rate being less than the estimated data communication bandwidth capacity between the video conferencing endpoint and the network.

16. A method for displaying bandwidth utilization information in a graphical user interface on a videoconferencing endpoint, comprising:

displaying a first graphical indicator representing an estimated available communication bandwidth between the videoconferencing endpoint and the network,

displaying a second graphical indicator representing a current data transmission rate, the current data transmission rate being less than the estimated available communication bandwidth.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

identifying a limiting component in the network; and

displaying a third graphical indicator representing the identified limiting component.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first graphical indicator, and the second graphical indicator, comprise a bar graph.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

collecting a first plurality of data samples, each of the plurality of data samples comprising a quantifiable metric representing one or more network conditions;

discarding data samples from the first plurality of data samples that exceed a first percentile of the data samples in a network statistics data set;

adding data samples from the first plurality of data samples to the network statistics dataset; and

analyzing the network statistics dataset to determine the allocated communication bandwidth.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the plurality of data samples comprise a plurality of latency measurements.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the first percentile is approximately equal to the 90th percentile of data samples in the network statistics dataset.

22. A method of monitoring network statistics in a videoconferencing session, comprising:

initiating a videoconferencing session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint via a network;

transmitting data between the first endpoint and the second endpoint;

collecting a first plurality of data samples, each of the plurality of data samples comprising a quantifiable metric representing one or more network conditions;

discarding data samples from the first plurality of data samples that exceed a first percentile of the data samples in a network statistics data set;

adding data samples from the first plurality of data samples to the network statistics dataset; and

analyzing the network statistics dataset to estimate an available bandwidth of the network.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of data samples comprise a plurality of latency measurements.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the first percentile is approximately equal to the 90th percentile of data samples in the network statistics dataset.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

a second percentile, the second percentile being lower than the first percentile;

identifying a data sample below the first percentile and above the second percentile;

collecting a second plurality of data samples;

determining that a data sample from among the second plurality of data samples exceeds a third percentile; and

discarding the second plurality of data samples

26. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

a second percentile, the second percentile being lower than the first percentile;

identifying a data sample below the first percentile and above the second percentile;

collecting a second plurality of data samples;

determining that a data sample from among the second plurality of data samples is below a third percentile; and

adding the second plurality of data samples to the network statistics dataset.

27. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

identify a network disturbance;

collecting a third plurality of data samples following the network disturbance;

discarding the third plurality of data samples.

28. A method of adjusting a bandwidth utilization between a first endpoint and a second endpoint in a videoconferencing session, comprising:

generating a network statistics dataset comprising a first plurality of data samples, each of the plurality of data samples comprising a quantifiable metric representing network conditions;

establishing a first threshold based analysis of the network statistics dataset;

obtaining a second plurality of data samples;

comparing each of the second plurality of data samples to the network statistics dataset;

identifying a first specified number of data samples from among the second plurality of data samples that fall above the first threshold; and

decreasing a total transmission rate between a first endpoint and a second endpoint in a videoconferencing session.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the first threshold corresponds to the 70th percentile of data samples in the network statistics dataset.

30. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

obtaining a third plurality of data samples;

comparing each of the third plurality of data samples to the network statistics dataset;

identifying a second specified number of data samples from among the third plurality of data samples that fall below a second threshold; and

increasing the a total transmission rate between the first endpoint and the second endpoint in the videoconferencing session.

31. The method of claim 28, further comprising:

obtaining a third plurality of data samples;

comparing each of the third plurality of data samples to the network statistics dataset;

identifying fewer than the first specified number of data samples from among the third plurality of data samples that fall above the first threshold; and

increasing the a total transmission rate between the first endpoint and the second endpoint in the videoconferencing session.

32. A method of adjusting a bandwidth utilization between a first endpoint and a second endpoint in a videoconferencing session, comprising:

initiating a videoconferencing session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint via a network;

transmitting data between the first endpoint and the second endpoint at a fixed first transmission rate during a first period of the videoconferencing session;

collecting a first plurality of data samples during the first period in a network statistics dataset, each of the plurality of data samples comprising a quantifiable metric representing network conditions;

creating a network statistics dataset from the first plurality of data samples;

establishing a second transmission rate based on an analysis of the network statistics dataset, the second transmission rate exceeding the first transmission rate;

transmitting data between the first endpoint and the second endpoint at the second transmission rate during the second period of the videoconferencing session.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising:

collecting a second plurality of data samples during the second period of the videoconferencing session;

discarding data samples from the second plurality of data samples that exceed a first percentile of the data samples in the network statistics dataset;

adding remaining data samples from the second plurality of data samples to the network statistics dataset.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the first percentile is approximately equal to the 90th percentile of data samples in the network statistics dataset.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the first plurality of data samples comprise a plurality of latency measurements.