Network Node Rate Adaptation for Balanced Data Streams

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Solution Overview

Problem

Network congestion occurs due to bit-rate variations and bandwidth oversubscription, leading to packet drops and quality degradation in data stream transmissions, making it challenging to achieve balanced and unbiased bit-rate distribution among data streams.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a system with network nodes that adjust bit rates of data streams by determining differences between actual and target bit rates, and adjusting packet drop rates to balance and equalize bit rates across streams, using rate adaptation algorithms and feedback mechanisms like RTCP reports to ensure balanced and unbiased transmission.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If rate adaptive endpoints adjust bit rates dynamically, then network congestion is reduced and packet drops are minimized, but bit-rate balance and fairness among multiple data streams deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepacket drop rateVSAvoidbit-rate balance

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where network nodes monitor actual bit rates of data streams and send feedback information to rate adaptive endpoints. This feedback loop enables the system to adjust bit rates not only based on congestion conditions but also to maintain balance and fairness among multiple streams, resolving the contradiction between reducing packet drops and maintaining bit-rate equality.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the parameter being controlled from solely packet drop rate to a composite metric that includes bit-rate balance and fairness. By adjusting the control parameters to consider multiple dimensions (congestion level, bit-rate distribution, stream fairness), the system achieves both low packet drop rates and balanced bit-rate allocation across different data streams.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Adaptability or versatility

If network nodes implement sophisticated rate adaptation control, then bit-rate balance and fairness are improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebit-rate balanceVSAvoidcontrol mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces network nodes as intermediaries between data sources and destinations. These intermediate nodes perform the complex calculations for bit-rate balancing and fairness by monitoring actual bit rates and generating feedback information. This intermediary approach distributes the complexity away from individual endpoints, allowing simpler rate adaptation mechanisms at the edge while maintaining sophisticated control in the network core.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentUS8982702B2Control of rate adaptive endpoints

Publication Date: 2015.03.17 CISCO TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

An apparatus may receive a plurality of data streams for transmission over a network. The apparatus may adjust packet drop rates in proportion to differences between actual bit rates and target bit rates of the data streams. Information about the adjusted packet drop rates may be provided to rate adaptive endpoints that are generating the data streams. The rate adaptive endpoints may respond to the information by adjusting the bit rates at which the data streams are encoded. Over one or more time intervals, the bit rates are adjusted to levels that yield a transmission of the data streams that is both balanced and unbiased.