Dynamic Jitter Buffer Size Adjustment for Wireless Communication

Solution Overview

Problem

Packetized transport services in wireless and wired networks introduce variability in packet delivery time, packet order, and loss, leading to trade-offs between latency and packet loss in jitter buffer design, affecting communication quality.

Innovation Solution

A dynamic jitter buffer size adjustment mechanism based on real-time dropped packet rate, latency, environmental factors, and use case, using a processor to determine and adjust the buffer size to balance packet loss and latency.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If the jitter buffer size is increased, then packet loss is reduced, but latency increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket loss rateVSAvoidlatency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The jitter buffer size is made dynamic rather than static, allowing it to adjust automatically based on current network conditions. The system monitors packet arrival patterns and dynamically modifies the buffer size to optimize the trade-off between packet loss and latency in real-time, rather than using a fixed buffer size that cannot adapt to changing conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the buffer size parameter based on observed network conditions and packet delivery patterns. By monitoring metrics such as packet arrival time variations and loss rates, the system adjusts the buffer size parameter to achieve optimal performance, transforming a static parameter into a dynamically optimized one.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Loss of time

If the jitter buffer size is decreased, then latency is reduced, but packet loss increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovelatencyVSAvoidpacket loss rate

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The jitter buffer size is made dynamic rather than static, allowing it to adjust automatically based on current network conditions. The system monitors packet arrival patterns and dynamically modifies the buffer size to optimize the trade-off between packet loss and latency in real-time, rather than using a fixed buffer size that cannot adapt to changing conditions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the buffer size parameter based on observed network conditions and packet delivery patterns. By monitoring metrics such as packet arrival time variations and loss rates, the system adjusts the buffer size parameter to achieve optimal performance, transforming a static parameter into a dynamically optimized one.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If a fixed jitter buffer size is used, then system complexity is reduced, but adaptability to network conditions deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebuffer management complexityVSAvoidadaptability to network conditions

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The jitter buffer system performs self-adjustment by automatically monitoring its own performance metrics and network conditions, then modifying its buffer size without external intervention. The system uses feedback from packet arrival patterns and loss rates to autonomously optimize the buffer size, eliminating the need for complex manual configuration or external control mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements a feedback mechanism where performance metrics such as packet loss rate and latency are continuously monitored and used to adjust the buffer size. This closed-loop control allows the system to adapt to changing network conditions by using feedback information to make informed adjustments to the buffer configuration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10182022B2Dynamic jitter buffer size adjustment

Publication Date: 2019.01.15 AT&T MOBILITY II LLC

AI summary

In a particular implementation, a method includes dynamically adjusting a size of a buffer of a receiving terminal based on a comparison of a signal quality metric associated with a wireless communication channel between the receiving terminal and a transmitting terminal to a signal quality threshold. The method also includes storing a first set of data packets of a plurality of data packets in the buffer. The first set of data packets are received at the receiving terminal from the transmitting terminal. The method further includes outputting reconstructed speech based on the first set of data packets and replacement packets that are generated based at least in part on the first set of data packets. The replacement packets are associated with a set of unreceived data packets of the plurality of data packets.