Proactive Bit-Rate Control via Delay and Jitter Trends
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current rate-adaptive video encoders rely on reactive mechanisms that adjust bit-rate only after packet loss occurs, failing to anticipate and prevent network congestion effectively, especially for UDP protocol which lacks widespread support for congestion notification mechanisms like ECN/PCN.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method to analyze average packet delay and jitter trends to calculate and control bit-rate adjustments proactively, using feedback from both endpoints and network devices to suggest up-speed or down-speed adjustments before congestion occurs, thereby optimizing video quality and adapting to available bandwidth dynamically.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If reactive bit-rate adjustment based on packet loss is used, then implementation simplicity is maintained, but video quality degrades due to delayed adaptation after congestion occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by proactively adjusting bit-rate before packet loss occurs. The system monitors network conditions (delay, jitter, available bandwidth) and predicts potential congestion, then preemptively reduces bit-rate to prevent packet loss. This shifts the adaptation timing from reactive (after loss) to proactive (before loss), resolving the contradiction between video quality and adaptation delay.
2Measurement precision
If ECN/PCN markings are used for congestion notification, then congestion detection accuracy improves, but protocol compatibility worsens due to limited UDP support
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses delay and jitter measurements as intermediary indicators to infer network congestion conditions. Instead of directly relying on ECN/PCN markings that require TCP support, the system monitors these universal network performance metrics that are available for both TCP and UDP protocols. This intermediary approach maintains congestion detection accuracy while achieving broad protocol compatibility.
3Productivity
If aggressive bit-rate increases are implemented when network conditions improve, then productivity increases, but stability worsens due to potential oscillations and packet loss
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic bit-rate adjustment with adaptive step sizes. The system modifies the aggressiveness of bit-rate changes based on current network conditions and historical performance. When conditions are stable, larger adjustments are permitted to improve productivity. When conditions are volatile or near congestion thresholds, smaller incremental adjustments maintain stability. This dynamic approach resolves the contradiction between adaptation speed and streaming stability.
Data Source
AI summary
In one embodiment, a method includes (a) discerning whether an average packet delay in a media streaming session is increasing or decreasing over a first defined time window, (b) discerning whether an average jitter in the media streaming session is increasing or decreasing over a second defined time window, (c) in response to (a) and (b), calculating a specific bit-rate quantity corresponding to a change in bit-rate, and (d) controlling a bit-rate of the media streaming session in accordance with the specific bit-rate quantity.