Dynamic Bandwidth Manager for Adaptive Video Streaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing bandwidth management solutions are inadequate for determining available bandwidth to subscribers across multiple network technologies without requiring specific code or adaptations, leading to inefficient resource allocation and potential degradation of multimedia services.
Innovation Solution
A dynamic bandwidth manager that calculates available bandwidth by collecting and analyzing network management data from SNMP devices, allowing for centralized management independent of network components' capabilities and OSI levels, without relying on client-side adaptations or specialized software.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized video service monitors bandwidth subscription to ensure subscribers do not exceed their subscribed bandwidth, then bandwidth control is maintained, but the system cannot adapt when subscribers have exhausted their current bandwidth capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts video stream resolution based on real-time bandwidth availability. When a subscriber's bandwidth is exhausted by peer-to-peer traffic or other applications, the video service automatically adjusts the stream quality to match the remaining available bandwidth, rather than maintaining a fixed resolution based on subscription level.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where the video service continuously monitors the subscriber's actual bandwidth consumption and availability. Based on this feedback, the service adjusts the video stream parameters (resolution, bitrate) to optimize delivery within the currently available bandwidth capacity, creating a closed-loop control system.
2Manufacturing precision
If the video server selects video stream resolution based on subscriber's bandwidth subscription, then service quality is optimized for subscribed capacity, but peer-to-peer traffic consuming available bandwidth is not accounted for
Solution Approach 1:
The video server implements continuous monitoring of actual bandwidth availability by detecting changes in the subscriber's network conditions. This feedback loop allows the system to distinguish between subscribed bandwidth and actually available bandwidth, adjusting video quality accordingly to prevent degradation caused by unmonitored peer-to-peer traffic.
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively monitors bandwidth consumption patterns and predicts when bandwidth exhaustion may occur. By detecting early signs of bandwidth saturation from peer-to-peer applications, the video service can preemptively adjust stream resolution before quality degradation becomes noticeable to the user.
3Loss of information
If prior art solutions use specific application code on client devices to monitor bandwidth, then bandwidth information can be obtained, but dependency on specific applications and manufacturers is created
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables the video service itself to monitor and detect bandwidth conditions without requiring any special client-side software. The server uses standard network protocols and techniques to measure available bandwidth directly, making the solution independent of specific client applications or manufacturer implementations.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a bandwidth detection mechanism that acts as an intermediary between the video service and the subscriber's network environment. This mediator component, implemented on the server side, translates complex network conditions into simple bandwidth metrics that can be used for adaptive streaming decisions.
4Loss of information
If specialized applications are deployed on client devices to obtain network traffic data, then bandwidth monitoring is possible, but additional communication between controller and client consumes bandwidth resources
Solution Approach 1:
The video service performs self-measurement of bandwidth conditions using standard network protocols without requiring any client-side monitoring application. The server sends test packets or analyzes existing traffic patterns to determine available bandwidth, eliminating the need for continuous client-server communication dedicated to bandwidth monitoring.
Solution Approach 2:
The bandwidth monitoring function is extracted from the client device and relocated to the server side. This extraction eliminates the need for client-side applications and the associated communication overhead, as all bandwidth detection and adaptation decisions are made centrally based on server-performed measurements.
Data Source
AI summary
A dynamic bandwidth manager for determining the bandwidth available to an IP connected client device, the IP connected client device requesting access to multimedia resources from a service provider, the dynamic bandwidth manager comprising: a receiving component for receiving an IP address of an IP connected client requesting access to a resource; a requesting component for locating a nearest managed device to the IP connected client and requesting a current network management data set pertaining to the IP connected client from the located managed device; a calculation component for retrieving a previously stored set of network management data pertaining to the IP connected client and for analysing the network management data sets, in dependence on the current network management data set and the previously stored network management data sets, to calculate the available bandwidth capacity of the IP connected client.