RTP FEC Packet Forwarding Without Server-Side Regeneration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current real-time communication systems that use Forward Error Correction (FEC) for packet recovery in computer networks, such as video conferencing, burden server performance with excessive CPU and memory usage due to the need for processing and regenerating FEC packets.
Innovation Solution
The system reduces server processing by transmitting packets with unprotected portions, performing an anti-coding operation on identified parts of the packets, and eliminating the need for regenerating FEC packets, thereby minimizing CPU and memory usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Forward Error Correction (FEC) is used to detect and recover lost packets, then packet recovery capability is improved, but server processing load increases due to the need for protection operations and regeneration
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the FEC protection operation into two distinct phases: (1) protection operation performed by the first node on outgoing packets, and (2) verification operation performed by the server on received packets. This segmentation eliminates the server's need to perform computationally intensive protection operations and regeneration, while maintaining end-to-end FEC functionality. The server only needs to verify packet integrity using stored redundancy information, dramatically reducing processing load.
Solution Approach 2:
The first node performs the protection operation in advance before packets reach the server, preparing redundancy information that enables later verification. By performing the coding operation preliminarily at the source node, the server receives pre-protected packets that require only lightweight verification, eliminating the need for real-time protection operations and regeneration at the server.
2Reliability
If the server performs protection operations on received packets, then packet integrity is improved, but CPU and memory usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The first node serves itself by performing the protection operation on its own outgoing packets, making the server's intensive processing unnecessary. The server only needs to perform lightweight verification operations on packets that are already protected, allowing the system to maintain integrity checks while minimizing server resource consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection operation is performed in advance by the first node before packets arrive at the server. This preliminary action ensures packet integrity is established upstream, so the server only needs to verify rather than actively protect, dramatically reducing CPU and memory requirements.
3Reliability
If retransmission is used to address lost or corrupted packets, then packet recovery is improved, but additional delays and bandwidth consumption occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements beforehand cushioning by performing protection operations in advance and storing redundancy information at the first node. This preparatory cushioning enables immediate local recovery of lost or corrupted packets without requiring retransmission, thereby eliminating the time delays and additional bandwidth consumption that would result from retransmission protocols.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems, methods and computer program products for facilitating the recovery of lost real-time media packets within a computer network real-time application implementing Forward Error Control (FEC), such that server performance is not affected from a CPU and memory perspective, are disclosed. In an embodiment, a conference server that is part of a communication network compliant with the Real Time Transport Protocol (RTP) is able to avoid regenerating FEC packets by not performing any FEC coding operation on the packets unless it is flagged to indicate regeneration via an FEC (e.g., Reed-Solomon) coding is necessary. Absent the flag, the conference server updates the received FEC packet as per the RTP and transmits the packet to its ultimate destination. Such disclosed systems, methods and computer program products are independent of the nature of the media being protected and flexible enough to support a wide variety of FEC techniques.