Adaptive Bit Rate Stream Scheduling via Client Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Adaptive bit rate streaming in wireless communication systems leads to suboptimal scheduling and network congestion due to synchronization issues between control loops and greedy client behavior, resulting in unfair video quality distribution and increased network load.
Innovation Solution
User equipment transmits information to the base station about selected bit rates, segment sizes, and playback durations, allowing the base station to allocate resources effectively and detect potential congestion, thereby synchronizing scheduling across control loops and optimizing resource allocation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If greedy client behavior is used to maximize available cell throughput, then individual client throughput is improved, but network congestion increases and video quality distribution becomes unfair
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the base station receives information from multiple clients about their buffer states, playback rates, and quality requirements. This feedback enables the base station to adjust resource allocation dynamically, preventing any single client from monopolizing resources while ensuring adequate throughput for all clients. The feedback loop creates cooperative behavior that balances individual client needs with overall network health.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operating parameters of clients by providing them with information about current network conditions, allocated resources, and recommended playback rates. Clients adjust their buffer management and quality selection based on these parameter changes, transitioning from greedy behavior to coordinated behavior that reduces network congestion while maintaining acceptable throughput for each client.
2Device complexity
If multiple independent control loops operate without synchronization, then system complexity is reduced, but scheduling becomes suboptimal and quality of experience deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the previously independent control loops by establishing a coordinated framework where the base station scheduler and client playback controllers exchange information and align their operations. The base station receives playback state information from clients and adjusts resource allocation accordingly, while clients adjust their requests based on base station feedback. This merging maintains the modular structure of individual control loops while achieving synchronized operation that improves quality of experience.
Solution Approach 2:
The base station acts as an intermediary that coordinates between multiple clients and the network infrastructure. It receives information from clients about their playback needs, determines optimal resource allocation, and provides feedback to clients about allocated resources and recommended playback rates. This intermediary role enables synchronization of control loops without requiring direct client-to-client communication or complex distributed coordination protocols.
3Ease of manufacture
If best effort scheduling is used over the air interface, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but resource allocation becomes inefficient and video quality distribution is unfair
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static best-effort scheduling to dynamic resource allocation that adapts to changing network conditions and client needs. The base station continuously receives updated information from clients about their playback states and adjusts resource allocation in real-time. This dynamic approach maintains implementation simplicity by building upon the existing best-effort scheduling framework while adding adaptive elements that improve resource allocation efficiency and ensure fair video quality distribution.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments of the claimed subject matter provide a method and apparatus for scheduling adaptive bit rate streams. Some embodiments of the method include accessing, at user equipment, a first bit rate selected from a plurality of bit rates used to encode a portion of an adaptive multimedia stream, a size of the portion of the adaptive multimedia stream, and a play out duration of the portion of the adaptive multimedia stream. Some embodiments of the method also include providing, from the user equipment, indications of the first bit rate, the size, and the play out duration.