Wireless Access Network Scheduling for Adaptive Bitrate Streaming QoE

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing adaptive bitrate streaming techniques often result in insufficient quality-of-experience (QoE) for users in wireless communication networks, especially under conditions of significant background traffic and varying channel conditions, due to inadequate bitrate management and congestion handling.

Innovation Solution

An apparatus and method that utilize a processor and memory in a wireless access network to receive and analyze feedback information from adaptive bitrate streaming flows, allowing for dynamic scheduling and optimization of streaming flows based on channel conditions and congestion levels, ensuring consistent high bitrate delivery without requiring signaling to the core network or client devices.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If existing adaptive bitrate streaming techniques are used, then bitrate adaptation is provided, but quality-of-experience is insufficient under congested conditions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvequality-of-experienceVSAvoidbitrate adaptation capability

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the wireless access device receives QoE feedback from the client device and uses this feedback to adjust scheduling decisions. The application scheduler receives feedback information about playback quality, buffer status, and bitrate performance, then dynamically adjusts resource allocation to improve QoE while maintaining bitrate adaptation capabilities.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces dynamic scheduling where the application scheduler continuously adjusts resource allocation based on real-time feedback. The scheduling parameters, priority levels, and resource allocation are not static but dynamically modified according to current network conditions and QoE feedback, allowing the system to adapt to changing conditions while maintaining reliable streaming.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Reliability

If network resources are allocated to maintain high bitrate, then QoE improves, but network congestion increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvebitrate consistencyVSAvoidnetwork congestion

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes scheduling parameters dynamically based on feedback. The application scheduler adjusts priority levels, resource allocation ratios, and scheduling weights according to QoE feedback and network conditions. This allows the system to maintain high bitrate for struggling streams when necessary while adjusting parameters to prevent overall network congestion.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies differentiated scheduling where different flows receive different levels of resource allocation based on their individual QoE needs. Rather than uniform resource distribution, the system provides localized quality adjustments to specific streams that need improvement while maintaining efficient overall network utilization.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If feedback information is collected and processed, then scheduling optimization is achieved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescheduling efficiencyVSAvoidfeedback processing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements self-service mechanisms where the system automatically processes feedback and adjusts scheduling without requiring complex manual intervention or core network involvement. The application scheduler at the wireless access device autonomously processes QoE feedback and makes scheduling decisions, reducing the need for complex centralized control systems.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the scheduling intelligence from the core network and places it at the wireless access device level. This distributes the processing complexity to the edge where the feedback is received, allowing the core network to remain simple while achieving sophisticated scheduling optimization at the access level.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Data Source

PatentUS11019126B2Quality-of-experience for adaptive bitrate streaming

Publication Date: 2021.05.25 NOKIA SOLUTIONS & NETWORKS OY

AI summary

The present disclosure generally discloses an adaptive bitrate streaming support capability configured to support adaptive bitrate streaming of content. The adaptive bitrate streaming support capability is configured to support adaptive bitrate streaming of content via a wireless access network including an application scheduler and a wireless access device. The application scheduler receives an adaptive bitrate streaming flow and sends the adaptive bitrate streaming flow toward the wireless access device based on scheduling of the adaptive bitrate streaming flow at the application scheduler. The wireless access device determines feedback information associated with the adaptive bitrate streaming flow and provides the feedback information associated with the adaptive bitrate streaming flow to the application scheduler. The application scheduler determines scheduling of the adaptive bitrate streaming flow, for transmission toward the wireless access device, based on the feedback information associated with the adaptive bitrate streaming flow.