Wi-Fi Router Video Packet Re-prioritization for Live Streaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing Wi-Fi networks face challenges in prioritizing and timely delivery of live MPEG transport video packets, especially during simultaneous streaming sessions, leading to potential delays and video artifacts due to congestion and interference.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus that continuously monitor and re-prioritize packets in the WMM AC_VI queue, allowing for packet discarding when necessary, and periodically updates prioritization algorithms based on real-time Wi-Fi network conditions and client information to ensure timely delivery of critical video packets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If WMM prioritizes video packets in the AC_VI queue, then video delivery timeliness is improved, but packet congestion and delays worsen during simultaneous streaming sessions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically changes the priority parameter of video packets based on real-time delivery status. Packets that are already late or will miss their deadline have their priority reduced or are discarded, while critical packets maintain high priority. This parameter change resolves the contradiction by preventing congested packets from blocking timely packets, thereby improving both delivery timeliness and reliability simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a packet discarding mechanism where video packets that cannot be delivered on time are discarded from the queue. This prevents these doomed packets from consuming queue resources and blocking other packets that can still be delivered timely. The discarding action directly resolves the technical contradiction by eliminating the source of congestion while preserving delivery reliability for viable packets.
2Speed
If all video packets are transmitted with high priority, then delivery speed is improved, but network congestion and interference worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies different priority levels to different video packets based on their specific delivery status and timing requirements. Instead of uniformly high priority for all packets, critical packets receive high priority while others receive normal or reduced priority. This local differentiation resolves the contradiction by maintaining high transmission speed for essential packets while reducing overall network congestion through selective prioritization.
3Loss of time
If packets are continuously monitored and re-prioritized, then delivery timeliness is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements partial monitoring and re-prioritization rather than continuous full-scale processing. The system monitors packet delivery status and intervenes only when necessary to adjust priorities or discard packets. This partial action approach resolves the contradiction by achieving delivery timeliness improvements without requiring complex continuous processing of all packets.
Data Source
AI summary
Transmitting from a wireless router a live stream of time stamped multimedia packets from a server which is capable of providing a system time clock value is disclosed. The wireless router includes a queue for storing the time stamped multimedia packets received from the live streaming server. The wireless router also includes a processor for analyzing the priority of the time stamped multimedia packets stored in the queue, for comparing the time stamps to the system time clock value, for calculating a transmission time to a video client, and for determining a transmission window to transmit the time stamped multimedia packets. The time stamped multimedia packets are discarded if the packets cannot be transmitted within the transmission window, or the time stamped packets are immediately transmitted if they can be transmitted within the transmission window. The priority of the packets in queue may be re-sorted prior to transmission.