# US 11,444,887 B2 · Excess bitrate distribution based on quality gain in sabr server

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- Number: US 11,444,887 B2
- Document ID: US11444887B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/915,827
- Filed: 2018-03-08
- Published: 2018-09-13
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2017-03-08
- Assignees: ARRIS Enterprises LLC
- Applicants: ARRIS Enterprises LLC
- Inventors: Praveen N. Moorthy; Mark S. Schmidt; Baozhou Li; Ajay Luthra
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11444887B2

## CPC

- H04L 65/752: adapting media to network capabilities
- H04L 47/70: Admission control; Resource allocation
- H04L 65/61: for supporting one-way streaming services, e.g. Internet radio
- H04L 65/80: Responding to QoS
- H04L 67/02: based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
- H04N 21/2187: Live feed
- H04N 21/234345: {the reformatting operation being performed only on part of the stream, e.g. a region of the image or a time segment}
- H04N 21/23439: {for generating different versions}
- H04N 21/23655: {Statistical multiplexing, e.g. by controlling the encoder to alter its bitrate to optimize the bandwidth utilization}
- H04N 21/2385: Channel allocation (H04N21/266 takes precedence); Bandwidth allocation (H04N21/24 takes precedence {; allocation of channels according to the instantaneous demands of the users in time-division multiplex systems H04J3/1682; admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; arrangements for maintenance or administration in data switching networks involving bandwidth and capacity management H04L41/0896; negotiating bandwidth in wireless networks H04W28/16})
- H04N 21/2401: {Monitoring of the client buffer}
- H04N 21/2402: {Monitoring of the downstream path of the transmission network, e.g. bandwidth available (traffic monitoring in data switching networks H04L43/00; monitoring data switching networks utilization H04L43/0876)}
- H04N 21/26216: {involving the channel capacity, e.g. network bandwidth (admission control, resource allocation in open networks H04L12/5692; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10; establishing a schedule or organising the servicing of application requests taking into account QoS H04L67/61)}
- H04N 21/26258: {for generating a list of items to be played back in a given order, e.g. playlist, or scheduling item distribution according to such list (retrieval of multimedia data based on playlists G06F16/40)}
- H04N 21/2662: Controlling the complexity of the video stream, e.g. by scaling the resolution or bitrate of the video stream based on the client capabilities
- H04N 21/44227: {Monitoring of local network, e.g. connection or bandwidth variations; Detecting new devices in the local network (configuring of peripheral devices in general G06F9/4411; monitoring connectivity in data switched networks H04L43/0811)}
- H04N 21/6332: directed to client
- H04N 21/64738: {Monitoring network characteristics, e.g. bandwidth, congestion level (data switched network analysis H04L41/14; monitoring functioning in data switched networks H04L43/0817; flow control in packet networks H04L47/10)}
- H04N 21/8456: {by decomposing the content in the time domain, e.g. in time segments}
- H04L 5/0064: {Rate requirement of the data, e.g. scalable bandwidth, data priority}
- H04L 5/0085: {when channel conditions change}
- H04L 5/0087: {when data requirements change}
- H04L 47/787: {Bandwidth trade among domains}
- H04L 65/762: {at the source (reformatting of additional data in video distribution servers H04N21/2355)}
- H04L 67/101: based on network conditions
- H04L 67/303: Terminal profiles
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)
- H04N: PICTORIAL COMMUNICATION, e.g. TELEVISION

## Abstract

A method provides for delivering video content from a server to a plurality of media devices is disclosed that distributes accurately excess bandwidth. The method includes: determining, by the server, the bandwidth to allocate to each of the plurality of media devices using a hypertext transfer protocol-based live streaming client model or a need parameter vector and/or measured bandwidth limitations associated with each of the plurality of media devices and providing the allocated bandwidth to each of the plurality of media devices, wherein the video content is transmitted in a plurality of segments from the server, and wherein each segment is transmitted at a bitrate that may vary from segment to segment.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for providing video content comprising:
providing a HyperText Transfer Protocol-based live streaming client model (“HCM′), determining a bandwidth to allocate to a plurality of media devices using the HCM that is made up of a state-based HCM that is constructed for each of the plurality of media devices;
determining bandwidth constraints associated with each of said plurality of media devices;
determining a number of active media devices associated with the plurality of media devices to allocate the determined bandwidth;
for each respective one of the plurality of active media devices, determining a need parameter vector (“NPV”) and assigning a fraction of the bandwidth to each respective active media device in the plurality of media devices based, at least in part, on: (i) said bandwidth constraints associated with each respective active media device; (ii) measured rates at which video luma Peak Signal to Noise Ratio (PSNR) changes as a function of video bitrate for content delivered to each respective active media device; and (iii) the NPV varied by a scalar quality value for each respective active media device using the HCM construct for each active media device.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the NPV is based or one or more of the following: video complexity, device profile, service priority level, and codec profile.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein video complexity is derived from video content as an estimation of a complexity of the video content.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the NPV is computed based on a complexity of video content for each segment.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The method of claim 2 wherein the NPV is based on device profile.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5 wherein the device profile indicates that an active device is undergoing a transition period requiring a modification to the bandwidth assigned to the active device.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method of claim 6 wherein the transition period is one or more of the following: a channel change, a pause or resume, a seek, a complete, and a join.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining an adjustment factor for assigning the fraction of the bandwidth to each active media device.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method of claim 8 wherein the adjustment factor is based on one or more of the following: the NPV for an active media device is over budget, the NPV for an active media device is under budget, an active media device completes playback, and a bottleneck occurs at an active media device.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the HCM provides an estimate of a fullness of a media-device buffer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1 wherein the determined bandwidth to allocate to each of the plurality of media devices prevents a media device from buffering content already received from a server.