Source Endpoint Congestion Controller for Real-Time Media
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Solution Overview
Problem
Network congestion, particularly bufferbloat, leads to deteriorated quality of service in communication networks, causing queuing delays and packet loss, which existing technologies struggle to effectively mitigate without controlling buffering or queuing in network nodes.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a congestion controller at source endpoint nodes that adjusts the sending rate of media data based on a predetermined target delay and feedback from receiving endpoint nodes, including receive delay time and receiving rate, to maintain throughput and prevent bufferbloat without directly controlling buffering in network nodes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If routers use excessively large buffers to handle network traffic, then buffer capacity is improved, but latency increases due to bufferbloat
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback-based congestion control where the source endpoint receives feedback from the receive endpoint about actual delay experience and adjusts its sending rate accordingly. This feedback mechanism allows the system to respond to bufferbloat conditions and maintain latency within acceptable ranges even when routers use large buffers.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically changes the sending rate parameter based on feedback about actual delay conditions. By adjusting the sending rate in response to measured delay deviations from the target delay, the system adapts to bufferbloat conditions and prevents excessive latency while allowing routers to maintain adequate buffer capacity.
2Reliability
If routers use large buffers to prevent packet loss, then reliability is improved, but queuing delays increase
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback mechanism allows the source endpoint to detect when queuing delays are causing packets to be lost or delayed excessively, and automatically reduce the sending rate to prevent further degradation of reliability while minimizing queuing delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The congestion control system is implemented at the endpoints rather than requiring router intervention. The source endpoint independently monitors network conditions through feedback and self-adjusts its sending rate to maintain both reliability and acceptable delay performance.
3Reliability
If congestion control is implemented at network nodes, then network-wide congestion is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the congestion control functionality from network nodes (routers) and places it at the endpoints (source and receive endpoints). This extraction simplifies the complexity at network nodes while maintaining effective congestion mitigation through endpoint-based rate adjustment.
Solution Approach 2:
The congestion control system operates autonomously at the endpoints without requiring complex coordination with network nodes. The source endpoint independently adjusts its sending rate based on feedback, eliminating the need for complex centralized control or router intervention.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus can include a congestion controller at a source endpoint node of a network that is configured to send substantially real-time media data at a variable sending rate to another endpoint node via the network. The congestion controller can be configured to compute the sending rate as a function of a predetermined target delay and feedback from the other endpoint node that includes a receive delay time for packets of the substantially real-time media data to be received at the other endpoint node from the source endpoint node.