ABR Bandwidth Management Using Phantom Tokens and Hierarchical Locking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional bandwidth management schemes in multi-client environments, particularly with adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming clients, fail to provide consistent quality of service due to greedy behavior, leading to unfair bandwidth allocation and rapid changes in video quality.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that utilize phantom payloads and hierarchical token approval logic to manage bandwidth allocation, simulating network contention during ABR clients' sleep phases and locking bitrates to prevent opportunistic behavior, while allocating excess bandwidth to non-ABR clients.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional bandwidth management schemes are used in multi-client environments, then ABR clients can opportunistically allocate bandwidth, but this leads to unfair bandwidth apportionment and greedy behavior
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-allocating bandwidth to ABR clients before they actually need it. The system calculates and reserves bandwidth based on predicted client behavior and duty cycles, preventing greedy clients from over-consuming bandwidth during their active phases while ensuring consistent QoS for all clients
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the network controller continuously monitors client behavior, duty cycles, and bandwidth consumption patterns. This feedback is used to dynamically adjust bandwidth allocations and prevent unfair apportionment, resolving the contradiction between utilization and QoS consistency
2Adaptability or versatility
If ABR clients are allowed to dynamically adjust bitrate, then video quality can adapt to network conditions, but this causes rapid changes in video quality and jarring effects for end users
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by implementing controlled adaptability in bitrate adjustment. While ABR clients can still adapt their bitrate, the system introduces smoothing mechanisms and adjustment limits that prevent rapid, jarring changes. The bitrate adaptation becomes dynamic yet controlled, maintaining both adaptability and stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses beforehand cushioning by pre-calculating bandwidth allocations and setting reserve bandwidth that acts as a buffer. This cushioning prevents abrupt bitrate changes by ensuring that even when network conditions change, clients experience smooth, gradual transitions rather than jarring quality shifts
3Productivity
If bandwidth is allocated based on client requests, then network resources are efficiently utilized, but greedy ABR clients can monopolize bandwidth during other clients' inactive phases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by implementing bandwidth reservations and caps before greedy behavior can occur. The system predicts when clients will be inactive and pre-allocates their reserved bandwidth, preventing other clients from monopolizing the network resources during those periods. This counteracts greedy behavior before it can harm other clients
Data Source
Figure 1A~1B
Figure 2A
Figure 2B~2C
AI summary
A scheme for managing bandwidth in a multi-client environment including one or more ABR clients and, optionally, one or more non-ABR clients. When an ABR client enters a sleep phase of its duty cycle, phantom tokens may be issued to simulate full capacity of the network link, wherein phantom packets are used for ABR bandwidth calculation. Any extra bandwidth that would have been used by another ABR client to artificially inflate its video quality may be optionally allocated to a non-ABR client engaged in a progressive download session in the same bandwidth pipe.