Dynamic Buffer Control for Streaming QoS Violations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Wireless communication networks face challenges in delivering seamless and high-quality streaming content due to varying data rates caused by changing channel conditions and mobility-related handovers, which can lead to quality of service (QoS) violations and playback disruptions.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that dynamically increase the buffer size at wireless devices and initiate a transmission burst of streaming content when a QoS violation is expected, using a streaming-content control server to obtain mobility information and manage buffer sizes and transmission rates accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a static large playback buffer is used, then playback interruptions are reduced, but network bandwidth is wasted during good channel conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The buffer size is made dynamic rather than static, allowing it to adjust based on current channel conditions and predicted QoS violations. The buffer expands temporarily only when needed (during handovers or channel degradation) and returns to normal size otherwise, optimizing the trade-off between playback reliability and bandwidth efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by predicting upcoming QoS violations based on mobility information and channel conditions. When a violation is anticipated (e.g., during handover), the buffer is proactively increased before the actual degradation occurs, ensuring continuous playback without waiting for problems to manifest.
2Productivity
If data rate is increased during transmission burst, then buffer is filled faster, but network interference increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of maintaining a continuously high data rate, the system uses periodic burst transmissions at high data rates followed by normal rate transmissions. The high-rate bursts are timed to occur during predicted QoS violations, concentrating the bandwidth usage into specific periods when it is most needed, thereby reducing overall network interference while still filling the buffer effectively.
3Reliability
If buffer size is increased dynamically, then playback quality is maintained during QoS violations, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the network monitor continuously tracks channel conditions, mobility information, and buffer status. This feedback loop enables automatic, real-time adjustments to buffer size and transmission rate without requiring complex manual configuration or user intervention, managing device complexity through automated closed-loop control.
Solution Approach 2:
A network monitor entity acts as an intermediary between the wireless device and the content delivery system. This intermediary collects mobility information, predicts QoS violations, and coordinates buffer size adjustments and transmission bursts, offloading the complexity from the end device and centralizing the control logic in a dedicated network element.
Data Source
AI summary
This disclosure provides example details for a method and apparatus for controlling the transmission of streaming content from a wireless communication network to a wireless device, including temporarily increasing the size of a buffer used at the device for streaming content buffering and correspondingly initiating a transmission burst of the streaming content towards the device. These operations are undertaken responsive to determining that there is an expectation that a required QoS will be violated with respect to the device and among their several advantages, they lessen the likelihood that the expected QoS violation will disrupt streaming content playback at the device.